GDT: UFA Watch central thread Part II

[MaxDummy]

Dude it's common knowledge in the hockey world that Taxes stop a lot of FA to come here,

Excuse.

 

[scrubadam]

So are you admitting we have bad management?

Why did Stamkos and Hedman take less pay in TB? Maybe because they are a contender? Back when Stamkos had to choose between Toronto or Tampa Bay, Toronto was in last place and had just drafted Matthews. Now Tavares has the option of signing with a contender in Toronto for less money or stay with the sucky islanders. Players want to win. I don't understand why this concept is so hard for people to understand.

People talking about taxes are comparing their day to day lives where a few percentage of taxes might be the difference of putting food on the table... but to an athlete making 80 millions dollars... the difference is between having 11 Ferraris and Lamborghini parked in the driveway or just 10.

Yes that's why I am fed up with the language BS. It ostracizes UFA's from signing here. Montreal's media/fanbase is no worse than Toronto's. Weather is another poor excuse. Really? Because they can't afford air conditioning with all those millions of dollars?

If you can't sign top UFA then you better make damn well sure that you can develop players internally. The habs have not developed a single top player in 6 years of work. This is an indictment of our current management's incompetence.

MB screwed the pooch these last 2 years.

And I will say that winning does play a role, but each player is different and its isn't always the biggest factor. But a winning team helps as with JT going to TOR now but Stamkos not going when they were bad.

But even when the habs have had winning teams how many big UFA's did the sign? What were the big UFA's signed between 86 and 93? What about Gainey? Couldn't land Sundin or local boy Danny B. When the team under MB went to the ECF he came back with Semin.

Its tough to divorce ourselves from the Montreal bubble, but you have to put yourself in a player and his wife and family's shoes. Why would you chose MTL over Dallas, TB, SJ, LA, Miami, Colorado, Vancouver, Vegas, Anaheim, Boston, New York, and on and on. If the team was winning they would have a better shot but I still bet that the team would be lower on players lists then 75% of the other teams in the NHL.

Does Montreal attract top lawyers, doctors, finance people? Are the best of the best in other professions moving here? If not then why not? I honestly don't know but I can't imagine that the city is.

Your last paragraph says it all. UFA is always going to be bad for Montreal. Always has and always will be. Less good players make UFA anyways and most turn out to be buyouts. So the team needs to focus on drafting/developing and trades. And in 1 year from now it won't be MB doing any of that.

 

[the]

Taxes, bad weather and crazy media...no way Habs can attract a high caliber Free agent like John Tavares.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

3 out of 4 teams New York area. I'm guessing he likes New York.

 

[Bryson]

The point is, players dont want to sign with habs its because of the culture and management. Players dont get treated so well and there is no winning culture here, the way Bergavin dealt with Radulov and Markov last year was DISGUSTING. Bergavin isnt reliable and he can trade anyone away for on reason, Subban was heart and soul of the team fan favorite why would you trade him, and you are taking input from a coach like Therien? You take advice from a coach like Babcock not Micheal Therien. Also whats with this french bias, hiring french coach or GM - its not working. Fans dont care if the player/coach/GM is french english russian etc. We are the Montreal Canadiens and priority is Winning thats all the legit Habs fan care about.

I really wish that fans didn't care if the coach only speaks english or russian and that winning was the utmost priority but there are still people who do not feel this way. @ECWHSWI will be the first one to tell you that the coach/GM must speak french. I do not doubt for a second that there would be a riot in front of the bell center if the Canadiens named an english coach. This team and it's fans don't really care about winning.

 

[Sun1126]

I really wish that fans didn't care if the coach only speaks english or russian and that winning was the utmost priority but there are still people who do not feel this way. @ECWHSWI will be the first one to tell you that the coach/GM must speak french. I do not doubt for a second that there would be a riot in front of the bell center if the Canadiens named an english coach. This team and it's fans don't really care about winning.

I think its media propaganda. Put Babcock as headcoach or Yzerman as GM, who will dare point a finger? Majority will favor this improvement i believe.

 

[kgboomer]

Why don't Quebec guys want to play for MTL but Ontario guys want to play for Toronto?

Good question. I remember Lindros wanting to be traded to Toronto, and only Toronto. And then we have Martin St-Louis... him wanting to be traded to the Rangers, and only the Rangers.

 

[Michelangelo]

Dude it's common knowledge in the hockey world that Taxes stop a lot of FA to come here, now this team has played so bad that it's a big no-no for everyone to come here.

Here, have a read
Why taxes shouldn’t prevent John Tavares or any free agent...

It's a misconception and an easy excuse to use

 

[MaxDummy]

Taxes, bad weather and crazy media...no way Habs can attract a high caliber Free agent like John Tavares.

Well Toronto also have all those problems.

 

[the]

Well Toronto also have all those problems.

Damnit, Toronto doesn’t count!!

I’m telling you, Bergevin is in a bad position because of those taxes and crazy media.

 

[lo striver]

I really wish that fans didn't care if the coach only speaks english or russian and that winning was the utmost priority but there are still people who do not feel this way. @ECWHSWI will be the first one to tell you that the coach/GM must speak french. I do not doubt for a second that there would be a riot in front of the bell center if the Canadiens named an english coach. This team and it's fans don't really care about winning.

somehow fans find that post-game pressers and whatever happens off-ice is more enterataning/important than what happens during games. obviously they are just way too knowledgeable.

 

[QuebecPride]

And how many of these are of the same stratosphere as John Tavares?

Vlasic, Luongo, Fleury and Letang certainly are. They've all achieved much more than Tavares ever did (and fingers crossed ever will). Jury is out for Dubois, but he could very well become an 80 pts C just like Tavares, but with the benefit of being better defensively. Couturier could be a top centerman as well.

