Neomaxizoomdweebie

Incorrect. The Seattle Expansion draft has the same rules as the Vegas one. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_NHL_Expansion_Draft&ved=2ahUKEwio06qO0NDsAhXoB50JHdDVD1oQFjAAegQIIBAD&usg=AOvVaw1GkDPoVm0f1mXpAruurVMw "Teams had to submit their list of protected players by June 17, 2017, and they had to expose at least two forwards and one defenseman that had played at least 40 games in the 2016–17 season or more than 70 games in the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons combined and had to still be contracted for the 2017–18 season." None of the pending UFA's can be used. It's not just a difference of 600k. Add that to Abby's buyout hit and it's a lot more. I want to be competitive by that time, and I don't want any more cap space issues that could affect contracts later. Better to pay more now when we don't have pending free agents to re-sign or big name UFA's to sign. Nielsen doesn't have to play. He will already have met the 70 games played requirement over the previous 2 seasons. He can be a permanent scratch or even sent down and still be left exposed. He wouldn't have to take ice time away from anybody. Nielsen's contract isnt affecting SY from signing anymore players now. The time he should be worried about Nielsen holding up other contracts is later, which is why it's better to take the salary hit now. Minimizing the potential for creating cap issues by arguing its only 600 or 700k is too shortsighted IMO. We have seen that seemingly insignificant amount create cap issues for teams before. For a team that traditionally spends to the cap when competitive, that cap hit could be the difference to signing a key free agent or re-signing a key player. It's happened before. Take the hit now.

Wings just bought out Abdelkader and are on the hook for the next 6 years on that one. Still have one more season of Weiss' buyout. The expansion draft is coming up and the Wings must expose 2 qualifying forwards. There are no kids that should be on the roster who won't be because of Nielsen. Buying him out now takes up cap space for the next 4 years. But we should still do it now because you think he sucks. Ok. How about: Wings wait until after the expansion draft to buy him out. 1. His cap hit THIS year isnt hurting the team. 2. Any kids who SHOULD be on the roster still can be. 3. Nielsen can be used as one of the 2 qualifying forwards exposed at the expansion draft, protecting a more promising, younger forward. 4. Weiss' contract will be off the books after this season. 5. Buying out Nielsen with only 1 year left will then only count against the cap for 2 seasons instead of 4. This is why it would be smarter to wait.

Propaganda disguised as sports coverage? That never happens. Just like most people who dont live in their parent's basement.

Nielsen would be dumb to buyout now since Abby's contract is on the books for the next several years. Better to keep him and the cap space and use him as one of the exposed F in the expansion draft. Filppula only has the one year left. Just bite the bullet on that one. No kids knocking down the door at forward right now anyway. I think its just a coincidence.

This isnt true anymore. Nowadays, your aunt can have balls.

If his best position was center he would have played center. If he was the best forward on his team, he should have been 1C. He wasn't. Why did Zadina fall to 6th 2 years ago? Because there were teams picking earlier who wanted CENTERS. Do you think Kotkaniemi and Hayton were better forwards than Zadina? If wingers at the junior level are good enough at center to play that position, then why was Zadina passed over multiple times? Why not draft the best forward, regardless of position then? Why do teams looking for centers take lesser ones over better wingers if they can all play the position? Also, if the best forwards can all play center, then why was Lafreniere played on the wing? Everyone knows that C's are in greater demand than wingers. The draft has proven that over and over again. Wouldnt it be in both a players best interest and his junior team, to play their best forward at center knowing that that position is in higher demand and it drives up a player's draft position? Bottom line: If your best forwards can play center, they do. It creates a greater demand for the player.

I'm saying there were at least 2 other kids on that junior roster better at center on the top 2 lines than Laf. That doesn't give me confidence that he would be better at that position than the top 2 centers on ANY NHL team. That's why he wont be a center.

If Yzerman was considering another buyout, Bert filing for arbitration actually gives him another chance to do so. Not saying it was deliberately planned that way tho.

It's not. I was referring to transitioning from center to wing. If Laf was good enough at center to play the position, then why would his junior team play their best forward on the wing? It makes no sense.

To be fair, I can't think of one drafted winger who switched to center at the NHL level. If they could play center in juniors, they would be. Why would you transition a kid who can play a more desirable position to a less desirable one?

We all have one of those. Its called a "taint".

Krug

Except then we have to give up picks as compensation. I think the idea is for SY to acquire players with assets attached. Not give up assets for players.

Lol. They're both CRL sock accounts. As a depth player, I would think an NHL team would still be interested in Thornton. A 1 year, low dollar contract would be worth it.