Confirmed with Link: Marcus Kruger Acquired for 2018 5th Round Pick

[geehaad]

he definitely said both a "20 goal winger" and a "top 6 center".

Anyone have a better source than this?

Francis did say, “If we can get another player that gets us 20 goals up front, that’s something we’re going to explore because it’s a need for us.”

source: http://canesandcoffee.com/daily-cup...ancis-media-availability-on-wednesday-part-2/



EDIT: Here's why you're probably misremembering:

So a tweet I saw said the shopping list was clear. A top six center, PLUS a 20 goal winger, third pairing d and a goalie. Does anyone watching all this agree? Two productive forwards?

That tweet was Luke putting his own spin on what was said. I watched the presser and Francis and Peters, from what I can tell never said that.

Francis and Peters were a bit on different ends of the spectrum when it comes to next year, but that could just be Francis not showing his cards and staying his normal methodical self. Francis's statement was the task this offseason is not as daunting as previous season as there's only a few "tweaks". Peters was more blunt saying we have obvious and specific needs that need to be filled and it's unrealistic to think they'll be filled from within. He also joked to Francis that they'd only use 2 or 3 of their picks (meaning they'd be making trades), and that Francis would take advantage of the expansion draft and implied that Francis would be doing a lot of wheeling and dealing over the next couple months.

My read on it is that they need at least 1 top 6 forward, a 5/6 defenseman, and a goalie and that they were looking to fill those via trading picks/prospects, UFA or trading for someone before the expansion draft.

Ok that all makes sense. I heard about that Peter's quote. I wasn't expecting us to be chasing two impact forwards when it's questionable that we want to pay the price for one. I can see us finding a "20 goal scorer" with a pick during the expansion process, as well as a goalie and a third pairing guy.

Getting a top six center on top of that seemed a tall order. Unless they're ready to pay Sakic's price I suppose.

 

[bleedgreen]

I don't remember where it was, but it was definitely said both a 20 goal winger and a top 6 center. I don't make crap like that up. At first it was mentioning just the 20 goals, but later it became a top 6 center and another 20 goals from a winger.

 

[vorbis]

I listened to the conference call with Francis and Kruger this afternoon.

based on how they spoke, I wouldn't 100% rule out Kruger slotting up to the 3rd line with a slightly different role than what he had in Chicago. sounds like at minimum, they're going to go through camp, see what they've got with prospects and new additions, and let it shake out then.

I wouldn't go so far as to say Kruger has ambitions to become a different type of player, but he'll have the opportunity to show what he's got offensively. just, FWIW.

 

[bleedgreen]

Anyone have a better source than this?



source: http://canesandcoffee.com/daily-cup...ancis-media-availability-on-wednesday-part-2/



EDIT: Here's why you're probably misremembering:

I just looked at that too, but I was referencing a tweet I can't find. I remember the tweet listing both separately. That's why I brought it up that day, I later looked back at it to confirm I saw it the way I did after these posts but never said anything here. I can't remember who tweeted it but I know it was said. It was clear list from RF on the goals for the offseason.

If that wasn't the case, why was anyone expecting anything other than something like Williams in the first place?


Found it! It was Luke on 4/12/17. He lists both a top 6 center and 20 goal winger.

 

[geehaad]

I just looked at that too, but I was referencing a tweet I can't find. I remember the tweet listing both separately.

"Luke. Give in to the dark side of the force, you knob."

 

[bleedgreen]

Well I feel better now, but I also feel it had been reinforced a few other times. Definitely a top 6 center was talked about a bunch, and in a way separate from just 20 goals. Chip retweeted it and no one disputed it.

 

[Vagrant]

I also remember there being some debate at the time whether or not Luke had transcribed that correctly in the interest of full disclosure.

 

[CandyCanes]

What I recalled was Luke's tweet was twisting Ron's words. Ron said he wanted to bring in two guys. A top 6 and a guy that could score 20 goals.

I think he said a 20 goal scorer cause he thought he was going to lose Stempniak to the expansion draft. If we had lost him we'd of probably of been looking at another option in free agency. But we were able to keep him on the cheap.

Williams kinda fit the bill as a top 6 forward acquisition. I think Francis set off exactly what he wanted on his wishlist. Acquiring Kruger was a nice little bonus.

I'm sure the overall goal though is still to bring in that top 6 game changer to this team. But it's a process where Francis waits until the right deal comes about, he's not gonna over pay to get that guy. Those deals do appear 1-2 times a year, and I think we will still see that deal for a top 6 guy coming here in the next 1-2 seasons. We just gotta be patient.

