News Article: The Meszaros RFA Situation Old Article

[Vesa Awesaka]

Just want to get a clear understanding of what happened here. Did Ottawa miss out on a franchise player in hedman?

I was young at the time and my understanding of the situation was limited.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articl...rej-Meszaros-day-after-trade-from-Ottawa.html

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blo...j-Meszaros-drink-the-Koules-Ai?urn=nhl,104472

Is this one of the greatest failings of Bryan Murray?

Click to read more...

 

[HavlatMach9]

Stamkos was already drafted by then.

 

[Qward]

Hindsight.

Toronto didnt think that their first would end up being 2nd over all.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

Stamkos was already drafted by then.

So it was Hedman?

 

[BonkTastic]

Just want to get a clear understanding of what happened here. Did Ottawa miss out on a franchise player in stamkos or hedman?

I was young at the time and my understanding of the situation was limited.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articl...rej-Meszaros-day-after-trade-from-Ottawa.html

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blo...j-Meszaros-drink-the-Koules-Ai?urn=nhl,104472

Is this one of the greatest failing of Bryan Murray?

From what I can remember - Not really.

AFAIK, Tampa was considering an offer sheet for Meszaros, but Pittsburgh didn't want to trade the Lightning back their 3rd rounder that Tampa needed to send as compensation (because remember - you need your own original picks, you can't send previously acquired picks over as compensation). Pittsburgh knew they wanted it in case of an offer sheet, and asked for way more than it was worth in return because of this.

The biggest obstacle to the offer sheet actually happening was the Pens.

Fun fact: that 3rd rounder sent to Pittsburgh was a conditional pick dependent on Ryan Malone signing with the Lightning.

 

[BonkTastic]

So it was Hedman?

Yep.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

From what I can remember - Not really.

AFAIK, Tampa was considering an offer sheet for Meszaros, but Pittsburgh didn't want to trade the Lightning back their 3rd rounder that Tampa needed to send as compensation (because remember - you need your own original picks, you can't send previously acquired picks over as compensation). Pittsburgh knew they wanted it in case of an offer sheet, and asked for way more than it was worth in return because of this.

Fun fact: that 3rd rounder sent to Pittsburgh was a conditional pick dependent on Ryan Malone signing with the Lightning.

Also: the 1st round pick that year was Hedman, not Stamkos.

What were the opinions of people around Ottawa. You'd think there might have been some leeway and we could have gotten that 3rd round pick to tampa. I remember thinking the pick was Tampa's first and remember hoping for them to tank(which they did lol)

 

[BonkTastic]

What were the opinions of people around Ottawa. You'd think there might have been some leeway and we could have gotten that 3rd round pick to tampa.

IIRC, no one thought that the Lightning would have even gone through with an offer sheet even if they'd had their pick. A lot of people thought it was posturing in order to get the Sens to discuss a trade with then.

Remember: at that point, we were only a year removed from the Dustin Penner offer sheet, and the whole fracas that caused between Brian Burke & Ron Lowe, and the media circus that followed. People/ fans assumed Offer Sheets were DOA, because of the public perception that GM's would get blackballed over them.

 

[HavlatMach9]

we also didn't re-sign a player who went on and didn't live up to his contract.

 

[Micklebot]

So it was Hedman?

Tampa didn't have the required 3rd round pick to sign Mez to an offer sheet. They also lacked the cap space to sign Mez without moving something else (by about 2 mil). There were rumours other teams may have been offering offer sheets, and if it was a team with a late 1st, that may have been why Ottawa opted to trade with TBay. We couldn't afford to lose Mez and not get a D back, especially for a so-so pick.

And yes, this happened in aug 2008 so it would have been the 2009 draft with Tavares, Hedman, ect.

 

[YouGotAStuGoing]

Also worth noting: if Tampa has Meszaros AND Kuba, they probably don't finish so low.

 

[BonkTastic]

Also worth noting: if Tampa has Meszaros AND Kuba, they probably don't finish so low.

Yep, this.

That pick could easily have gone from being Hedman to being Glennie or Paajarvi or Kulikov, etc...

 

[Micklebot]

Also worth noting: if Tampa has Meszaros AND Kuba, they probably don't finish so low.

Ideally, we don't push for Picard and get their 1st instead of SJ's. Tbay was expected to do better than they did as I recall.

Edit: With Picard in the line-up, they would have been even worse... We could have had Tavares :cry

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

Also worth noting: if Tampa has Meszaros AND Kuba, they probably don't finish so low.

They finished last the year before with kuba no?

 

[Caeldan]

Think this is sufficiently answered.