Rumor: Ott-Arizona talking Stepan

[Langdon Alger]

Ottawa definitely could benefit from a centre that, though not good at it, can handle top line minutes.

Makes sense to me.

Good mentor for the young guys as well.

 

[Boud]

I could see the Reilly move or something around Anisimov for sure. Guess this is basically AZ needing to shed cap and Ottawa could use Stepan.

 

[Langdon Alger]

I could see the Reilly move or something around Anisimov for sure. Guess this is basically AZ needing to shed cap and Ottawa could use Stepan.

I wonder if Ottawa would retain on Anisimov.

 

[jetsforever]

Could make sense for Ottawa

 

[Boud]

I wonder if Ottawa would retain on Anisimov.

Hard to know what's on the table but I would be open to doing

Anisimov at 30% retained
3.2CAP - 2M Salary

For

Stepan
6.5M CAP - 2M Salary

- Salary checks out
- AZ has a center or another warm body they can use to replace Stepan
- AZ saves 3.3M in cap space
- Sens is one of the only teams that has the cap space to make this happen
- Stepan is better suited for what the Sens are looking for compared to AA
- Anisimov still had 15 goals in 50 games this year... He can still be effective
- Teams are paying a fortune to make space under the cap and this is an easy solution that doesn't cost anything.

That being said, with the way the market is going now and the premium teams pay to shed cap space I wouldn't be surprised to see Ottawa refusing to retain. There are a lot of other options out there if Ottawa is open to adding cap space and a bunch of teams are looking to unload good players. I guess what works in AZ's favour is Ottawa likely doesn't want to add any salary so it's rare to see a player only getting paid 2M with that high of a cap hit. Either way I'd do it.. straight up or with retention.

Reilly makes sense as well but adding Stepan with the guys we already have at center creates a bit of a logjam. C. White, Norris, L. Brown, Tierney, Anisimov, Chlapik

 

[Mick Jagr]

Because they are competing for the cup?

Then you don't want Stepan.

 

[jbeck5]

Arizona needs picks, Ottawa needs a center. Arizona needs cap, Ottawa has cap

Why does Ottawa need a center?

I mean, they could use a top line center, but other than that, they don't need a 25 point center...they've got too many of those.

 

[jbeck5]

Ottawa definitely could benefit from a centre that, though not good at it, can handle top line minutes.

Makes sense to me.

Stepan can no longer play top line. He's not even a second line center at this point. And it's been such a long break, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't get another contract unless it's like 1 year 1 mil. His decline has been fairly quick and fairly steady.

It's like David legwand when he came to Ottawa and was useless and done as a hockey player despite still being good just a year or two previous.

 

[Djp]

I think Arizona gets under when Hossa is moved to LTIR

LTIR does not work that way. It’s not something you can stash a salary off the cap.
A team like say the Rangers with a bunch of players on ELCs they can send them down at start Thrn put Hossa on LTIR Thrn call the ELCs up against that space. Or as Toronto did with Marner or other teams coukd do with signing a vet against a LTIR.

 

[bernmeister]

Arizona needs picks, Ottawa needs a center. Arizona needs cap, Ottawa has cap

I could see the Reilly move or something around Anisimov for sure. Guess this is basically AZ needing to shed cap and Ottawa could use Stepan.

Why does Ottawa need a center?

I mean, they could use a top line center, but other than that, they don't need a 25 point center...they've got too many of those.

Two different views here.

Is this a $ deal, w/Sens asked to take a higher cap hit for a declining older player, meaning AZ has to throw a pick OTT's way, modified slightly due to DS real payroll #?

Or is OTT looking more broadly at pivot options? If that is the case then while there are few options for top shelf Cs to be acquired, even at top dollar, second tier or less guys can be had. Just one example among several names that could be dropped to illustrate this point: Rangers' Ryan Strome. If Sens are gonna upgrade at all, why not shoot for a younger, more productive target, if the capital spent makes sense?

 

[rt]

I mean if Arizona wants to pay us for taking him sure.

Stepan lead all forwards on his team in ice-time last season.

 

[rt]

Is Stepan bad? I thought he was still a positive player which Arizona needs if they want to do anything

The culture in AZ is bad. They need a major shake-up. Kessel, OEL and Hjalmarsson have NMCs and Goligoski has a NTC.

Stepan plays a TON of minutes and almost never makes a mistake on the ice. He’s like a player coach. Flawless fundamentals. But he’s a happy go lucky goof ball type. A loveable clown.

The Coyotes have waaaay too many of these guys in key leadership positions. It’s one of the reasons for the mid-season collapse where they acquired Taylor Hall while in first place, and then tumbled way out of a playoff spot. It’s one of the reasons why they were able to defeat Nashville in a short but tough playin round but they just laid down and died against Colorado.

The Coyotes have a major leadership and culture problem. They lack accountability big-time. It’s a country club atmosphere. Our last “Number Muncher” Robo-Boy GM did not understand the human element in the slightest.

