nfreeman Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 The question is, why did it take you guys and Lindy so long to finally come over to the dark side. Connolly has PROVEN he can't stay healthy. Management dropped th ball big time counting on him this year. I was beating this drum for a while in the offseason too, but here's the rub: I think keeping him on the team was the least bad option. Bottom line is that with their budget, they weren't going to just take a loss on his $3.5MM salary this year and spend an equivalent amount on a new player. Given that, their only choices were to trade him, buy him out or keep him. I don't think anyone was going to take the Skill off their hands in trade. We saw quite a few teams that needed, for cap reasons, to dump real NHL players with big contracts and were unable to do so. I really don't think anyone was going to take a $2.9MM cap hit ($3.5MM cash hit) as a flyer on a guy who manifestly cannot stay healthy. The other option was to buy him out, which would've cost them $2.35MM in cash, plus a $1.2MM cap hit this year and next year. Tom Webster has offered this up as an alternative, and it's a reasonable one. In theory they "save" $1.2MM in cash, which they could put towards another player, especially if they can trade Max. However, it seems like they tried and were unable to trade Max in the offseason. So, that left them with the the $1.2MM, which isn't enough to get them a player good enough to be "counted on" to be better than the Skill. Or, they could do what they did: hang onto him and hope they could get enough healthy playing time out of him for him to either (i) make a difference for them on the ice or (ii) make him attractive to someone else in trade. Pretty unsatisfying, but that's how it goes sometimes. The Sharks had to unload Rivet, Anaheim had to unload Schneider, etc.
inkman Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Or, they could do what they did: hang onto him and hope they could get enough healthy playing time out of him I have no objections to that policy but another player needed to be brought in to fill the void EVERYONE knew was going to occur. Maybe they just figured one of the Rochester kids would be good enough to fill that top 6 forward spot. I'll just be glad when The Skill era is over.
tom webster Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Posted October 30, 2008 I was beating this drum for a while in the offseason too, but here's the rub: I think keeping him on the team was the least bad option. Bottom line is that with their budget, they weren't going to just take a loss on his $3.5MM salary this year and spend an equivalent amount on a new player. Given that, their only choices were to trade him, buy him out or keep him. I don't think anyone was going to take the Skill off their hands in trade. We saw quite a few teams that needed, for cap reasons, to dump real NHL players with big contracts and were unable to do so. I really don't think anyone was going to take a $2.9MM cap hit ($3.5MM cash hit) as a flyer on a guy who manifestly cannot stay healthy. The other option was to buy him out, which would've cost them $2.35MM in cash, plus a $1.2MM cap hit this year and next year. Tom Webster has offered this up as an alternative, and it's a reasonable one. In theory they "save" $1.2MM in cash, which they could put towards another player, especially if they can trade Max. However, it seems like they tried and were unable to trade Max in the offseason. So, that left them with the the $1.2MM, which isn't enough to get them a player good enough to be "counted on" to be better than the Skill. Or, they could do what they did: hang onto him and hope they could get enough healthy playing time out of him for him to either (i) make a difference for them on the ice or (ii) make him attractive to someone else in trade. Pretty unsatisfying, but that's how it goes sometimes. The Sharks had to unload Rivet, Anaheim had to unload Schneider, etc. My preferred option would have been to buy Tim out and trade Max for anything. I can't prove this, but it is my belief that they could have traded Max, just not for what they believed to be fair value. They then would have had $4.7 million to add something of value. The cap hit is of little meaning as they aren't near it this year and should be well below it next year.
That Aud Smell Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Whence the sobriquet "The Skill"? The shoe (skate) fits.
nfreeman Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 My preferred option would have been to buy Tim out and trade Max for anything. I can't prove this, but it is my belief that they could have traded Max, just not for what they believed to be fair value. They then would have had $4.7 million to add something of value. The cap hit is of little meaning as they aren't near it this year and should be well below it next year. Quite possible. Darcy has made a few statements to the effect that they weren't just going to give Max away. Perhaps they could have unloaded him for a 4th-round pick and used the $4.7MM to get a pretty good player. It will be interesting to keep this in mind as the season goes on -- ie what kind of year Max (and the Skill) have, as compared to the kind of year they would've gotten from a $4.7MM player who would likely have been available (like, say, Huselius, who makes $4.75MM, or Arnott, Guerin, or Jason Blake, each of whom makes $4.5MM).
jimiVbaby Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Am I the only one that believes The Skill will be here next season?
inkman Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Am I the only one that believes The Skill will be here next season? Them's fightin' words!
nobody Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Now, one could argue that the Lightning don't have a true enforcer, but they do have some big boys that are willing to drop the gloves. Not too many based on the stats so far this year: Top 4: Ryan Malone 24 min in 8 games Paul Ranger 18 min in 5 games Andrej Meszaros 10 min in 8 games Vaclav Prospal 8 min in 8 games Play Ellis but tell him he has to get into a fight.
jimiVbaby Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Them's fightin' words! I didn't say I wanted The Skill back, just that I believe he will be... :thumbsup:
inkman Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Play Ellis but tell him he has to get into a fight. I'll say it. I want Peters over Ellis. Ellis does nothing for me. Not much offense, not much hitting, not much of anything. His short choppy little skating strides makes him look like he's working hard. At least Peters can occosionally hit someone (this year he seems to have been a little better at it) and opponents have to respect that fact that he might actually punch them in the face if they get out of line.
darksabre Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 I have a feeling Peters will score a goal this season before Timmy does. Hey! I called that already! The real question here is, does Peters score a goal before Connolly does?
nobody Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 I see a line of Gaustad, Kaleta & Ellis actually chipping in a few goals but still being tough. I don't see that happening when Peters is on the line.
nucci Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Quite possible. Darcy has made a few statements to the effect that they weren't just going to give Max away. Perhaps they could have unloaded him for a 4th-round pick and used the $4.7MM to get a pretty good player. It will be interesting to keep this in mind as the season goes on -- ie what kind of year Max (and the Skill) have, as compared to the kind of year they would've gotten from a $4.7MM player who would likely have been available (like, say, Huselius, who makes $4.75MM, or Arnott, Guerin, or Jason Blake, each of whom makes $4.5MM). Not sure about Huselius, but Arnott, Guerin , and Blake are not playing well this year. Blake was just benched by the Leafs.
shrader Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Huselius and Tallinder on the same team? That would have been interesting. Hey, Wings fans are always trying to get rid of Lilja. They should have went after him too.
carpandean Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Huselius and Tallinder on the same team? That would have been interesting. Hey, Wings fans are always trying to get rid of Lilja. They should have went after him too. Foster that team ... nay, I say "gang" ... spirit.
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