shrader

The real beauty of this situation they've bumbled themselves into is that Carolina is left with two options: 1. They let Aho walk and get very little compensation, or 2. They match the deal and enter the season with James Reimer as their starting goalie That initial boost in attendance they'll have for the home opener is going to die off very quickly.

And on that note, the RFA compensation is there pretty much to protect those small markets. As you're suggesting, with it being so rare, that process seems to be working.

I'd imagine that people paid a bit more attention to Peca though, groaning about that deal. That's completely understandable when you're talking about sending Mogilny out of town. There's not all that much concern when Chris Gratton is sent packing.

We've talked a bit in here about trading him after a year, but that option is probably out the window at this point. If they match, the contract is fairly cheap in terms of actual dollars beyond this first year. Fairly cheap fits the Dundon model perfectly.

I don't know if it changed since last week, since I was out on vacation, but the story at that point was that Waddell didn't actually have a contract for next season yet. Nothing official anyway.

In other words, Dundon will issue an order and Waddell will follow, never uttering a single word, other than maybe "ok".

I wonder if Montreal is in a spot like Edmonton back in the Vanek days where they're going to bounce from RFA to RFA if Carolina decides to match.

Not cash poor, just plain cheap. The rest of the guys on that team probably aren't even making the combined $21 million that Aho will get over the next year. If anyone could pass on this contract, it's Dundon.

People are going to want to spin that as talking to the other team's guys, but it must have been in relation to our own. Do we know the question there?

This doesn't get announced unless he has already agreed.

Well they are in the news right now.

There's plenty more to come from that organization when the owner refuses to pay the going rate for just about anything.

I'd need to take a look at the body count. With enough of these kind of signings, I'd expect to see some of the guys currently slotted in at Rochester moved as a part of a package deal.

They picked up Skinner in August last year. Was that dumpster diving?

Ha, you think they even bother to ask the player before making the comment?

It's always interesting to see the career paths of these goalies who come out of nowhere and explode out of the gate.

That's a good twitter name right there.

I need to see the full picture before I crap all over anything. We've seen absolutely nothing so far. That depth piece may look so much better if they can find that 2C.

So if by some chance he does sign a sheet somewhere and Carolina actually matches, you can expect them to trade him after a year or two.

I can't imagine that the Deslauriers contract was getting in the way of anything. As crazy as it sounds, the Ducks must have actually wanted him.

I'm pretty sure they put language into the new CBA that specifically mentions that. I'm sure we can look up a pre-CBA contract that has already cause a recapture hit. Luongo's must have been from that time frame, right?

Speaking of "that guy's still playing?", what is he, about 75 years old at this point?

As far as I remember (too lazy to look anything up), Penner was the last one to actually change teams after signing an offer sheet. We're talking, what, 13 years at this point? As for teams not using them, you do have to wonder if it's worth the time spent on a negotiation knowing that you more than likely won't be getting that player. Sure you can mess with someone else's cap, but that's time wasted that could be spent talking to another free agent instead. What if you're also missing out on that other guy as well?

Local news has Reimer traded to Carolina for Darling. There was another piece going somewhere, but I wasn’t listening too closely. I think it’s hilarious if that’s their plan out here.

I always wonder, but since you’re not giving up the month, I can’t imagine the info is too useful.