Cal Peterson turning pro

[pi2000]

The reputation of the City of Buffalo has improved quite a bit lately, including to people from outside the area.  It's generally regarded as the latest Rust Belt Renaissance city.  It's not New York City, but then again, not everyone wants that.

 

As for the Sabres, they're coming out of a historically bad period of hockey with a decent stock of talented players.  A young player could be discouraged by that because the Sabres aren't good (yet)/don't have a history of winning, or he may see an opportunity to jump into the middle of the depth chart with an excellent chance to get to the NHL quickly, perhaps even as a starter, or how may see the challenge of joining a program intent on building for the future.

 

So you can convince yourself that this is exactly where he wants to be, or exactly where he doesn't want to be, but only he knows.  Even if he intends to sign with the Sabres, it would be smart on his part to wait and see who the coach turns out to be and how the dust settles after the expansion draft to see what the organization looks like and how he fits into the depth chart.

 

I miss the days when prospects were just that.... prospects.   When guys had to earn their shot at the show.... be realistic about their abilities and develop at the AHL level rather than perusing NHL rosters to find where they might have the best chance to immediately play in the NHL.     BUF took a chance on the kid by drafting him, and developing him at dev camps, giving him nutrition, strength and conditioning guidance throughout his college career.   And he returns the favor by choosing to become a FA.... what a douche.   I blame agents for putting that thought in their head that they're ready for the NHL.

[French Collection]

I miss the days when prospects were just that.... prospects.   When guys had to earn their shot at the show.... be realistic about their abilities and develop at the AHL level rather than perusing NHL rosters to find where they might have the best chance to immediately play in the NHL.     BUF took a chance on the kid by drafting him, and developing him at dev camps, giving him nutrition, strength and conditioning guidance throughout his college career.   And he returns the favor by choosing to become a FA.... what a douche.   I blame agents for putting that thought in their head that they're ready for the NHL.

Everyone realizes it's a business, but it seems any sense of loyalty has gone out the window.

[shrader]

You're 30 days away from being able to shop around a bit and really figure out what you think would be the best fit.  Maybe that best fit does wind up being the team that drafted you*, but there's only one way to find out.  You'd be crazy not to take advantage of that.

 

 

*I'm not holding my breath on that one.

[GoPre]

You're 30 days away from being able to shop around a bit and really figure out what you think would be the best fit.  Maybe that best fit does wind up being the team that drafted you*, but there's only one way to find out.  You'd be crazy not to take advantage of that.

 

 

*I'm not holding my breath on that one.

 

Nailed it    :thumbsup:

[jsb]

Because Jack told him Buffalo is awesome but he needs to do what he thinks is best?

 

Why would an educated player not sign for Buffalo? Is Okposo uneducated? Did we overpay for him? This argument doesn't hold water at all.

 

Well that didn't work with J.Vesey and apparently not with Cal P.

 

Let's see, you have a degree and you have your choice of your dream team, NY, Chicago, LA, Boston or Buffalo??? Who wins everything being equal. As for Okposo, they signed Ladd for approximately 2M less per year. Buffalo overpaid and I like Kyle and hope he's ok.

[darksabre]

You're 30 days away from being able to shop around a bit and really figure out what you think would be the best fit. Maybe that best fit does wind up being the team that drafted you*, but there's only one way to find out. You'd be crazy not to take advantage of that.

 

 

*I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Yuuuup.

[PotentPowerPlay22]

Hopefully Jack is a better salesman than he was with Vesey

http://buffalonews.com/2017/05/31/eichel-boosts-buffalo-petersen-estephan-sabres-clock/

I am afraid this will end exactly like Vesey. Petersen holds all the cards. Why wouldn't he give himself the choice of signing with any team rather than just one team?

[TrueBlueGED]

Well that didn't work with J.Vesey and apparently not with Cal P.

 

Let's see, you have a degree and you have your choice of your dream team, NY, Chicago, LA, Boston or Buffalo??? Who wins everything being equal. As for Okposo, they signed Ladd for approximately 2M less per year. Buffalo overpaid and I like Kyle and hope he's ok.

"Approximately $2M" = "exactly $500k"

 

The ultimate in Hammy math :p

 

https://capfriendly.com/players/andrew-ladd

 

https://capfriendly.com/players/kyle-okposo

 

I'm not a fan of Okposo for 7 years, but there is nothing about his cap hit that's an overpay right now.

