Speculation: Offseason Roster Building Thread 4 - All Your Blackhawks Are Belong To Us

GoldiFox

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Apr 21, 2014
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His ELC is Slide-eligible for the 2017-18 season so Canes gotta be sure if they want to play him ten or more games as it will burn a year that otherwise wouldn't burn.

He also has a performance bonus of $132.000 negotiated for this season which I believe to be a Games Played bonus for ten or more games. There may be expectations or vague ideas about how he will be utilized during the season. Had Karpat wanted him to go to Finland, Canes could still call him up to NHL and he would have to come. Things hint at that Kuokkanen may be planned to get some play time up in the N.

Yeah same with Gauthier. Could be a reason the Canes loaded up the lineup with forwards. I could see Roy, Kuokkanen, and Gauthier getting ~5+ games a piece mid/late in the season. It is a good motivation tool for the player and the lineup. If they play well and stick then I doubt the burned ELC year will weigh much.
 

NotOpie

"Puck don't lie"
Jun 12, 2006
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Interesting, Aho Sr giving the green light to Kooky playing in the AHL next season. Holy **** is Charlotte going to be loaded, but it also shows just how highly regarded he is as a prospect if the Canes think he could be in the mix for a roster spot to start the season. To be fair, we have yet to really see what he can do with players of similar skill level. Finland was a hot mess at the WJCs last year since their golden year was the year before and the vast majority of the skill level of that team had either moved on to the NHL (Aho, Laine, Poolparty) or was no longer eligible. And even then still had Saarela elect to play for his pro team rather then join the NT for the tournament. He had a solid but inconsistent regular season where he tailed off after the WJC but a dominant OHL playoff.


Center depth for Charlotte is going to be unreal if he has the green light to play for the Checkers next year.

Depending on how his shoulder surgery and rehab went, I could see Saarela in the mix too. Despite getting the new shiny contract, my sense is that Ryan is going to be battling with Kuokkanen, Saarela, and especially Wallmark for the potential 3C position. I seem to remember Wallmark playing a few shifts with Skinner (and maybe Lindy as well) and looking pretty good doing so.

Yeah same with Gauthier. Could be a reason the Canes loaded up the lineup with forwards. I could see Roy, Kuokkanen, and Gauthier getting ~5+ games a piece mid/late in the season. It is a good motivation tool for the player and the lineup. If they play well and stick then I doubt the burned ELC year will weigh much.

One has to wonder, if any of the kids (especially the centers and potentially RWs) really show well in camp if that doesn't make Stempniak available. Personally I think he's one of those "veteran" presences in the locker room but for a guy that's bounced from team to team as much as he has, one has to wonder if he's really an asset in that regard. It would be interesting to see if a guy like Kuokkanen or Gauthier could fight their way onto the team. Kooky would probably push Ryan out to RW (or make him trade bait). A third line of Skinner/Ryan/Gauthier would be very interesting indeed. Not a lot of D though.
 

MinJaBen

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I doubt any of the forward "kids" make the team. Given the team's stated building plan where they want the guys to be "over ripe" in the AHL, it seems this is the year for the Checkers to really have a bunch of very good to high-end talent getting a lot of ice time and experience. Then, next year, after they have all of that experience and an additional year of development, we can say goodby to Ryan and Stempniak and move the younger guys into important roles on the team. To jump that ahead a year and force the team to promote them, they'd have to kill it in camp...like multiple point games and no screwups killing it.
 

Navin R Slavin

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It would be nice to see that strategy pay off in the form of a serious Calder run.

It's funny: in thinking about it, it seems kind of obvious that leaving your talent in the A for as long as you possibly can is the optimal strategy. The sooner you bring them up, assuming they're successful, the sooner you have to pay them, and the sooner you lose cost control over them. The only risk to leaving them in the A is that they become so good that they can't really learn anything more, and they stagnate -- but I think that's a risk that we'll be increasingly willing to take.
 

Navin R Slavin

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"So good that they can't really learn anything more" isn't something we've been doing in Charlotte since... well, the AHL affiliate became Charlotte.

We've been so bad for so long that the only "practical" choice was to throw rookies into the fire -- perhaps ruining a whole generation of them in the process.
 

NotOpie

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I doubt any of the forward "kids" make the team. Given the team's stated building plan where they want the guys to be "over ripe" in the AHL, it seems this is the year for the Checkers to really have a bunch of very good to high-end talent getting a lot of ice time and experience. Then, next year, after they have all of that experience and an additional year of development, we can say goodby to Ryan and Stempniak and move the younger guys into important roles on the team. To jump that ahead a year and force the team to promote them, they'd have to kill it in camp...like multiple point games and no screwups killing it.

MJB, I don't disagree with this at all. My point was that if somebody DOES "kill it", that third line is where the guys projected to play will end up as casualties. From a veteran presence standpoint, we've got Staal, Williams, and Kruger, all w/Stanley Cup runs. Not sure how beneficial it is to "over-ripen" guys if they are proving to be better in camp. If that's not the case, then leave 'em on the AHL tree.

But, as a team, you want the overarching mojo to be, "the best players play". Otherwise you kill motivation...

It would be nice to see that strategy pay off in the form of a serious Calder run.

It's funny: in thinking about it, it seems kind of obvious that leaving your talent in the A for as long as you possibly can is the optimal strategy. The sooner you bring them up, assuming they're successful, the sooner you have to pay them, and the sooner you lose cost control over them. The only risk to leaving them in the A is that they become so good that they can't really learn anything more, and they stagnate -- but I think that's a risk that we'll be increasingly willing to take.

