Free Agent Frenzy! Oct 9, 2020

[WildCard]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/31-thoughts-inside-tough-tense-early-days-nhl-free-agency/

31 Thoughts:

5. Boston and Calgary were among the others who badly wanted Anderson. If it had been the Flames, I think we’re talking about a pretty big deal.

6. If there are any “temporary bubbles,” hopefully Colorado and Vegas are lumped together. What an arms race, and we deserve this entertainment. What we know: Vegas signed Pietrangelo to the biggest contract of the 2020 free-agent extravaganza. What we’re hearing: the Golden Knights, aggressive from their owner on down, tried to do even more, considering Hall and Steven Stamkos.

We’ll get to Hall in a moment, but I do believe Stamkos was asked to consider waiving his no-move by Tampa Bay. There’s a wall of secrecy around it, and the captain is recovering from surgery. Obviously, his health is a huge factor. (Stamkos calmed the Lightning after their emotional overtime loss in Game 5 of the Stanley Final, re-assuring them, reminding them how well they played.)

9. Hall had a lot of teams saying, “Once we move this, we can pay you this,” even on a one-year deal. I think he was intrigued by Boston and Vegas, but neither could commit without moving money. (I’m not convinced Colorado even got that far.) With cash so tight, who knows how long it would have taken? Even then, many of the offers were around $3 million less than Buffalo’s offer. (It’s possible the Bruins were closer, willing to stretch for Hall, but that’s unconfirmed.)

It’s a lot to leave on the table, especially in a year where at least 28 per cent of your salary is to be withheld. Columbus had a longer-term offer, but I don’t know how high the number went. Hall wanted to know where he was playing. He didn’t want to sit and wait. The Sabres were in and committed, with a coach he likes and the best centre he’s ever played with. It’s bold. The NHL needs that.

 

[Ruff Around The Edges]

13 hours ago, dudacek said:

I don’t agree at all with this.

Matt Murray - a Stanley Cup winner - just went for the 52 pick in this draft. Lias Anderson - a more disappointing prospect than Casey selected one pick before him in 2017 - went for the 60th.

In this market, a 2nd round pick gets you a goalie, or a tarnished former top10 pick.

The big detail they left out was this:

Matt Murray - a Stanley Cup winner -Who will count 6.25M AAV against a hard salary cap,  just went for the 52 pick in this draft. Lias Anderson - a more disappointing prospect than Casey selected one pick before him in 2017 - went for the 60th, but costs virtually nothing against the salary cap

In this market, a 2nd round pick gets you a goalie, or a tarnished former top10 pick.

 

Bottom Line: the salary cap hit is dictating value almost as much as the actual player these days.

[Taro T]

5 minutes ago, Ruff Around The Edges said:

The big detail they left out was this:

Matt Murray - a Stanley Cup winner -Who will count 6.25M AAV against a hard salary cap,  just went for the 52 pick in this draft. Lias Anderson - a more disappointing prospect than Casey selected one pick before him in 2017 - went for the 60th, but costs virtually nothing against the salary cap

In this market, a 2nd round pick gets you a goalie, or a tarnished former top10 pick.

Bottom Line: the salary cap hit is dictating value almost as much as the actual player these days.

Well, that's always been the case (were Okposo making $2-3MM he'd be very tradable, but the Sabres would have little interest in trading him at that price), but now that total cap value of salaries is tight against total cap, the effect is magnified.

[WildCard]

 

[thewookie1]

42 minutes ago, WildCard said:

 

Solid goalie but they will have 16mil in goalies which can't possibly good for their roster as their ELCs finish.

[WildCard]

Just now, thewookie1 said:

Solid goalie but they will have 16mil in goalies which can't possibly good for their roster as their ELCs finish.

I think the plan is to let Seattle have one of them.

[thewookie1]

5 minutes ago, WildCard said:

I think the plan is to let Seattle have one of them.

 

Well they would likely need to also pay them to take 1. 

 

Nevermind, he signed for under 3mil per year.

Edited October 14, 2020 by thewookie1

[steveoath]

Don't know where to put this. But a detailed look at the free agent market, noting cap space of most teams.

 

[PerreaultForever]

On 10/13/2020 at 9:58 AM, LabattBlue said:

I'd give Mitts massive minutes in the upcoming AHL season(assuming there is one), he puts up 70-80 points, and in the off-season hope someone makes a decent offer for him, and doesn't realize he is fools gold. 👍

I'd like to swap Mitts out for someone with grit. We are still pretty lacking in the toughness department. 

[Brawndo]

This is interesting 

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, Brawndo said:

This is interesting 

It is, but not surprising (for this 1 season).  Would leave 3 US based 8 team divisions.

