Operation "Make the best of a crappy situation and do the best without taking any major risks, financial burdens or moving any major futures"!
(Hypothetical situation)
These are specific objectives given from management for 19-20 season:
Objective 1) Make team better without signing any big long term high cost contracts in free agency. (No Duchene, Panarin, Dzingel, etc) Only guys who will cost less than 4M and willing to sign to max 2 years term. Spend up to the cap ceiling but do so without locking yourself into long term contracts. The goal is to try and compete as much as possible while bad contracts die off and prospects mature. Not to go all in just yet. Try to keep McDavid as happy as possible without doing anything stupid.
Objective 2) Let all prospects continue to mature in Bakersfield another year. (Aside from Puljujarvi - Benson, Bouchard, Yamamoto, etc. all play another year in AHL - they need to mature and make sure they are 100% ready for EDM when they arrive so that they can step right in, not be learning from a losing environment).
Objective 3) Trade away no key prospects or 1st round picks under any circumstances. Any future 2nd round and later are fair game though. Your hands are tied with the future of this team, your goal is to get as good as possible right now without any guarantees you will still be here in a 2 years time. (While they wait for the right GM and coach to come along)
Trades:
MTL trade: Cap swap trade only. EDM gets winger that may actually play for them and MTL gets LHD who may actually play for them. This is just a hope for the best type trade. Little risk, little reward. Maybe Manning gets to play 40 games with MTL/adds depth and maybe Weise plays 4th line minutes in EDM. If not, no harm done, both players suck and cannot be traded for picks alone so take what you can get.
WSH trade: Pay a steep price but a worthy calculated risk. Bura won't get top ice time in Wash going forward but given his chemistry with McDavid, he may be able to put up decent point totals here in EDM. Wash gets the best offer anyone will give for him considering his play and get no cap coming back. Wash will want the extra cap space to sign some others guys and maybe make some moves and two 2nd rounders is a nice return considering Bura is looking like he'll never breakthrough their lineup. At least he gets sent to the Western conference where if he plays well it won't come back to haunt WSH as much and if he sucks, the cost was high but not 1st round pick high.
TOR trade: Same with the above, TOR needs to create some cap space. This gives them decent value while giving them no cap back. Unless they take cap back, this is the best they could hope for IMO. Toronto is not int he drivers seat if they want to be able to resign Marner and etc so the best option is get as much for Brown without having to get cap back. Brown could spark some chemistry next to McDavid and Bura giving Draisaitl the ice time next to Nuge instead and hopefully getting that 2nd line going so that EDM has two lines that can score. If not Draisaitl comes back with McD and both guys play more sheltered minutes with Nuge and Gagner. Both are decent defensively so this should shore up the wing regardless of where they play.
DAL trade: This is just a random trade I've seen some people float around here so this doesn't have to be Dallas. Russell is still a semi desired dman around the old boys club NHL. There are teams that would take him for a not too expensive price. Just finding out who is hard to know. I simply chose Dallas but it really could be anyone with an old boys club type GM. The value back could be anywhere from a pick to a B prospect. I personally think Honka is getting close to bust territory so this a low risk reward trade. Mainly to get some cap space.
UFA signings:
Vanek - Only here for his PP ability and in case Puljujarvi continues to regress and can;t take the next step into the top 6 essentially. Vanek is the kind of guy that if he can be carried a little (because of his age mainly) by McDavid, he still has the enough high hockey sense to finish off plays from McDavid. He is a 36 year old Draisaitl IMO. That's all McDavid needs right now. Just needs players to finish off his elite plays and Vanek would be a cheap cheap option that would rack up plenty of points on the PP. Plays less than 13-14 mins a game due to his age with most of that being PP time so he should not be a liability. This would be a good chance for him to keep his career going and put up nice points to hopefully garner another contract next year. There's little risk here but potential for a nice reward. Hopefully if all else fails, you can move him at the TDL for a late pick.
Hagelin - Solid PK'er who plays the game smart and has great experience. He more than likely wouldn't sign in EDM under normal circumstances IMO but if you give him a short term but high dollar contract I think he takes it as most other teams should only be giving him anywhere between 1.5-2.5 MAX in free agency. EDM needs to over spend here but its worth it to help that PK and since its a short term contract, its not crippling them in the future in the slightest. He is quality depth at this point. They over spend but its the good kind of over spend, the kind that rarely ever bites you in the arse.
