2019 NHL Off Season News Thread
- Thread starter jeffbear
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Just noting that this contract likely makes Anders Lee's free agency more likely. They've been stalled on talks, apparently and Uncle Lou won't want to over-pay TWO veteran forwards that don't really produce top line numbers. I only mention this because Carolina has been speculated as being interested in both should they get to free agency. I'm NOT promoting Lee as a good idea ... or a bad one, really. I'm neutral on the guy. He's certainly a Canes-type worker and a good leader ... other than that, whatever.
THIS
Oilers moves ...
Hiring Dave Tippett as head coach ... https://www.thestar.com/sports/hock...na-bench-boss-dave-tippett-as-head-coach.html
Dumping Paul Coffey as skills and development coach ...https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1778709
Thoughts ... Tippett is a safe enough choice, as have been their past couple of failed hirings. The bigger news is that Ken Holland is starting to sweep out some of the old Oilers network that had clogged up their decision making under the prior regime. Gretzky and Kevin Lowe are still in place as VPs and it's unlikely that the Katz group will move completely away from their jock sniffing ways, but almost everyone who reports on the Oilers agrees that the voices of a group of former players were too loud and too disruptive under Peter Chiarelli and often led directly to some of their more curious personnel decisions. Coffey was seen as their mouthpiece, and cutting him out is a statement of intent.
And look ... even with Connor McDavid sitting there waiting, the Oilers had to over-pay Tippett to the tune of $3 million a season to get him out of that consultant gig in Seattle. He was widely presumed to be Seattle's coach in waiting, but when you've got to pay that much money to a guy with a decent but unremarkable resume like Tippett then there's something more going on up there that just a bunch of bad trades. Holland has his work cut out for him.
Hiring Dave Tippett as head coach ... https://www.thestar.com/sports/hock...na-bench-boss-dave-tippett-as-head-coach.html
Dumping Paul Coffey as skills and development coach ...https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1778709
Thoughts ... Tippett is a safe enough choice, as have been their past couple of failed hirings. The bigger news is that Ken Holland is starting to sweep out some of the old Oilers network that had clogged up their decision making under the prior regime. Gretzky and Kevin Lowe are still in place as VPs and it's unlikely that the Katz group will move completely away from their jock sniffing ways, but almost everyone who reports on the Oilers agrees that the voices of a group of former players were too loud and too disruptive under Peter Chiarelli and often led directly to some of their more curious personnel decisions. Coffey was seen as their mouthpiece, and cutting him out is a statement of intent.
And look ... even with Connor McDavid sitting there waiting, the Oilers had to over-pay Tippett to the tune of $3 million a season to get him out of that consultant gig in Seattle. He was widely presumed to be Seattle's coach in waiting, but when you've got to pay that much money to a guy with a decent but unremarkable resume like Tippett then there's something more going on up there that just a bunch of bad trades. Holland has his work cut out for him.
JamesNorthern
Active member
There's something about that team that screams destiny with the Hurricanes. They have depth down the middle, we don't. They might even have a winger we could pry from them cough **jesse puljurjavi** cough... We have depth on D. Maybe even some of our 'depth' on the wings could be swung for something as part of a larger deal.
Don't get me wrong. Unless we can pry Draisatil from them, I don't think they have the answer if our goal is to land a true #1 center. That being said, that is a real real TALL order.... maybe we approach it best with what has already been suggested, having two 1B centers. I consider Aho a 1B, still has potential to be more. Can we agree that if we had Aho, Nugent-Hopkins and Staal as our first three centers... wouldn't be to bad?
I know I've probably brought him up way too much, but its more because the factor of their depth vs our depth, then we should be interested in landing that guy.
IDK. Maybe like way back when with Ozolinsh I have some inexplicable 'hard-on' that the org acquires him. Sandis never really panned out.
Bah. Just be aggressive and get us a center. It just seems whereas the center depth issue is concerned the org hasn't really tried to find anybody. Don't tell me otherwise when the went and let Skinner go for practically nothing
Except we don’t really have proven depth at D that we could trade them for their higher end centers. Unless Fleury for someone sounds good to them. Or Draisatil for Dougie or Faulk? What kind of deal do you see with them?
