frankgrimes

Most Philly fans are happy with it. He is a 80 pts plus player and has improved tremendously, so a fair contract. Next up are the two big guns Kopitar and Stamkos who will both shatter the 10,5 aav from Toews and Kane.

I think Franson looked at a Boychuck like contract but he isn't as good. If I'm Holland I'd offer 5x5 or 4,2x6 Franson adds size and physicality.

Fair contract for a solid center, he did give up some valuable ufa years though.

Well I guess it depends I'm sure NHL teams are already having those ultra HD TVs and a ton of them to study films, slow-mos and all that stuff. I don't think knowing exactly each and every detail of a game will help much it would only make the video sessions longer = less time for the real important stuff (on-ice-training) but maybe I'm wrong and they are fine with it. Yeah Holtby really got a fair deal unlike Chiasson 1,2 per seems a bit undervalued. No all I'm saying is that hockey was better back then. I mean even Podcasts barely existed (if at all) and the internet was still billed per minute instead of a flatrate - so getting all the information - even if it's just basics - was time consuming and expensive yet I've enjoyed it much more. But implying that advanced stats and the quality of hockey are correlated ? Nope because I'm not into that stuff and something like this would be a question for the advanced stat guys.

I think they could have handled better but for sure a difficult situation. I mean one of the best goalies ever at the end of his career and the team overall in decline mode. Maybe they should have told him bevore extending him that he might only be a backup. but it's water under the bridge now unbelievable TSN already has a lot of articles abut the hiring, wish they would be as good with their website design

I think the nhlpa will have something to say about those chips. Why should players be comfortable with everything bring tracked and out there for everyone? I know some people believe in these stats but I prefer the basics and the opinion of scouts, coaches etc. Poster of why it's so hard to understand baseball as a newbie are all the different stats instead of having a basic and an "advanced" tab at the page. I couldn't care less about trends of pitchers and batters. Anyhow this is really of topic but it goes to show you that revolution isn't always a good thing. Hockey was so much better back in the 90s and early 2000s and yet we've had less information but a way better product.

I'm talking about this http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2014/04/unhappy_with_playing_time_this_season_martin_brodeur_gives_best_hint_yet_that_hes_done_with_devils.html Maybe telling him that he would have to battle for the number 1 spot would have been better. Anyhow that situation in Toronto will be very interesting.

I know that but they should have made that clear before extending Brodeur

Huh? Shanahan is the VP, his job will be to act as the middle man between ownership and the front office. Now that he has his stuff in place I think he'll focus on the business side but Lou is the GM sure Shanahan can overrule him but why should he Lou is the must experienced guy there by far.

Yes for me the basics are enough, if others want to dig deeper that's also fine with me as long as the stuff I've mentioned doesn't happen. And yes, I truly believe Babcock is the best coach in hockey but that doesn't mean I wouldn't fast forward if he talks about stuff I'm not interested in. I think you are talking about Kyle Dubas? He comes of very smart and not just like the prototypical analytics guy I hope for their sake that also trusts things like instinct and his scouts but given the Leafs draft I'm not sure with that I mean how does one pick so many undersized players and not go for grit and toughness in the later rounds? Ok so NHL teams are hiring these guys but as we've seen they are also getting fired I.e that Oilers guy who thought he knew more than MacTavish. Let's be honest I think almost every NHL team has the best technology money can buy I guess we'll see if this trend produces something worthwhile. No offense to Dubas but it will be funny seeing him to tell one of the most experienced GMs number x is prove if that and therefore he should trade for another player lol

I want karacter , guy show no karacterIt will be pure gold

Therrien and Semin I can't wait for it to unfold and then also Kassian lol

Well it's a no risk move but I'm glad he has signed somewhere else guy is a soft floater. Sure Semin had tons of skill but a poor work ethic and dedication to the game.