McElhenney - This may be wishful thinking as I think there will be a few teams interested in him but hopefully EDM can catch a break here and get him for a reasonable contract to backup and potentially play starter minutes if he earns it. He's too old for a long term contract and at his age anyone giving him a 4M+ contract is silly. I think 2x2 is fair but given that my AGM is already pushing the cap ceiling, its prolly a little more than I technically can afford. I'm ok signing a lesser goalie if needed to keep that cap space at approx 1M.
WHY NO Chiasson - I personally think there will be someone willing to give him at least 2.5M for at least 3 years. IMO I would rather not lock myself into a long term contract for him. If he is willing to sign for something like 2x2 or less with EDM, than I'd take him over Vanek but since Vanek is a 2Mx1 and Chiasson should get a nice raise, I think this is a better option.
Notes:
- LTIR is just my Top 5 prospects in system for reference IMHO but i don't know the lesser known guys that well so i could be off.
- Also I didn't sign every single RFA and AHL guy, I don't know everyone that well so I just left it and signed the guys I knew.
- This is a PESSIMISTIC outlook for an AGM on purpose. Obviously if EDM is able to get rid of Lucic for a low cost and they are able to sign Panarin and Bobrovsky and Duchene, than by all means that is the better option but I chose to be IMO "realistic" and given the current climate that EDM is in right now, I think this is more realistic than the latter. I personally don't think any high end UFA's will come until they make the playoffs again and until they figure out the GM and coach situation.
Are you interested in any of Tatar or Shaw , Lekhonen or Armia at this price of Burakowski ? I like those players we have just too many wingers some are expandable .
Couple things, I think the objectives you have are great and probably the same thing management is thinking about.
1) I think Chiasson stays for under 2M because said he knows his value and he enjoys success. In an interview somewhere, he stated that he likes the success he's had here and that he knows he won't break the bank. I think he's looking for stability at this stage of his career. Also, Vanek has had multiple chances of signing in EDM, always signed 1 year deals somewhere else.
2) Brown alone probably comes in for just a 3rd rounder. I say this because they are super tight and it'll take more than him for Toronto to sign Johnsson, Kapanen, and Marner.
3) Hagelin basically gets the same contract he's had even though he's played worst. He's a good target but I think he settles for a 3M x 2 years or somewhere in that neighbourhood. This looks like a double down on the Rieder deal and they are similar players. Top 9 forwards who are fast and kill penalties.
Overall good team, just need to fix the AAVs a little. Also that 3rd line could be a real liability should Gagner fail to play C adequately. He's been on and off since he got back and he's played better on the wing.
Really like it and agree with a lot of what you said. One issue - Chiasson will be back but swap him and Vanek, not crazy about Burakovsky but would be a nice addition. I would love for Hagelin as well but cannot see him signing here. Elliot maybe instead of Mckelhinney as a more likely option? love the Dallas idea would really like Honka. Overall I would celebrate if this happened because this team would actually take a step forward.
Couple things, I think the objectives you have are great and probably the same thing management is thinking about.
1) I think Chiasson stays for under 2M because said he knows his value and he enjoys success. In an interview somewhere, he stated that he likes the success he's had here and that he knows he won't break the bank. I think he's looking for stability at this stage of his career. Also, Vanek has had multiple chances of signing in EDM, always signed 1 year deals somewhere else.
2) Brown alone probably comes in for just a 3rd rounder. I say this because they are super tight and it'll take more than him for Toronto to sign Johnsson, Kapanen, and Marner.
3) Hagelin basically gets the same contract he's had even though he's played worst. He's a good target but I think he settles for a 3M x 2 years or somewhere in that neighbourhood. This looks like a double down on the Rieder deal and they are similar players. Top 9 forwards who are fast and kill penalties.
Overall good team, just need to fix the AAVs a little. Also that 3rd line could be a real liability should Gagner fail to play C adequately. He's been on and off since he got back and he's played better on the wing.
