Vancouver Canucks Messageboard

Eakins is either going to bring the Oilers together and get them to be a decent team or they are going to hate him. Much like Torts, there doesn't seem to be many in between opinions. Be interesting if he can adjust to the NHL...it is different than coaching in the minor leagues. Many highly touted coaches have failed and failed hard moving up to the NHL.

I wonder if he takes beer on the plane away......

So, one of the least athletic looking pro athletes out there, Phil Kessel, has signed a massive eight year $64M contract extension to remain a Maple Leaf.

On the one hand, the leaves pretty much had to bite the bullet and sign Kessel. He’s an elite sniper, and elite goal scorers do not come around often or easily. He’s only 25, and has plenty of 30+ goal seasons ahead of him. UFAs of his pedigree do not become available often, and Toronto doesn’t have anybody like Kessel coming up through there system (most teams don’t).

On the other hand, $8M per season is freaking expensive. Like Malkin/Crosby expensive. Kessel is a winger, and the best teams in the league are built around premiere centres, which the leaves have none of. Toronto already has $42M tied up for 11 players next season, with guys like Bolland, Phaneuf, Franson and Kulemin needing new contracts or replacement.

They need to sign 12 more players at an average cost of $1.8M, which is going to be tough to do when Bolland and Phaneuf are going to demand big pay days and could easily chew up $12-13M of that. If Bolland and Phaneuf together cost $12M, that’s only $10M to sign 10 players…yikes!

Kessel represents the leaves perfectly.

Island Nucklehead wrote: The Flyers placed D-man Chris Pronger on LTIR.

According to CapGeek as of opening day, the following teams are utilizing LTIR exemptions:

Philly @ $5M
NYR @ $1.8
San Jose @ $0.2
Toronto @ $.165
Boston @ $2.7M
Detroit @ $24,000
Pittsburgh @ $9,000

What was all that Day 2 Crap?

I'm surprised a hardcore hockey fan such as yourself has never heard about the "Day 2 Crap".

It was there for 7 or 8 years (which is why it's still mentioned in all my links ^).

Apparently it was changed to "Day 1 Crap" in the most recent CBA.

Wouldn't that make both of us technically wrong?

(you said last day of preseason at a certain point, I said Day 2 of regular season).

But hey I see a lot of confusion about this among hockey pundits out there.

Flyer fans weren't concerned about it this season as Philly's first game isn't til Day 2.

But the point remains that they have to WAIT before they can sign a UFA

(this year it was the totally awesome Hal Gill)

... also they need to ensure they have waiver-exempt players they can send down/up on paper.

So it remains a hassle for teams that want to maximize the amount they can go over the cap with LTIR

(teams like the Flyers).

But hey okay we were both wrong... so I'm only up on you by TWO.

1. Maximum $925K cap savings on players waived to the AHL versus your $900K.

2. The Leaves are stuck with Liles.



Not that we are keeping score on minor technicalities/opinions right?

We are all Canucks right?

RIGHT?

Aaronp18 wrote:Kessel represents the leaves perfectly.

That's awesome, should show some of the vancouver fans what the market is overpaying their star players, and if the Sedin's sign for less. #winning

LoL

was it mentioned that Liles was waved to be sent to the Marlies saving the leaves 925K on their cap

herb wrote: Toronto already has $42M tied up for 11 players next season, with guys like Bolland, Phaneuf, Franson and Kulemin needing new contracts or replacement.

... and if by some miracle Ranger is awesome, well he's a UFA next summer as well.

Also Franson and Reimer will be RFAs with arbitration rights.

Kessel certainly didn't give the Leaves a "home team discount" at $8m x 8 + $2m overpayment to BFF Bozak.

I'm more focused on this year.

Leaf fans, despite their denial, are in Cap Hell.

They don't have the depth to replace top 6 forwards or top 4 dee from within

... and they don't the cap space to replace em from without.

LOFL at Ashton + Bodie in the lineup to start the season!

(and they still have to shelter Orr)

Just wait until another couple of their fragile forwards go down.

Kessel pretty much cements the bar in place at $8m for a high end first liner (like I've been saying all along.. not that we are keeping track of little technicalities ).

I don't know that I'd take him and his new deal as the cornerstone of my franchise - well I am pretty damn sure I wouldn't, actually - but he is definitely a dynamic player and I think a team built the right way could certainly add a $7-8m guy like that as the cherry on top.. be it Kessel, Vanek, whoever.

That's the kind of deal you can add as one of the last ingredients to a contender (sort of like Chicago with Brian Campbell), and once again we have the Maple leaves trying to do it all backwards.

edit: interesting - Kessel provides a list of eight teams he can be dealt to every year, although he cannot be waived or loaned. So basically a limited NTC with some extra teeth to keep him in the league for the duration of the contract.

Strangelove wrote:

LOL

(outside of Zurich) $64M can get you A LOT of designer handbags

Strangelove wrote: We are all Canucks right?

RIGHT?

As long as you wear your Canucks jersey over top of your Flyers jersey I can deal with it... I think.


leaves didn't have much choice on the Kessel deal, other than letting him walk. Guy can score, but I wouldn't want to pay $8M/year for a completely one-dimensional player with only 1/2 a set.

Ugly injury to Parros. Personally I don't care if I never see another hockey fight again, and wouldn't mind if they banned fighting (but then there would be more stickwork, etc, etc).

How about Mason Raymond with the GWG for those Toronto Maple leaves, eh?

Topper wrote:

That was actually the best thing to ever happen to Kessel. His career took off. He's outscored Ovi since that incident.

Island Nucklehead wrote: Guy can score, but I wouldn't want to pay $8M/year for a completely one-dimensional player with only 1/2 a set.

Yeah he's not worth 8 million, but he's no more one-dimensional than the Sedins. And at least he tries to defend himself, even if it's in a bitchmade sort of way.

And for people comparing his contract extension to the Sedins, keep in mind that when his contract ends he'll be the same age as the twins are when theirs begins.