NHL 2017 -Official Discussion Thread

[Smitty-48]

Teams just need to avoid all free agents other than short term low AAV value signings to plug holes here and there, with the Leafs, they got Bozak, JVR, Komarov, and Gardiner, $17.5 million? Don't re-sign any of them, just bring up Bracco, Kapanen, Grundstrom, and Dermott, wash rinse repeat, this is why Calgary is so retarded, for trading away a 1st and two 2nds for Travis Hamonic.

If the RHD is not there? Don't blow yourself up, just wait for Liljegren, in the meantime, give other guy's a shot, Rosen, Borgman, Dermott, Nielsen, Valiev, whoever, just play the kids.

[Smitty-48]

I'm intrigued by this kid Andreas Borgman they signed on an ELC out of the SHL, could be a sleeper, he's 21, 6' tall, 210 lbs, fast skater, bomb of a shot, hits people with abandon, won the SHL rookie of the year, before we go out of our own pipeline, let's see what he can do over the next couple of years.

Undrafted imports can be hit and miss, SHL rookie of the year; could be Sorensen, could be Ekholm, but let's find out, before we go signing anybody to a long term UFA contract.

You're not going to let Arizona offer sheet Matthews, so he will get his $10-12 million, but it's not a problem, so long as you build a pipeline which just keeps flowing players in to fill out the team, year after year, on ELC's, don't trade the picks away for other team's cast offs, cast off to other teams and develop your own picks.

[SilverEagle]

McDavid is entering his prime, he's the franchise, and again, Edmonton had no choice, McDavid would get offer sheeted, Oshie on the otherhand, is 30, a complimentary player, and he's also signed for the next 8 years, of which maybe 2 of those years will be productive and then the wheels are likely to fall off, could even fall off next year, whereas McDavid's $13 million for 90-100 pts? Oshie ia being paid the same by the point, McDavid is two Oshie's worth of production, except McDavid can keep it up for the duration of the contract, TJ Oshie not so much.

They better hope so. No doubt he had a great year but he could easily see his production die off. With the Oilers in Cap trouble for some years to come they might not be able to get him the pieces he needs around him to excel. Once that happens all teams have to do is shut McDavid down and that is that.

While I know they are my team, the Pens have it made in the shade for some time to come. They're the equivalent of the Patriots. Hall of Fame player on the roster at discounted prices leaving the team with cap room to added needed pieces for a S.C. run.

[Smitty-48]

The problem with the Oilers is the pipeline, they didn't draft well in the later rounds, they don't have much coming up in the system, if they did, they wouldn't have felt like they had to hold on to Nugent-Hopkins, Puliot, go out and sign Lucic, Sekera, Russel, etc, it's not about McDavid, McDavid will be fine, the problem for most teams is that they don't develop internally, whereas a team like Winnipeg, with Trouba, Enstrom, Ehlers, Shieffele, Armia, Connor, now add Laine, they're better situated than Edmonton is, or a team like Carolina, with Lindholm, Aho, Rask, Slavin, Pesce, Hanafin, also better depth, all internal.

For the Leafs, they have Matthews, Marner, and Nylander now, and they will get paid, whatever it is, it's going to be north of $20 million for all three, but the trick is to not trade and sign for the depth to go around them, but simply develop it all internal, then flip the ripened assets to other teams for more picks as they go.

[Smitty-48]

They better hope so. No doubt he had a great year but he could easily see his production die off. With the Oilers in Cap trouble for some years to come they might not be able to get him the pieces he needs around him to excel. Once that happens all teams have to do is shut McDavid down and that is that.

While I know they are my team, the Pens have it made in the shade for some time to come. They're the equivalent of the Patriots. Hall of Fame player on the roster at discounted prices leaving the team with cap room to added needed pieces for a S.C. run.

McDavid's contract is 17% of the cap. Let's see what Sidney Crosby's contract was in 2009 when the cap was $56 million; Oh, exactly the same, 17%. What was Malkin's contract? Oh, 17% too? So basically Edmonton is paying exactly what the Pens faggots did, 7 years ago, except they will prolly get Draitsaitl for cheaper than what the Pens got for Malkin for, since he ain't likely getting 17% too. /shrugs.

With Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, and Letang, for $31.45 million, I don't think the Pens are actually in that great shape, taking Kessel was a waste of money, could have won both Cups without him, I'd try to ditch him now if I was them, I'd try to move Letang as well, since they could get a king's ransom for him in terms of picks and A prospects.