Perhaps, but you're burning years of contract in the AHL just the same. If they are capable, I'd rather get those contributions at the NHL level....but only if they are clearly better and capable.
 

Navin R Slavin

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MJB, I don't disagree with this at all. My point was that if somebody DOES "kill it", that third line is where the guys projected to play will end up as casualties. From a veteran presence standpoint, we've got Staal, Williams, and Kruger, all w/Stanley Cup runs. Not sure how beneficial it is to "over-ripen" guys if they are proving to be better in camp. If that's not the case, then leave 'em on the AHL tree.

But, as a team, you want the overarching mojo to be, "the best players play". Otherwise you kill motivation...



Perhaps, but you're burning years of contract in the AHL just the same. If they are capable, I'd rather get those contributions at the NHL level....but only if they are clearly better and capable.

Yes, you're burning years, but you're also pushing the big dollar years farther into the future.

Of course, you're also risking injury or dissatisfaction at the AHL level.

I like that leaving players in Charlotte is a realistic option now, anyway.
 

Lempo

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Perhaps, but you're burning years of contract in the AHL just the same. If they are capable, I'd rather get those contributions at the NHL level....but only if they are clearly better and capable.

Nope. If a player is Slide eligible, i.e. signed the ELC at 18 (two years) or 19 (one year), it's only 10+ NHL games that burn a year off the ELC. If he plays max 9 NHL games (including not any) in the first season after signing, the ELC slides no matter if he is in AHL or OHL or WWF or anywhere. And the 18 y.o. signer will also slide the next season too if he slided the first and doesn't play 10+ NHL games either in that season.

Obviously at the age of 20 and forwards (including late birthday 19 y.o. guys) the ELC burns in normal duration.
 
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Lempo

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A caveat, though: good U20 Euro players tend to be signed to a Men's pro league for the U20 period, so money and transfer agreements may prove to be a roadblock in the way of team management's cost-conscious AHL plans.

Also check the bonuses. If a guy has on Capfriendly the total salary less than the allowed max $925k and there's also a performance bonus between $25k and ~$300k, it strongly suggests that the bonuses are of the "Games Played" sort, as the Games Played bonus (unlike the Exhibit 5 Performance Bonuses) counts against the allowed max $925k.

Kuokkanen is a fine example of player whose Performance Bonus + Total Salary amounts up to $925k on every season:

https://www.capfriendly.com/players/janne-kuokkanen

The CBA allows GP bonuses to be paid for 5 GP, 10 GP and more than 10 GP. The 5 GP is capped at $25k; the one's starting with 10 have no cap. If such a guy has >$25k bonus, it means he may have an expectation of getting to play the ELC burning 10+ games in the NHL in the season in question. Otherwise he would actually get paid less for each NHL game he plays, as the Base Salary is lower because of the bonus. A Games Played bonus is optimal for a guy who expects to play 10+ games. If he plays most of the season, the benefit starts to diminish because of the lower Base Salary from the games he plays in NHL.
 
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MinJaBen

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Interesting. What do you think it would take to get him to Carolina? Hanifin plus what?

 

GoldiFox

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Interesting. What do you think it would take to get him to Carolina? Hanifin plus what?



It's not happening, but fun because Boston reportedly has always loved Hanifin.

Pastrnak is a flat out stud. His 34 goals and 70 points last year were no fluke. He is just an outstanding goal scorer. Skinner and Pastrnak anchoring the LW for the Canes would be bananas. He is one of the few guys where trading Hanifin could be win-now and win-to-draw in the future.
 

Roboturner913

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I'd trade Hanifin+ for Pastrnak right this moment and not give it a second thought. He's an incredible talent. On the flip side, I'm sure the Bruins are pretty well set against having to trade him ... but a blue-chip defenseman is probably what it would take to convince them.

Put Skinner at LW and Pastrnak on the RW and I'm pretty sure even a terrible player like Derek Ryan could score 20 points at center between them.
 

raynman

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Jan 20, 2013
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I'd love to have Jagr on the Canes considering he's one of my favorite players of all time. I just don't see where he fits. He'd definitely get top PP minutes but whose line would he get even strength minutes on?
 

Joe McGrath

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Oct 29, 2009
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Jagr is not what the Canes need at all. But goddamnit if I wouldn't enjoy it/buy a Jagr jersey.
 

Simarino

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Oct 21, 2009
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Hey Guys, i need your advice, we're starting a fantasy league that you get to keep your players for life, only pts count, no +/- or pim...

I have to take a dman this morning( we need 6 active D) and im not sure if i should take Byfuglien(33) or Faulk(25).. Faulk's ppg has been declining the past 2 years, do you see him being a 50-55pts dman in the future!??

Also i might have to choose between Aho and Skinner, who would be your pick, remember, only pts count...

Thanks alot Guys!! Cheers
 

Anton Dubinchuk

aho
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Hey Guys, i need your advice, we're starting a fantasy league that you get to keep your players for life, only pts count, no +/- or pim...

I have to take a dman this morning( we need 6 active D) and im not sure if i should take Byfuglien(33) or Faulk(25).. Faulk's ppg has been declining the past 2 years, do you see him being a 50-55pts dman in the future!??

Also i might have to choose between Aho and Skinner, who would be your pick, remember, only pts count...

Thanks alot Guys!! Cheers

If it's permanent keepers I'd go with Faulk bc he's 8 years younger. He was injured last year but should return to 45-50 points.

Good luck w Skinner vs. Aho lol
 

RodTheBawd

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Oct 16, 2013
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I'd go with Faulk and Aho. Both as long term plays. You'll be on the **** end for the next few, though.
 

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