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I'll be honest here ... people have been trying to marry up the Oilers' needs with the Canes' needs for a couple of years now, but if we didn't rob something from them while that dolt Chiarelli was in charge, we're not robbing Holland. No, however, Carolina might be an option to eat a bad contract ... and they have PLENTY of those ... in order to get something else of interest. Maybe Carolina would horse trade for Lucic's stupid contract so long as some potential payoff was attached ... like maybe Puljurjavi. Not advocating that by any means, but a team with cap flexibility is all but a requirement to get something going with Holland at this point.
And I think we need to all quit trying to trade Faulk and/or Hamilton. The team is reported to be looking at extending Faulk and I've got a feeling the front office is WAY less interested to move Dougie than the internet is. And with TVR and deHaan likely banged up to start the next season, I wouldn't even touch a so-called depth trade with D going the other way. We don't have any depth until those two are healthy and playing 100% ... which sounds like it might be mid-Fall.
And I think we need to all quit trying to trade Faulk and/or Hamilton. The team is reported to be looking at extending Faulk and I've got a feeling the front office is WAY less interested to move Dougie than the internet is. And with TVR and deHaan likely banged up to start the next season, I wouldn't even touch a so-called depth trade with D going the other way. We don't have any depth until those two are healthy and playing 100% ... which sounds like it might be mid-Fall.
cmaleski2
Well-known member
Bob McKenzie tweeted that Buffalo and Skinner appear close to a new deal for 8 years and $8.5 to 9.5 million per. Good luck with that Buffalo!
Jared Clinton of the Hockey News speculates about offer sheets: https://thehockeynews.com/news/arti...ur-rfas-who-are-prime-targets-this-off-season
He dropped the Canes as an example of a team with cap room to go after Marner with an $11 million per offer sheet. Now we know that is not going to happen, but still fun to think about.
Jared Clinton of the Hockey News speculates about offer sheets: https://thehockeynews.com/news/arti...ur-rfas-who-are-prime-targets-this-off-season
He dropped the Canes as an example of a team with cap room to go after Marner with an $11 million per offer sheet. Now we know that is not going to happen, but still fun to think about.
CanadaCanes
Well-known member
That Skinner deal once signed will seem like an albatross after about the second or third year...
As much as they talk about Marner getting an offer sheet, guys like Kasperi Kapanen and William Karlsson seem like far more reasonable offer sheets to chase for the Canes in the grand scheme of things if they ever decided to go that route. An offer sheet seems very much like a great idea this year since a few of those clubs are right up against the cap.
Agreed. Marner's out of our budget league right now, but I'd love to see them make a play for Karlsson. His production took a dip, but his shooting percentages were stupidly high the season before. He's still a quality offensive player with tons of miles in his legs who plays a strong 3 zone game.
dwind
Well-known member
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/10-blockbuster-nhl-trade-candidates-youll-hear-summer/
Our old friends Victor Rask and Jack Johnson are mentioned as possible trade candidates between Minnesota and Pittsburgh. This is under ‘Phil Kessel’.
Our old friends Victor Rask and Jack Johnson are mentioned as possible trade candidates between Minnesota and Pittsburgh. This is under ‘Phil Kessel’.
SlapShots
Well-known member
Kessel reportedly blocked a trade to Minnesota earlier in the rumor mill given his limited NT list. Can't see that this is still viable, but perhaps...
Yeah ... plus the bones of that equate to Johnson and Kessel for Rask and Jason Zucker. That's internet fantasy stuff. Rask has essentially no trade value at this point and Zucker is a nice 2 way winger who can score a bit, but he'd be THE key piece in a trade for Kessel in this scenario... and that doesn't pass any kind of test of logic. I mean, what? Minny has cap room so the Pens can feel free to dump their malcontents and their fat salaries on them in return for cheaper guys? That stuff never happens.
That said, I do expect Kessel to be moved. He wants it, and the team wants it and they badly need a shakeup. So they just have to figure out a deal that fits within his no movement clause or is otherwise acceptable to Kessel. If Jimmy is smart, he'll also dump Johnson and Maata and as many of his other defensive pylons as he can. That blueline ended up being woefully slow and it cost them dearly.
