Around the league (signings, RFAs injuries)

[SKYO]

Mr Meat & Potatoes, Tom Wilson re-signs $5M+ per x 6.

NEWS | Capitals re-sign forward Tom Wilson to a six-year contract, $31M worth an average annual value of $5.17 million

[Hockey Widow]

Mr Meat & Potatoes, Tom Wilson re-signs $5M+ per x 6.

NEWS | Capitals re-sign forward Tom Wilson to a six-year contract, $31M worth an average annual value of $5.17 million

I like Wilson but I’m a little wow on that one. Horvat deal looking better and better.

[SKYO]

An interesting read on the Ducks and their regular season success and their playoff non-success.

https://www.thefourthperiod.com/spraker ... mer-ahead/

Somber in SoCal, both the Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings got swept for a quick first round exit in the race for the Stanley Cup.

The difference: Los Angeles put up a fight. The Ducks got swept by the San Jose Sharks and it was just plain ugly. The simplest way to put it: Anaheim played bad hockey, from top to bottom. The Ducks were red hot down the stretch, finishing 10-1-1 in their last dozen games, and there were high hopes for this team to go far in the playoffs, but there was just one problem: they didn’t show up, again.

We’ve been talking about this for a few seasons now, the Ducks’ window with the veterans on this team, but before I dive down that rabbit hole, here’s the spark notes – the Sprake-notes if you will – for this series between San Jose and Anaheim.

San Jose rolled four lines that could score, Anaheim did not. There was no production from the Ducks third or fourth line.

One thing I mentioned in my playoff preview was Evander Kane. The Ducks had not played the Sharks since they acquired Kane prior to this series. San Jose got a lot faster with Kane and he was en fuego for his team, taking advantage of the Ducks lack of speed. Not to mention the top six for San Jose are a force to be reckoned with.

Speed kills, and it killed the Ducks. The main critique of this team for quite sometime now. The Sharks skated circles around the Ducks, and took advantage of them in transition. This ‘rough and tough’ style of hockey that Anaheim seems to be stuck in just doesn’t fit into this league anymore. For a few seasons now they’ve been trailing the league but in this case they were simply left in the dust.

The Vegas Golden Knights scored more goals in two periods in their first game in the second round than the Ducks did in four games.

David Pastrnak had more points in the first round than the Ducks and Kings had goals combined.

Now that it is all said and done, we can establish a few things in regard to this team.

-The Ducks are slow and need to adapt to the pace of the game, one way or another.
-The veterans’ window has closed (yes I’m sticking by that).
-Change has to happen and happen soon to get this team back in the discussion of being a contending team.
-John Gibson is coming into his own and was probably top 5 this season in goaltending—just don’t bump into him.
-The cap is going to be one hell of an issue if they want to make any massive roster changes.

Speed killed the Ducks, plus the addition of Evander Kane on the Sharks vastly improved their attack, which is why having Virtanen in the playoffs and his wheels will be handy to have for our rebuilding team.

[Island Nucklehead]

Mr Meat & Potatoes, Tom Wilson re-signs $5M+ per x 6.

NEWS | Capitals re-sign forward Tom Wilson to a six-year contract, $31M worth an average annual value of $5.17 million

I like Wilson but I’m a little wow on that one. Horvat deal looking better and better.

It’s high (and long), but Wilson has that rare ability to take over a playoff series. It will be interesting to see if his physicality and health holds up, but he’s an impact player and they tend to get paid.

[dangler]

Mr Meat & Potatoes, Tom Wilson re-signs $5M+ per x 6.

NEWS | Capitals re-sign forward Tom Wilson to a six-year contract, $31M worth an average annual value of $5.17 million

I like Wilson but I’m a little wow on that one. Horvat deal looking better and better.

It’s high (and long), but Wilson has that rare ability to take over a playoff series. It will be interesting to see if his physicality and health holds up, but he’s an impact player and they tend to get paid.

+1

[Blob Mckenzie]

Yes it’s a lot of cash for Wilson but he was two years away from UFA, so a one year deal may have increased his annual salary hit if he built on this teams playoffs and put up 50 points.