And that's exactly why I think this whole movement is just a short trend for a few teams. Baseball is not hockey it's a slower with more down time and a lot more games I.e. Bigger sample size with less outliers.Hockey is or at least was a fast paced, physical team sport with tons of momentum shifts and intangibles. I'm fairly sure the math freaks would take a guy like OV, Malkin over Toews because they can't measure intangibles or leadership qualities. If I'm the GM and have to decide if I'm trading the advise of a professional scout or a mathfreak with MacBook pro excel sheet I don't even have to think twice about it. The thing with analytics is also that all of a sudden bloggers think they are experts when in fact all they are is excel and very talented mathguys with a ton of time on their hands. Orr sad it best it's a joke. Believe it or not scouts have a god given talent to project prospects that's why they are paid well while everyone with high math and excel skills can create a blog and look at things in hindsight with graphs and formulas. When a guy like Travis Yost is writing about how his stats for prospects are prove of this and that then I can't help but think well if you know all that so well why aren't you working as a director of scouting for a NHL team ? The truth is scouts are picking the players, not math formulas ..Everyone can look back now and say stuff like why wasn't Zetterberg picked in the first round...Well scouts don't have that luxury neither do nhl teams Everyone who watched the Wings play saw where the problems were and how their system helped them to overcome it for some time. What the Wings were is simple: a team that made the playoffs and lost to Tampa in 7 games wow sooo advanced and all that without using my calculator. Sorry for OT but this analytics is really starting to annoy me, a few years ago it was just there for those interested in it but now this nerd talk creeps into everyday stuff, why should people that don't care about it have to scroll through that spam on TSN or fast forward more and more hockey podcasts? Doesn't make sense. I'm sure the analytics crowd wouldn't be happy if their blogs were filled with intangibles stuff yet vise versa it should be accepted? I don't think so

good contract if it doesn't work out he can still be packaged for a bit of a nicer return so I like it.

People who watched the games saw that, not everyone is following games while looking at some excel spreadsheets or having their calculator ready. Hopefully this mathfreaks trend is going away as fast as it came because it's annoying having to fast forward podcasts and filter TSN hockeynews just to get the desired information while having to read through stupid graphics and formulas. Anyhow great deal for Holtby and the Capitals by the end of this contract he will still be in his prime and could get even more if he works on his game.

Looks like another useless let's bash the best coach in all of hockey kind of thing. It takes 2 to tango and sadly for us the guy wanted to move on just be happy it wasn't Hakan

There were rumors that Lou didn't mesh well with their new more business focused ownership but man I've never thought he would leave the Devils. The Kovalchuck situation was forced by their former owner and they didn't have the money to re-sign Parise but man the Brodeur vs Schneider situation could have been handled sooo much better. Hate to say it but a great hire, most experienced GM in the game thought they'd hire a yes man

Nothing unusual about it teams are going intro arbitration with the lowest offer and players with the highest. I think they'll meet somewhere north of 6. Holtby had two good seasons his rookie one and now the one under Trotz. But he for sure hasn't proven enough to be in the King Henrik, Rinne, Rask, Quick and Price class.

I don't know what a N word is but whatever if you don't like the word midget don't use it instead of making a big deal out of it. And that's all I have to say to that irrelevant OT stuff.Hossa left the Penguins because he thought he had a better chance with the Wings to win the cup back then and that's why he signed on a 1 year contract and not taking Pittsburgh's 7x7 offer. Like I said spending is just one part, teams also need the right people in the front office a team that has chemistry and a strong development system. Being a big spender doesn't implicit being stupid with money, so even without a cap I don't see any of the current UFA players getting much more because the class simple wasn't that impressive. I agree the fans crawled back which was a mistake because it will mean there's going to be another one.

Exactly in fact it isn't very different from the current 8 year / 7 year contract limits.

Oh yeah a Steve Simmons article is for sure going to be 100 % correct. Just as an example do people honestly believe the Wings wouldn't have paid Hossa and the Mule without the cap? I'm pretty sure they would have. Also stop this crap about offensive you can choose not to use the word - it just means someone is a very little person which in fact is true - if it bothers you that much Jesus ******* christ. No the players wouldn't have to strike they can just wait till they are locked out again (for a record breaking 4 time in a row) and then start the process. Will it happen ? Who knows but almost everything is better than going through a lockout because all of a sudden the current system doesn't work anymore... Yeah the Hawks have won 3 cups in 6 years great succes and sadly a great story which is why I want to see the Kings winning it this year which would mean 3 cups in 5 years !

