Around the league (signings, RFAs injuries)

[Hockey Widow]

The leaves acted like an old school team this off season. They threw a ton of money around for FA and in trades but did not take care of their own FA first.

Some have criticized MG because he has done a very solid job in locking up his own FA, somehow that just doesn't count when assessing his record. But to me he has taken care of his own house first then gone looking for what is out there and what he has left to spend.

Nonis on the other hand is a typical employer. Undervalue the employees you have but be willing to spend a ton more on brining outsiders in. I mean if he brought in solid UFA fine but he ends up buying out one centre, waiting to sign another and is stuck with two keys players left unsigned. Old school management.

We have all had bosses like him. You can't get a decent raise and he gives you all the reasons why you don't deserve it yet he hires someone else and over pays all while still keeping you down. At least GMMG values what he has.

[Strangelove]

I responded thusly to an Avs fan at HF who said he was worried Landeskog would fail and be a compliance buyout:

How dysfunctional would a team be to sign a player to a long-term contract @ $5.5m

.... only to turn around and buy him out a year later??


Yeah, my post was deleted with no explanation, no demerit points or whatever.

It's like I say about HF: Roving bands of Leaf-loving "global mods" deleting posts they don't like.

Well that and hordes of pimply-faced teenyboppers.

Which came first though, the Leaf-bias or the Strangelove?

[Island Nucklehead]

War of Words going on in Ottawa.

The League says they won't investigate this, but if I'm the New Jersey Devils I'm asking "Why not!?"

Alfredsson admits he and the Senators planned to circumvent the salary cap and that he planned to retire before this past season (where he made only $1M) so that the team could lower his cap hit in the earlier seasons of the deal.

"When I did my last contract for four years ending in the (2012-13) season, I was asked to help the team manage the salary cap by adding on a extra year to my contract," he said in an opening statement. "I agreed. Each side fully expected I would retire and not play the 2012-13 season."

So the league punishes New Jersey because they believed Kovy wouldn't finish his deal, Alfredsson admits he was negotiating along the same lines and they just say

"I would say that if negotiations went down precisely as Daniel described (them), that would be a concern," Daly stated in an email to The Citizen. "We haven't independently verified that, and at this point we don't intend to."

LOL to this league.

As a side note, I don't blame Alfy one bit for leaving. Playing last year on a $1M salary is a big bonus to the Sens, and they wait until the last minute to offer him $4.5M? Yeah, see ya later.

[BingoTough]

Things are not looking good for Hodgson.

http://www.wgr550.com/Sabres-sign-Tropp ... n/16998240

Hodgson could become a big problem. He’s represented by one of the sleaziest agents in pro sports, Rich Winter. Winter led Dominik Hasek to many, many poor decisions and he already made Hodgson a guy that just wasn’t worth keeping around by causing problems in Vancouver. I’m not saying this will happen, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Sabres are pushed to a point where the have to trade the centerman because of Winter.

This on hodgson from SabreNoise

http://sabrenoise.com/2013/08/13/has-co ... vancouver/

Then there's this:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/GARTH/Ho ... g1iSpKOTVU

Methinks whatever happens won't be a great outcome for Buffalo

[Strangelove]

This on hodgson from SabreNoise

http://sabrenoise.com/2013/08/13/has-co ... vancouver/

ROFLMFAO they have "learned to hate" CoHo in Buffalo.

[dbr]

The leaves acted like an old school team this off season. They threw a ton of money around for FA and in trades but did not take care of their own FA first.

Does Clarkie still have any pull in Philadelphia?

They could still use another right shooting defender and if you account for Chris Pronger's LTIR exemption and cut their roster down to size they have $4m plus for an offer sheet.. $3,364,391 would cost you a 2nd round pick OR eat up about 70% of the leaves remaining cap space with Kadri still unsigned.

[Jovocop]

Then there's this:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/GARTH/Ho ... g1iSpKOTVU

Methinks whatever happens won't be a great outcome for Buffalo

What a stupid comparison... Landeskog >> Hodgson.

Landeskog is +16 on one of the worst defensive teams in the league and Mr. Hodgson is -2. Landeskog won the Calder Trophy. He hits and fights. No comparison at all...

[Strangelove]

The leaves acted like an old school team this off season. They threw a ton of money around for FA and in trades but did not take care of their own FA first.

Does Clarkie still have any pull in Philadelphia?

They could still use another right shooting defender and if you account for Chris Pronger's LTIR exemption and cut their roster down to size they have $4m plus for an offer sheet.. $3,364,391 would cost you a 2nd round pick OR eat up about 70% of the leaves remaining cap space with Kadri still unsigned.

Yeah that sounds like Clarkie.

