Players are traded or not resigned for a reason. Last year we were excited to get Vermette back at that salary as there was talk he wanted 5mil. but his play fell off a cliff. You just never know at that age, but like some have mentioned it is a throw away year and this gives the kids who play RW another year of development. I hope some kid comes in and pushes for a RW spot.
Confirmed with Link: Radim Vrbata, $1M/1Y + bonuses up to $3M
- Thread starter The Feckless Puck
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Players are traded or not resigned for a reason. Last year we were excited to get Vermette back at that salary as there was talk he wanted 5mil. but his play fell off a cliff. You just never know at that age, but like some have mentioned it is a throw away year and this gives the kids who play RW another year of development. I hope some kid comes in and pushes for a RW spot.
TheLegend
Megathread Gadfly
It was off until he got the right linemate.
Vrbata will be the same case. Give him the right linemate and he'll be fine.
WrinkledPossum
Play Dead
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And that's good. Strome succeeds when he drives the play. When he was with Marner it didn't turn out well.
If he isn't with Strome, then he'll be with Hanzal and we already know that those two have chemistry. I think Vrbata will be able to get 40ish points this year.
As a Canuck fan for 46 yrs I certainly can't blame you guys for not watching the team as I don't think I have watched a whole game in the last 3 seasons ... lots of channel surfing during games, due to just not liking the direction Management is taking them, and more importantly, just the flow and type of games they seem to play. Probably boring more than anything.
So maybe I'm not the most qualified to offer an opinion of Vrbata, but I think he is easily going to be a good player for you guys again. I think he starts with Hanzal, but I think Strome will ultimately be his centre.
Last year was not the start of trend downwards ... there were many factors that when combined, imo, created the perfect storm of failure for him.
The most obvious one is not playing with the Sedins which was 100% designed to try and balance out the scoring versus any perception of him being less that had he been previously ... Vrbata with the twins made Van the epitome of a one-line-team as the other 9 forwards were not nearly good enough on their own to provide consistent offensive punch. You can have your 3-best playing together on some teams and be successful, but those teams have depth that makes it work.
Vrbata has a had good success with talented players because he has extremely good hockey sense; knowing where and when to be there as a result of reading the play and knowing the tendencies of his linemates.
My one take away from reading threads here is that many think he is a slow skater. I guess he is, relatively speaking, but I've never really felt that because he always knows where he should be and seems to get there more often than not. Whether in a soft-spot in the Ozone waiting for the setup he knows is gonna come, or making all the little plays along the boards during a heavy Sedin-Cycle-Shift (he really was a perfect fit with them and it was pretty much instant), the guy can do a lot.
Not only was he not with the Sedins last yr, but he had a rotation of linemates that would make you cringe. Less talented linemates to be sure, but maybe more importantly, an almost constant rotation of this guy and that guy, leaving little opportunity for individuals to get better with each other.
I remember watching an interview in training camp last yr after 3 or 4 preseason games and he was talking about getting to play with guys that he would be playing with during the upcoming season and how he wanted to do it in the preseason to build chemistry and trust. (In the narrative) he said that he plays his best when he has consistent linemates so that he can learn how best to adapt and help make his line better (and that it didn't have to be the Sedins, just consistency to bring out his best).
He seemed to me to be very genuine in his belief that he personally didn't like seeing different guys on his line every night if he was to be his best. I think he also knew that he was walking a very fine line in speaking publicly when he was just trying to be honest about it when asked by media (over and over again as the move off of the Sedin line had been spoken about and executed from day one), and I sensed that he really wished he didn't have to have the conversation because he knew his coaches and GM probably would prefer that kept in the room.
Ultimately, I think it did cloud the decison-making process on the team, and perhaps Vrbata did kinda "quit" as many northerners have told you on these boards. That, on its own if true, is definitely not something that makes a good leader, yet I still feel he has good leadership qualities and that those qualities will once again shine in the Desert where he and his family are obviously very comfortable.
He is not the best at anything but I think he is still very good at almost everything due to his understanding of the game and being able to adapt to those around him when given the chance, attributes that never go away no matter how old you are. I honestly think he could be productive for another 4 or 5 yrs if he wants to continue the grind.
So maybe I'm not the most qualified to offer an opinion of Vrbata, but I think he is easily going to be a good player for you guys again. I think he starts with Hanzal, but I think Strome will ultimately be his centre.
Last year was not the start of trend downwards ... there were many factors that when combined, imo, created the perfect storm of failure for him.
The most obvious one is not playing with the Sedins which was 100% designed to try and balance out the scoring versus any perception of him being less that had he been previously ... Vrbata with the twins made Van the epitome of a one-line-team as the other 9 forwards were not nearly good enough on their own to provide consistent offensive punch. You can have your 3-best playing together on some teams and be successful, but those teams have depth that makes it work.
Vrbata has a had good success with talented players because he has extremely good hockey sense; knowing where and when to be there as a result of reading the play and knowing the tendencies of his linemates.