[Thorner]

It probably serves a team better to take that late round stab at a college guy over a CHL guy.  You control the player for 4 years, giving you more time to figure out whether or not they're worth anything.  Compare that to having to make your mind up after two years when the player is still a teenager, very early in their development curve.  I think that was a big part of Murray's approach to the draft.  There was a good number of USHL/NCAA and europeans taken with the later picks.

I'd be ok with the strategy if they simply implemented the same rule that exists for CHL players: that if they go unsigned they have to re-enter the draft. I get why a GM may lean towards a College guy with a later round pick, owing to the 4 years thing you outlined, but it seems a little risky because if you DO end up hitting on a guy, they can just go to FA if they are a later bloomer.

[Mustache of God]

I am afraid this will end exactly like Vesey. Petersen holds all the cards. Why wouldn't he give himself the choice of signing with any team rather than just one team?

 

If this ends up exactly like the Vesey situation then Peterson can right off and we'll enjoy our 16th seed playoff run to the finals.

[Thorner]

I don't think anyone (or most) are blaming Petersen for this, though some undoubtedly will. But he's just taking advantage of the system in place. The problem is the system. It's faulty and needs to be fixed.

Edited June 1, 2017 by Thorny

[LGR4GM]

Well that didn't work with J.Vesey and apparently not with Cal P.

 

Let's see, you have a degree and you have your choice of your dream team, NY, Chicago, LA, Boston or Buffalo??? Who wins everything being equal. As for Okposo, they signed Ladd for approximately 2M less per year. Buffalo overpaid and I like Kyle and hope he's ok.

Are you arguing Ladd was equivalent to Okposo last season?

[Eleven]

I don't think anyone (or most) are blaming Peterson for this, though some undoubtedly will. But he's just taking advantage of the system in place. The problem is the system. It's faulty and needs to be fixed.

 

Exactly.  I think it's there to provide an incentive for Americans to go through the NCAA rather than play junior in the CHL, but it's become too much of a problem.  Seriously, what if Eichel had gone this route?!

[TrueBlueGED]

I can't take it anymore: it's Petersen. E N! If we're going to bitch about how much losing him would suck, or pencil him in as our Cup winning goalie, or cast aspersions on his character, we could at least spell his name right :p

[Thorner]

Exactly.  I think it's there to provide an incentive for Americans to go through the NCAA rather than play junior in the CHL, but it's become too much of a problem.  Seriously, what if Eichel had gone this route?!

It would be awfully risky for a player of his caliber to wait it out that long, but one day it'll happen. I fear there won't be a considered rule change until that happens.

 

I can't take it anymore: it's Petersen. E N! If we're going to bitch about how much losing him would suck, or pencil him in as our Cup winning goalie, or cast aspersions on his character, we could at least spell his name right :p

Oops, my bad.

[nfreeman]

"Approximately $2M" = "exactly $500k"

 

The ultimate in Hammy math :P

 

https://capfriendly.com/players/andrew-ladd

 

https://capfriendly.com/players/kyle-okposo

 

 

THAT just happened.

 

 

I don't think anyone (or most) are blaming Peterson for this, though some undoubtedly will. But he's just taking advantage of the system in place. The problem is the system. It's faulty and needs to be fixed.

 

Completely agree.

 

 

I can't take it anymore: it's Petersen. E N! If we're going to bitch about how much losing him would suck, or pencil him in as our Cup winning goalie, or cast aspersions on his character, we could at least spell his name right :P

 

You're playing a dangerous game here, my friend.

[shrader]

I'd be ok with the strategy if they simply implemented the same rule that exists for CHL players: that if they go unsigned they have to re-enter the draft. I get why a GM may lean towards a College guy with a later round pick, owing to the 4 years thing you outlined, but it seems a little risky because if you DO end up hitting on a guy, they can just go to FA if they are a later bloomer.

 

Every single person on the face of the earth is no longer eligible for the NHL draft once they reach the age of 21.  What you're suggesting is a punishment to college players, forcing them to go back into the draft while other people their age are free agents.  Yes, CHL players do have to re-enter the draft after 2 years.  But if they remain unsigned after the four years, they are in the same exact boat as the college player, an unrestricted free agent.  If anything, the college kid already has his options limited and now you are suggesting further limiting those.  It will never fly and is completely unfair to the player.

 

What we are complaining about here is such a rarity.  Sure we've seen more guys go this route recently (a collectively bargained route, by the way), but for every one of them, there are probably at least 15 college guys who do sign with the team who drafted them.  Obviously I'm pulling that number out of my ass, but I hope the point is clear, so many more go the more traditional route.

