Confirmed with Link: Sean Kuraly signs with CBJ (4 years, $2.5M AAV)

[MoeBartoli]

Kuraly has exceeded my expectations which were admittedly low. I erroneously pegged him early on as a more expensive version of Riley Nash - obviously a bad evaluation. Kuraly has proven an excellent addition, anchoring the 4th line while playing up when called upon. Hopefully we can add a more offensive center to allow Kuraly to play the role he plays best.

 

[Cowumbus]

I'm glad you pointed that out and how important he has been. I assume you're referring to the fact the team puts him on the ice to protect a lead and he's rewarded with the clinchers?

He's earned his ice time too. Did you not expect he would get more ice time? I imagine that even with another top 6 C he'll still get more ice time. He isn't perfect and he's had some clunkers - everyone does - but he's been nothing short of a great off season addition.

Sigh. I knew this “pivot” was going to be used - it always is. People say it about Nyquist.

The whole “coach trusts him to protect a lead” narrative is so overblown.

Playing against an empty net Kuraly is 38% in the face off dot, leads the team in giveaways (only 2), and a 22% Corsi (behind Domi & Laine). GF% of 69…. nice.

He gets ice time because he can sometimes win face offs, and always skates hard. Like I said he’s been fine, but he’s a fourth liner on good teams (and right now is taking away developmental minutes from younger guys).

He has been better than I thought he would though.


Look at the ice time and value provided.

Now if you want to say that the coach trusts Kuraly, Texier and Robinson together as a line, maybe I’d buy that. Robinson and Texier have not conceded an empty net goal, and have been on the ice for 6 goals for. Texier CF% 41%, Robinson 32%.

 

[Xoggz22]

Sigh. I knew this “pivot” was going to be used - it always is. People say it about Nyquist.

The whole “coach trusts him to protect a lead” narrative is so overblown.

Playing against an empty net Kuraly is 38% in the face off dot, leads the team in giveaways (only 2), and a 22% Corsi (behind Domi & Laine). GF% of 69…. nice.

He gets ice time because he can sometimes win face offs, and always skates hard. Like I said he’s been fine, but he’s a fourth liner on good teams (and right now is taking away developmental minutes from younger guys).

He has been better than I thought he would though.


Look at the ice time and value provided.

Now if you want to say that the coach trusts Kuraly, Texier and Robinson together as a line, maybe I’d buy that. Robinson and Texier have not conceded an empty net goal, and have been on the ice for 6 goals for. Texier CF% 41%, Robinson 32%.

We'll just agree to disagree. I'm old school and have coached for years so I do buy the narrative that it's a trust issue. I also don't rely on statistics as a means for making a decision. They help but a 6v5 situation is always going to be tilted against the short handed team. I'll admit, I don't look deeply into them but I respect your position, just dont' agree with it.

 

[Cowumbus]

We'll just agree to disagree. I'm old school and have coached for years so I do buy the narrative that it's a trust issue. I also don't rely on statistics as a means for making a decision. They help but a 6v5 situation is always going to be tilted against the short handed team. I'll admit, I don't look deeply into them but I respect your position, just dont' agree with it.

Nobody should.

 

[Cowumbus]

Buy him out. Happens all the time.

I don't love the contract but here amid a lack of other interesting CBJ news today I think folks a making a bigger issue out of a pretty minor deal.

Hmm… Weird.

1 million to 500k less on Kuraly’s deal makes a huge difference today.

I am just saying I think it's a mistake. Is that allowed? It's obviously not franchise-altering.

Possibly franchise-altering…

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Hmm… Weird.

1 million to 500k less on Kuraly’s deal makes a huge difference today.


Possibly franchise-altering…

Setting aside the clearly unexpected, unplanned but certainly welcome gift that just landed in the CBJ's lap....

Same as I said last year if you truly believe an extra $1 million to Kuraly is FRANCHISE ALTERING this franchise has deeper problems than that contract.