 

[MinJaBen]

Hell, at this point I'm just glad that we have a GM that said he was going to try and that try wasn't just appeasing lip service. He actually went out and mixed it up and tried to get into some advantageous positions instead of taking the low variance route and just taking a holding pattern. Getting Darling, Williams, TVR, and Kruger addressed some pretty long standing issues in the organization. Goaltending, veteran leadership, and securing the bottom pairing. I think that stability is going to help us bridge this group and our group of prospects together. I think it's unreasonable to suspect that everyone succeeds, but it's also unreasonable to think they all bust. If we can get a legit Top 6 forward for next season through internal development that will be huge. Necas, Roy, Gauthier, Kuokkanen, etc. Plus, our defense will be that much more killer for having waited on moving any pieces out.

I was disappointed in this offseason to a degree prior to July 1st, but I really like what we've managed to do since. Williams, Jooris, and Kruger help out depth a lot.

I endorse this 100%! The expectation that we'd be able to leverage the picks and expansion draft to fix some of our problems didn't pan out as McPhee did a great job of controlling the market. That left me a bit deflated. However, Francis and team reorganized and did a great job at the draft and the subsequent free agent period afterward. I am very optimistic about next season and think we have some upcoming talent that may burst through the year after that.

 

[MinJaBen]

I don't remember where it was, but it was definitely said both a 20 goal winger and a top 6 center. I don't make crap like that up. At first it was mentioning just the 20 goals, but later it became a top 6 center and another 20 goals from a winger.

I remember seeing this too....as interpretation of the season end press event. However, when I watched the event, I didn't think at the time that Francis said what some thought he said. I never thought it was both forwards (center and winger) that Francis said, but an either or situation.

 

[Vagrant]

I feel like I remember the phrasing being something like "A Top 6 center, someone that can score 20 goals, and a bottom pairing defenseman." It was then interpreted as that list contained 3 items instead of the intended 2. I think in saying "someone that can score 20 goals" he was attempting to describe the center as opposed to adding another item to the list if that makes sense. That was the kind of ambiguity I remember. I suppose only Francis knows exactly what he meant, but I remember it sounded more descriptive of the center to me than as if he was saying he would get both. That would have been highly highly ambitious.

 

[Novacane]

https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/video/end-of-season-francis--peters/t-277437094/c-51405003

I just watched the end of season press conference that prompted that tweet (because I have nothing better to do) and Francis definitely did not mention adding a top 6 center. He specifically mentions goaltending at the start of the press conference. Then at the 19:00 minute mark talks about liking the top4 defensemen and then is looking to address the 5-6 pairing. Follows with "Always looking to add goalscoring in the lineup. If we can find that player, or players, that can get us another 20 goals up front then certainly that's something we're exploring doing".

Then this in May:
https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/vide...1ef20c4d&elqaid=775&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=580

He brushes on additions again around 7:00. Asked about the most important positions and says centermen but you typically have to draft and develop those as teams aren't likely to give them up. Moves on from that and says "I ideally want to add another top 6, top 9 guy up front. One or two if we can to produce more offense". Speaks again about adding top 9 offense around 10:30 but never talks about a top 6 center.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Well I feel better now, but I also feel it had been reinforced a few other times. Definitely a top 6 center was talked about a bunch, and in a way separate from just 20 goals. Chip retweeted it and no one disputed it.

I'm sorry Bleed, but IIRC, Luke made that tweet during/right after the end of season press conference for the first time. I listened to the presser and Francis never said that at all. That was Luke's own views on what Francis and Peters said, but they never said that (thus my post back then).

Imo, Francis did exactly what he said he'd do on that press conference. Any inferences beyond his spoken word is pure speculation.

 

[geehaad]

Anyway, the whole point of that exercise for me was to match expectations to what Francis got done. My expectations were never raised in terms of acquiring a top-line center, so from my vantage point, he did what he said he would do (your interpretation of Williams, TVR, and Darling may vary), and it doesn't at all feel like it's an approximation to what we were to have expected.

And yeah, many will probably lament that $2.3M salary next year when we're paying Slavin, Pesce, and Hanifin bigger bucks. However, if you can't improve your top line center, and were unable to find someone better than Ryan on the 3rd, then making the 4th line the league's most dangerous will have benefits to the other 3 lines. To me, the head-scratcher is Jooris...that seems like a $1M that didn't need to be spent...but I'm going to let him have his due.

