UFA Watch central thread

[le_sean]

You would rather lose assets to get a defenseman rather than get one for free? We would have to lose a guy like galchenyuk or a good prospect like poehling to acquire a top 4 D through trade...

No, I’d rather use assets to acquire an impact defenceman rather than sign a defensive defenceman for free. The team is already full of defencemen that don’t provide much.

 

[tazsub3]

No, I’d rather use assets to acquire an impact defenceman rather than sign a defensive defenceman for free. The team is already full of defencemen that don’t provide much.

very correct. if we sign a top line C then we need a d on a good contract and for that a trade is the best route

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Nashville, Buffalo or San Jose

I see Vegas. $24m in cap space not accounting for any increase (let's assume $5m, $29m). Neal, Perron, Karlsson are the big ones to re-sign. Miller and Theodore on D.

The big thing Vegas has going for them is they can offer less, but Nevada has no state income tax. Vegas has already made a huge splash and Tavares is probably looking at that situation as a great one -- lower pressure, but a chance to make history and eventually win a Cup within the next couple of years there if Vegas can keep the magic going.

Forget about Nashville. They can't afford him. $7m in cap space ($12 if $5m increase), with no big names to re-sign this summer, but Fiala and Ellis needing to be re-signed (Rinne is off the books) next summer too, and then the summer after that they have Josi to re-sign. We can talk about the fantasy scenarios of trading Turris or whatever, but Nashville needs to focus on the depth on their wings to compete with the likes of a Winnipeg.

I'd say, for Tavares:

1) Vegas
2) San Jose
3) Montreal
4) Buffalo (they move up more if they trade O'Reilly, but does Tavares really want to play behind Eichel? If he's okay with not being *the* guy, sure.)

 

[Forsead]

No, I’d rather use assets to acquire an impact defenceman rather than sign a defensive defenceman for free. The team is already full of defencemen that don’t provide much.

One of the Habs issue is mobility and puck movement from the D corp not just point production and I think some of the guys availables can bring that, doesn't need to be 40 pts dmen. I especially like what one of Nick Holden, Jack Johnson, Thomas Hickey and John Moore could bring, only at a decent deal though.

I mean no team looks good when the puck is stuck in the D zone.

 

[MtlSars]

Has oliver ekman-larsson signed a contract im unaware of??? Why isn't he mentioned in any discussion , pretty much solves that LD for us, id go balls deep on getting that guy over here? Otherwise sure, put your eggs in that tavares basket....

 

[loudi94]

Has oliver ekman-larsson signed a contract im unaware of??? Why isn't he mentioned in any discussion , pretty much solves that LD for us, id go balls deep on getting that guy over here? Otherwise sure, put your eggs in that tavares basket....

Like MaxPac, he has one more year.

 

[De Montreal]

Think it would be a good strategy to buy 2019 and 2020 draft picks by using our cap space / lineup room to sign guys like Bozak, Riley Nash... on big 1 year contract? They probably will be looking for long-term, but if come mid-july they havent signed anywhere they might bite for a 1 year, 6-6.5M$ contract. Then they inflated stats playing 1st line minutes + PP time with us, and we deal them for 2nd round pick at the TDL?

This is in a (very plausible) scenarion in which Tavares want no part of Montréal. Give Bozak and Nash 6M$ each, ride this lineup:

Drouin - Bozak - Gallagher
Hudon - Danault - Galchenyuk
Zadina - Nash - Lehkonen
Byron - De La Rose - Deslauriers

In this scenario, Pacioretty is dealt for a top 15 pick and we draft a centre like Veleno. Deal Byron / Bozak / Nash at the deadline when we are out of playoff, get another draft with multiples 2nd round pick.

 

[loudi94]

I've always liked Sbisa since his days in junior. Left handed playing right D. If he hits the market, and is priced right, I'd take a flyer on him. He is miles better than Benn, Alzner, Schlemko.

 

[ImNeverWrong]

We are more than a Tavares away from being a cup contender. Let someone else over pay for a player that will slide out of his prime as soon as next year.

 

[Steve Shutt]

Think it would be a good strategy to buy 2019 and 2020 draft picks by using our cap space / lineup room to sign guys like Bozak, Riley Nash... on big 1 year contract? They probably will be looking for long-term, but if come mid-july they havent signed anywhere they might bite for a 1 year, 6-6.5M$ contract. Then they inflated stats playing 1st line minutes + PP time with us, and we deal them for 2nd round pick at the TDL?

This is in a (very plausible) scenarion in which Tavares want no part of Montréal. Give Bozak and Nash 6M$ each, ride this lineup:

Drouin - Bozak - Gallagher
Hudon - Danault - Galchenyuk
Zadina - Nash - Lehkonen
Byron - De La Rose - Deslauriers

In this scenario, Pacioretty is dealt for a top 15 pick and we draft a centre like Veleno. Deal Byron / Bozak / Nash at the deadline when we are out of playoff, get another draft with multiples 2nd round pick.

A few one year flips would go a long way to re-stocking our prospect pool. Perhaps consider someone like Green as well (I think his health issues will make it tough for him to get a long term lucrative contract - a solid 1 year deal might be exactly what he needs)

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

We are more than a Tavares away from being a cup contender. Let someone else over pay for a player that will slide out of his prime as soon as next year.

