Salary Cap: The Hotdog Days of Summer

[NeedleInTheHay]

If it's the guy I'm thinking of, he was always on IR, so it doesn't surprise me that his name would slip your memory.

I don't recall Joe Vitale ever really being injured if that's who you're referring to.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I would take him on a cheap 1-year deal, as well. But it doesn't seem like that's going to happen.

Even Chris Stewart took a cheap, 1-year deal.

Unless you have inside info I wouldn't be surprised if he caves and takes a one year deal. If it's one way or two way will be interesting and might be his current sticking point. But that assumes he's getting any offers, maybe no one thinks he's worth the minimum risk.

 

[SEALBound]

Very disappointed we didn't nab Stewart up at $1.7mil/1yr...just...****...

 

[Ogrezilla]

Very disappointed we didn't nab Stewart up at $1.7mil/1yr...just...****...

eh, at this point we need to avoid adding any more average-or-below skaters I think.

 

[SEALBound]

I think it all comes down to what Armstrong, a good-natured guy by all accounts and someone who knows how to get along in a room, said about Kessel:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/590/prime-time-sports/how-do-teammates-perceive-phil-kessel/

When we start taking Army's word on hockey players...

To me, I don't give a **** if anyone likes him. On ice performance is all that matters right now...at least to me. We've shot ourselves in the foot far too many times recently by signing "good" guys...beloved locker room guys - Kunitz, Scuderi, Adams, Dupuis...**** that. That "locker room chemistry" should be nuked.

changing the topic a little: anyone else amazed at the huge contract Semin signed? All of that interest in him was truly truly amazing.

Semin signed? Or are you talking about he previous contract?

1yr, $2mil...come on JR!!!

 

[Ogrezilla]

he's saying that nobody is interested in paying Semin anything. I wouldn't give him what Stewart just got. If we're going to bank on somebody with talent and injury problems being healthy, lets make it Bennett.

 

[Shwag33]

Very disappointed we didn't nab Stewart up at $1.7mil/1yr...just...****...

If you've seen him play recently you wouldnt think that. I used to think he was a good idea too, but he's just as bad if not worse than people have said

 

[Killahpunk]

The Detroit Red Wings hired Mike Kadar as strength and conditioning coach on Friday.

 

[Jacob]

I thought it was a good comparison. Just didn't want to take credit for it.

Just messing. Thanks for remembering it.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Theres no real room for Stewart here right now. Everyone on the roster is a better hockey player than he is, assuming Bennett and Dupuis stay healthy.

Only thing he can do better than anyone we have is fight.

 

[Black Label]

I'd take a flier on a guy like Semin for 1 year $2 million. The only real issue is with how many RWers we would have. With Kessel and Hörnqvist already we have 2 top 6 on the right side. I don't know how much Kessel, Semin, or Hörnqvist have played the left, but we could have three decent lines if Semin got his scoring touch back. If not then just bury him in the minors or trade him for a conditional pick at the DL.

Perron - Sid - Kessel
Hörnqvist - Malkin - Semin
Kunitz - Sutter - Dupuis
Plotnikov - Sundqvist - Bennett

If you can move two of Sutter/Kunitz/Scuderi then we have more than enough cap room.

 

[BustaKapanen]

Theres no real room for Stewart here right now. Everyone on the roster is a better hockey player than he is, assuming Bennett and Dupuis stay healthy.

Only thing he can do better than anyone we have is fight.

Only reason to consider him would be physicality. This lineup does appear alil weak in that capacity, especially if you're talking as a whole with the dmen as well. However I've been preaching for god knows how long about needing more skill. We finally have that, so I'm not going to get all bent up over grit now. Besides until we move out a contract if we move one out, can't really do much.

 

[eXile59]

Stewart has been overrated on here for years and we don't need a 1.7 million dollar 4th line forward which is really the only spots left.

 

[penzweiser]

I'd take a flier on a guy like Semin for 1 year $2 million. The only real issue is with how many RWers we would have. With Kessel and Hörnqvist already we have 2 top 6 on the right side. I don't know how much Kessel, Semin, or Hörnqvist have played the left, but we could have three decent lines if Semin got his scoring touch back. If not then just bury him in the minors or trade him for a conditional pick at the DL.

Perron - Sid - Kessel
Hörnqvist - Malkin - Semin
Kunitz - Sutter - Dupuis
Plotnikov - Sundqvist - Bennett

If you can move two of Sutter/Kunitz/Scuderi then we have more than enough cap room.

