People must think these agents are stupid or something. I want to hear from their perspective: what would you rather do? negotiate with a notorious hard-ass like Lou or just simply wait it out and take your chances with an unproven rookie? Kind of along the same nonsense about "surpressing player's production to keep contracts down". People honestly believe that stupidity.
TBH, I don't think Matthews really likes playing for Babcock. McDavid may end up wanting out of the gong show that is OEG (Oilers Entertainment Group), but I doubt he's coming home. Be thankful that the team overpaid for Tavares.
Every team does this. Pittsburgh traded for Hossa. Chicago signed Campbell, then Hossa. LA traded for Richards & Carter. You know how often franchise centermen end up in free agency? ****ing never. Furthermore, the Tavares deal capped the Matthews deal, the AAVs are only different because one is divisible by 5.
Sure they benefit from each other but to say it is all Marriner is immature. If it is so easy being down low how come everyone doesn't do it? So Marriner drew two guys but who went to the open ice? Takes two guys to make a play.
Dubas isn’t the one doing most of the negotiating though. Pridham is the guy, and was also the guy with Lou. Lou signed Marleau to a $6.25M AAV. Either way you look at it, we weren’t going to be bulletproof. Marner is still likely in the $9M ballpark, not $11M like most people think. But I guess it’s good that most people seem to think it will be $11M because that’s going to raise spirits when it is only $9M.
I don't think Boston beats Toronto, Toronto pushed Boston to the absolute limit last year without Tavares and without Muzzin, and sense then they have added Tavares and Muzzin without moving anything off the roster Same with Washington I think the Leafs beat them, I think Tampa is the ONLY true roadblock
He has sure come into his own and looked much more comfortable. Seems fine with his limited minutes and has been starting to get more physical as time goes by. It would indeed be foolish to expend assets on a 4c that we end up paying 1.2 mill more then Goat. That savings and even more from trading Brown gives us the extra money for Kapp or AJ.
Hopefully someone else can get Boston in the first round and wipe them out for us. The WC upsets over Tampa too