Confirmed with Link: (G)Sergei Bobrovsky 7yr @ 10 mil

[GrumpyKelly]

It's Spanish

 

[majormajor]

Congrats from this Jackets fan. You guys are going to love Bobrovsky. The AAV is a bit high but I think long term with Bobrovsky is actually fine. He's an elite goalie and elite goalies tend to age very well. Rinne just won a Vezina at age 35, Thomas, Brodeur, and Hasek all won multiple Vezinas in their mid to late 30s. For all the talk about his "bad contract", he has a better chance of being elite at the end of it than any of the skaters signed long term.

The only thing I'd mention is just to take care of him and coddle him if you have to. Respect the hell out of him, because it matters to him. Bob was blamed (wrongly) for the Jackets inability to beat the Pens and Caps in the playoffs. Our FO and coach were publicly questioning his mental toughness and recommending a psychologist. This really upset Bob, perhaps because it is very insulting to Russians to question someone's mental toughness. But I was also upset on his behalf because he wasn't bad in those series - he was saddled with endless odd man rushes and dozens of penalty kills against the league's best shooters. You wouldn't expect good numbers in those situations - and if you look at his even strength numbers separately, he was good. It was at the end of the Washington series, more than a year ago, that he decided he was going to leave the Jackets. He'll have some bad games every now and then, but no one will work harder. Treat him better than we did.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Congrats from this Jackets fan. You guys are going to love Bobrovsky. The AAV is a bit high but I think long term with Bobrovsky is actually fine. He's an elite goalie and elite goalies tend to age very well. Rinne just won a Vezina at age 35, Thomas, Brodeur, and Hasek all won multiple Vezinas in their mid to late 30s. For all the talk about his "bad contract", he has a better chance of being elite at the end of it than any of the skaters signed long term do.

The only thing I'd mention is just to take care of him and coddle him if you have to. Respect the hell out of him, because it matters to him. Bob was blamed (wrongly) for the Jackets inability to beat the Pens and Caps in the playoffs. Our FO and coach were publicly questioning his mental toughness and recommending a psychologist. This really upset Bob, perhaps because it is very insulting to Russians to question someone's mental toughness. But I was also upset on his behalf because he wasn't bad in those series - he was saddled with endless odd man rushes and dozens of penalty kills against the league's best shooters. You wouldn't expect good numbers in those situations - and if you look at his even strength numbers separately, he was good. It was at the end of the Washington series, more than a year ago, that he decided he was going to leave the Jackets. He'll have some bad games every now and then, but no one will work harder. Treat him better than we did.

Thanks. I know I will, when he's on top of his game there's nobody better in the world. He turns into Hasek 2.0

 

[Mase]

IMO, this contract means that Dale...or whomever might be calling the shots personal-wise...better hit on the draft picks in a major way, regardless of whether or not Bob is elite or not.

 

[Mogo]

While the money is nuts Columbus did offer him even more money than we did and believe so did NYI. There's a reason he was so expensive

 

[KW]

While the money is nuts Columbus did offer him even more money than we did and believe so did NYI. There's a reason he was so expensive

Islanders really screwed up by going hard after both Bob and Pan, thinking it was between us and them only. So they lost both.

Dale smartly listened to his brain and dropped out of the Panarin sweepstakes as soon as it was clear Pan wanted NY. Then Dale was able to focus on getting Connolly, Strahlman and Acciari.

I think Dale and Q are not getting enough credit in some circles for getting all 4 great additions.

 

[EnforceTheLaus]

IMO, this contract means that Dale...or whomever might be calling the shots personal-wise...better hit on the draft picks in a major way, regardless of whether or not Bob is elite or not.

This kind of spending is why they took 8/9 picks at the draft. They need kids on ELCs to balance out the roster under the cap, like the Hawks were able to stay atop for so long.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Islanders really screwed up by going hard after both Bob and Pan, thinking it was between us and them only. So they lost both.

Dale smartly listened to his brain and dropped out of the Panarin sweepstakes as soon as it was clear Pan wanted NY. Then Dale was able to focus on getting Connolly, Strahlman and Acciari.

I think Dale and Q are not getting enough credit in some circles for getting all 4 great additions.

If Stralman really is healthy, this was an A++ free agent haul. If Stral is good to go we'll be a very good team.

