Speculation: Friedman: Canucks to chase high end UFA's?

[DomY]

Honestly I don't get the pessimism about this comment. If there's one thing that GMJB has done since coming here, it's (mostly unsuccessfully) pursuing the big free agents of each draft class. Successfully got Loui Eriksson (hasn't worked out), and also went after Lucic and Tavares, and was known to covet Kane if he went to July 1. Now, there might be a lesson here that it's not worth it to go after high end UFAs who are older, or unless they are truly elite, but neither of those apply to the 2019 UFA class. Erik Karlsson is truly an elite, top 3 dman in the league. Mark Stone would easily be the best winger on this team.

I don't think (at least I hope not) that there is appetite for second tier players like Ferland, but I could see him overpaying for Myers if they miss on Karlsson.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

This is what I think they should do too. I think the team is better off overpaying to acquire high end guys who are true difference makers than overpaying for above average players who are good support players.

Also the when the elite fall, they are still good since the starting point was so high.

When you've overpaid in money & term to the mid tier guys and they fall off, you'll end up with far worse albatross contracts.

 

[Cancuks]

Now's not the time to be chasing expensive UFAs. 2022-23 is the offseason we should be preparing for. Best free agent pool in history as it stands.
By then Pettersson, Horvat, Boeser should be all in their prime, Demko and Hughes should be breaking out and hopefully some of our other (hopefully high) draft picks should be cracking the roster. Also the expansion draft will be sorted out and Luongo's recapture penalty will be dealt with.
Also, Eriksson, Beagle, Roussel, Sutter, Gudbranson will all be off the books. Edler and Tanev will probably be gone. If we budget properly and re-sign our young players to cap friendly deals then we should be able to go after 2-3 big names.

Some 2022-23 UFA's: Alex Barkov, Morgan Rielly, Seth Jones, Filip Forsberg, Hampus Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau, Vincent Trochek, Rickard Rakell, Colton Parayko, Sean Couturier, John Klingberg, Mika Zibanajed, Mattias Ekholm, PK Subban, Nazem Kadri, Ondrej Palat, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, Patrice Bergeron.

Imagine signing Morgan Rielly, Filip Forsberg and Hampus Lindholm in one off season? Possible if we play our cards right and be patient.

 

[Blueangel1891]

Karlsson or Stone. Stay the f*** away from all the rest

Panarin won't even pick up the phone so don't even bother

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

Now's not the time to be chasing expensive UFAs. 2022-23 is the offseason we should be preparing for. Best free agent pool in history as it stands.
By then Pettersson, Horvat, Boeser should be all in their prime, Demko and Hughes should be breaking out and hopefully some of our other (hopefully high) draft picks should be cracking the roster. Also the expansion draft will be sorted out and Luongo's recapture penalty will be dealt with.
Also, Eriksson, Beagle, Roussel, Sutter, Gudbranson will all be off the books. Edler and Tanev will probably be gone. If we budget properly and re-sign our young players to cap friendly deals then we should be able to go after 2-3 big names.

Some 2022-23 UFA's: Alex Barkov, Morgan Rielly, Seth Jones, Filip Forsberg, Hampus Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau, Vincent Trochek, Rickard Rakell, Colton Parayko, Sean Couturier, John Klingberg, Mika Zibanajed, Mattias Ekholm, PK Subban, Nazem Kadri, Ondrej Palat, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, Patrice Bergeron.

Imagine signing Morgan Rielly, Filip Forsberg and Hampus Lindholm in one off season? Possible if we play our cards right and be patient.

I sure hope you aren’t a Benning hater because you just proved that you know nothing about players/free agency.

Those names will not be available and we will be paying max dollars to our kids that are on ELC’s (the best time to capitalize with a winning team)

We just played the what if card with our Goaltending and I’d be willing to bet you ripped into what management did there but you want to do the same whole wait and see approach with free agency?

 

[bossram]

Honestly I don't get the pessimism about this comment. If there's one thing that GMJB has done since coming here, it's (mostly unsuccessfully) pursuing the big free agents of each draft class. Successfully got Loui Eriksson (hasn't worked out), and also went after Lucic and Tavares, and was known to covet Kane if he went to July 1. Now, there might be a lesson here that it's not worth it to go after high end UFAs who are older, or unless they are truly elite, but neither of those apply to the 2019 UFA class. Erik Karlsson is truly an elite, top 3 dman in the league. Mark Stone would easily be the best winger on this team.

I don't think (at least I hope not) that there is appetite for second tier players like Ferland, but I could see him overpaying for Myers if they miss on Karlsson.

Yah...Benning "chases" the high end UFAs and settles for overpaying the mid-tier ones.

We're going to "strike out" on Mark Stone and Karlsson and then hand Ferland and Myers matching 5 x 5 contracts or something like that.