My one take away from reading threads here is that many think he is a slow skater. I guess he is, relatively speaking, but I've never really felt that because he always knows where he should be and seems to get there more often than not. Whether in a soft-spot in the Ozone waiting for the setup he knows is gonna come, or making all the little plays along the boards during a heavy Sedin-Cycle-Shift (he really was a perfect fit with them and it was pretty much instant), the guy can do a lot.
Not only was he not with the Sedins last yr, but he had a rotation of linemates that would make you cringe. Less talented linemates to be sure, but maybe more importantly, an almost constant rotation of this guy and that guy, leaving little opportunity for individuals to get better with each other.
I remember watching an interview in training camp last yr after 3 or 4 preseason games and he was talking about getting to play with guys that he would be playing with during the upcoming season and how he wanted to do it in the preseason to build chemistry and trust. (In the narrative) he said that he plays his best when he has consistent linemates so that he can learn how best to adapt and help make his line better (and that it didn't have to be the Sedins, just consistency to bring out his best).
He seemed to me to be very genuine in his belief that he personally didn't like seeing different guys on his line every night if he was to be his best. I think he also knew that he was walking a very fine line in speaking publicly when he was just trying to be honest about it when asked by media (over and over again as the move off of the Sedin line had been spoken about and executed from day one), and I sensed that he really wished he didn't have to have the conversation because he knew his coaches and GM probably would prefer that kept in the room.
Ultimately, I think it did cloud the decison-making process on the team, and perhaps Vrbata did kinda "quit" as many northerners have told you on these boards. That, on its own if true, is definitely not something that makes a good leader, yet I still feel he has good leadership qualities and that those qualities will once again shine in the Desert where he and his family are obviously very comfortable.
He is not the best at anything but I think he is still very good at almost everything due to his understanding of the game and being able to adapt to those around him when given the chance, attributes that never go away no matter how old you are. I honestly think he could be productive for another 4 or 5 yrs if he wants to continue the grind.
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IPreferPi
A Nonny Mouse
I understand, but he wasn't 35 at the time. Vrbata's best days are behind him, and now they are saying if he plays well he could be extended. I know we are weak at RW, and with this signing they didn't have to give up any assets which is huge at this time, but I just don't like bringing back players. I really hope Vrbata makes me eat crow.
Finesse players who rely on hockey sense and positioning tend to age well. Yes, we know Vrby has warts (streaky scoring, is fundamentally a complimentary winger who needs the right linemates to succeed), but we know what Vrby can very well provide as well. For 1M for one year its a very low risk move.
DesertDawg
Registered User
I was thinking about a Strome-Hanzal-Vrbata line and Do-Dv-Du line
which leads me to Rieder and McGinn?
There are plenty of possible scenarios for combination, each with strengths and weaknesses. I don't think Strome will be playing forward (unless he struggles at center at the beginning of the season).
I'm also not a big fan of having Strome and Hanzal on the same line. Either Domi - Hanzal - Duclair, Domi - Hanzal - Vrbata, McGinn - Strome - Vrbata, or McGinn - Hanzal - Vrbata seem more promising. Of course, I'm not so sure a Domi - Strome - Duclair would be the best option (except maybe as a PP line).
I'm guessing Camp will sort out who plays the #1 LW, #2 LW, #1 RW, and #2 RW. Of course, Dvorak could be a dark horse that pushes McGinn or Strome to the 3rd, but I don't think Dvorak'll pull it off this season. He could still earn that #3 LW or #3C slot.
Bonsai Tree
Turning a new leaf
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Strome doesn't have the skating ability to play wing, IMO. He needs speed wingers to take the pressure off of him and give him passing options. At wing or center, he won't be nearly as productive with big, slow line mates IMO.
So you're thinking a Rieder - Strome - Duclair line would be more promising? That allows for a Domi - Hanzal - Vrbata line and a McGinn - Richardson - Doan (or McGinn - Dvorak - Doan) line.
rt
The Kinder, Gentler Version
I'd put Vrbata with Strome. Yeah the Hanzal thing and what not whatever.
Domi - Hanzal - Duke/whoever works just fine.
Rieder(well...) - Strome - Vrbata seems like a good fit.
It gets a vet on Strome's line and Rieder can add the forecheck/lots of try.
Domi - Hanzal - Duke/whoever works just fine.
Rieder(well...) - Strome - Vrbata seems like a good fit.
It gets a vet on Strome's line and Rieder can add the forecheck/lots of try.
strizzy16
Welcome to Life, 2.0
I really like the flexibility of what we can do with this lineup especially with a bit more seasoning on dvorak and strome. if they truly pan out, we already have a very solid core. obviously, subtract doan and probably vrbata for next season. so moving forward, if we hit on two of keller, perlini, macinnis, fischer, merkley, and it's definitely looking likely we will hit on at least one there, then this is going to be a fearsome offensive team in 2 seasons. Also the above lineup doesn't even include Martinook who will surely be in the plans moving forward and he's already a very useful sparkplug type player
Bonsai Tree
Turning a new leaf
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rt
The Kinder, Gentler Version
Is this going to make him tough to trade to contenders near the cap? We can't retain on bonuses, right? When do those bonuses hit the cap? How does this structure work assuming that he's only hit the first bonus ahead of the playoffs but looks to be a safe bet to hit the second bonus? And do the playoff qualifiers transfer to his new team?
