AROUND THE LEAGUE - 25-26

[Megaterio Llamas]

So what I’m reading here is that now Ottawa has interest in Petey.

But does Petey have interest in Ottawa?

I'd bet he has more interest in Ottawa than he does the press box.

Oh, I wouldn't be so sure, Mëds. The press box might be exactly the kind of work he likes.

The cheques will keep rolling in almost no matter what happens.

[Megaterio Llamas]

From X

"Sources: The newly reunited Tkachuk brothers will both wear TKACHUK on the back of their jerseys, instead of M. TKACHUK and B. TKACHUK. Those close to the situation say it doesn’t really matter because neither of them can read."

I see a whole bunch of new warning labels coming to Florida this fall.

Barkov, Brady, and Bennett down the middle.

They're going to be fun to play against.

[Tciso]

OTT: EP40, DeBrusk (50% retained)
VAN: all those firsts they just got

Thats dumber than 2 Tkachuks in an Early Learing Center.

[Ronning's Ghost]

Why do we want to get rid of him again?

We're going to need players on the ice next year.

Just in case that was sincere (I can never tell), the rumour was that he wasn't excited about being part of a rebuild. I can see how a 29 year-old without a long history with the club might not be.

The veteran players the Canucks want to ice next year just need to be -- as UWSaint said -- good enough that they don't stifle the development of the youngsters, and -- as I said -- just terrifying enough that nobody starts nothin'. We should probably add "professional enough to be good role models off the ice''.

I might be over-estimating the pool of NHL free agents and AHL or SHL players ready to move up, but I don't think they'll be so hard to find that there's anyone on the roster now that the Canucks couldn't part with, especially if there was a risk that said player wasn't on board with the mission.

[Carl Yagro]

OTT: EP40, DeBrusk (50% retained)
VAN: all those firsts they just got

This might (should) be a real possibility if according to Fridgeman, Ottawa is likely looking to flip those picks for established players as their remaing, top young guys are in their prime window and need to be in win-now mode.

We can always dredge up some garbage players to fill the void temporarily.

We've been doing the R thing half-assed for way too long. Just jump in with both feet. We might be surprised at how quickly we resurface.

[Megaterio Llamas]

Why do we want to get rid of him again?

We're going to need players on the ice next year.

Just in case that was sincere (I can never tell), the rumour was that he wasn't excited about being part of a rebuild. I can see how a 29 year-old without a long history with the club might not be.

The veteran players the Canucks want to ice next year just need to be -- as UWSaint said -- good enough that they don't stifle the development of the youngsters, and -- as I said -- just terrifying enough that nobody starts nothin'. We should probably add "professional enough to be good role models off the ice''.

I might be over-estimating the pool of NHL free agents and AHL or SHL players ready to move up, but I don't think they'll be so hard to find that there's anyone on the roster now that the Canucks couldn't part with, especially if there was a risk that said player wasn't on board with the mission.

No, I was being completely sincere. But I get your point.

What I like - decent player with some goal scoring ablity, non horrible contract, Canadian, pretty good teammate by all accounts.

I guess if he really wants out - a year after wanting in, you see what you can do. But...just looking at that roster, he profiles as one of the few vets I would be inclined to keep around. For now.

Petey, Meaty, and Brock are the guys I'm looking to offload if possible. And of course Demmer and Lankinen, but that's pretty optomistic.

[Meds]

No, I was being completely sincere. But I get your point.

What I like - decent player with some goal scoring ablity, non horrible contract, Canadian, pretty good teammate by all accounts.

I guess if he really wants out - a year after wanting in, you see what you can do. But...just looking at that roster, he profiles as one of the few vets I would be inclined to keep around. For now.

Petey, Meaty, and Brock are the guys I'm looking to offload if possible. And of course Demmer and Lankinen, but that's pretty optomistic.

Petey and Meaty I totally understand.

Why are you moving Brock over Jake?

Boeser (29): 629GP - 226G/482P

DeBrusk (29): 628GP - 189G/356P

One wants to be here, the other has (allegedly) voiced wanting out of a rebuild.

[Megaterio Llamas]

No, I was being completely sincere. But I get your point.

What I like - decent player with some goal scoring ablity, non horrible contract, Canadian, pretty good teammate by all accounts.

I guess if he really wants out - a year after wanting in, you see what you can do. But...just looking at that roster, he profiles as one of the few vets I would be inclined to keep around. For now.

Petey, Meaty, and Brock are the guys I'm looking to offload if possible. And of course Demmer and Lankinen, but that's pretty optomistic.

Petey and Meaty I totally understand.

Why are you moving Brock over Jake?

Boeser (29): 629GP - 226G/482P

DeBrusk (29): 628GP - 189G/356P

One wants to be here, the other has (allegedly) voiced wanting out of a rebuild.

Sure thing, can explain.

Boeser: $7,250 x 6

DeBrusk: $5,500 x 5

Brock is also softer, slower, and less Canadian.

[Tciso]

No, I was being completely sincere. But I get your point.

What I like - decent player with some goal scoring ablity, non horrible contract, Canadian, pretty good teammate by all accounts.

I guess if he really wants out - a year after wanting in, you see what you can do. But...just looking at that roster, he profiles as one of the few vets I would be inclined to keep around. For now.

Petey, Meaty, and Brock are the guys I'm looking to offload if possible. And of course Demmer and Lankinen, but that's pretty optomistic.

