JR Ewing

-You would hope that Patrick can run and be a really good 3C and Laughton is on 4th line. If that's the case, Laughton's making a bit much, and it's a problem. -If Hayes is 3C, then the team has a very big problem, because $7M/yr is simply too much for that position. In the cap world, there's not a lot of room to pay guys a tier above what they can produce.

Random thoughts. -The AAV isn't outrageous, but Fletcher certainly paid full dollar. -If Laughton plays 3C it's fine. If he plays a lot more 4th line, it's a bit pricey.

Just remember: grease is a condiment.

Put me down in the Hextall camp. As I said earlier in this thread, it was his steady work of clearing out the flotsam and jetsam, as well as building a strong group of prospects and allowing them to develop, which has allowed Fletcher to roll the dice like he did this summer. He's not perfect, but he was what the organization needed.

@radoran You clearly haven't played NHL 19. Video games have shown us that filling out every roster need is a very simple matter.

I would like to think that you're wrong, and I would hope and prefer that it were not the case. Alas, I think you're correct.

I have to admit that I don't get the sheer amount of pique for PK sometimes. The way that people go on about him, you'd think he was Dick Allen, a guy who really was a kind of poison for his teams. He was often late for games and practice because he was stopping off at bars, and sometimes showed up drunk at the ballpark. He was once suspended due to missing a double-header because he decided he would rather go bet on horses at the racetrack, and when the suspension was lifted, demanded his own dressing room, threatening to kick the ass of any teammate that complained. He would sometimes refuse to play exhibition games. He was a great player, but was also an almost constant pain in the ass. What's PK's big crime? Wearing loud suits? Being an extrovert? I don't know, but I would be happy to have him on my team, except that the cap hit is so high. I don't like the contract, but I definitely like the player.

Guys, let's keep this on hockey, please. We already have an off-topic area which died off due to people's inability to discuss politics reasonably. Let's not drag it here, ok?

I like Maroon, but I would be really leery of signing him to much money at all. His eve-strength goals, the last 3 season: 24, 16, 8.

I'm referring not only to Hayes, but the series of trades they made to bring in that centre, and also partially re-make the defense. Now, whether those moves will work or not, time will tell. I think it's better than making the big splash on July 1. That's usually more trouble than anything else.

I thought the Flyers big splash was last week?

Unfortunately, most of the GMs in the league haven't clued into it yet. Every summer, they hand out way too much money for way too little in return for players who are too old, and then they complain far and wide that the salary cap is ruining hockey. You can hardly blame them, after all. They've ONLY had 15 years to get used to this. It's not fair to expect too much. /s

Yup. Guy Carbonneau was a good hockey and was a role-player for 3 Cup winning teams, but if you look at the ten most similar players to him, there's not a single Hall of Fame player among them: Far too many times over the years, the HHOF committee have proven themselves to be people of rare intelligence: it's rare that they show any.

Guy Carbaneau? In the Hall of Fame? Huh?

The market is all over the place in the NHL. The Leafs got rid of a $6M contract and the cost was a 1st round pick. The Avs dump Soderberg's $5M cap hit and RECEIVE a 3rd from Phoenix. I know the other GMs smell blood in the water in Toronto, but still... One GM paid to get rid of his AAV and the other was paid to do it.