It would be awfully risky for a player of his caliber to wait it out that long, but one day it'll happen. I fear there won't be a considered rule change until that happens.

 

 

Oops, my bad.

 

If a player of Eichel's status wants to go that route and throw away at least $15 million in salary and countless other dollars made from endorsements, more power to him.

[Thorner]

Every single person on the face of the earth is no longer eligible for the NHL draft once they reach the age of 21.  What you're suggesting is a punishment to college players, forcing them to go back into the draft while other people their age are free agents.  Yes, CHL players do have to re-enter the draft after 2 years.  But if they remain unsigned after the four years, they are in the same exact boat as the college player, an unrestricted free agent.  If anything, the college kid already has his options limited and now you are suggesting further limiting those.  It will never fly and is completely unfair to the player.

 

What we are complaining about here is such a rarity.  Sure we've seen more guys go this route recently (a collectively bargained route, by the way), but for every one of them, there are probably at least 15 college guys who do sign with the team who drafted them.  Obviously I'm pulling that number out of my ass, but I hope the point is clear, so many more go the more traditional route.

 

If a player of Eichel's status wants to go that route and throw away at least $15 million in salary and countless other dollars made from endorsements, more power to him.

Food for thought.

[LGR4GM]

As for Okposo, they signed Ladd for approximately 2M less per year. Buffalo overpaid and I like Kyle and hope he's ok.

Never mind I will do it for you.

 

Ladd: 23g, 8a in 78games. 0.397ppg

 

Okposo: 19g, 26a, 65 games. 0.692ppg

 

Yea, I will take Okposo's extra 500k over that dip in production. Buffalo did not overpay, but the Islanders most assuredly did. Try again. 

[dudacek]

It probably serves a team better to take that late round stab at a college guy over a CHL guy. You control the player for 4 years, giving you more time to figure out whether or not they're worth anything. Compare that to having to make your mind up after two years when the player is still a teenager, very early in their development curve. I think that was a big part of Murray's approach to the draft. There was a good number of USHL/NCAA and europeans taken with the later picks.

I think the braintrust was also very conscious of the ridiculous number of draft picks we had - really too many to accommodate in the organization - and saw Europe and College as a way to spread the prospects out a bit. (And trading packages away, but that's another debate.)

Edited June 1, 2017 by dudacek

[dudacek]

Is the ridiculous meme of "nobody ever wants to come to Buffalo" still alive?

 

We may have overpaid for Moulson and Gionta, but they came here because of the community and the organization.

Gorges waived his no-trade clause. O'Reilly signed instead of going to free agency. Okposo was the biggest free agent in his class.

 

CJ Smith, Casey Nelson, Evan Rodrigues, Viktor Antipin... these guys had other options, they came here.

 

If you honestly compare our track record to the rest of the league in the past few years, we are at least competitive.

[Radar]

Is the ridiculous meme of "nobody ever wants to come to Buffalo" still alive?

We may have overpaid for Moulson and Gionta, but they came here because of the community and the organization.

Gorges waived his no-trade clause. O'Reilly signed instead of going to free agency. Okposo was the biggest free agent in his class.

CJ Smith, Casey Nelson, Evan Rodrigues, Viktor Antipin... these guys had other options, they came here.

If you honestly compare our track record to the rest of the league in the past few years, we are at least competitive.

It's just Buffalo paranoia. The refs are against us, the league is against us, nobody likes us I'm going to eat some worms!

[GoPre]

How many pages did the Vesey thread have?  Might want to get an over/under going.  

[jsb]

Never mind I will do it for you.

 

Ladd: 23g, 8a in 78games. 0.397ppg

 

Okposo: 19g, 26a, 65 games. 0.692ppg

 

Yea, I will take Okposo's extra 500k over that dip in production. Buffalo did not overpay, but the Islanders most assuredly did. Try again. 

My point being that Okposo signed for who offered him the most cash, it wasn't the allure of downtown Buffalo. Bad analogy on Ladd, that's a horrible contract but I made the mistake of bad remembering, I thought he got 4M annually. 

Agree totally that the system is bad to allow this. You should play for who drafted you but what else do you expect from the NHL. 

[LGR4GM]

My point being that Okposo signed for who offered him the most cash, it wasn't the allure of downtown Buffalo. Bad analogy on Ladd, that's a horrible contract but I made the mistake of bad remembering, I thought he got 4M annually. 

Agree totally that the system is bad to allow this. You should play for who drafted you but what else do you expect from the NHL. 

How do we know we offered Okposo the most money?