 

[bossram]

Now's not the time to be chasing expensive UFAs. 2022-23 is the offseason we should be preparing for. Best free agent pool in history as it stands.
By then Pettersson, Horvat, Boeser should be all in their prime, Demko and Hughes should be breaking out and hopefully some of our other (hopefully high) draft picks should be cracking the roster. Also the expansion draft will be sorted out and Luongo's recapture penalty will be dealt with.
Also, Eriksson, Beagle, Roussel, Sutter, Gudbranson will all be off the books. Edler and Tanev will probably be gone. If we budget properly and re-sign our young players to cap friendly deals then we should be able to go after 2-3 big names.

Some 2022-23 UFA's: Alex Barkov, Morgan Rielly, Seth Jones, Filip Forsberg, Hampus Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau, Vincent Trochek, Rickard Rakell, Colton Parayko, Sean Couturier, John Klingberg, Mika Zibanajed, Mattias Ekholm, PK Subban, Nazem Kadri, Ondrej Palat, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, Patrice Bergeron.

Imagine signing Morgan Rielly, Filip Forsberg and Hampus Lindholm in one off season? Possible if we play our cards right and be patient.

This is crazy talk. Not even a quarter of those guys will hit free agency. This offseason is going to be one of the "craziest" high-end UFA signing periods in recent history, and there's going to be what, maybe 3 (Karlsson, Stone, Panarin)?

Our contention plan is supposed to be "hope we can sign 3 top-tier UFAs in one offseason"? Really?

 

[DomY]

Yah...Benning "chases" the high end UFAs and settles for overpaying the mid-tier ones.

We're going to "strike out" on Mark Stone and Karlsson and then hand Ferland and Myers matching 5 x 5 contracts or something like that.

2016/17 UFAs
Eriksson 36M/6yr (a top winger UFA in the class, how it worked out notwithstanding)
Larsen (RFA but acquired from Europe, so I'll count it) 1.025M/1yr
Rodin 950k/1yr
Skille 700k/1yr
Shore 700k/1yr

2017/18 UFAs
Gagner 9.45M/3yr
del Zotto 6M/2yr
Vanek $2M/1yr
Holm 925k/1yr
Rodin 700k/1yr
Archibald 650k/1yr

2018/19 UFAs
Beagle 12M/4yr
Roussel 12M/4yr
Schaller 3.8M/2yr

There's literally no recent history of Benning doing something like offering a middle tier free agent $25M/5 years like Calgary did for James Neal. The worst he has done in terms of overpaying non-elite free agents is offer Gagner $9.45M/3yrs or Beagle's $12M/4yers (which I don't think is that bad but that's personal opinion). Again, 36M for Eriksson has obviously not worked out, but he was one of the top free agents of the class.

That being said, Ferland and Myers would become our 2nd best forward and D on the roster. I'd be happy to pay Myers $5m x 5years. Ferland less so.

 

[Zippgunn]

Like I said...

 

[TruGr1t]

Going after the truly elite, Karlsson & Stone, is what they should do.

Im scared they cap strap us with bad contracts to the aging UFAs and that combined with impending Luongo cap penalty could make us a ripe offersheet target in the near future.

How is this new? They do it every year. One of the big falling out points with Linden was their pursuit of Tavares. Benning has tried to sign all the FAs every year he's been in charge, and they'll do it again because Aquilini loves the big score.

Also none of those players are coming here. You might want to swing on down to the Jordan Eberle and Anton Stralman range.

 

[xtra]

2016/17 UFAs
Eriksson 36M/6yr (a top winger UFA in the class, how it worked out notwithstanding)
Larsen (RFA but acquired from Europe, so I'll count it) 1.025M/1yr
Rodin 950k/1yr
Skille 700k/1yr
Shore 700k/1yr

2017/18 UFAs
Gagner 9.45M/3yr
del Zotto 6M/2yr
Vanek $2M/1yr
Holm 925k/1yr
Rodin 700k/1yr
Archibald 650k/1yr

2018/19 UFAs
Beagle 12M/4yr
Roussel 12M/4yr
Schaller 3.8M/2yr

There's literally no recent history of Benning doing something like offering a middle tier free agent $25M/5 years like Calgary did for James Neal. The worst he has done in terms of overpaying non-elite free agents is offer Gagner $9.45M/3yrs or Beagle's $12M/4yers (which I don't think is that bad but that's personal opinion). Again, 36M for Eriksson has obviously not worked out, but he was one of the top free agents of the class.

That being said, Ferland and Myers would become our 2nd best forward and D on the roster. I'd be happy to pay Myers $5m x 5years. Ferland less so.

However eriksson was coming off a career year including where he shot over 16% so while he was a “top” ufa he was a middle tier player

Also James Neal was a top ufa.

NHL's Top 12 UFAs of 2018: Latest rumours, reports - Sportsnet.ca
#4 on that list

The top 30 unrestricted free agents of 2018 - TheHockeyNews
#5 on that list

 

[4Twenty]

They should only be shopping for the high end players

 

[Love]

Karlsson or Stone. Stay the **** away from all the rest

Panarin won't even pick up the phone so don't even bother

100% agree. But I don’t think we’ll have the money for Stone or Karlsson? I could be mistaken but I doubt we’ll have room.

