its canadas sport. they would never not compete

I feel like Dougie Hamilton will be the Devils' Tavares in a not too distant future.

I feel like Juraj Slafkovsky will be the next Kaapo Kakko (elite first line winger)

What’s that supposed to mean?

still a good player, not worth his contract

Also that a signing of this caliber was done a year or two too soon given the team's situation, but such opportunities are so rare that the team jumped on it.

Shane Wright is the next Lafreniere.

He did just had his 5th best season in total points, which was his 13th year in the league. Not too shabby 🤷‍♂️

And only 3 years left. A move to the wing would be very beneficial for me, he was never fast but is starting to slow even more with the foot speed.

IMO tho he will still be putting up points

I can see it but don't think the ramifications of his 9m cap hit for the Devils will be nearly as big as Tavares's 11m has been for the Leafs.
Cap is gonna go up a lot quicker starting 25/26 (like 2-2.5m) and the Devils are unlikely to have one (let alone two) core players making more than 9m, nevermind eight figures.

While I will also agree with that, they didn’t need another impact C, you can’t pass that up if one comes available for free.

It can’t be understated enough that if things had continued on their previous trajectory, with the salary cap rising about 4.5 percent per year (the pre-COVID, post-2013 CBA average), it would currently stand at a little under $94.8-million.

SOURCES: #mnwild’s Kirill Kaprizov leaves Russia early, will return to Minnesota TuesdayMy STORY>>> https://t.co/8EaYrvS8HJ

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) August 1, 2022

Of course both moves are understandable because players like Tavares & Hamilton don't grow on trees, but since they were not near contending, it impacts the team a lot once the high picks' ELCs from the rebuild are starting to expire. The Leafs couldn't properly surround their high-quality stars (post-ELC) for years and the Devils have an even larger pool of ELCs who'll be looking for raises. Also, knowing they could transform Siegenthaler into a high-end defensive guy + signing him to a very reasonable 5-year deal + acquiring 5 years Marino + drafting Simon Nemec (not even mentioning Luke Hughes four days prior) in the span of one year, I simply feel like the Devils weren't savvy enough regarding the Hamilton signing.

But again, how were they supposed to add a supporting cast with no cap movement 🤷‍♂️

By predicting a global pandemic, duh.

But in all seriousness, signing Tavares to $11M per year with Matthews & Marner needing contracts the following year was always playing with fire, flat cap or not, but the flat cap greatly aggravated it.

Agree with you there, couple that with just horrible drafting from 2015-16-17 (outside of there 1st round picks).

Tavares rushed their rebuild 100 percent. But I guess you also kinda have to take that risk when a player of his calibre comes available for free.

I feel like the Habs will be having the same type of conversations about adding Huberdeau + Dubois

Huberdeau who becomes UFA at 30, definitely, but I disagree about Dubois who becomes UFA at 26. Signing him could spare the team of 1-2 additional years of rebuild (unless they land Bedard or Fantilli in 2023).

I'd like to reiterate that Hamilton's cap hit has a significantly less impact on the Devils now and in the future (due to lower number and higher future cap) compared to how Tavares's cap has impacted the Leafs.
But I do take your point, it has some validity to it, though at 33-34 years I could actually see a guy like Hamilton still being worth 8-9m.
And if you're just making your analysis by the cap sheet it's a perfectly apt one.
Though there should be plenty of space to go all out and sign someone like Patrick Kane at an 8m+ cap hit for two three years while Luke Hughes, Nemec, Holtz and Gritsyuk are all riding their ELCs simultaneously.

I think your analysis lacks some of the intangibles the Hamilton signing meant for the Devils.
Signing a top 5 D from the previous season was a statement signing, both internally as well as externally.
For one of the youngest teams in the league it provided both some comfort in a veteran presence but also intensified competition as signing a guy like Hamilton challenges the others to be better professionals, to work harder to become the best versions of themselves.

But I also think that the Devils benefited from the signing by how it changed the league's and the community's perception of them.
I view it kinda like purchasing confidence and better posture, if that makes sense.

YES

USA is announcing the 7th I believe - so Canada probably would be around that time (although we do know the current 27 of USA as opposed to nothing Canada related but we know why that is).

Bratt's agent seems to be an idiot here as well, if all he's asking for heading into arbitration is $6.5m. That's a more than fair number and arb cases usually meet in the middle. Should've gone as insanely high as Fitz did low.

https://t.co/JfLbC2qDHG pic.twitter.com/OZ4FN6H2zP

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) August 1, 2022

I know someone else who could be Mr. Terrible Hockey Takes

Do not associate the man the myth the dman juking legend JT with Hamilton! Cause man Canes fans were right about him needing Slavin more so than we thought

And in the final 3 games of the playoff series came alive with some sweet plays and goals

Plus the one thing people complained about him is what hes working on this offseason (skating speed). All that and then some

https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2022/07/25/a-need-for-speed-drives-leafs-captain-john-tavares-in-summer-workouts.html

In general JT to me is fine at 11mill. Nobody expected a pandemic and by this year Cap should have been what 95mill or something so it is what it is.

Got a feeling hes gonna have a 35 goal 90 point season as to me hes due for one and with Jarnkrok as his LW and someone on the RW (depends on what happens with Kerfoot) then we could be in for a fun 2nd line (personal prediction Jarnkrok-Tavares-Rodrigues (2.1mill x 1 year)

if tavares goes to wing who plays 2c? marner? jarnkrok? i assume kerfoot is as good as gone.

JT needed Okposo more than we thought.