If they sign him to a two year deal it takes him straight to
UFA. He’s 24 so he may have a bit of room to still improve

[SKYO]

Odd the ones who hate high cap hits to players who provide 'intangibles' to the game, like rock em sock em tough guy stuff are actually sticking up for the $5+M per for Wilson who avg what 7g per season?


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Notable RFA's still:

Sens: Stone
Vegas: William Karlsson $$$, Shea Theodore
Wings: Larkin
Flamers: Noah Hanifin
leaves: W. Nylander
Sabres: Sam Reinhart
Ducks: N. Ritchie, Ondrej Kase
Oilers: Nurse
Jets: Joshua Morrissey

Jets are in a interesting period, next year their heart and soul captain becomes a UFA Wheeler along with Tyler Myers, and their superstar Laine will be a RFA.

Plus their tough negotiations will continue again in Trouba, mr trouble contract is a RFA again.

[Madcombinepilot]

Odd the ones who hate high cap hits to players who provide 'intangibles' to the game, like rock em sock em tough guy stuff are actually sticking up for the $5+M per for Wilson who avg what 7g per season?


----


Notable RFA's still:

Sens: Stone
Vegas: William Karlsson $$$, Shea Theodore
Wings: Larkin
Flamers: Noah Hanifin
leaves: W. Nylander
Sabres: Sam Reinhart
Ducks: N. Ritchie, Ondrej Kase
Oilers: Nurse
Jets: Joshua Morrissey

Jets are in a interesting period, next year their heart and soul captain becomes a UFA Wheeler along with Tyler Myers, and their superstar Laine will be a RFA.

Plus their tough negotiations will continue again in Trouba, mr trouble contract is a RFA again.

I think that Morrisey would fill a couple holes on our D.. young, good skater, decent first pass, kind of abrasive (sandpapery - not a big hitter, just hard to play against. he is always leaning on someone).. could be a good fit/upgrade on our defence once Tanev and Edler are gone.

[Cousin Strawberry]

Jack Hughes heading back to NTDP next year instead of playing with his big brother Quinn at Michigan. That seems a little odd no?

[Mickey107]

Jack Hughes heading back to NTDP next year instead of playing with his big brother Quinn at Michigan. That seems a little odd no?

Holey shit.
Yeah, odd.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/top ... dp-school/

[Hockey Widow]

Not odd. He’s not academically inclined. No drama next spring either. He’ll sign his ELC.

Neither brother is about putting in any more time than necessary to make it to the NHL. That’s what it is about for them, where they are destined. Jack just isn’t a school guy.

[Cousin Strawberry]

The USDP has their training facility 20 miles away from Quinn at the U of M...not such an issue after all. Jack is an instant superstar as soon as he joins his NHL team next fall so this might be his last stab at a somewhat normal teenager's life

[Hockey Widow]

The USDP has their training facility 20 miles away from Quinn at the U of M...not such an issue after all. Jack is an instant superstar as soon as he joins his NHL team next fall so this might be his last stab at a somewhat normal teenager's life

He’s going to be able to focus on nothing but hockey.

Quinn had to ask his coach if he could get extra ice time to work on his shot every day. Jack can just focus.

[Mickey107]

The USDP has their training facility 20 miles away from Quinn at the U of M...not such an issue after all. Jack is an instant superstar as soon as he joins his NHL team next fall so this might be his last stab at a somewhat normal teenager's life

Dan, it's definitely time to summon your friends from afar and convince them to use their electromagnetic energy to slightly alter
the thought patterns of Quinn's brain so he will see "the light" and join his Vancouver Canucks in camp this September.

Sorry, it's meteor shower days and I actually saw a couple, even with the smokey skies.
Couldn't help thinking, well, you know.



don't you

[Island Nucklehead]

Not odd. He’s not academically inclined. No drama next spring either. He’ll sign his ELC.

Neither brother is about putting in any more time than necessary to make it to the NHL. That’s what it is about for them, where they are destined. Jack just isn’t a school guy.

Yeah nothing wrong with it. It makes a lot of sense if you have zero desire to pursue a degree (why bother with the classes and papers?). I think there is some debate on whether the USNTDP is a better developmental step vs playing against the older college kids. Might not matter in this case.

Ultimately, when you’re that good it probably doesn’t matter where you play. Next stop, NHL.