I'm not saying it's the best thing ever but if the union is only used as a method to keep the lockouts legal and get more and more power shifts for the owners what's the point? I think owners want the best possible hotels and comfort for their players because if they don't provide it others will. Yes there are risks like always but if the NHL is really going for a fourth lockout then this might be a better option. And as I've said leagues would be better without commissioners and just have someone who represents the owners and the players side for example a mediator.

Responsible for 3 lockouts, failed franchises, destroying the ASG and now even the former cashcow known as Winter Classic I bet he doesn't even know what icing is and gifting such a terrible company like Rogers the NHL rights in Canada ? I think you need to get your facts straight here: The players can desertify if the majority of them votes to do so it is purely NHLPA related the NHL itself (i.e. Bettman and the owners) can do nothing about it. Desertification would mean that a lockout is illegal and the CBA would be a thing of the past, Also the owners locked out the players so it's not the players fault if the players decided not to play it would be a strike like harold explained. Beating under the Hawks under the same system would mean, the Wings would have to try to be as bad as possible for a few years and get gems like Toews, Kane and Keith then watching them mature and strike big with UFAS like Hossa. Given that starting next year all top 3 picks will go into the lottery even that will be harder going forward. People can argue that spending big is "unfair" but guess what icing a cheap product year after year and getting rewarded with top 5 picks isn't the nature of sports also. While beating the Hawks would be extremely nice lets be honest it's not going to happen for at least a few more years, as long as their core is still in their prime or not too far out of it they'll be too much for the current Wings team (not saying that couldn't change but man a lot would have to go right for the Wings...) Like people already mentioned there should be some sort of a cap relieve for home-grown talent teams are investing a ton of money and time into developing them and then not being able to sign these players because of an unnatural system just sucks...yeah we might be all laughing at the Hawks troubles but keep in mind it could also hit the Wings at some point in time so I'd rather see teams being able to keep their players if the owners are prepared to open their massive pockets and then face a perfectly healthy Hawks roster and seeing them dismantled in 6 games by a Red Wings team that is equal to the ones Red Wings expect to see on the ice. I give Stan Bowman a lot of credit but let's not forget who his father is having Scotty as an advisor is going to make the job of every GM easier. What really killed Free Agency Frenzy and to some extent even the trade deadline is the contract limit on years coupled with that stupid "variation" clause" since then ew CBA. I mean a lot of people are already dreaming of how great next years class will be when at the end of the day ALL the big guns will re-signed and we'll end up with an even worse group than this year that's the sad new reality of July 1.

I think if teams have to pay for other franchises to keep them above they should have some benefits from it otherwise why do it? It just makes winning the cup harder. Did the Wings have higher payrolls than most teams ? Of course but the rangers had even higher ones and didn't win as much. As long as big spenders also feature home grown talent, local heroes and bring in great players there is nothing wrong and an unnatural system like the CBA is like telling an owner you can't spend because other's aren't able too..I mean what the f***? Then don't spend but don't cry foul if others that do will get to keep the top guys. That's why I hope Fehr will advise the players to desertify before the next lockout so this stupid CBA can be a thing of the past, if some teams can't compete and have to relocate the better, I mean let's be honest some franchises Just don't have enough hockey interested fans but why should teams like the Wings, Leafs or rangers suffer because of that? It's unbelievable some hawks fans are blaming Toews and Kane for taking the money lol. Show me a person that would sign for less written they crab make more during their limited career that could end every time. Maybe next time join the likes of Mr. I and criticize the current system. Bring in a hockey guy to run thisf****** league and send that damn New York based midget back to the nba whenever Stern retires. Personally I would have liked nothing mute than to see the Wings take the Blackhawks success personally and spend whatever it takes to ruin their back to back championship chance. It would be much more satisfying to do it against a staged than a decimated one.