We need HELP mouser!!! Haha
Bonuses can't be retained as far as I know. The bonuses hit the cap as soon as the player earns them and are charged to the team he's on when he achieves them. Any bonus conditions are transferred when he's traded.
Teams can exceed the salary cap by up to 7.5% with earned bonuses paid out, but they take the cap overage as a cap penalty the following season.
(Don't quote me on this exactly 100%, but I'm like 95% sure of them.)
ck26
Alcoholab User
rt
The Kinder, Gentler Version
It'll be a tough sell. We need a team not right up against the cap to be interested in the paired chemistry of Hanzal and Vrbata. They also will have to have an expiring cap dump to send back, and we'd need to retain 50% on Hanzal.
So the 500k for playing 30 gammes is already being charged to AZ.
He's unlikely to hit 20 goals b/c he won't get prime minutes with any contender.
It depends how those playoff bonuses are written, as to whether they are transferable or not, but that's 1.25m at the most.
With how low the base salary is, none of this seems like a big hurdle. The bigger hurdle is his past performance with other clubs.
He's unlikely to hit 20 goals b/c he won't get prime minutes with any contender.
It depends how those playoff bonuses are written, as to whether they are transferable or not, but that's 1.25m at the most.
With how low the base salary is, none of this seems like a big hurdle. The bigger hurdle is his past performance with other clubs.
Assuming we can trade Verby, I don't think we would get much for him. A contender would view him as a third line player so maybe a late second or a third round pick. We didn't get much as it turns out for Z and Vermette when we traded them. Maybe the Bods trade will work out because of Wood. The Yandle trade could be another waste if Duclair does not turn it around. Trading quality for parts/prospects seems to be a false hope.
It leads me to think about Hanzal/Stone and what to do with them at the TDL. I get that we are out of the playoff picture unless we turn into CBJ quickly. I think we should really consider signing one or both of them to a longer term deal. If we trade them for picks/prospects, we likely wind up with nothing or maybe something in the future at best. We would then need to sign as free agents or trade assets to get NHL players to replace both of them. We might wind up spending the same money for similar players but have to give up assets to get them. We might be better off keeping them and signing them before the TDL.
If their contract demands are crazy, like Bods, let them walk. The difference being, top 4D (Yandle/Stone) and a 2C (Hanzal) are a lot harder to replace then second line wingers (Bods/Verby/Duclair, etc..)
It leads me to think about Hanzal/Stone and what to do with them at the TDL. I get that we are out of the playoff picture unless we turn into CBJ quickly. I think we should really consider signing one or both of them to a longer term deal. If we trade them for picks/prospects, we likely wind up with nothing or maybe something in the future at best. We would then need to sign as free agents or trade assets to get NHL players to replace both of them. We might wind up spending the same money for similar players but have to give up assets to get them. We might be better off keeping them and signing them before the TDL.
If their contract demands are crazy, like Bods, let them walk. The difference being, top 4D (Yandle/Stone) and a 2C (Hanzal) are a lot harder to replace then second line wingers (Bods/Verby/Duclair, etc..)
ck26
Alcoholab User
kihekah19*
Registered User
_Del_
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I'm fine with extending Hanzal and Stone. Hanzal would be done already if that was a reasonable option, I would think. Can't sign Stone until New Year's, but they need to trade him or sign him. No *****footing around. Fish or cutbait. After the tanturum he gave Don for trading away the rentals and breaking up the gang, now he has to make the tough decisions. Sign them or trade them immediately. That's what they're paying him obscene money for.
If they keep them unextended, I will buy extremely cheap tickets for the rest of the games with a "fire tippett or relocate" sign and sit in front of Kihekah after repelling down from the rafters mission impossible style. During play. I will probably have to lean because the sign is so heavy. I will make a dozen trips to concessions and then the bathroom, and in between he and Jakey can teach me about hockey. It will lead to the forum 40 apocalypse, so help me!
I always thought the Yandle trade was underwhelming as he wasn't a rental. How you could complain about the return for Z or Vermette is beyond me though. We traded 20 games of those guys for a decent prospect that didn't want to play for us, a young dman that had some potential and picks. That's solid return.
If they keep them unextended, I will buy extremely cheap tickets for the rest of the games with a "fire tippett or relocate" sign and sit in front of Kihekah after repelling down from the rafters mission impossible style. During play. I will probably have to lean because the sign is so heavy. I will make a dozen trips to concessions and then the bathroom, and in between he and Jakey can teach me about hockey. It will lead to the forum 40 apocalypse, so help me!
I always thought the Yandle trade was underwhelming as he wasn't a rental. How you could complain about the return for Z or Vermette is beyond me though. We traded 20 games of those guys for a decent prospect that didn't want to play for us, a young dman that had some potential and picks. That's solid return.