That said, I do expect Kessel to be moved. He wants it, and the team wants it and they badly need a shakeup. So they just have to figure out a deal that fits within his no movement clause or is otherwise acceptable to Kessel. If Jimmy is smart, he'll also dump Johnson and Maata and as many of his other defensive pylons as he can. That blueline ended up being woefully slow and it cost them dearly.
Nope. This is the other classic JR trope ... what happens when he over-pays to bring in one of his favorites expect they suck now. Oh, hello Jack Johnson.
FWIW, the deal is the one that Kessel 86ed, so it's dead anyway. Still can't believe the thing existed in reality, but whatever.
SlapShots
Well-known member
I think in this deal, Jack Johnson was the one JR coveted that got away. He finally got him, yet it was too little, too late and now needs to get younger on defense. I think taking Johnson is JR's price for getting Kessel.
cmaleski2
Well-known member
Winnipeg trades Kevin Hayes to Philly for a 5th round pick. That gives the Flyers about 4 weeks to sign Hayes before he become a UFA. The Canes best not get complacent because the teams in the Metro that didn't make the playoffs (Flyers and Rangers and Devils) are going to get better this offseason.
bagopux
Well-known member
And the teams in the Metro that did make the playoffs quite possible will be getting worse (with the exception of the Canes, naturally). The Pens are treading water at best. The Islanders overachieved. Columbus is all but assured to lose Bob and Panarin, and maybe Duchenne too. Washington ... where to begin? And Taylor Hall may not see the end of the season in NJ. He's slated to be a UFA and reports indicate that he's not interested in signing.
CanadaCanes
Well-known member
I agree with this take, a bunch of Eastern Conference teams that have been playoff regulars are trending down headed by the Pens, Jackets and Caps. The age of the core in Pitt and Washington is starting to catch up to both of those teams and who knows what the Jackets look like if Bob, Panarin and Duchene all leave this summer.
The Rangers are starting to assemble a nice collection of young talent but anyone's guess on how long that takes to get going. The Flyers under Chuck Fletcher have already made it clear they have lots of holes to fill but they would seem like the most likely non-playoff team to rebound next season if Carter Hart gives them decent goaltending.
I think Hall just wants to keep his options open. If things go well for the Devs when they add Hughes or Kaaako up front, he could well end up signing a new deal.
And I do like the Flyers to be in position to make a move. That team never gave up on the season this year, despite how frustrating it must have been for them. They've got good bones on that roster and if Hart can be solid in net, Fletcher should be able to add a couple of parts to get them to improve a notch or two. I also think Montreal could be poised to improve. They aren't far off and are unlikely to be taking a step backwards. They need mobility on D and one or two creative forwards ... nothing too fancy. And Florida is a wildcard. If they do add Bob and Panarin then look out ... because, like the Flyers the bones of the lineup are solid and that team plays HARD.
Bottom line ... with a couple of the second tier teams (Washington and Pittsburgh) aging and looking at maybe slipping a bit, and a couple of the non-playoff teams poised to improve the East could be a real free for all next season. Tampa, Toronto and Boston are gimmes, but the rest of the group could be in a non-stop rumble behind those three. In fact, I'm fairly certain that they will be. That's another reason that the Canes can't afford to be all fat and satisfied. They need to get better this off season, especially up front.
And I do like the Flyers to be in position to make a move. That team never gave up on the season this year, despite how frustrating it must have been for them. They've got good bones on that roster and if Hart can be solid in net, Fletcher should be able to add a couple of parts to get them to improve a notch or two. I also think Montreal could be poised to improve. They aren't far off and are unlikely to be taking a step backwards. They need mobility on D and one or two creative forwards ... nothing too fancy. And Florida is a wildcard. If they do add Bob and Panarin then look out ... because, like the Flyers the bones of the lineup are solid and that team plays HARD.
Bottom line ... with a couple of the second tier teams (Washington and Pittsburgh) aging and looking at maybe slipping a bit, and a couple of the non-playoff teams poised to improve the East could be a real free for all next season. Tampa, Toronto and Boston are gimmes, but the rest of the group could be in a non-stop rumble behind those three. In fact, I'm fairly certain that they will be. That's another reason that the Canes can't afford to be all fat and satisfied. They need to get better this off season, especially up front.
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