It’s no wonder the new GM came in screaming and pounding in the table at his introductory press conference about changing the culture, finding players who will bleed for the organization, and never accepting anyone who wants to be here for the weather or the golf.

Not only did he immediately fire a ton of people but he also let every UFA leave and he replaced them all exclusively with players who are known to work extremely hard and never let up on the ice. He brought in Pitlick, Larsson, Caggiula, Hayden and Hunt via UFA. He just narrowly missed being able to trade OEL. Trading Stepan would be the next biggest shake-up behind OEL.

 

[rt]

Reading through this thread I see a lot of outside fans shitting on Stepan. I don’t think the Coyotes have a Stepan problem. I think Stepan has a Coyotes problem. I think any other team would be happy to have him. He’s as solid as they come. Arizona should move on from him for a very unique set of reasons.

 

[Taluss]

I’d really like Stepan on the Sens. Hope this goes through

 

[flashsabre]

There have been rumours that ownership told management to shed as much as $10 million off the payroll. If that is the case then just getting under the cap isn’t the goal. Problem is, as others have mentioned, their high salary guys all have NTCs.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

There have been rumours that ownership told management to shed as much as $10 million off the payroll. If that is the case then just getting under the cap isn’t the goal. Problem is, as others have mentioned, their high salary guys all have NTCs.

It doesn't seem like that rumor has much weight to it considering that Armstrong has been adding salary, not subtracting it. Stepan for Anisimov + pick would be salary-neutral in terms of money owed.

 

[hbk]

There have been rumours that ownership told management to shed as much as $10 million off the payroll. If that is the case then just getting under the cap isn’t the goal. Problem is, as others have mentioned, their high salary guys all have NTCs.

It think there were instructed to get the actual payroll down to $60M or so in actual dollars. Today we are at about $65M.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

It think there were instructed to get the actual payroll down to $60M or so in actual dollars. Today we are at about $65M.

If you were looking to cut real dollars, you'd move Goligoski, not Stepan. Stepan's bonus has already been paid.

 

[hbk]

If you were looking to cut real dollars, you'd move Goligoski, not Stepan. Stepan's bonus has already been paid.

Yep. I agree. I think the D moves come at the deadline. If Stepan is moved for futures its more about culture

 

[Bevans]

There have been rumours that ownership told management to shed as much as $10 million off the payroll. If that is the case then just getting under the cap isn’t the goal. Problem is, as others have mentioned, their high salary guys all have NTCs.

If that's the mandate then how does Stepan fulfill it? He only has 2 million dollars owed to him. Unlikely they fill his minutes for less than 2 million. Even giving Hayton the keys doesn't really achieve that.

From a cap perspective, it makes sense to move him. From a cash perspective, it doesn't.

I'd love to see Ottawa acquire him though. They'll get back anything they spend on him at the deadline.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

If that's the mandate then how does Stepan fulfill it? He only has 2 million dollars owed to him. Unlikely they fill his minutes for less than 2 million. Even giving Hayton the keys doesn't really achieve that.

From a cap perspective, it makes sense to move him. From a cash perspective, it doesn't.

I'd love to see Ottawa acquire him though. They'll get back anything they spend on him at the deadline.

Which is why I think that the "mandate" is bogus. I think that what ownership would like to do is different from what the GM is actually going to try to do, which is to improve the team within reasonable salary parameters. Similar rumors were circling around Florida this offseason, and what has Bill Zito done since he was hired? Add cap.

 

[qqaz]

These teams are not common trade partners. The only trade I can think of was Turris. That was like 10 years ago?

Anyway, I still like Stepan. But he was definitely a favourite of John Chayka, and he's gone. I don't think the new GM will have the same desire to keep him around.

The issue I see is where he would fit in Ottawa. Even if Arizona takes Anisimov back, and that's a big IF, there's still too many Cs in Ottawa. White, Tierney, and Norris should all be gunning for the top 2 lines. Galchenyuk might get a shot at C. And Logan Brown is on the bubble, and projects to be a scoring C?

So why bring in a 2nd line (ish) center like Stepan?

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

The problem is that Arizona barely has any picks to be giving away to other teams.

 

[qqaz]

The problem is that Arizona barely has any picks to be giving away to other teams.

That's a problem. But not a problem that relates to a possible Stepan trade. Arizona wouldn't need to pay a team to take Stepan.

It's already been mentioned that they're ok, cap wise, once Hossa hits LTIR. And Stepan's remaining salary is a pittance this season at 2 million. Absolutely no problems with his contract. They don't need to move it, so they certainly won't pay draft picks to do so. Not happening.

 

[DatDude44]

Arizona is fine on the cap with a Hossa LTIR, and Stepan at $2m in real dollars is a very good value for what he brings. I wouldn't consider Stepan a cap dump situation at that salary.

He’s still a 6.5M cap hit so he’s exactly a cap dump. Real dollars don’t matter in that situation and only effect him and the owner paying him,his cap hit doesn’t change or fluctuate