Player Discussion: Kulemin - How much do we retain to move him?

[BelovedIsles]

Or how about...

Best 4th line in hockey...So you can brag about something on a non-playoff team.

Truth be told, it was a shitty 4th line on a non-playoff team. On a playoff team it would be AHL material.

 

[redbull]

I've always liked Kulemin but he's been either miscast or overpaid. Penalty killing and solid/safe defensive hockey was arguably the biggest weakness the Isles had last year - Kulemin's one of the best at that.....but this Isles team can't afford to pay him $4MM to do that. They're already paying too much for Cizikas, Clutterbuck to do the same thing. And they should be able to find players who can provide the same, for much less. And it's definitely not Wagner, Quine, Prince or the other 3rd/4th line hacks they had last year - even with a new coach.

I think Lamoriello's a great judge of talent and isn't afraid to make bold moves. I don't think that'll change now that he's on Long Island - at least I hope not.

I suspect he'll get a goalie right away, like he did in getting Schneider once Brodeur was at the end of the line. Like he got Freddie Andersen immediately after successfully finishing last to get Auston.

And how me makes people disappear (like Robidas, Lupul), well, let's just say if there are some bad contracts, Lou will find a way. Remember when he sent Mogilny to the minors for most of the season to save cap space?

 

[LeapOnOver]

Kuli is off to Russia.

His offense never materialized, solid PKer. Good forechecker.

Overpaid for a 4th liner.

Statements like these irritate me. When we signed him he was still a quality third liner player. Of course he got older and not as good. But let's not act like we signed a 4th line player 4 years ago to an outrageous contract. He's got nothing to do with the Cizikas or Clutterbuck contracts. Not to mention it seemed that locked up being able to get Grabovski as well which was obviously the bigger fish.

 

[BelovedIsles]

Statements like these irritate me. When we signed him he was still a quality third liner player. Of course he got older and not as good. But let's not act like we signed a 4th line player 4 years ago to an outrageous contract. He's got nothing to do with the Cizikas or Clutterbuck contracts. Not to mention it seemed that locked up being able to get Grabovski as well which was obviously the bigger fish.

He was as overpaid 4 years ago.

 

[LeapOnOver]

He was as overpaid 4 years ago.

By a little bit, to get Grabovski. Do I have to link you the tire fire that was this board on day 1 of free agency when we did nothing? I hope you can remember it, it was brutal. At the time, pick up those two players was almost a necessity.

Lastly, we've been told how important Kulemin was too the PK, and you saw what it was like without him. Of all players to worry about being overpaid, he's one of the least egregious on the list.

 

[Duanesutter12]

You and I squabbled on the Boychuck contract and in the end I conceded you were right! I'm not doing that on this one. Grabo was a good player at the time he signed but it's not like he warranted a side kick like Kuli in an effort to lure him. Remember we were at the cap floor at that time and this was the first step in Garth pissing it all away. Kuli is a much better player than he got credit for from Isles fan but he was not worth the price nor the term of his contract. 4 years at $4.1M for a guy that put up 50 points ONCE in his career, no matter how you slice it that is not a good contract!

Statements like these irritate me. When we signed him he was still a quality third liner player. Of course he got older and not as good. But let's not act like we signed a 4th line player 4 years ago to an outrageous contract. He's got nothing to do with the Cizikas or Clutterbuck contracts. Not to mention it seemed that locked up being able to get Grabovski as well which was obviously the bigger fish.

 

[LeapOnOver]

You and I squabbled on the Boychuck contract and in the end I conceded you were right! I'm not doing that on this one. Grabo was a good player at the time he signed but it's not like he warranted a side kick like Kuli in an effort to lure him. Remember we were at the cap floor at that time and this was the first step in Garth pissing it all away. Kuli is a much better player than he got credit for from Isles fan but he was not worth the price nor the term of his contract. 4 years at $4.1M for a guy that put up 50 points ONCE in his career, no matter how you slice it that is not a good contract!

But I never said it was a good contract. What I said was that at the time it wasn't the SAME as signing a 4th liner to an outrageous contract. Kulemin was a solid third line player for at least half that contract. I also said the Isles overpaid for him to bring Grabovski along....and at the time Kulemin was also being courted in division by Pittsburgh. you can go back and look at the FA notes. I'm fine stating he was overpaid, by about a million. Hardly not egregious, but of course I would have liked the Islander to have saved some of that money...not that I think it would have mattered any.

What I took umbrage with is you cannot take the last year of a guys contract and try to paint a picture that it's been that way for the entire length. That's like saying "Jonathan Toews is a third line center and on a horrible contract paying him 10.5m", like he just signed that contract. Again, everyone knew Kulemin was overpaid a bit when he came on with Grabovski 4 YEARS AGO.