Around the league (signings, RFAs injuries)

[Cousin Strawberry]

[Blob Mckenzie]

Kerby Rychel is not being qualified by the Flames. In 43 NHL games, Rychel put up 3G 11A, 0.33 ppg, not too shabby for a 3rd/4th liner. Since the Canucks lack NHL depth on the left side, JB should give Rychel a shot.

He’s a hard nosed kid with a decent shot but he’s a lousy skater. Like a few posters on this board he simply can’t keep up.

[Tciso]

Kerby Rychel is not being qualified by the Flames. In 43 NHL games, Rychel put up 3G 11A, 0.33 ppg, not too shabby for a 3rd/4th liner. Since the Canucks lack NHL depth on the left side, JB should give Rychel a shot.

He’s a hard nosed kid with a decent shot but he’s a lousy skater. Like a few posters on this board he simply can’t keep up.

So...lock him up for 3 by 5? Your double speak is so hard to follow.

[ESQ]

To put this off like "they've only made it to the second round once in a decade" is sophistry. There are vectors in a rebuild. The Avalanche are now in the slipstream. It is damn near perfect what they have in front of them and there are no mistakes they have to work around.

Well, fine, but if you're correct it took them a decade of rebuilding to get there. And IMO, it wasn't until they got a bit lucky with Rantanen at #10 that they turned a corner. They've otherwise been fairly pedestrian with their drafting, especially outside the 1st round.

Their rebuild was held back for years for lack of elite talent. Then MacKinnon went from a 50 point player to a 100 point player and Rantanen showed up as an 80 point player.

But you're right, they don't have any bad contracts - because their stars looked mediocre coming out of their ELCs (come on Brock, lock in now!). But, they have a ton of contracts to sign this summer, could one or two or five be "bad"?

[UWSaint]

Their rebuild was held back for years for lack of elite talent. Then MacKinnon went from a 50 point player to a 100 point player and Rantanen showed up as an 80 point player.

But you're right, they don't have any bad contracts - because their stars looked mediocre coming out of their ELCs (come on Brock, lock in now!). But, they have a ton of contracts to sign this summer, could one or two or five be "bad"?

No doubt that Colorado had a fair amount of good fortune in getting to where they are. Mackinnon came in good, apparently stalled (somewhat the result of an absurdly and likely abberationally low shooting %), and then kicked it into super high gear at age 22. It wasn't something totally shocking, but certainly on the "good luck" end of things. And Rantanen appears to be second only to McDavid from that draft. Good fortune is a part of most every rebuild from the draft -- because draft pick performance has huge variances. It is why the Canucks are in really good shape today, because they knocked a couple out of the park. And it is why rebuilds from the draft have hugely variant chances for success.

So I am not trying to argue there rebuild was the product of some kind of genius. (It didn't take a genius to win the lottery and draft Mackinnon, though it took some patience and wisdom to build around him and jettison Duchene). I'm just arguing that where they sit is really quite good.

I agree that the Avalanche are likely to now add a bad contract or two. Because that's how these things work. But by having the first line and defense more or less set, the Avalanche have the luxury to plumb free agency for the kind of second and third tier players that will complete a bottom non rather well and without sticker shock. Free agency has a huge curve -- severe risk of bad contracts where players have multiple suitors (typically, the top tier at a position), but less of a risk as you go down the line. Down the line, the mistakes are far smaller, as terms are shorter and $$ are less. (I mean, who really cares if MDZ turned out the way he did; it doesn't cripple an organization).

And the market is going to be a bit depressed. The cap being lower by 1.5 million means (1) teams have less money to spend and (2) teams have a greater incentive to make players available in a trade, and this combines to make (3) fewer unrestricted free agent suitors.

Both supply and demand are working in the Avs favor. As for supply, what the Avs need -- forwards -- is what is pretty deep in this free agent class. As for demand, see above.

This was organization was a tire fire just a few years ago. Now they are (IMO) the rebuild closest to making a serious run.

[ESQ]

This was organization was a tire fire just a few years ago. Now they are (IMO) the rebuild closest to making a serious run.

That's an interesting thought, and an interesting way of looking at the rebuilds. I'd say the closest comparables for stockpiled top-3 picks are Tampa, Edmonton and New Jersey. The Avs are certainly ahead of Edmonton, probably behind Tampa but you can't really call them a rebuild for the past few years, and way ahead of Jersey.

But having had Landeskog in my fantasy hockey, I can tell you that line became very average after a ridiculous Q1. MacKinnon had 41 points by the end of October/November (26 gp, 130-point pace), then 53 in points in the remaining 56 games. Same with Landeskog and Rantanen.

Are the Avs a contender with the top liners at 65-75 points? Probably not, given their recent track record and barely making the playoffs when things go right.

If they don't get a goalie, I expect they're not making the playoffs. If I'm not mistaken, they have an internal budget that is restrictive as well.

[UWSaint]

This was organization was a tire fire just a few years ago. Now they are (IMO) the rebuild closest to making a serious run.

That's an interesting thought, and an interesting way of looking at the rebuilds.

Elite talent makes a world of difference. There are only so many players that can make up a core; you want that core to have truly great players.

[givemeda411]

Luongo Retires....

https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/luong ... Zxtsaa_7ac


So $2.8M cap hit?

[Blob Mckenzie]

Luongo Retires....

https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/luong ... Zxtsaa_7ac


So $2.8M cap hit?

Might save us from Myers

[Jovocop]

Luongo Retires....

https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/luong ... Zxtsaa_7ac


So $2.8M cap hit?

Can Luongo not go on LTIR instead?

Bob McKenzie@TSNBobMcKenzie

On to the business: VAN will get hit with a cap recapture penalty of slightly more than $3M in each of the next three seasons. FLA cap recapture penalty will be slightly more than $1M in each of next three seasons.

[2Fingers]

Canucks should challenge the hit to them, was this not implemented after they signed Luongo, something like a big middle finger from Buttman and Toronto to the Canucks?

[Island Nucklehead]

Luongo Retires....

https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/luong ... Zxtsaa_7ac


So $2.8M cap hit?

I assume this means his $800K retention comes off the books? So it only adds $2.2M-ish of new dead money to the cap.

[givemeda411]

Luongo Retires....

https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/luong ... Zxtsaa_7ac


So $2.8M cap hit?

Can Luongo not go on LTIR instead?

Bob McKenzie@TSNBobMcKenzie

On to the business: VAN will get hit with a cap recapture penalty of slightly more than $3M in each of the next three seasons. FLA cap recapture penalty will be slightly more than $1M in each of next three seasons.

With the Panthers about to buyout Riemer and sign Bobrovsky & Panarin, I doubt they wanted him on LTIR. I bet they even pushed him into it.

[Jovocop]

Luongo Retires....

https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/luong ... Zxtsaa_7ac


So $2.8M cap hit?

Can Luongo not go on LTIR instead?

Bob McKenzie@TSNBobMcKenzie

On to the business: VAN will get hit with a cap recapture penalty of slightly more than $3M in each of the next three seasons. FLA cap recapture penalty will be slightly more than $1M in each of next three seasons.

With the Panthers about to buyout Riemer and sign Bobrovsky & Panarin, I doubt they wanted him on LTIR. I bet they even pushed him into it.

Could JB trade a 7th rounder for Luongo and put him on LTIR instead?

[Chef Boi RD]

Gillis strikes again, 6 years later, while studying Aussie Rules Football