 

[bleedgreen]

This has gone in weird directions. I'm the one who has been saying since we signed Williams we weren't gonna get much more when others thought Neal/Duchene etc...were still possible, and was saying that more strongly after Kruger. I've been saying the money PK said he would give RF has already been spent on the guys we got, and that others weren't coming. I haven't been critical of Francis as I think he absolutely delivered. As for Luke's tweet, Chip retweeted and didnt disagree at all. Fair enough that others didn't take that a top 6 center was on the list but I saw during this whole process top 6 center mentioned multiple times, as did others which is why some thought Duchene or Marleau were in the mix, after we signed Williams. There were other interviews and articles since that one day - but that's not the point. I personally thought Williams was going to be it period, and was a little surprised we added Kruger. Top 6 isn't a top line center to me, for the record as you're saying geehaad.

So this all started with me trying to tell others this was it, not calling out RF for not getting a promised top 6 center. I think he did great, and have been getting a kick out of how some of his moves are very similar to how JR would've done it. This wasn't a slight, as I think JR was occasionally brilliant at making moves like this happen. I also think he would've done two forwards if he could pull the moves off. If Sakic bit on Duchene I think we still would've gone after Williams - but not Kruger.

Anyways, there was no expectation failure for RF from me. He followed the list he gave to the best of his abilities, whether you think a higher end center was in the mix or not.

 

[Breakdowns]

Anyway, the whole point of that exercise for me was to match expectations to what Francis got done. My expectations were never raised in terms of acquiring a top-line center, so from my vantage point, he did what he said he would do (your interpretation of Williams, TVR, and Darling may vary), and it doesn't at all feel like it's an approximation to what we were to have expected.

And yeah, many will probably lament that $2.3M salary next year when we're paying Slavin, Pesce, and Hanifin bigger bucks. However, if you can't improve your top line center, and were unable to find someone better than Ryan on the 3rd, then making the 4th line the league's most dangerous will have benefits to the other 3 lines. To me, the head-scratcher is Jooris...that seems like a $1M that didn't need to be spent...but I'm going to let him have his due.

It`s only one year deal, more competition for our younger guys will be good, I think, injuries will happen, and if he is not starting from the first game, I am sure he will get something like 30 games at least

And bleedgreen- that money needs to be give no matter what, we dont need to speak about money when we are just 2 millions over cap floor. That is not extra money. That money is required to have a NHL team. Any extra money in GMRF pockets is not spent at this moment.

 

[Roboturner913]

I'm sorry Bleed, but IIRC, Luke made that tweet during/right after the end of season press conference for the first time. I listened to the presser and Francis never said that at all. That was Luke's own views on what Francis and Peters said, but they never said that (thus my post back then).

Imo, Francis did exactly what he said he'd do on that press conference. Any inferences beyond his spoken word is pure speculation.

Agree. The only thing RF specifically mentioned in terms of personnel was 5/6 defense and goaltending. I saw the transcript not long ago. I'll try to find it again.

 

[Wolfpuck]

IIRC, it was Peters who mentioned getting a #1 center. Francis didn't exactly throw cold water onto it, but he wasn't as enthusiastic about it.

 

[bleedgreen]

It`s only one year deal, more competition for our younger guys will be good, I think, injuries will happen, and if he is not starting from the first game, I am sure he will get something like 30 games at least

And bleedgreen- that money needs to be give no matter what, we dont need to speak about money when we are just 2 millions over cap floor. That is not extra money. That money is required to have a NHL team. Any extra money in GMRF pockets is not spent at this moment.

I'm so confused what we are talking about at this point. It came out that PK had told RF he could spend for the right players. After we got Williams, people thought that Williams did not count towards the money referenced by that story and that other players could be coming. I thought at that time that thinking that way is wrong, spending 4.5 million average on a 36 year old wing is absolutely the kind of money Rf was talking about to PK, and it also referred to spending money on a good goalie when we already had two under contract - as well as picking up a pricey fourth line center. I think it also was maybe about Duchene or Marleau if they worked out. Cap floor or not, RF has to get approval for giving money and he got it for the right players. The players we have now are those players.

I know we had to spend to get to the cap, but that doesn't mean RF was allowed to give any money to anyone to get over the floor.

The one press conference wasn't the only time RF talked about what he wanted for this off season, though we are seemingly referring to it as the only time. Again, top 6 center doesn't mean top line center. A center who scores 20 goals is a top 6 center. That's maybe what he meant that night.

 

[RodTheBawd]

Who the **** cares. I get it's the offseason, but 2 pages of this ****?

 

[The Stranger]

 

[CandyCanes]

Who the **** cares. I get it's the offseason, but 2 pages of this ****?

#Triggered

 

[Roboturner913]

snowflakes can't handle a little healthy conflict

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

bleedgreen hates faulk

 

[bleedgreen]

It's that weak ass beard of his. The mustashe looks like it should come with its own restraining order.