Yup, if Chiasson wants to stay by all means take him over Vanek. I assumed in my AGM that he wants to get the best deal now at his peak age and performance which is what guys his age are usually looking at. I think with the amount of teams who may be interested in Brown, two 3rds isn't that big of a leap. I threw Currie in there but I don't think its even necessary. Either way, if its one 3rd rounder, amazing. If not two isn't going to break the bank either. Could easily recoup some of that value if he is traded in his UFA year at the TDL so not a big deal IMO. The Hagelin over payment is to entice him here over anywhere warmer essentially. LOL When you really think about it, we're talking 1-1.5M over two years. This isn't a big deal but it could bring some much needed stability to the lineup and if it gets you the right player, just do it. If he comes cheaper, than by all means that's even better!
Couple things, I think the objectives you have are great and probably the same thing management is thinking about.
1) I think Chiasson stays for under 2M because said he knows his value and he enjoys success. In an interview somewhere, he stated that he likes the success he's had here and that he knows he won't break the bank. I think he's looking for stability at this stage of his career. Also, Vanek has had multiple chances of signing in EDM, always signed 1 year deals somewhere else.
2) Brown alone probably comes in for just a 3rd rounder. I say this because they are super tight and it'll take more than him for Toronto to sign Johnsson, Kapanen, and Marner.
3) Hagelin basically gets the same contract he's had even though he's played worst. He's a good target but I think he settles for a 3M x 2 years or somewhere in that neighbourhood. This looks like a double down on the Rieder deal and they are similar players. Top 9 forwards who are fast and kill penalties.
Overall good team, just need to fix the AAVs a little. Also that 3rd line could be a real liability should Gagner fail to play C adequately. He's been on and off since he got back and he's played better on the wing.
Agreed. An overpay for Brown and a smaller overpay for Burakovsky. No way is the guy worth $3.25M. Seeing as $3.25M is the QO for this player, I think the acquisition cost will be much less than this.
Agreed. An overpay for Brown and a smaller overpay for Burakovsky - and then the Burakovsky contract is slightly too high as well. No way is the guy worth $3.2M. Seeing as $3M is the QO for this player, I think the acquisition cost will be much less than this.
The lesser the better for EDM so I'm all for it. I assumed the worst case scenario and over paid in each scenario rather than underpaying.
The lesser the better for EDM so I'm all for it. I assumed the worst case scenario and over paid in each scenario rather than underpaying.
Burakovsky's contract has put Washington in a bit of a pickle. We was given a $3M x 2 contract after a 64, 12-23-35 +13 0.55 p/gp season at 22 years old, seems like a good deal, right? Since then he's posted 0.45 and 0.33 p/gp seasons... and at 24, they have to qualify him at $3.25M. He's worth $1.5M, tops. So do they sign him and complicate their cap situation next year and hope that he suddenly becomes a top-6 player? Or not qualify him and let him walk this summer for nothing? If they DO qualify him, that leaves less than $8M to fill 6 positions. They'll certainly lose Connolly in this case, as Vrana will likely take $3 - 4M all on his own.
They may just let him walk, giving a team like Edmonton an opportunity to sign him to a value contract.
Mad respect for the effort put into this - and as someone who has had the opportunity to watch the Condors play several times this year I think the plan to let your prospects gain another year of experience is a very sound one. There's some impressive talent on that team but another year of seasoning would still do them a world of good - though as a Barracuda fan I also wouldn't mind at all if the Oilers called every single one of them up
Mad respect for the effort put into this - and as someone who has had the opportunity to watch the Condors play several times this year I think the plan to let your prospects gain another year of experience is a very sound one. There's some impressive talent on that team but another year of seasoning would still do them a world of good - though as a Barracuda fan I also wouldn't mind at all if the Oilers called every single one of them up
Things will only get worse for you - next year's team will include Bouchard, Samorukov, Makisimov, Safin, McLeod and possibly a couple of defensemen from Sweden.
Things will only get worse for you - next year's team will include Bouchard, Samorukov, Makisimov, Safin, McLeod and possibly a couple of defensemen from Sweden.
Please picture a short fat woman with waist length teal hair shaking her fist at you in an extremely melodramatic fashion
(My only comfort right now is that we've got some very good prospects who hopefully will hit the AHL in the next season or two, but, like, things feel very bleak right now in teal town)
Please picture a short fat woman with waist length teal hair shaking her fist at you in an extremely melodramatic fashion
(My only comfort right now is that we've got some very good prospects who hopefully will hit the AHL in the next season or two, but, like, things feel very bleak right now in teal town)
2nd in the division (and 3rd in the west) still isn't a bad place to be.