 

[IceManCat]

We need a another defensive dman in there preferably a veteran

 

[Mase]

We need a another defensive dman in there preferably a veteran

I tend to agree, and I think there is still a move yet to be made, but common sense says that, given the current cap-space they have($5,414,206) to sign RFA's et al, someone(or a couple of someone's) has to be moved out.....I'm lookin right at cha Mr. Sceviour.

To move that salary(if indeed that is the move) you may need to include a draft pick. I would say Pysyk is the move(and he still may be), but I don't know if we can afford to move ANY experienced Dman we have given the current situation, unless it's for another veteran Dman, which may be redundant unless he's THAT much better.

I do somewhat believe that another move is coming, now that the smoke has cleared a bit.

 

[pb1300]

If Stralman really is healthy, this was an A++ free agent haul. If Stral is good to go we'll be a very good team.

He, along with Ryan Mac, where the Lightning's best duo last season, until he got hurt, and his overall play with the Lightning has been solid. He wont turn the puck over, and hopefully his veteran play will rub off on Ekblad and Matty. One more addition on the blueline, and we are solid.

 

[JP Mick]

We need a another defensive dman in there preferably a veteran

Whats Killer Sandwich doing these days?

 

[Mase]

A bit off-topic so forgive me in advance, but how long do you think it'll be before some poor, misguided, schmendrick of a personnel man, kicks the tires on our old friend Alex Petrovic?

 

[Mase]

Whats Killer Sandwich doing these days?

Putting the "K" back in KHL I would imagine

 

[GrumpyKelly]

A bit off-topic so forgive me in advance, but how long do you think it'll be before some poor, misguided, schmendrick of a personnel man, kicks the tires on our old friend Alex Petrovic?

If he can't get a contract with Edmonton, I think he's out of the league. Thanks for the third rounder though, Chia. lol

 

[Ratsreign]

If the first five years are truly successful, I won't give a damn what happens with the last two years of Bob's deal.
Even if they overpaid, they can't risk going second best available. The time is now for this team. They also had to keep in mind that the new guy has to follow Lu, in our eyes as well as in the teams' eyes. Not everyone would thrive trying to follow a legend.

 

[Gentle Man]

Whats Killer Sandwich doing these days?

He left

 

[sinDer]

We need a another defensive dman in there preferably a veteran

If Matheson could just be average next year, it would be huge for this team.

Matheson was not even NHL caliber las year, so him being average next year would be like if we added a legit D

 

[pantherbot]

I used to think we couldn't spend much on goaltending, but I think it depends on who you're paying for. We paid for someone who will be at worse an above average goalie for the next 5 years and at best could be the best in the league. That certainty of performance in net is huge and is why he gets $10M.

Yes you can always go get a Lehner and he might be better value, but the range of outcomes is much wider. Maybe Monty could be like Binnington, but we really have no idea. Nobody knows when they'll hit the lottery.

To those saying this is a bad signing, I'd like to see a better solution. We HAVE to make the playoffs and make some noise the next few seasons or this franchise is toast. Bob is getting paid $10M to give us the best chance to keep this franchise.

 

[I am not exposed]

If Bob gives us just average goaltending, and the rest of the team performs the same as last year, we will make the playoffs.

 

[vendetta]

If Bob gives us just average goaltending, and the rest of the team performs the same as last year, we will make the playoffs.

Bingo

 

[Chaos2k7]

If Bob gives us just average goaltending, and the rest of the team performs the same as last year, we will make the playoffs.

With a rebound on defensive principals, we should be in the top 3 in the division.

 

[pb1300]

With a rebound on defensive principals, we should be in the top 3 in the division.

I think we are a better team than Toronto, and we are going to give Boston a run for their money, as I think they are better than Toronto as well.

 

[I am not exposed]

I think we are a better team than Toronto, and we are going to give Boston a run for their money, as I think they are better than Toronto as well.

Hopefully you're right.

Although this kind of thing is said every off season!

 

[Mase]

With a rebound on defensive principals, we should be in the top 3 in the division.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, but you don't think that it'll take some time to find some consistency with a new system being implemented?

I think...barring injury to a major contributor...they'll be much more effective in the 2nd half of the season overall, and will need Bob to be "Vezina Bob" very early on to compensate for the early inconsistencies. Top 3 in the division might be a bit of a pipe dream in the 1st year under Q, certainly not an impossibility, but those other teams(Boston, Toronto, and Tampa) may have lost players, may have key older players that are a year older(especially in Bostons case), but their systems are relatively the same, so they have the advantage until we are shown otherwise, IMO.