Island Nucklehead wrote:SKYO wrote:
So whats your plan, wait for Gillis to trade for Kane? lol
I don't think Vanek is the kind of guy Torts is after, and I don't think the Canucks can offer him the most money in UFA. I don't want to get into a bidding war for a guy who hasn't won shit and has his heart/dedication questioned. He was willing to go to Edmonton for 7 years.
The guy wants to get rich, I don't think he gives a fuck about a Cup. Further, I question his ability to score that many goals in the West...
Buying out Booth gives us $14M to sign 8 players next season. We have to sign guys like Kassian, Tanev, Weise and Schroeder (if we want). Kassian and Tanev will get raises. The money just isn't there to give Vanek huge $$$. I can see Gillis shooting for the Michalek's, Callahan's, Bollands, and Cammalleri's of the league. Someone in the $5M range.
Another option is looking at the RFA route. Ryan Johansen, Brayden Schenn, Chris Kreider etc. are going to be RFA's this summer. So is Chris Tanev. Obviously Tanev alone isn't going to land any of them, but with the Stanton Surprise and hopefully Corrado's development, can we move Tanev+ for a forward?
Torts has a minor say on the matter, but this is Gillis' ship to steer.
As for Vanek being all about the money, bullshit, he turned down a huge offer from Buffalo - he could have became richer than Ovechkin, however he wants to win now and not go through a painful rebuild.
http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/201 ... abres.html
Thomas Vanek could have been paid handsomely to stay in Buffalo. A source, in fact, says the Sabres were willing to make him the highest-paid player in the NHL.
He'd rather win than take part in a rebuild, which has been his message since last season.
"I enjoyed my time there, but I didn’t want to be a part of that," Vanek told reporters in New York today following his first practice with the Islanders. "We traded pretty much every veteran. The message was clear that they’re going for draft picks. I think our last game we played four teenagers. Good, young players, but young players take time."
Vanek is 29, not old by any stretch but not young, either. He watched Mike Grier inconsolably weep following his last NHL game, and Vanek would like to do what Grier didn't -- win the Stanley Cup.
"“You train all summer long, practice every day, and you want to be on a competitive team that has a chance," Vanek said. "Right now we struggled there. It’s hard to leave when you do struggle. I was one of the leaders, but at the same time the reality is it’s business and I’m happy to be an Islander.”
Kass will get a bridge contract, Tanev will get $3-3.5M per. Weise is being shopped around lol. Schroeder the team should just let the guy go already or trade for a similar player albeit more industrious type.
Michalek/Callahan I hope not, they are injury prone, we got enough of that already on this team.
Bolland will get overpaid for being a 2nd/3rd line center.
Cammy is interesting tho' even though he sucks defensively, he's another mini mouse just older.
This is why this offseason is crucial for Mike Gillis future with the team, he's about 50/50 on trades thus far, and his team has steadily declined after the cup run, enough relying on the back to back prez trophies, can only use that for so long.
He needs to win this dman trade and another trade to shore up our horrendous dried up offense.
Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.