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Bargain Hunting

Created by: Zubrowka
Team: 2019-20 Philadelphia Flyers
Initial Creation Date: Apr. 23, 2019
Published: Apr. 24, 2019
Salary Cap Mode: Basic
Description
Hayes' value is more about his fit in this lineup, rather than his individual skill. He enables the Flyers to trot out their most dominant top line, while getting TK and JVR a suitable two way player to solidify that 2nd line for depth scoring. Fletcher, Gordon and AV have all cited 2C as an immediate need for this team. They are signaling an intent to win now, and will not wait on a prospect to mature into the role. If you have to pay a little more cap than is ideal because it's UFA, fine. That's what all that cap savings is for anyway. The goaltending was a bigger headline as usual, but what the Flyers did last off-season at center, or actually didn't do, was just as fatal. Given Hayes' 4th line usage under Winnipeg, familiarity with coach AV, and Northeast background (Boston), he may well come to Philly at an attractive enough price.

Many have observed that a Raffl-Laughton-Hartman 4th line would enable the team to wear down opponents with 4 effective lines. Well, to do that requires the 3rd line wing to be filled. It may well be a prospect who takes the reins, but the Flyers won't count on it after getting burned with that strategy at 2C. No, they will want another option with experience and potential synergy.
Enter the much maligned Valeri Nichushkin. There's a lot to like about a power forward with great hands and everything to prove on the last year of an RFA deal, but there's also a lot to hate, like his 0 goals in 2018-2019 and the fallout with Lindy Ruff that resulted in a voluntary 2 year exodus to Russia.

Those are also the reasons why Nichushkin will come cheap to any taker. If you're Dallas, you gladly discharge nearly 3 mil of cap to ensure you can re-sign Zuccarello. If you're Philly, you take a chance at a mid round draft pick price on a player who could pot 20 goals or will crash out of the league with 0.

Why Nuke rather than a more veteran UFA? Well, longer term commitments and higher cap become problematic and Hayes will already be a significant spend. With Nuke, the system remains stocked as no prospects are lost and you get an intriguing option whose failures have been on a team that had virtually no depth scoring until it acquired Zuccarello. It's not as if Nuke failed on a team with any depth; it has been the opposite. He may be an effective complementary winger, as he was when paired with Seguin and/or Benn. With an aging Spezza, however, it didn't work. With a checking line role alongside Radek Faksa, it also didn't work. To be fair to Nuke, no one has scored well with those 2 centers, and with Faksa, Nuke was being asked to adopt a defense first mentality and did so. With Patrick and Lindblom, Nuke adds offensive elements to the line by driving the net on the rush and firing shots off of drop passes or down low tick tack toe plays. There are no doubt options that seem more like a sure thing, but always at a much higher price and not with the flexibility and motivation of a contract year pending RFA power forward.

What say you? Is Hayes the solution at 2C? Is a buy-low gamble on Nuke crazy like a madman or sly like a fox?
Free Agent Signings
RFAYEARSCAP HIT
8$6,250,000
1$750,000
1$750,000
8$4,375,000
6$2,500,000
2$2,000,000
5$4,200,000
UFAYEARSCAP HIT
2$2,000,000
4$6,250,000
Trades
DAL
  1. 2020 4th round pick (NSH)
Buyouts
Buried
DraftRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Round 6Round 7
2019
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Logo of the ARI
Logo of the PHI
Logo of the MTL
2020
Logo of the PHI
Logo of the PHI
Logo of the PHI
Logo of the PHI
Logo of the PHI
Logo of the PHI
Logo of the PHI
2021
Logo of the PHI
Logo of the PHI
Logo of the PHI
Logo of the PHI
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ROSTER SIZESALARY CAPCAP HITOVERAGES TooltipBONUSESCAP SPACE
23$83,000,000$72,062,221$0$3,065,000$10,937,779
Left WingCentreRight Wing
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$4,137,500$4,137,500
RW, C
NMC
UFA - 3
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$4,333,333$4,333,333
C
UFA - 3
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$8,250,000$8,250,000
RW, LW
UFA - 5
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$7,000,000$7,000,000
LW, RW
UFA - 4
$6,250,000$6,250,000
C
UFA - 7
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$4,200,000$4,200,000
RW, LW
UFA - 6
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$925,000$925,000 (Performance Bonus$212,500$212K)
LW
UFA - 1
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$925,000$925,000 (Performance Bonus$2,650,000$3M)
C, RW
UFA - 1
Logo of the Dallas Stars
$850,000$850,000
RW, LW
UFA - 1
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$1,200,000$1,200,000
LW, RW
UFA - 2
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$2,500,000$2,500,000
C, LW
UFA - 2
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$2,000,000$2,000,000
C, RW
UFA - 2
Left DefenseRight DefenseGoaltender
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$6,250,000$6,250,000
LD
UFA - 6
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$4,500,000$4,500,000
LD/RD
UFA - 4
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$730,833$730,833 (Performance Bonus$132,500$132K)
G
RFA - 2
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$4,375,000$4,375,000
LD/RD
UFA - 2
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$2,345,000$2,345,000
RD
UFA - 1
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$700,000$700,000
LD, LW
UFA - 2
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$678,889$678,889
RD
UFA - 1
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$2,000,000$2,000,000
G
UFA - 1
ScratchesInjured Reserve (IR)Long Term IR (LTIR)
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$5,000,000$5,000,000
RD
UFA - 1
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$1,150,000$1,150,000
LD
UFA - 1
Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers
$736,666$736,666 (Performance Bonus$70,000$70K)
C, LW
UFA - 2