Sabres - Aisles - Rags - Devils - Detroit based on where Cuomo is currently not restricting travel.  Would likely also get the Pens - Phlyers - & Bruins.

Leaving Caps - BJ's - Bolts - Canes - Ice Cats - Nashville - Chicago - & either St. Louis or Minny.

St. Louis/Minny - Avs - Snarks - Kings - Ducks - Stars - Yotes - Vegas

Getting Rags, Devils, & Detroit leaves them needing to beat out 1 team for a playoff spot.

[Eleven]

17 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Sabres - Aisles - Rags - Devils - Detroit based on where Cuomo is currently not restricting travel.  Would likely also get the Pens - Phlyers - & Bruins.

We've been acting in partnership with Massachusetts and Pennsylvania (and NJ) since nearly the beginning of this.  Those teams shouldn't be a problem.  Michigan might be, though, now.

[Taro T]

35 minutes ago, Eleven said:

We've been acting in partnership with Massachusetts and Pennsylvania (and NJ) since nearly the beginning of this.  Those teams shouldn't be a problem.  Michigan might be, though, now.

Hope not.  Would rather have the Dead Things than the BJ's in division.

[thewookie1]

I hate any plan that give Toronto an easy path to the playoffs. Especially beyond the 1st round.

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I hate any plan that give Toronto an easy path to the playoffs. Especially beyond the 1st round.

Pretty sure those divisions ease Buffalo's road to the playoffs more than TO's.  Yes, TO avoids the B's, but the only truly bad team in Canada is the Otters & they've added quite a bit this off-season.

Buffalo loses TB (just like TO does) and keeps Detroit plus adds the Rags & Devils.  Plus the Pens did just lose to Moe-ray-all in a 5 game series.

[IKnowPhysics]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

This is interesting 

That would ***** the Canadian teams pretty good and benefit the US TV deal.

The NHL is loosely grouped by time zone so that fan attendance at 7pm games corresponds to prime time television for both home and away fans.  Going to an all-Canada division would brutalize the Canadian TV ratings.  But maybe the NHL has already done the market research and has determined that grouping the Canadian teams together as outcasts on SportsNet/TSN will maximize the profits of a US television deal.

 

edit: Rereading this as COVID-related, which would be necessitated by closed borders.  Still max weirdness.

Edited October 14, 2020 by IKnowPhysics

[PerreaultForever]

It makes sense with the border closure and it gives them the opportunity for a nice experiment. A lot of Canadians like the idea of a Canadian division (and vice versa for the American tv deal). I can see this working, even if it does make losing the Buffalo Toronto thing kind of weird. 

[pastajoe]

The current plan for 2021-22 is for Seattle to join the Pacific with Arizona moving to the Central.

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, IKnowPhysics said:

That would ***** the Canadian teams pretty good and benefit the US TV deal.

The NHL is loosely grouped by time zone so that fan attendance at 7pm games corresponds to prime time television for both home and away fans.  Going to an all-Canada division would brutalize the Canadian TV ratings.  But maybe the NHL has already done the market research and has determined that grouping the Canadian teams together as outcasts on SportsNet/TSN will maximize the profits of a US television deal.

edit: Rereading this as COVID-related, which would be necessitated by closed borders.  Still max weirdness.

Ding ding ding to the bolded.

[MattPie]

7 hours ago, Brawndo said:

This is interesting 

That is, I had been wondering where Brian Blessing ended up. Thanks!

[WildCard]

Fridge thinks the deal is hilarious

 

[Eleven]

11 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Fridge thinks the deal is hilarious

 

So do I.

[Brawndo]

1 minute ago, WildCard said:

Fridge thinks the deal is hilarious

 

I believe thats related to the fact he was told negotiations were off earlier in the day by The Montreal GM 

[JohnC]

10 hours ago, MattPie said:

That is, I had been wondering where Brian Blessing ended up. Thanks!

Another sports broadcaster who worked in Buffalo and who has made the rounds is Jim Brinson. He used to work with Howard Simon as a co-host on Empire Sports. He has worked in markets all over the country. 

https://www.1700thechamp.com/2015/06/12/the-jimmy-b-and-tc-show/

[Ducky]

The new divisions will only be for a year (probably).

It is what it is. I think the Jets make the playoffs easier in a Canadian division than the Central.

I don't think Gallagher's deal is as crazy as Anderson's to be honest. He was on a 60 point pace this year and will get you about 30 goals a season. After Gallagher got his deal, Callagher wasn't going to settle for less. Bergy might have saved some coin by signing Gallagher first but I don't think he is the best GM in the league to begin with. Price is an outstanding goalie but 10.5m per season?