Petey and Meaty I totally understand.

Why are you moving Brock over Jake?

Boeser (29): 629GP - 226G/482P

DeBrusk (29): 628GP - 189G/356P

One wants to be here, the other has (allegedly) voiced wanting out of a rebuild.

Sure thing, can explain.

Boeser: $7,250 x 6

DeBrusk: $5,500 x 5

Brock is also softer, slower, and less Canadian.

And he takes a personal day every time the trainers play "Ol Yeller" on the airplane.

[Cornuck]

And he takes a personal day every time the trainers play "Ol Yeller" on the airplane.

Fuck - I almost spit my coffee out!

[UWSaint]

I think that this weekend's moves (Sameskevich, Tkachuk, McMann extension) signal the market might be a bit better for trading DeBrusk and EP40 than I had thought.

Its funny, some around here slag guys for being power play merchants when the ability to be effective on the power play is a skill (not everyone is). Having good special teams is a hack for points, and I think that one of the things we see from teams that underperform on the power play is a mediocre net front presence. Lots and lots of teams could use a middle 6 5-on-5, first unit PP guy; add depth to the forward group, add effectiveness to special teams. Plus factors for DeBrusk are that he's been a good playoff performer, the salary is good, and he's pretty good defensively (which some power play specialists are not). Maybe DeBrusk can snag a first rounder and a later pick or mid prospect after all? (I had thought he was more of a 2 seconds value).

Crappy UFA class, cap space for almost everyone, unexceptional (but somewhat deep) draft class -- its an ideal environment for trades. Could be a fun week. Let's see what RJ can do.

[Lancer]

Crappy UFA class, cap space for almost everyone, unexceptional (but somewhat deep) draft class -- its an ideal environment for trades. Could be a fun week. Let's see what RJ can do.

If you look at it with a wide-enough lens, from last season to this offseason we may be seeing a phenomenon where franchises and their 'franchise players' players are not so ironclad. You can either pinpoint the start of it with Hughes, but I would say McDavid's extension was a bit of a shot across the bow as well. Either clubs are re-evaluating whether their franchise players will get them where they want to be (eg. Pettersson) or franchise players are re-evaluating their club.

A rising cap eases the trading contract math. A lot of clubs and players re-thinking the status quo. It's a certainly more dynamic trade front this year compared to others.

The next two weeks will be interesting - especially after 1 July when clubs that lost out on their UFA targets either shop the secondary market or go back to trade talk.

[UWSaint]

Crappy UFA class, cap space for almost everyone, unexceptional (but somewhat deep) draft class -- its an ideal environment for trades. Could be a fun week. Let's see what RJ can do.

... we may be seeing a phenomenon where franchises and their 'franchise players' players are not so ironclad....

A rising cap eases the trading contract math. A lot of clubs and players re-thinking the status quo.

The rising cap space has created more potential destinations for 'franchise players' who leave their original teams to go.

It certainly seems that there has been a growing assertiveness among the players to take advantage of this environment. There's always a bit of an ebb and flow from league to player in terms of power, and the pendulum is swinging the players' way.

And it doesn't seem to be a coincidence that many of the players taking advantage of this pendulum swing were US Olympians/4 nations teammates. Its easier to break a mold when others are also doing it (I'm sure there was encouragement in the group); winning is addictive; Americans (generally and as a stereotype) are more prone to disrupt conventions to get what they want (ambition). Plus, I think that team bonded together -- and it probably opened some eyes as to what a team should be, how other organizations are run, etc.

McDavid's approach was a little different -- sign for way less, but for way less term than the team wanted, which basically put the team on a clock and was a dare: it won't be my salary that keeps this from working. Edmonton has responded by seemingly turning more and more of the team over to McDavid, or at least having "make McDavid happy" as a primary strategy.

Its not clear to me where Matthews is -- reports are that he's not all in, he's evaluating the team's direction, etc. That might be true; it might also be true that he's further down the road, somewhere closer to where Hughes started last season. But while there's a lot we don't know, what we seem to know is that his interest in someday winning a cup is greater than his loyalty to the club because the club's direction is going to influence his decision to re-sign or not.

When I look at Detroit and Vancouver (Larkin and Hughes), I see dysfunctional organizations that let the players down. Loyalty should be repaid with at least competence, and neither organization showed that. Ottawa has been a mess historically, but they seem to have had a pretty good thing going on. (B Tkachuk's demand sort of looks more like M Tkachuk;s demand and Gaudreau not re-signing).

I don't really have a strong view as to whether this is good or bad for the NHL. The knee jerk reaction is that it is bad for every player to want to go to Florida or Vegas, but why shouldn't the spoils go the the winners? Why should the losers, the poorly run teams, the dysfunctional locker rooms and franchises, why should they be entitled to hold on to the players who are there because of the draft.

The alternative to players using their leverage is a league that entirely put the league and owners in control. And if we don't like the Aquamen and the Melnyks, why would we want a league entirely controlled by them?

Last point, I note that full NMCs/NTCs are really a foot in the door for players to exercise extraordinary leverage, and that teams haven't been appropriately pricing in the costs of these clauses. Or that they will now at least start to reprice them.

[Megaterio Llamas]

And he takes a personal day every time the trainers play "Ol Yeller" on the airplane.

Fuck - I almost spit my coffee out!

Yeah, lol.

[donlever]

...and now Connor Murphy follows on the Dickinson heels with his own 5x4.1...