Around the League 24-25

[Blob Mckenzie]

Britannia rink it's close to downtown. Too many skids?

Too many kids with skullets

[rikster]

I think it’s a fair assessment on the pros and cons of a practice rink location in a city that is utterly frustrating to move around in, I know you only come downstream between dusk and dawn, Doyle but it’s a gong show. There’s locations to build a practice arena. Problem is, the Aqualini’s are cheap and are currently in the throes of a family dispute with Paolo wanting out. Real Estate is crashing, land is expensive, foreign investment is drying up, locals are broke, interest rates are high, labour costs are high and of pour quality, Trumps tariffs has raised prices on already expensive building materials, Aqualini’s bread and butter is hurting right now. The money tree ain’t blossoming as it once was.

Sounds like the perfect time to build...

Far from it. Labour and material costs ain’t coming down. Finding commercial property suited for an ice rink is scarce unless you want to build a condo tower over top. The condo market is crashing and the Aqualini’s are in that racket,
I hear the Oakridge mall development is having serious money problems.

Nor are franchise values which have shot thru the stratsophere in recent years and show no signs of weakening which should more than offset the increased building costs for a multimillion dollar bottom line company...

I'm being overly simplistic but given the choice to build between good times and bad times, I take building during the bad times ...

Ownership/management would have canvassed other owners and players and agents in both the NHL and other pro sports circles to get the ideal set up and my guess is that in their perfect world the project is more than just a practise rink...

But you make a good point in that if there is no land available then you .....?

Take care...

[Chef Boi RD]

Massive problem, especially industrial zoning. Problem with most commercial zones you’re property taxes are based off of 15-25 stories above. Finding a site to build a two storey rink close to downtown is almost impossible. It’s why the Aqualini’s are proposing licensing deals with existing rink owners in the downtown area. Personally I believe the Aqualini’s have no interest in forking out to build a practice rink. What’s the value to them for the cash outlay? A few happy hockey players and coaches?

[dangler]

Britannia rink it's close to downtown. Too many skids?

Could be a great fit!
They want to re- develop and it's a massive chunk of property close to downtown.

[Chef Boi RD]

Britannia rink it's close to downtown. Too many skids?

Could be a great fit!
They want to re- develop and it's a massive chunk of property close to downtown.

Is Britannia rink owned by the city of Vancouver?

Isn’t there an elementary school, high school and public library on the property as well? Highly doubt the city is doing business with the private sector in that development proposal.

If the Aqualini’s wanted to build a rink they would’ve a long time ago. I get the sense they have zero interest in spending the money on it.

[theman]

Rumours going around that the oil are going to re-sign the perennial All Star Trent Frederic to a 8 year deal with a salary average of between 3.5 - 4 mil per.

They only have 12 mil in cap space and still need to re-sign Bouchard, who should come in at around 8 mil per.

[JelloPuddingPop]

Rumours going around that the oil are going to re-sign the perennial All Star Trent Frederic to a 8 year deal with a salary average of between 3.5 - 4 mil per.

They aren't that dumb, I'm sure. Trent Frederic is a good piece, but not one you sign for an 8 year deal. Bottom six players are a dime a dozen.

Edit: Nope, I'm wrong. They are that dumb.

Geez.

[theman]

Rumours going around that the oil are going to re-sign the perennial All Star Trent Frederic to a 8 year deal with a salary average of between 3.5 - 4 mil per.

They aren't that dumb, I'm sure. Trent Frederic is a good piece, but not one you sign for an 8 year deal. Bottom six players are a dime a dozen.

Edit: Nope, I'm wrong. They are that dumb.

Geez.

https://x.com/frank_seravalli/status/19 ... 34957?s=61

Edit: just saw your edit, yeah, stunning move if they do that.

[JelloPuddingPop]

Rumours going around that the oil are going to re-sign the perennial All Star Trent Frederic to a 8 year deal with a salary average of between 3.5 - 4 mil per.

They aren't that dumb, I'm sure. Trent Frederic is a good piece, but not one you sign for an 8 year deal. Bottom six players are a dime a dozen.

Edit: Nope, I'm wrong. They are that dumb.

Geez.

https://x.com/frank_seravalli/status/19 ... 34957?s=61

Edit: just saw your edit, yeah, stunning move if they do that.

Yep, seeing as though Matt Duchene will only be making 0.5 - 1mil more per year than Frederic tells you all you need to know about that signing.

[theman]

Rumours going around that the oil are going to re-sign the perennial All Star Trent Frederic to a 8 year deal with a salary average of between 3.5 - 4 mil per.

They aren't that dumb, I'm sure. Trent Frederic is a good piece, but not one you sign for an 8 year deal. Bottom six players are a dime a dozen.

Edit: Nope, I'm wrong. They are that dumb.

Geez.

https://x.com/frank_seravalli/status/19 ... 34957?s=61

Edit: just saw your edit, yeah, stunning move if they do that.

Yep, seeing as though Matt Duchene will only be making 0.5 - 1mil more per year than Frederic tells you all you need to know about that signing.

Would make absolutely no sense. They need to upgrade their G and re-sign Bouchard.


For example sake, I will use Vancouver as a trade partner.

Oil have almost 12 mil in cap space.

Trade Skinner to Van for Demko straight up. Bye bye 2.4 mil in cap space.

Re-sign Bouchard for a team friendly deal at 7.5 mil. (he will mostly likely sign for at least 8 IMO)

That's almost 10 mil gone and only have 2 mil left. How can this signing work out for them unless they will return with the same goaltending tandem? They need to sign at least 3 forwards to fill out their roster.

[Hockey Widow]

There is a lot of speculation that Bouchard's ask is closer to 11 million.