$17.4mil per year for Sutter, Eriksson, Gudbranson, and Beagle hurts going into this summer.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Canucks should seriously consider trading Boeser for Heiskanen (if that ship hasn’t sailed already), or Makar+.

Then, with the freed up cap space, the Canucks can target one of Stone, Duchene, or Ferland to compensate the loss of Brock up front......while having significantly bolstered their defense on the right side both short term and long term.

 

[Fire Benning]

I'm all in on Stone, we have the cap space to offer him 70 million over 7 years and he's the only truly elite UFA that I can imagine having interest in signing here.

 

[Love]

Canucks should seriously consider trading Boeser for Heiskanen (if that ship hasn’t sailed already), or Makar+.

Then, with the freed up cap space, the Canucks can target one of Stone, Duchene, or Ferland to compensate the loss of Brock up front......while having significantly bolstered their defense on the right side both short term and long term.

Trading Brock isn’t happening nor should it. You don’t trade 21 year olds who score like he does. Ever.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Trading Brock isn’t happening nor should it. You don’t trade 21 year olds who score like he does. Ever.

Very true, but consider the other side of the coin:

1) Our concerns on defense would very likely be solved with a trade like this. Makar or Heiskanen will very likely be top pairing right sided defensemen one day. Now all of a sudden, losing Tanev isn’t a matter of life and death.

2) Stone, Duchene, and Ferland are just around the corner known as July 1st. With as much cap space as we’d have, combined with the fact that we wouldn’t even have to SELL players on wanting to play with Elias Pettersson, combined with the fact that we’d now have one of the most balanced rosters in the league both short term and long term (center, goaltending, defense), I don’t think it would be too difficult at all to attract 1, maybe 2, solid wingers this summer (to compensate the loss of Boeser to a very large degree).

 

[ddawg1950]

How is this new? They do it every year. One of the big falling out points with Linden was their pursuit of Tavares. Benning has tried to sign all the FAs every year he's been in charge, and they'll do it again because Aquilini loves the big score.

Also none of those players are coming here. You might want to swing on down to the Jordan Eberle and Anton Stralman range.

I agree.

Except I do not want us to swing down to the Eberle/Stralman range. Rather go with kids in the system and keep working on development as well as slow and steady progress

 

[Fire Benning]

Should focus on resigning Pouliot and Granlund first and see how much theres left to go after others

Is this a serious comment?

 

[MS]

Trading Brock isn’t happening nor should it. You don’t trade 21 year olds who score like he does. Ever.

If you could trade Boeser for Heiskanen you do that deal in a heartbeat and run away laughing.

Dallas doesn’t even think about it, though.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

You go missing?

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

I sure hope you aren’t a Benning hater because you just proved that you know nothing about players/free agency.

Those names will not be available and we will be paying max dollars to our kids that are on ELC’s (the best time to capitalize with a winning team)

We just played the what if card with our Goaltending and I’d be willing to bet you ripped into what management did there but you want to do the same whole wait and see approach with free agency?

You go missing bro? We’re worried for you over in Nuck Land

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

2016/17 UFAs
Eriksson 36M/6yr (a top winger UFA in the class, how it worked out notwithstanding)
Larsen (RFA but acquired from Europe, so I'll count it) 1.025M/1yr
Rodin 950k/1yr
Skille 700k/1yr
Shore 700k/1yr

2017/18 UFAs
Gagner 9.45M/3yr
del Zotto 6M/2yr
Vanek $2M/1yr
Holm 925k/1yr
Rodin 700k/1yr
Archibald 650k/1yr

2018/19 UFAs
Beagle 12M/4yr
Roussel 12M/4yr
Schaller 3.8M/2yr

There's literally no recent history of Benning doing something like offering a middle tier free agent $25M/5 years like Calgary did for James Neal. The worst he has done in terms of overpaying non-elite free agents is offer Gagner $9.45M/3yrs or Beagle's $12M/4yers (which I don't think is that bad but that's personal opinion). Again, 36M for Eriksson has obviously not worked out, but he was one of the top free agents of the class.

That being said, Ferland and Myers would become our 2nd best forward and D on the roster. I'd be happy to pay Myers $5m x 5years. Ferland less so.

You’d be a hero if you could pull those numbers out and so would YZerman if that breaks it down

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

100% agree. But I don’t think we’ll have the money for Stone or Karlsson? I could be mistaken but I doubt we’ll have room.

$17.4mil per year for Sutter, Eriksson, Gudbranson, and Beagle hurts going into this summer

 

[Robongo01]

I keep hearing this, but nobody takes into account that we really won’t have the space to do much. Boeser gets around 7 million, Edler snd Hutton get raises, where’s all of this so called cap space?

We have anchor contracts in Gagner, Sutter, Gudbranson, Beagle, Eriksson and even Schaller signed at 2 million next year. This teams cap structure is an absolute MESS