Your Summer Wishlist

[jeromeo87]

Anyone know how much money Michael Del Zotto is looking for? It seems Nashville might not even qualify him because "he wasn't a good fit". He's been very inconsistent possession wise, but has put up good number offensively, outside of this year. I doubt they'd take on Liles' contract, but maybe Harrison? Either of those exchanges would be an upgrade.

Don't like the idea of playing a lefty on the right side. If we took him on, I would like the Canes to make space for him on the left side. I hope Liles goes; doesn't have to be to Nashville. Wouldn't mind dealing a package of Harrison+ for Del Zotto.

 

[FlyingSquirrels]

2 thoughts here:

1. Liles isn't nearly as bad as what we are making him out to be IMO. Yes his price his high but he can skate and is a true offensive defenseman. I'd much rather have someone who can move as opposed to a statue, like.....Gleason.

2. Boychuk will start the season on our 3rd line. I have a gut feeling this will happen and I think Peters can make this work. Boychuk's work ethic has noticeably improved over time and this is the foundation of BP's coaching philosophy as he has mentioned this numerous times. I think BP and Boychuk will be a good match.

 

[bluedevil58*]

2 thoughts here:

1. Liles isn't nearly as bad as what we are making him out to be IMO. Yes his price his high but he can skate and is a true offensive defenseman. I'd much rather have someone who can move as opposed to a statue, like.....Gleason.

2. Boychuk will start the season on our 3rd line. I have a gut feeling this will happen and I think Peters can make this work. Boychuk's work ethic has noticeably improved over time and this is the foundation of BP's coaching philosophy as he has mentioned this numerous times. I think BP and Boychuk will be a good match.

Yeah I also noticed that he played a more physical game this time around.

 

[rocky7]

I think Liles may work better playing Peter's stated style of play as well. if he stays and is successful then his hit isn't 'that' far out of whack really.


and a FYI.... it was said on the Capitals board that Peter's agent confirmed that they had been in talks with three teams, Washington being one of them. this doesn't mean anything as far as Ward goes but it seems clear Peters has been told he won't be signed by the Canes.

 

[DaveG]

I think Liles may work better playing Peter's stated style of play as well. if he stays and is successful then his hit isn't 'that' far out of whack really.


and a FYI.... it was said on the Capitals board that Peter's agent confirmed that they had been in talks with three teams, Washington being one of them. this doesn't mean anything as far as Ward goes but it seems clear Peters has been told he won't be signed by the Canes.

Yep, Isles were the first one that was rumored. Doesn't surprise me that he's been in talks with the Caps as well. Basically any team that is in need of a backup is going to give him a look after last season but I'd imagine he's not the #1 choice for most of them.

 

[What the Faulk]

Don't like the idea of playing a lefty on the right side. If we took him on, I would like the Canes to make space for him on the left side. I hope Liles goes; doesn't have to be to Nashville. Wouldn't mind dealing a package of Harrison+ for Del Zotto.

That's the thing though: Nashville doesn't really want MDZ at all. If they're not going to qualify him, you're basically just trading for his rights and the ability to negotiate exclusively. They might take Harrison straight up for him.

2 thoughts here:

1. Liles isn't nearly as bad as what we are making him out to be IMO. Yes his price his high but he can skate and is a true offensive defenseman. I'd much rather have someone who can move as opposed to a statue, like.....Gleason.

2. Boychuk will start the season on our 3rd line. I have a gut feeling this will happen and I think Peters can make this work. Boychuk's work ethic has noticeably improved over time and this is the foundation of BP's coaching philosophy as he has mentioned this numerous times. I think BP and Boychuk will be a good match.

1. Until proven otherwise, yeah he is. From the moment he arrived, Jay Harrison outproduced him offensively and the powerplay still didn't look very good. He ended the year with four total PP points. Harrison had as many in the month of March alone.

2. Boychuk has been penciled in on the 3rd line for the last 5 years and every year he's either failed to make it out of camp, or has been sent down within the first few games. Yeah, he LOOKS better, but that's not something you can count on. If Boychuk earns a spot, he earns a spot. I wouldn't be surprised. But that shouldn't lead to an avoidance of addressing the hole.

 

[My Special Purpose]

Something fun almost happened on Friday, evidently.

Sabres GM Tim Murray implied that he'd be willing to accept expensive contracts, but only if he gets an asset like a draft pick in return.

"I tried to make a big trade today, a unique trade," Murray said Saturday. "I said, 'We got to do like the NBA.' So I went to a team and said, 'You trade me your first pick from yesterday.' He didn't want to be the first guy to do that. So I'm not sure I did, either. But I thought it was a good idea."

There could be a market for those NBA-style deals if GMs determine the cap space gained is worth it.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=456017

I think we've done a bit of this in trades like the Tverdovsky and last year's Dalpe/Welsh dump. But they're talking about flat-out trading draft picks for cap space/cash.

So, if whether or not we can dump Ward's contract is really the key to our season, it seems to me that we'd be willing to give up an asset to ship Ward out. I mean, if it means the difference between winning and losing, right?