[Tciso]

Nurse has so much in bonuses, he is buyout proof. Love that contract

[UWSaint]

Rumours going around that the oil are going to re-sign the perennial All Star Trent Frederic to a 8 year deal with a salary average of between 3.5 - 4 mil per.

They aren't that dumb, I'm sure. Trent Frederic is a good piece, but not one you sign for an 8 year deal. Bottom six players are a dime a dozen.

Edit: Nope, I'm wrong. They are that dumb.

Geez.

Similar deals have been made in the past for bottom 6 players at similar points in their career, though they are rare. Colton Sissons (7 yrs @ 2.86. Brandon Tanev. 6 years @ 3.5). Bear in mind 4 million (if that's what Frederic's getting -- Strickland reported that, but other sources last I checked were saying they were "closing in on a deal) is the new 3 million. The cap is likely going up about 30% over the next 3 years.

I miss Topper and his "elite 3rd liner" meme, as silly as that concept is in general, if it exists, I don't see it applying to Frederic. I understand how Brandon Tanev got analyzed to receive his salary -- blocked shots, hits, a very good penalty killer. Frederic in theory provides defensively responsible play, can play the PK, and adds a bit of truculence -- an archetype that's supposed to win playoff hockey (and which the Oilers have lacked) -- but he wasn't very effective in this run, near as I could tell. And while a couple of seasons ago I would have considered Frederic to have untapped offensive upside (and he did get to about .5 point/game), but I think growth on that is unlikely at this point. He had some better opportunities for ice in Boston and didn't provide the solution they were hoping for.

Just as the Canucks are thinking about "what makes QH want to stay," the top of mind in Edmonton has to be "what makes 97 stay?" Upping Draisaitl was essential, though in some ways, nothing handicaps their team construction options like having what I expect will be $32M minimum tied up in these two players. Is Frederic somehow a player 97 wants? I wouldn't think there was either the history that would suggest this, and Frederic's on ice play was completely pedestrian in his short time in Edmonton.

But they must be trying to sell 97 on something. After next season, Edmonton's roster is (as it stands) wide open. This could be a great thing, but they don't have a lot of prospects (to fill in the roster), they are missing significant draft capital (assets to move), and they don't have a lot of roster players they can move out for value. They will have the German, Hyman, RNH, and Janmark under at least fair contracts for their value. On defense, they have Nurse (ouch), Emberson (so what -- paid as a 6-7, buryable) and presumably will have Bouchard.

That's a blank slate to deal with, isn't it? If 97 wants a kind of a team, it can theoretically be built. There is one bad contract limiting them (Nurse's albatross -- which really can't be bought out and probably couldn't be traded without significant retention (buying out would get them a lot of cap space for next season, but almost nothing for the remainder of the contract (that's the problem with front loading actual $$$), meaning retention trades are probably the best options). But still, its hard to build a blank slate around a core with no assets to move. You can look for those guys that fall past July 1 when it gets to be a buyer's market, you can look for the Nichuskin's of the world, but you have to get everything right -- and Bowman isn't going to get everything right.... There will be a lot of $$ available when the roster turns, but you are filling an entire roster outside the core from UFAs -- and all teams will seemingly have a windfall as the cap increases, which is just going to inflate the market. Theoretically, I can see this team turning into the core plus vets signing their second UFA deals, trying to squeeze a couple more good seasons from players who are coming off of overpriced contracts but whose last contracts will be reasonably priced compared to output (guys like Duchene today). Conor and the vets.... Is that what they are selling him on?

It would be easier if their good contracts (Hyman, Nuge) included a solid defenseman, but they don't have that. Their core D man is great offensively and kind of a mess far too often in his own end. They don't have a goalie that they can bank on. Is Matthew Savoie their best prospect?

All of this is a UWSaint length post to say if I am 97 -- who I believe is seriously driven to win -- I am looking at this scenario and concluding there are many more teams in this league with a better chance to win the Cup (if I am on that team) in the next five years than the Edmonton Oilers, even if I am getting $18-20M of their cap.....

[Blob Mckenzie]

Nurse is overpaid by 2 million. Unlike a slug like Lois Eriksson who was overpaid by 5 million.

Flip the goalies around between Florida and Edmonton. What are the results?

97 can only get that 8th year from Edmonton at this point. Its about money to a point. He also hand picked the president, the coach, his best friend is Leon and his wife has started a thriving business there. He goes nowhere. Edmonton is a slightly more cosmopolitan version of Baghdad or Oakland but he would look like an absolute parasite if he left after this deal.

I think he would have the sack to at least let the club know he won't re-up a year out like MT. Not pull a Jammies Tavares. Hilarious to see the love MT gets here now. Puke Stroker and 3/4 of this board hated his guts and told everyone for 7 years that Elmo picked the correct London Knight. Wiebo was adamant.

[theman]

Nurse is overpaid by 2 million. Unlike a slug like Lois Eriksson who was overpaid by 5 million.

Flip the goalies around between Florida and Edmonton. What are the results?

97 can only get that 8th year from Edmonton at this point. Its about money to a point. He also hand picked the president, the coach, his best friend is Leon and his wife has started a thriving business there. He goes nowhere. Edmonton is a slightly more cosmopolitan version of Baghdad or Oakland but he would look like an absolute parasite if he left after this deal.

I think he would have the sack to at least let the club know he won't re-up a year out like MT. Not pull a Jammies Tavares. Hilarious to see the love MT gets here now. Puke Stroker and 3/4 of this board hated his guts and told everyone for 7 years that Elmo picked the correct London Knight. Wiebo was adamant.

Did you see his media interview today? Last part was 'interesting.' Also, he really is a terrible public speaker.

https://x.com/tsnryanrishaug/status/193 ... 93727?s=61