Prospect Info: Matt O'Connor UFA, not tendered qualifying offer

[Very Stable Genius]

Buh-bye.

 

[Caeldan]

If Condon leaves, he'll be replaced by another veteran - there are lots of veteran goalies looking for work right now, which is why Dorion is playing hardball with Condon.

After that, we will no doubt draft a goalie. That puts us back at six, and if you look around there are really only so many places we can put them. Two with the big club, two in Belleville, one in the ECHL and maybe one still in the CHL - that's it.

If for example we take Oettinger in the first round, that's 3 years at BU we don't have to sign him for.

But in terms of actually available to play in the NHL goalies, we're at 4 right now, and yes would go to 5 (which is probably the minimum) if we signed an available vet backup.

The only reason I could see not qualifying him is that his QO would be for a little over 1M (need to increase by 10% over the previous year salary). And I think he would take that offer and run.

 

[GuidedRightly]

Best of luck to him. It was worth a shot and at the very least it is comforting to know goaltenders aren't the rare diamonds that other positions seem to be. We will need to draft a goalie in this draft.

 

[ZekeA]

I saw this coming as Driedger,& Hogberg are both younger than MOC...........

The Sens seem high on Hogberg I have not seen him play enough to rate him but what I did see I liked...... Driedger tends to be hot and cold..... When he is cold he is cold, when hot he absorbs the puck....

MOC gave up too many soft goals...... In my view he spent too much time on his knees playing goal.......

Goaltenders are a crap shoot as you never know who will develop to play up top......................

MOC played for 2 yrs for very bad AHL teams "D" hung the goalies out to dry here, was hard to watch......

Perhaps MOC can find a team to sign him to an AHL contract, He seemed like a real nice person so I wish him well........

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Too bad he didn't work out. He had a great opportunity though...two full seasons to work on his game.

On to the next one.....

 

[Flamingo]

I wonder how much he chews on Melnyk's comments about Cameron starting him against Montreal.

 

[Hutz]

I think Schultz has probably been the best college drafted player in recent memory.

I assume you mean college signed rather than drafted. Granted there's the Crosby factor, but Conor Sheary's looking like a pretty decent one, too.

 

[aragorn]

If for example we take Oettinger in the first round, that's 3 years at BU we don't have to sign him for.

But in terms of actually available to play in the NHL goalies, we're at 4 right now, and yes would go to 5 (which is probably the minimum) if we signed an available vet backup.

The only reason I could see not qualifying him is that his QO would be for a little over 1M (need to increase by 10% over the previous year salary). And I think he would take that offer and run.

The concern now drafting college players is whether they will sign with your team once they are done. If this guy stays for 4 yrs in college doesn't he then have the choice as to where he can sign? Wouldn't he go where he has the best opportunity to make more money or where he has a better chance of someday being the #1 goalie or winning.

 

[Caeldan]

I don't see that as a concern.
It happens maybe with one single college drafted player every couple years, and normally with extenuating circumstances (ie Preds royally pissed off Vesey by trying to get him to sign before he graduated, where graduation was actually important to him/his family).

We have a good reputation to this point with college players, so I don't see any issue with drafting a highly touted one.