Semin has successfully played LW before

 

[BustaKapanen]

Semin has successfully played LW before

Yes, if that's something that happened. They'd certainly have him at lw over hornqvist. I awhile back thought horny said he eluded at 1st interview he could play both. However he was on madden shortly after being aquired and pretty much flat out said no I'm a rw.

 

[Penguinator]

Why we're still talking about Semin eludes me...

 

[Sam Spade]

All signs point to Kessel being able to thrive here, and it was a great trade for us. But it's easy to see why he'd get criticized in a city where he's expected to be the man. What they expected from him was to be able to contribute something beyond production, and he can't.

Read thru more than a thousand Kessel posts since the trade and this might be the most succinct.

Don't expect a strong backcheck from Kessel because you wont get more than a few times a season. Don't expect him to dig pucks out or win board battles, that is not his game. Don't expect him to hustle on changes, he won't do it. Don't expect sound bites, you won't get them. Don't expect passion on the ice, that is not who he is.

He will come down the wing and snipe, he will take a pass from Crosby or Malkin and snipe, that is what he does, and basically all he does. And that is a good thing.

 

[DoktorZaius]

I don't think we should be looking at Semin, but in the hypothetical scenario where we sign him, we'd 100% want to play him at LW. My understanding from reading stuff back in the day is that he grew up playing LW and, in a lot of ways, prefers it.

 

[Jacob]

That's a good deal but no need for Stewart now.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Very disappointed we didn't nab Stewart up at $1.7mil/1yr...just...****...

Meh. I agree it's a good price to take a flyer on a guy like that if there are no other options / there was no Kessel deal, but he will not make this team (such as it is) noticeably better. Stewart is basically a bust at this point and there's no reason to believe he would succeed on a consistent basis here.

I'd rather take that 1.7M, dump scuds to free up more millions and find a way in the first half of the season to trade for a good D age 25-28

 

[DoktorZaius]

If we could somehow free up some salary (the miracle Scuds trade scenario), I'd be curious about Franson possibly doing the Ehrhoff thing and taking a cheaper 1 year drive-up-my-value deal here.

 

[Gurglesons]

If we could somehow free up some salary (the miracle Scuds trade scenario), I'd be curious about Franson possibly doing the Ehrhoff thing and taking a cheaper 1 year drive-up-my-value deal here.

The issue with that is it stifles everything Derrick Pouliot can do. He should be with Letang on our power play, or be the main defenseman on the second power play.

I honestly think the best UFA we could sign is Weiss to a prove me deal. Put him in as our fourth line center, if he performs we can move Sutter, if he doesn't, we've got Stephen Weiss on our fourth line for a million / 1.5.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

They're really not that analogous, though. Neal's production dried up in his last playoffs here, never mind pace; he didn't contribute offensively the way he was expected and paid to. And Neal wasn't even expected to contribute the most, the way Kessel was in his situation.

They're analogous in the way I said they were. Neal's production wasn't there in his last playoffs, but he was centered by Brandon Sutter, who isn't a scoring line center by any standard.

I'd argue that Kessel met playoffs expectations way better than Neal did, under more pressure and with worse linemates. Neal benefited from the second best player in the world and still couldn't cut it when it mattered; Kessel did everything he possibly could against Boston while carrying Bozak on his back.

Kessel performed better than Neal did. He was also being paid 3 mil per more per year. The point is that, like Neal, he didn't deliver all the things beyond production that people expected.

In any case, I don't think Neal was traded just for failing to produce in the playoffs or not being what we needed, I think he was traded for things that would get me banned from this forum for talking about. But you're misrepresenting his failure to meet expectations here, as if people were asking him to be something he's incapable of being, and that's bogus.

I'm not misrepresenting anything. It's as easy to see what people expected of Neal as doing a forum search.

Read thru more than a thousand Kessel posts since the trade and this might be the most succinct.

Don't expect a strong backcheck from Kessel because you wont get more than a few times a season. Don't expect him to dig pucks out or win board battles, that is not his game. Don't expect him to hustle on changes, he won't do it. Don't expect sound bites, you won't get them. Don't expect passion on the ice, that is not who he is.

He will come down the wing and snipe, he will take a pass from Crosby or Malkin and snipe, that is what he does, and basically all he does. And that is a good thing.

Bingo.

 

[Son Goku]

Imagine if we still had Despres and got rid of Scuderi

 

[Son Goku]

Maatta-Letang
Despres-Cole

Is a solid top 4