AROUND THE LEAGUE - 25-26

[rats19]

Is it me or is Frank Nazar the man in Chicago not Connor Bedard? Bedard is hovering close to Lafrenierre level disappointing.

Nazar is blowing Bedard away, 3 points to 2.

That’s embarrassing..

[Tciso]

Is it me or is Frank Nazar the man in Chicago not Connor Bedard? Bedard is hovering close to Lafrenierre level disappointing.

Nazar is blowing Bedard away, 3 points to 2.

That’s embarrassing..

Redraft?

[Megaterio Llamas]

Is it me or is Frank Nazar the man in Chicago not Connor Bedard? Bedard is hovering close to Lafrenierre level disappointing.

Nazar is blowing Bedard away, 3 points to 2.

That’s embarrassing..

Redraft?

lol

[Chef Boi RD]

Is it me or is Frank Nazar the man in Chicago not Connor Bedard? Bedard is hovering close to Lafrenierre level disappointing.

Nazar is blowing Bedard away, 3 points to 2.

I was hoping that that was going to be the carrot dangle to lure you out from the basement

[Chef Boi RD]

Welp, certainly glad we didn’t go hard after Quinn’s buddy Josh Norris. The kid is a battlefield of injuries.

[Hockey Widow]

Welp, certainly glad we didn’t go hard after Quinn’s buddy Josh Norris. The kid is a battlefield of injuries.

I saw that too. lol. Boy would we be pissed.

[donlever]

Looks like 8x8.85 for Lane Hutson.

Less than Dobson.

That may turn into one helluva deal for the Habs.

[UWSaint]

Looks like 8x8.85 for Lane Hutson.

Less than Dobson.

That may turn into one helluva deal for the Habs.

Dobson's deal is mostly UFA years (everything after this season), so this explains the difference and then some. Year one for Hutson would be a NQO RFA and he wouldn't be a FA until 2031-32.

Luke Hughes and Jackson LaCombe are closer on the career scale, Hughes a year ahead of Hutson and LaCombe in a different place than both because while he has the same NHL experience as Hughes, he was closer to free agency due to age. Both of those guys are making a little more than the new Hutson contract, and Hughes' deal will expire two years sooner than Hutson's.

From my vantage, Hutson brings something to the table these other guys don't, something Quinn Hughes-like. (Remember Hughes in his first full season; they are fairly comparable in play style and impact, granted Hughes played his first full season one year sooner after his draft). I'm not projecting Hutson becomes what Hughes is now, but I do think that Hutson's overall game will only improve, and that game is worth the current salary today. Great signing.

[UWSaint]

That may turn into one helluva deal for the Habs.

More generally, hasn't this been sort of an odd season for signings? In a thin free agency class, the top end for the most part didn't have crazy contracts despite a fair number of teams with cap space -- but some crazy contracts went to middle tier guys. Then you have Kaprizov's eyeball popping contract, McDavid's "bargain", long term deals to defenseman of the future that could turn against the teams but have a higher chance of payout -- and sort of surprising contracts IMO given these players might have benefitted from betting on themselves and signing something shorter.

Very good to elite players hold so many cards, its interesting to see how much their desire to play them changes the results. Every player has a comp they like, and now every team has a comp they like....

[donlever]

Right...the ongoing conversation "around the league" has been the effort to sign him for less than Noah's 9.5 (overpayment imo but another conversation) for the reasons you stipulate.

Rumour had the Habs moving off of the player/agent requested 8x9 earlier in the off season.

Personally I think Hutson could end up being the best of the 3 which is not meant to minimize the other 2 at all.

If Reinbacher pans out man are the Habs back end deep.

Be intersting to see if Lane makes the Olympic team after all.....

UW...you can add Eichels team friendly deal to the list.

[UWSaint]

UW...you can add Eichels team friendly deal to the list.

Funny, I thought about adding Eichel when writing the post. The reason I didn't is because I sort of think 13.5M a season, with the cap where it is and will be, is a resigning market rate for a guy with his production and injury history. An ever so slight decrease from "in the UFA market" that's less team friendly discount and more risk mitigation against the catastrophic injury this season and getting the extra year. Notably, his contract takes him through his age 37 season -- so whatever benefits Vegas might be getting early, they are absorbing the risk incumbent with any long term signing where the majority of seasons are past typical peak and concluding in years where significant decline is the rule not the exception. If Eichel flattens out to ppg performance from age 32-26, this will still look good with the cap increasing. But there's certainly a risk Vegas is taking on.

[Chef Boi RD]

That may turn into one helluva deal for the Habs.

Or not.

I’m finding this new phenomenon of contracts we are seeing being doled out to kids with low mileage on the NHL games-in odometer a bit interesting, perplexing.

[donlever]

I'm going to guess this one works out.

The league and it's Power Brokers are adapting to change and rapidly growing cap numbers.

Save the collapse of the Western World or some other disastrous phenomenon, in 3 or 4 years 8.85 for Hutson will as likely as not be a middling deal.

It would be a similar argument folks have used for our current top earner to justify the expense.

Get ready for the Cootes, Lekkerimaki and Willander deals Dude.

Might want to start pounding the Grappa now in preparation.

[Chef Boi RD]

Times, they are a changing.

Always are, always will.

[donlever]

Come gather now hockey fans
Wherever you roam
And see that the contracts
Around us have grown