Let someone else get a superstar center. We dont need one.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

did you read my post?

I said I would trade a pick for his rights therefore we can give him 8 years.


I also said said I would give him a contract like price full of bonuses but I never said the 8th year you give him 500k.... you use 8 years to put the cap lower like they did with price

No, you can't give him an 8th year. The only team that can is the islanders as he was part of their team as of January 1st I believe the cut off is.

 

[ImNeverWrong]

Let someone else get a superstar center. We dont need one.

Yah because the habs are close to being a contender. When teams like Winnipeg spend 6 million on Scheifele, you want bottom feeding habs to pay 12 to 13 million for Tavares? What a joke. It's like we're one piece away from being a contender, we're MULTIPLE pieces away from merely making the playoffs.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Yah because the habs are close to being a contender. When teams like Winnipeg spend 6 million on Scheifele, you want bottom feeding habs to pay 12 to 13 million for Tavares? What a joke. It's like we're one piece away from being a contender, we're MULTIPLE pieces away from merely making the playoffs.

Whatever makes you sleep at night

 

[ImNeverWrong]

Whatever makes you sleep at night

Considering i don't have any delusions of grandeur, I sleep rather well when it comes to hockey. The habs stopped disappointing me a long time ago.

 

[BLONG7]

Not crazy about paying a C like JT around, 11M per, but that is the reality of where we are, and where MB has put us...we have done such a poor job drafting guys who play C that we have no choice other than to go get one like JT in UFA . MB and Molson seem driven to put us back in the playoffs, more than they seem ready to let us rebuild...

We can't score goals, we need some serious skill added to our lineup. Adding JT and a kid like Zadina, to Chucky and Droiun would be nice.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I see Vegas. $24m in cap space not accounting for any increase (let's assume $5m, $29m). Neal, Perron, Karlsson are the big ones to re-sign. Miller and Theodore on D.

The big thing Vegas has going for them is they can offer less, but Nevada has no state income tax. Vegas has already made a huge splash and Tavares is probably looking at that situation as a great one -- lower pressure, but a chance to make history and eventually win a Cup within the next couple of years there if Vegas can keep the magic going.

Forget about Nashville. They can't afford him. $7m in cap space ($12 if $5m increase), with no big names to re-sign this summer, but Fiala and Ellis needing to be re-signed (Rinne is off the books) next summer too, and then the summer after that they have Josi to re-sign. We can talk about the fantasy scenarios of trading Turris or whatever, but Nashville needs to focus on the depth on their wings

That last part makes no sense. Trading Turris is not a fantasy scenario ESPECIALLY if they are looking for wingers.

They have Tolvanen coming too.

The cap will be at a minimum 80 mil, if not 82.

Nashville ALSO doesn't have state taxes so I don't know why you brought this up vs Nashville.

What you don't seem to add in your equation is that Vegas is a big unknown for NHL players. UFAs will think twice before going there because of multiple reasons.

Preds have one of his best friends, the space, no taxes.

Turris is an easy trade because Poile doesn't need full value out of it if he can get JT. Adding JT to their assets for nothing is a huge addition.

 

[blarneylad]

Ah 8 weeks until we are all bitterly disappointed again by the terrible contract we will be locked into

Don't talk that way about David Perron!

 

[groovejuice]

I assume the poll is regarding Tavares? Perhaps the OP could edit its title to reflect that.

 

[blarneylad]

We are more than a Tavares away from being a cup contender. Let someone else over pay for a player that will slide out of his prime as soon as next year.

No I disagree with this sentiment.

It is a popular one so I'm not signaling you out. But you have one of the top 15 center in the game, top 15 defensemen in the game and top 3 goalie in the game.

Plus adding him shuffles the top 6, imo, Drouin goes back to wing and you trade one of Galchenyuk or Pacioretty for LHD +

Drouin - Tavares - Lehkonen
Galchenyuk - Danault - Gallagher

That lineup could do damage. The Habs powerplay would be lethal

 

[ClasslessGuy]

With the capfriendly link, just realized how much space Vegas is getting back next year.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Vegas would seem like a hopping on the bandwagon move. I actually think Tavares is going to seriously consider Montreal.

 

[QuebecPride]

I'm trying to think of one UFA signing that is a core player on a remaining team and all I can think of is Chara.

It's such a bad way to try to create a roster. It's only use is supplemental players.

Niskanen, Perron, Marchessault. You could also argue Paul Martin has been a core D for the Sharks for the first two years of his contract (especially when they reached the Cup Final), and he definitely was a key player for the Pens in his previous contract.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Niskanen, Perron, Marchessault. You could also argue Paul Martin has been a core D for the Sharks for the first two years of his contract (especially when they reached the Cup Final), and he definitely was a key player for the Pens in his previous contract.

I don't consider any of those guys core players. Niskanen and Martin are closest but they are still second pairing guys.

 

[The Great Weal]

If we actually were a #1 center from being serious cup contenders, you give him whatever he wants. Since we are not, I don't really think you should pay that much.