So I ask, what would you be willing to give up to get rid of Ward's contract?

 

[NotOpie]

The plan is to keep Ward. it's official. Francis is going to use our 2 guys as atandem and send peters to free agency. Looks like that contract is staying.

Semin-Staal-Tlusty

Skinner-Staal-Lindholm

Gerbe-UFA-UFA

Dwyer-Nash-UFA

Faulk-Sekera

Hainsey-Liles

UFA-Harrison

Murphy

As far as I can tell priority should be a 3C. Lokt is a maybe. If Lokt is signed I would move Lindholm to 3C or put Lokt there. Lindholm seems to have the body/play style to be more of a 3C than Lokt. But signing that 3C should be a priority. Mind you there are unknowns here. Those unknowns are Mcginn, Boychuck, and Rask. Past that...I don't know. Sutter maybe and thne move Nash to the 3C but meh..... So given that we are pretty much screwed CAP wise here is what I would do/propose.

We are going to have to rely heavily on our prospects/checkers now. There simply isn't any other way around this. Is there? Thoughts?

The reality is that we have a number of issues that face us, perhaps most prominent is the salary cap/self-imposed budget. We will not spend $69 million right out of he shoot. We rarely spend to the cap even in those years where we're not low balling our efforts. We always like to have flexibility at trade deadline time.

That being said, I think we will realistically have a budget between $65-$66 million. Right now we're at about $57.3 million w/about $11.7 remaining. If we spend $65 million, we've got about $7.7 million to sign 6 guys if we skate a 22 man roster.

I'm assuming that Tlusty will end up w/a bridge contract in the neighborhood of $2.5 million. I also assume that we'll also sign 2 "league minimum" guys (actually closer to $650K because Canes) - one 4th liner and one 13th forward. They could be Checkers or UFAs. That leaves 3 contributors and $3.9 million. We need a 3rd liner with size and we need a very solid D-man. That will leave one other depth player.

I just don't see how we do it. There's got to be some movement coming or we've got to find two over-achieving bargain bin guys. Maybe a Derek Morris, Clayton Stoner, or a Scott Hannan can be a short term fix on the defensive side.

I wouldn't mind seeing Zach Boychuk get another shot on the 3rd line, but that still leaves a huge hole on the 3rd line. With Boychuk and Gerbe, we absolutely have to have somebody w/size to offset those guys smurffiness.

The more I think about it I don't see how we can't do this without a trade or unless we spend closer to the cap. Even then, pickings are slim and Ronnie has publicly stated that he's focusing on a depth defenseman and some 4th line help.

God help our 3rd line if that's the case.

 

[Chan790]

So I ask, what would you be willing to give up to get rid of Ward's contract?

Nothing. We move ourselves further from competitive if we have to pay someone to take Ward. There is simply no gain to us in making any such deal.

We'd have to go right back out and find a competent backup goalie as there's nobody in the system up for the job, plus we'd be down whatever asset we paid to be rid of him. Any deal to move Ward where we're paying to be rid of him...is a deal that is insuring we're not competing for the playoffs or a deal that mortgages our future for a short-term gain of some additional payroll space.

If the season hinges on moving Ward, (I don't think it does though) we're already lost. If we cannot minimally move him at zero-value as opposed to negative value...we need to bite the bullet and keep him.

 

[What the Faulk]

Nothing. We move ourselves further from competitive if we have to pay someone to take Ward. There is simply no gain to us in making any such deal.

We'd have to go right back out and find a competent backup goalie as there's nobody in the system up for the job, plus we'd be down whatever asset we paid to be rid of him. Any deal to move Ward where we're paying to be rid of him...is a deal that is insuring we're not competing for the playoffs or a deal that mortgages our future for a short-term gain of some additional payroll space.

If the season hinges on moving Ward, (I don't think it does though) we're already lost. If we cannot minimally move him at zero-value as opposed to negative value...we need to bite the bullet and keep him.

Does anyone remember what became of the picks used to acquire Cullen or Jokinen? No, probably not. But I bet you remember how those players contributed.

You could ask a hundred questions like this with a hundred names, and I guarantee you will come up with very few answers. The success rate of a pick after the second round is something like 11%. I mean, 2003's best 4th round players are Jan Hejda and Kyle Quincey. In the 3rd round it's Clarke MacArthur and Daniel Carcillo. They're all decent players, but nothing worth remembering.

Draft picks can be completely over valued at times.

If someone is willing to take Ward for a 3rd or 4th, you're not just losing the asset for nothing. You're gaining cap space. It's Ward and a pick for money that could become Brad Richards and Anton Stralman. If they simply want to lower payroll then I agree, just keep Ward. But if it means paying a small price to significantly improve the team elsewhere, you do it and don't ask questions.