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Apr. 24, 2019 at 2:20 p.m.
#1
luketd
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I like the idea, dont know much about Nichu to talk about him. I think Hayes is our best bet at 2C, The only gripe I have with this is the contract lengths. I think Sanhiem will get 3-4 seasons as a bridge deal, and Laughton would get 2-3 seasons as well.
Apr. 24, 2019 at 2:22 p.m.
#2
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I would rather play Frost or anyone over Nuchuskin. The guy can't even make the Stars lineup and they are by no means deep.
Apr. 24, 2019 at 2:27 p.m.
#3
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I like the idea with Nichushkin if you can get him that cheap (probably yes). Only one year is low risk.
Offense looks realy good but on D, depthwise is not much there, so they should sign someone who can play 5/6.
Apr. 24, 2019 at 2:45 p.m.
#4
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Edited Apr. 24, 2019 at 2:52 p.m.
Quoting: luketd
I like the idea, dont know much about Nichu to talk about him. I think Hayes is our best bet at 2C, The only gripe I have with this is the contract lengths. I think Sanhiem will get 3-4 seasons as a bridge deal, and Laughton would get 2-3 seasons as well.

Fair enough. They are just what I would push for if I was negotiating. I have no record of success predicting contract outcomes. Fletch being new here makes it even harder.

Quoting: DirtyDangles
I would rather play Frost or anyone over Nuchuskin. The guy can't even make the Stars lineup and they are by no means deep.

That may well be the outcome, and that's fine if Frosty is ready to roll. My prediction is they will make a move to give themselves a low commitment option (in term & resources for acquisition) before promoting a prospect into the role. Bear in mind we acquired Hartman via Simmonds in large part b/c Hartman fell out of favor with Lavy (and I armchair-GM predicted that one correctly) and was under-performing his earlier career totals. That is also the case with Nuke and Montgomery. The guy started him on the checking line, so imo Nuke was not put in a position to succeed this year. The depth point, I think it goes the other way. No one is arguing Nuke is a playmaker that can carry a line. I'm arguing he is a power forward complement, but to succeed needs playmaking elsewhere on the line (hence the potential fit with Lindblom & Patrick). Dallas did not have that, at all below their top line, not until Zucc and Hintz hooked up. I'd defer to Dallas fans if they think I am off-base with this.

Quoting: flatimir
I like the idea with Nichushkin if you can get him that cheap (probably yes). Only one year is low risk.
Offense looks realy good but on D, depthwise is not much there, so they should sign someone who can play 5/6.

Yeah, I agree for the most part. I left D unaddressed because I see the options as all too expensive. My bet is the Flyers are more likely to make a deal at the deadline if they still feel they could use an upgrade and the team otherwise has come together really well. Edit: To add, when Fletch listed 5 of our D positively in the AV press conference, I thought that signaled they had conferred and may be mostly content with the D. Just an inference there, but we'll see. It sounded like a far, far lower priority than 2C.

Edit: Thanks for the feedback, all.
Apr. 24, 2019 at 3:21 p.m.
#5
Rangers 2023
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The yotes 6th and habs 7th is probably enough for nuke and hayes and talbot will get more
Apr. 24, 2019 at 3:45 p.m.
#6
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Quoting: Ragsandbluesfan
The yotes 6th and habs 7th is probably enough for nuke and hayes and talbot will get more


Maybe so. The 4th is as high as I'd go. IDK about free agency contract predictions, but the goalie market has been pretty weak for years and the Hayes number is in line with other predictions out there. You could be right of course. Bear in mind there's still over 3 mil in cap (which I kept to prevent bonus overages carrying forward) and MacDonald can be bought out for another 2-3 mil of savings to make it work in the short run. Thanks for the feedback.
Apr. 24, 2019 at 3:46 p.m.
#7
Rangers 2023
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Quoting: Zubrowka
Maybe so. The 4th is as high as I'd go. IDK about free agency contract predictions, but the goalie market has been pretty weak for years and the Hayes number is in line with other predictions out there. You could be right of course. Bear in mind there's still over 3 mil in cap (which I kept to cover bonuses) and McDonald can be bought out for another 2-3 mil of savings to make it work in the short run.


I see mcdonald bought out no matter what and hayes to philly makes even more sense with AV there now
 
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