Pitt doesn't have a ton of prospects in the system, Schultz is gonna get paid, Daley is gonna get paid, Doumoulin is gonna get paid, Bonino is gonna get paid, Kunitz is gone, Hornqvist is one year away from UFA, the Pens are getting blown up one way or the other.

[Smitty-48]

Montreal, Vancouver, Buffalo, or Carolina should just offer sheet Draitsaitl, old boys club be damned. If I'm Edmonton, I just take the picks, then take a run at somebody cheaper like Duchene.

The Leafs should bridge contract Nylander, give the money to Matthews and Marner, then if somebody offer sheets Nyalnder; five first round picks, fair enough.

[Smitty-48]

Leafs reportedly in on Group IV UFA Jordan Weal? Hmmm. Weal would be fine as a value signing, but positionally, that makes me suspect that they are planning on moving a bottom six winger who might be more expensive/valued by other teams in a deal for D. Looking at you, Connor Brown.

Obviously not looking to run Brown out of town, but with Marner and Nylander, Brown may simply be too expensive/valuable to retain as a 3RW. Brown also kind of faded down the stretch and into the playoffs and was actually outplayed by Kapanen, maybe they move Brown as an RFA, replace with Kapanen on an ELC, go with a low cost player like a Weal at 4RW, then replace Kapanen on the Marlies with a Bracco, pipeline in effect, Kapanen becomes the younger cheaper Brown, Brown goes to shore up the D.

Brown is a good player, he's young, RFA, and a 20 goal scorer with only 3rd line minutes, but have to give something up to get D, Brown was reportedly the ask other GMs were making when the Leafs inquired about D, could even be a deal on the table already; "call me back if/when you decide you're willing to move Brown".

[SilverEagle]

They better hope so. No doubt he had a great year but he could easily see his production die off. With the Oilers in Cap trouble for some years to come they might not be able to get him the pieces he needs around him to excel. Once that happens all teams have to do is shut McDavid down and that is that.

While I know they are my team, the Pens have it made in the shade for some time to come. They're the equivalent of the Patriots. Hall of Fame player on the roster at discounted prices leaving the team with cap room to added needed pieces for a S.C. run.

McDavid's contract is 17% of the cap. Let's see what Sidney Crosby's contract was in 2009 when the cap was $56 million; Oh, exactly the same, 17%. What was Malkin's contract? Oh, 17% too? So basically Edmonton is paying exactly what the Pens faggots (Really? Jealous much? The Leafs are the Cleveland Browns of the NHL, they had great teams and championship teams before the modern era and none since) did, 7 years ago, except they will prolly get Draitsaitl for cheaper than what the Pens got for Malkin for, since he ain't likely getting 17% too. /shrugs.

With Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, and Letang, for $31.45 million, I don't think the Pens are actually in that great shape, taking Kessel was a waste of money, could have won both Cups without him (yeah that is complete horse shit, there is no way they win back to back cups without him and especially the second cup being that Letang was out for the season), I'd try to ditch him now if I was them, I'd try to move Letang as well, since they could get a king's ransom for him in terms of picks and A prospects.

Pitt doesn't have a ton of prospects in the system, Schultz is gonna get paid, Daley is gonna get paid, Doumoulin is gonna get paid, Bonino is gonna get paid, Kunitz is gone, Hornqvist is one year away from UFA, the Pens are getting blown up one way or the other. ( you don't pay attention do you? All of those players can be replaced easily enough and yes they have plenty of prospects that are good quality. Of the players you listed the only one I would love to see stay is Bonino but only if he's not overpaid. Oh and with Fleury gone there is more cap space to work with before Murray needs paid.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wH_FjPnQVU

[Hastur]

Can someone explain why Timothy Liljegren was selected by Niagara Ice Dogs in the CHL Import Draft. It makes no sense to me.

[StCapps]

Can someone explain why Timothy Liljegren was selected by Niagara Ice Dogs in the CHL Import Draft. It makes no sense to me.

Is he going to spend a year in the OHL before going to the AHL? Or is Niagara just taking a shot in the dark just in case he does? Probably the latter, it's just William Nylander all over again, some CHL team drafts him even though they know he'll be back in the SHL or head straight to the AHL, because why not if you aren't going to use the pick anyway?