As I've pointed out, the Leaves are already hurting in the Depth Department.

And yup, right now they're sitting ducks to an offer-sheet.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Flyboys have already talked to Franson about this plan:

After the second game of the season (when Pronger can be placed on the LTIR) they sign Franson.

I like the way you think Dave.

[dbr]

I just like the idea of Nonis failing to keep his house clean, having Clarkie steal away an asset and having to buy it back at twice the cost for the second time in his four seasons as a GM..

[Strangelove]

Yeah I've heard Nonuts still has a reoccurring nightmare about Clarkie coming after him in full vampire-mode.

An offer-sheet to Franson might just land him in the psyche ward.



Don't forget, Clarkie HATES the leaves!

[Meds]

If Tanev elects to go overseas, or continues to hold out, do we have room for Gillis to wash his hands of Tanev and his agent and put an offer sheet in front of Franson?

[Strangelove]

If Tanev elects to go overseas, or continues to hold out, do we have room for Gillis to wash his hands of Tanev and his agent and put an offer sheet in front of Franson?

I believe we do.

I ran a Tanev-for-Franson trade through capgeek a while back.

I think I posted it here....

EDIT (Franson @ $3m): viewtopic.php?p=179709#p179709

VERY tight to the cap though, get's me thinking how fantastic it would be if Jensen/Gaunce were ready

... we could then unload Booth (retain some salary).

Unlikely, I know...

[Topper]

For the Pronger LTIR cap relief to work, they'd have to somehow get him on the opening day roster. Not sure if that is doable for the Flyers.

[Vader]

War of Words going on in Ottawa.

The League says they won't investigate this, but if I'm the New Jersey Devils I'm asking "Why not!?"

Alfredsson admits he and the Senators planned to circumvent the salary cap and that he planned to retire before this past season (where he made only $1M) so that the team could lower his cap hit in the earlier seasons of the deal.

"When I did my last contract for four years ending in the (2012-13) season, I was asked to help the team manage the salary cap by adding on a extra year to my contract," he said in an opening statement. "I agreed. Each side fully expected I would retire and not play the 2012-13 season."

So the league punishes New Jersey because they believed Kovy wouldn't finish his deal, Alfredsson admits he was negotiating along the same lines and they just say

"I would say that if negotiations went down precisely as Daniel described (them), that would be a concern," Daly stated in an email to The Citizen. "We haven't independently verified that, and at this point we don't intend to."

LOL to this league.

As a side note, I don't blame Alfy one bit for leaving. Playing last year on a $1M salary is a big bonus to the Sens, and they wait until the last minute to offer him $4.5M? Yeah, see ya later.

I guess the NHL reacted the way they did because it was a 35+ contract - Sens would have been hit with a cap hit regardless if Alfredson played or not. That's the difference between Kovalchuck's deal.

IMO, Alfredsson is looking kind of foolish for starting a pissing contest with the Sens. He basically wanted the Sens to compensate him for having his deal front loaded...too bad. That's the risk in signing those front loaded deals. It's a two way street.

Also,for Alfredsson to come out and suggest you had no intention to play out the deal - what is he trying to accomplish? Having the Sens be penalized by the league for circumvention?

[Hockey Widow]

I guess the NHL reacted the way they did because it was a 35+ contract - Sens would have been hit with a cap hit regardless if Alfredson played or not. That's the difference between Kovalchuck's deal.

IMO, Alfredsson is looking kind of foolish for starting a pissing contest with the Sens. He basically wanted the Sens to compensate him for having his deal front loaded...too bad. That's the risk in signing those front loaded deals. It's a two way street.

Also,for Alfredsson to come out and suggest you had no intention to play out the deal - what is he trying to accomplish? Having the Sens be penalized by the league for circumvention?

I think he was trying to explain his frustration with the Sens. When he signed that deal he had every intention of retiring at the end of the contract. The Sens asked him to add a throw away year at one million to lower the cap. He had what he thought was a gentleman's agreement that if he decided to not retire and then do another contract the Sens would make sure that the new deal made up for playing that last year at 1 million.

He and his agent tried to negotiate an extension right after the lock out and the Sens kept saying the offer was a no go, come back with a new one and they never once, according to Alfredson, made a counter offer. They told the Sens they were seriously thinking on the Detroit offer and still Murray said he wanted too much. The issue of the throw away year was apparently dismissed by the Sens and they had no intention of adding a little to his new contract to compensate for that. So Alfredson feels thrown under the bus and taken for granted by the Sens, who I believe, as did most people, Alffie would never leave.

I'm not sure why Alffie wants to air this publicly though. Basically admitting that he, his agent and the Sens conspired to circumvent the cap. What I don't get is why the league says it won't investigate.