But thanks for dusting this off. Not sure it's the dunk you think it is.

 

[Cowumbus]

Setting aside the clearly unexpected, unplanned but certainly welcome gift that just landed in the CBJ's lap....

Same as I said last year if you truly believe an extra $1 million to Kuraly is FRANCHISE ALTERING this franchise has deeper problems than that contract.

But thanks for dusting this off. Not sure it's the dunk you think it is.

I’m not trying to get a “dunk”

But the point is overpaying guys hurts your team long term. We can’t keep doing that, especially UFAs. Kuraly is not worth 2.5, still.

If Kuraly makes less the squeeze to fit Laine in isn’t so bad. Now you might have to lose Texier, Bjorkstrand or someone else.

 

[Cowumbus]

Not really. Twice as long on the term, twice as much on the AAV.

Hinostroza 1 x $1.05
Kampf 2 x $1.5
Bellemare 2 x $1m
Khaira 2 x $.975
Amadio 1 x $1.075
Glendening 2 x $1.5 (I suppose Glendening is more for faceoffs, don't think he PKs much)

I can't find a single 4th liner who signed for $2m+ AAV. And I can't find any that signed for 3+ years. This is way more term and AAV than necessary for a 4th liner, but I suppose that's kind of Jarmo's MO with contracts.

Seems like it yeah.

 

[Monk]

I’m not trying to get a “dunk”

But the point is overpaying guys hurts your team long term. We can’t keep doing that, especially UFAs. Kuraly is not worth 2.5, still.

If Kuraly makes less the squeeze to fit Laine in isn’t so bad. Now you might have to lose Texier, Bjorkstrand or someone else.

Then drop Kuraly for nothing if that's the main squeeze to signing Laine. Why do we have to lose Tex, Bjrok or someone else?

I'm perplexed by all this hand wringing about the cap. You'd rather have Kuraly than JG? You'd rather have Gus?

 

[MoeBartoli]

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Kuraly signing, but he’s earned his $2.5M with 30 points in 77 games, most while on the 4th line, and being the most responsible checking center on the roster. Additionally he played up on the lineup when needed.

I’m a cap watching hawk, but this contract isn’t a significant problem. Quibble if you want over a half million but if that’s your cause, then ask why we gave some AHL bound guys $750K. I’m not there. Now the Gudbranson deal is a different story.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Elvis makes over 5 mil. We can do this all day. If we hack 250k off this contract and 500k off that one, yada yada yada.

Point taken. These deals are not signed in a vacuum. But let’s not act like Jarmo et al aren’t also aware of the math and cap implications. They are doing deals the way they think they need to get done at the time. We gonna fire Jarmo because he has to trade Gus to afford Laine?

 

[Cowumbus]

We gonna fire Jarmo because he has to trade Gus to afford Laine?

No

 

[koteka]

It looks like Kuraly is wearing an A tonight.

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

It looks like Kuraly is wearing an A tonight.

As far as I understand he wore the A the first time when Johnny was out, so a couple of games ago or so. He was a guest on the Inside Edge podcast a week ago and talked about it. Cool guy, easy to root for him.

 

[koteka]

As far as I understand he wore the A the first time when Johnny was out, so a couple of games ago or so. He was a guest on the Inside Edge podcast a week ago and talked about it. Cool guy, easy to root for him.

Dude has had an impressive career for a kid from Ohio. 400+ regular season games so far. Had 2 goals and 3 assists in a Stanley Cup finals series. Played for an Original 6 team. Played for his hometown team. Made a few million dollars.

 

[koteka]

Jeff Rimer just said on the radio that he talked with Kuraly this morning and he has a nice bruise where he was hit. Rimer said Kuraly didn’t realize at the time that he had been hit in the abdomen with a stick. All he knew was he had severe abdominal pain and couldn’t get his breath and that had him worrying whether he had hurt his spleen or something.