Around the league (signings, RFAs injuries)

[BurningBeard]

Seriously, the Flames had the worst goaltending by far in the NHL this season.

I think injury-prone Reimer and that dee will make the Flames a bubble team for the foreseeable future.

(a bubble team that consistently misses the playoffs due to depth issues)

Is Burke the worst executive in the league at evaluating goaltending talent? *THINK* about it.

[Topper]

The Flames started the season with three goaltenders and feared losing one to waivers.......and there was none.

[dbr]

Seriously, the Flames had the worst goaltending by far in the NHL this season.

I think injury-prone Reimer and that dee will make the Flames a bubble team for the foreseeable future.

(a bubble team that consistently misses the playoffs due to depth issues)

Is Burke the worst executive in the league at evaluating goaltending talent? *THINK* about it.

Giving Bryz away for free doesn't look so bad now..

[Topper]

The Bryz deal was one for the player. He told him he would try to trade him where he could play or waive him knowing he'd be claimed and get a starting job.

BB gets a pass for that.

[dbr]

Yep. Burke walked into the best goaltending situation he'd ever have - you can interpret it however you want in terms of his character or his abilities as a GM, but he did at least do right by the player in that case.

[Strangelove]

I'd rather not lose than lose with .. 'honour' (?) .. and signing the hunchback to a long term contract that makes him a marquee player on the team is not a great way to avoid losing regularly.

Winning is but one part of the NHL entertainment package young David.

[Ronning's Ghost]

Winning is but one part of the NHL entertainment package young David.

Nope, not entertained at all. It's pretty clear we watch hockey for different reasons.

[dbr]

I'd rather not lose than lose with .. 'honour' (?) .. and signing the hunchback to a long term contract that makes him a marquee player on the team is not a great way to avoid losing regularly.

Winning is but one part of the NHL entertainment package young David.

Oh, do you not care about winning? I thought there were some rather testy (wot) debates around here when it came to fans not wanting the team to win..

Anyway my point was that if you offer Milan Lucic a contract suited to a first liner (and in our structure, the best player on the team) you're going to be doing a lot less of it.

But if you're indifferent to trading wins for nut shots and gloved punches, more power to you.

[Island Nucklehead]

Leaves sign Rielly and Kadri to six-year extensions.

Limited no-trade protection for both Kadri and Rielly. $5M AAV for Rielly. $4.5M for Kadri

[SKYO]

Leaves skip bridge contract for Reilly like Barkov and other high end uber talented youngsters.

Kadri's basically an extension of his bigger contract after his bridge contract.

[Micky]

Leaves sign Rielly and Kadri to six-year extensions.

Limited no-trade protection for both Kadri and Rielly. $5M AAV for Rielly. $4.5M for Kadri

The money doesn't surprise me nor does the time but when the words "limited no trade", comes into play, like we're seeing more often, I'm just wondering if a pattern is starting to emerge in regards to how many teams would be on a guys list, ie., 5,7,10, if his team wants to move him during his contract. And I'm assuming the player has the right to pick those teams at that point
We could be dealing with this down the road.
When it comes right down to it, and all the complications that can come up, I guess there is a slight advantage to the team to have limited as opposed to full no trade..

[Strangelove]

Nope, not entertained at all. It's pretty clear we watch hockey for different reasons.

Oh golly gee... my goal is to one day be as classy as you Cliffy.

But seriously... I watch hockey for all the reasons you do... and more.

[Strangelove]

I'd rather not lose than lose with .. 'honour' (?) .. and signing the hunchback to a long term contract that makes him a marquee player on the team is not a great way to avoid losing regularly.

Winning is but one part of the NHL entertainment package young David.

Oh, do you not care about winning?

Did I say that?

Ed Snider (r.i.p.) once upon a time was tired of watching his soft team getting pushed around

... so he created what came to be known as the Broad Street Bullies.

This worked out pretty well winning-wise.

I'll have you know that psychology plays a large part in professional sports young David.

And fucking Canucks message boards for that matter.

Anyway my point was that if you offer Milan Lucic a contract suited to a first liner (and in our structure, the best player on the team) you're going to be doing a lot less of it.

But if you're indifferent to trading wins for nut shots and gloved punches, more power to you.

Pretty much any/every GM in the league (given the cap-space) wouldn't hesitate to hand Lucic $6M+

There are reasons for this.

[Strangelove]

Leaves sign Rielly and Kadri to six-year extensions.

Limited no-trade protection for both Kadri and Rielly. $5M AAV for Rielly. $4.5M for Kadri

Rielly I get, he may well be worth that kinda dough in a coupla years.

But Nazi??

What you see is what you get at this point.

And I see a middle 6 forward.

I see an undisciplined emotionally unstable individual.

A whiner, a diver, a psychotic little fellow with small man syndrome.

Having finally secured his long term guaranteed contract, he’ll soon go back to his lazy-ass ways.

Well maybe he'll give it his all for one more season (until the NTC kicks in).

This freak actually loves it in Pigtown!

[Ronning's Ghost]

Ed Snider (r.i.p.) once upon a time was tired of watching his soft team getting pushed around

... so he created what came to be known as the Broad Street Bullies.

This worked out pretty well winning-wise.

I cannot deny that this has been a moderately effective path to success in the NHL, but recall that in the same era that the Flyers won two Cups with thuggery, the Habs won six with being good at hockey.

I must also admit that in the past, Strangelove has been better at reading the short-term direction of the League than say, Gillis, but there is no certainty to as to how the League will continue to evolve in the future (one of the great challenges of being an NHL GM, in my opinion). Over the past thirty years, the larger trend has been away from direct intimidation tactics. The significance of this element of the game is probably more salient in the minds of Vancouver fans as a result of the Bruin Effect, but I think most observers consider 2011 an anomaly created more by League politics than the overall trend of the game.