 

[rocky7]

well I have no idea what they are going to do and I know people are starting to feel antsy. I certainly don't feel optimistic but to be fair there's still lots of time. just have to wait. I don't have a lot faith based on the things said and hinted so far but who knows? they need cap space and the owners have to pay to play if they are ever going to be contenders in this league IMO. things may change in the next while......or not.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

if all it took were a 3rd or 4th to get rid of ward i'm sure it would have already been done by now

 

[rocky7]

Ward may be making it difficult with his contract clause.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Or Francis could have been sincere in his statement about giving the core players another shot next year and the need to trade Ward isn't as high as users on this board are making it out to be.

 

[rocky7]

yep that's very likely. in fact I don't really think there is a strong will to move Ward out. I find it hard to believe there's no way to move him if they wanted to.

 

[What the Faulk]

Or Francis could have been sincere in his statement about giving the core players another shot next year and the need to trade Ward isn't as high as users on this board are making it out to be.

And if that's the case, it should be blight number one on the new Francis regime.

 

[FlyingSquirrels]

Yeah man, I honestly have no idea how this Dobby/Ward tandem can work. They better be good buddies or this could be a distraction that BP doesn't need. I'm trying to recall if Khudobin made some comments about Ward "being done" last year, or something similar. Maybe I'm not right about that but regardless, this situation has to be solved.

And we can get Khudobin's backup on the cheap in FA. Thomas Greiss would be fantastic.

 

[My Special Purpose]

And if that's the case, it should be blight number one on the new Francis regime.

I agree. Cam handled *not* being the undisputed No. 1 very poorly last year. And nothing has changed with our depth chart. He's clearly still behind Dobby. Unless somebody got through to him this summer, I think we're inviting an Irbe/Weekes situation that will suck the life out of the locker room in no time flat. It's pretty clear that Cam was part of the problem last season, and when you add that to his contract, supposed leadership position on the team, and poor play, I really think he needs a fresh start elsewhere.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Or Francis could have been sincere in his statement about giving the core players another shot next year and the need to trade Ward isn't as high as users on this board are making it out to be.

And if that's the case, it should be blight number one on the new Francis regime.

I think it's just gm speak. He's not going to come out and say "Well, we tried to move Cam, but nobody wants him with that contract, he has a NTC, and our cheap ass owner won't allow a buyout"

Imo, he is trying to move Cam, but will not say he is desperate to do so.

What I don't want is him making a deal to hurt the future just to do it. If it's giving a late round pick or taking back a contact at a different position of need, then fine.

 

[Joe McGrath]

The only team that would take on Ward is Buffalo, and they probably want a high pick to do it. The idea that he has an value with his contract is ludicrous. The top FA goalie is going to get Cam's cap hit at best. And Cam has sucked out loud for 2 years now. If he's going to be a baby about not being #1, waive him. Show him that no one in the whole league wants him and see where his attitude is then.

 

[bluedevil58*]

As of right now Wards value is at an ALL-TIME low.

What if we decided to go with this tandem which appears to be the case. Ward regains form and his value increases and then he could be moved at the deadline in order to strengthen the team. Or if all is lost both could be mvoed and we could build for the future. Bottom line: I don't see us moving Ward.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

And if that's the case, it should be blight number one on the new Francis regime.

That's assuming that:

A. Ward plays as poorly as he did last year

and

B. Khudobin plays as well as he did last year.

If A is proven false, Francis will have the competent goaltender duo that JR was rarely able to achieve during his tenure. Francis would also be given credit for not succumbing to the "What have you done for me lately" mindset and keeping Ward around.

If B is proven false, whether or not we keep Ward is the least of our problems.

I think that's the biggest issue with the board right now. There's this assumption that Ward will simply suck again next year and that Anton will show no signs of poor play handling the starter's workload. If either one of those isn't true next year, it's worth keeping Ward around.

 

[What the Faulk]

I pointed out earlier in this thread that a best case scenario using career average save % shaves off about 27 goals. That's even assuming the defense allows fewer shots, which seems unlikely.

He's my favorite player, but if he can't coexist or raise his game, let alone merely rebound to his average, then Ward becomes a roadblock to success.

 

[Joe McGrath]

I pointed out earlier in this thread that a best case scenario using career average save % shaves off about 27 goals. That's even assuming the defense allows fewer shots, which seems unlikely.

He's my favorite player, but if he can't coexist or raise his game, let alone merely rebound to his average, then Ward becomes a roadblock to success.

Since when does using averages illustrate a best case scenario?

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

With all the discussions on goalies (which I agree need to be resolved, especially if Cam can't handle being 2nd fiddle) and the 3rd/4th line, this team will not go anywhere if Staal, Staal, Semin and Tlusty have similar production as last season.

WTF listed what it would take to shave off goals, but the flipside is that the Canes were 22nd in the league with goals scored with 205 which is anywhere from 10-20 below where they have been the last 5 years. I think a lot of that is due to the PP as well.

It's the problem with no depth. The Canes cannot really afford any key players having off years. If any of them do, it makes it extremely difficult to make the playoffs. Skinner, Staal, Staal, Semin, Tlusty, Faulk, Sekera, Lindholm and Goalies all really need to play well.