 

[QuebecPride]

The big UFAs this year were drafted in 2007- 2009. I think he's talking about UFAs, and they take a few years before they reach that contract status

Huberdeau was drafted in 2011. But his deal only expires in 2023. Let's see if he chooses his hometown.

Marchessault re-signed in January. He could have chosen Montreal as a ufa. But right now...it's not a real attractive destination .

Dubois has one pro season under his belt, so he's 2 years away from rfa, then we have to add the length of that rfa contract, before he has a chance to "come home".

Couturier was born in Arizona. Raised in Bathurst . Not sure how much of a hometown hero he is.

Read his post again, he said that Québec has no top-notch players, he never mentioned the UFA status. It's true that Québec doesn't produce nearly enough compared to the other hockey hotbeds, but Michaelangelo is being of bad faith to pretend there are no top players hailing from here. I simply rectified his false claims.

As for Couturier, he lived most of his childhood in Québec. His father moved the family in NB when he was mistreated by Hockey Québec (his father wanted Sean to play for another team than the one from his region). Still a product of the province.

 

[hotcarle]

Vlasic, Luongo, Fleury and Letang certainly are. They've all achieved much more than Tavares ever did (and fingers crossed ever will). Jury is out for Dubois, but he could very well become an 80 pts C just like Tavares, but with the benefit of being better defensively. Couturier could be a top centerman as well.

Couturier is born in Arizona, and moved to Bathers with his family when his dad was gm of the Titans. I don't know if he is counts as a hometown hero.

 

[hotcarle]

Couturier is born in Arizona, and moved to Bathers with his family when his dad was gm of the Titans. I don't know if he is counts as a hometown hero.

Nice autocorrect there from Bathurst to Bathers .

 

[QuebecPride]

Dude it's common knowledge in the hockey world that Taxes stop a lot of FA to come here, now this team has played so bad that it's a big no-no for everyone to come here.

Every year it’s the same story. When the Canadiens strike out in free agency and have trouble attracting the best players to Montreal, taxes always come up as a serious deterrent. But it’s simply not true to say a player would automatically be crippled financially by taxes if he came to play for the Canadiens or the Maple Leafs or any other team in Canada.
“I can make it so signing in Montreal is the same as signing in Texas,” an agent told The Athletic.
Really? Residents of Texas pay federal tax at a lower rate than Canadians and pay no state tax on their home games. That’s tough to beat, no?
“In my opinion, the tax rate can be as low, or if not very close to what it is in Texas, Las Vegas, Florida or Tennessee,” confirms Jason Chevrier, an accountant and tax advisor with an expertise in cross-border taxes. “It’s a myth that Canadian players – I say that because taxes in Ontario are higher than they are in Quebec at that tax bracket – it’s a myth to say Montreal is the worst place to play hockey. Montreal can even be one of the best places if it’s planned properly.”

Why taxes shouldn’t prevent John Tavares or any free agent...

 

[hotcarle]

Read his post again, he said that Québec has no top-notch players, he never mentioned the UFA status. It's true that Québec doesn't produce nearly enough compared to the other hockey hotbeds, but Michaelangelo is being of bad faith to pretend there are no top players hailing from here. I simply rectified his false claims.

As for Couturier, he lived most of his childhood in Québec. His father moved the family in NB when he was mistreated by Hockey Québec (his father wanted Sean to play for another team than the one from his region). Still a product of the province.

It can be interpreted both ways, because we're talking about UFAs, but, his phrasing was more general.

 

[QuebecPride]

It can be interpreted both ways, because we're talking about UFAs, but, his phrasing was more general.

Pas vraiment, c'était vraiment juste un commentaire général. Faut pas sur-interpréter non plus..

 

[hotcarle]

Pas vraiment, c'était vraiment juste un commentaire général. Faut pas sur-interpréter non plus..

Well if he's saying there's no good Quebec players at all, he's just trolling. Maybe I'm trying to diffuse the situation by making it a more relevant statement.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Why don't Quebec guys want to play for MTL but Ontario guys want to play for Toronto?

Ontario guys usually didn't want to play in Toronto until they got competent management.

And its not like Quebec produces a ton of great NHLers.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I think it has more to do with the taxes. Quebec has or is the highest. 90% of players decisions are money related. You are in a business of making money. Much like Plekanec. No team would give him $2.2 mil for sucking.

So which newspaper or news channel do you work for?

There are close to 20 teams who are in the 50-55% total tax range in the league.

New York and Toronto are very close to Montreal, there's close to a 1% difference between all of the 3.

It's the prevailing pro hockey culture which is the problem and both Habs management and the sports media are to blame.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I think it has more to do with the taxes. Quebec has or is the highest. 90% of players decisions are money related. You are in a business of making money. Much like Plekanec. No team would give him $2.2 mil for sucking.

It was reported Hawks offered him more money than Habs.

 

[Runner77]

It was reported Hawks offered him more money than Habs.

However, that's not always an indication of value. Lucic got a better offer from EDM than he did from MTL.

If CHI was prepared to pay more, they should have let him go there.

 

[Bryson]

However, that's not always an indication of value. Lucic got a better offer from EDM than he did from MTL.

If CHI was prepared to pay more, they should have let him go there.

And MTL made a better offer to Bonino yet he still chose to go to Nashville.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Taxes, bad weather and crazy media...no way Habs can attract a high caliber Free agent like John Tavares.

Crazy Media are even dumber in Toronto
Taxes are garbage like in Toronto
Weather , welp

It helps to get Tavares when u have Matthews , Kadri , Marner and multiples bluechip prospects.

5 years ago Tavares would have stayed with the NYI.