stevkrause

Exactly - I didn't say the NHLPA was LIKELY to get involved, just that they COULD and would have a very good case if they chose to do so...

AWESOME! fair enough trade off for a potential top 2 d-man...

ever since my top 3 FA d-men have fallen off the board and Lilja appears headed elsewhere, I have stated I would like to see us roll with Janik as the 6/7th d-man, unless Hnidy can be brought in... I watched quite a few over the last few years and saw DRASTIC improvements in each of those seasons... he also looked pretty damn good out there last year, so I don't know which games you were watching??

Eriksson has had a relatively productive NHL career and was involved in a trade that got us Chelios after a couple decent years here, I wouldn't exactly call that a bust - he wasn't a top 2 player, but still served a purpose and of course they were going to let him go for Chelios at that time, Wallin had injury issues and Golubovsky was a gamble from day one with character issues - I don't think any of these examples are relative to a player like Kindl who has done everything right from day one, works his ass off and is a class act... I would go as far as to say he has top 2 potential, but that just needs to be seen... but I'd rather it be seen here, than somewhere else

I'm pretty sure you're thinking of Cory Crawford... regardless though, they gave him the contract and never really gave him a chance to be a starter, from day one he was competing with (arguably) a future HOF'er in Khabibulin - if there is ANY position in hockey where confidence matters the most, it's between the pipes, they're a quirky bunch and if a goaltender doesn't feel his team is 100% behind him, he doesn't play as well... I could still very well see the NHLPA filing (and winning) a grievance of this nature, especially because Crawford still has minor league options... EDIT - If anything, they'd probably be the smartest to trade Niemi's rights while his stock is still high and they are almost certainly in a "re-tooling" phase, give the job back to Huet and tell him from day 1 - this is your job, earn that contract - then if Crawford beats him out, you buy him out in the off season....

He would NEVER work here - he was run out of Buffalo for a poor work ethic and takes nights off at a pace that rivals only Alexi Yashin - Babcock would have him in the press box by game 10...

it's fun in the world of make believe! Meech will be qualified - you do not give up assets for nothing, he will likely be dealt or waived after that, but he will be qualified. period. Abs will get a raise - he has to per the CBA So will Helm, but his will be less REQUIRED by CBA, but expect each of them to get closer to 1m, as we are going to want to lock them up to at least 3 year deals a piece... next, there are no d-men left on the market that fill our needs worht 2m - If we go the FA route, we're better off signing Hnidy at 1m or less...

ugh..............

Sorry, it just drives me nuts when people are willing to run a guy out of town before he's even been given a chance (especially a high draft pick) and then people come back and get their feathers ruffled because guys like Quincey have gone on to be very good NHL players... we have an embarrassment of riches in our pipeline with our high quality development program and scouts and it's because these players are developed properly that we are able to be a perennial powerhouse in this league, even since the cap-era began...

ex-f'ing-actly

I corrected my original post and said .43 ppg player - ALSO - you just proved my point by posting the stats - if you don't see the drastic improvement in the numbers alone(not to mention the intangibles from actually watching him live and how much better he looks than every other AHL player on the ice) then I don't know how much clearer to make it to you... oh... did I mention... HE'S ONLY 23!!!

sorry, you're correct, I was looking at cap hit, not actual salary - but you are still dead on - bad signing any way you slice it.

ding. ding. ding. That is still 2.5 more to their cap, but they gave the contract, they have to accept the responsibility... keep in mind also, that if they "bury him in the minors", that the NHLPA could file a grievance and block the move... I have to imagine it won't be for a few weeks... I'm REALLY intrigued to see what he'll be awarded - my guess is 2.5m MINIMUM

He has shown a LOT more than glimpses - being a .43 ppg player as a d-man is not something to just write off and he has gotten DRASTICALLY better defensively... he is ONLY 23!!! It is still WAY too early to give up on him and he's shown a LOT more than a potential 6/7... now if he grows into it, still needs to be seen, but he has definitely shown the potential to be top 4...

I think you're just going a little too drastic with it - I actually would prefer we stay away from him as well(not wanting to give up on Ritola yet without giving him a shot as my main reason)... but I wouldn't hate the signing and can see it's upside as well...

exactly - not to mention the fact that he has taken MAJOR strides over the past 2 years and IS ONLY 23... think of a faster, more physical Rafalski with a harder shot... To even suggest that we expose him to waivers is asinine.

Granted, they may take option one - but it is a bad precedent, also keep in mind that as an owner, essentially EATING 5m is not just a second thought...

"bury Huet in the minors" is not an option, unless they never want to be a free agent destination again...

try an 800k a year raise... he more than doubled his salary for an ATROCIOUS d-man

not an option - try again.

It's not just for Niemi, but to have been able to keep Hjalmarsson(who they almost certainly will lose now) as well... EDIT - now that I look over the numbers, there's still a good chance that even THAT won't clear enough space, so that may be a bye-bye to Bolland AS WELL

doubtful - he won't have as defensively responsible teammates to pick him up - watch for a career low +/- for him this upcoming year

don't forget a "past his prime" Larry Murphy...

Smith hasn't even played in the AHL yet, let alone the NHL and Kindl has shown MAJOR steps forward in the last 2 seasons, not to mention was a 1st rd pick... I'm as excited as the next guy about Smith's potential and future with this team, but lets keep things in perspective here... there is NO way Smith gets a shot ahead of Kindl, nor should he. exactly.

I am just SO elated to never have to see that complete waste of a roster spot in the Winged Wheel again... It was an insult to the great Yuri Butsayev that he was allowed to sully the number 22!