TropicalFruitGirl26

We have! He took a 'sweetheart' 6.75 AAV deal.

And I am not sure why Canes fans would care what a Wings/Jackets fan thinks about all this... I suppose you are going to tell me next you are a fan of HOCKEY...

I agree with @ruxpin here. While Faulk obviously is the better offensive player, his defense DOES leave a lot to be desired, and I think, if you look at the Canes' defensive corps as a whole with Edmundson now in it, they have a nice balance of attack and defend. Guys like Edmundson may not be as common as they used to be, but I think a championship caliber team STILL needs a good stay at home guy who is actually GOOD at it (like Edmundson), and not be a liability at the blue line (which Faulk was). If Carolina had zero for offense from the blue line, I'd say this was a very questionable deal....but they have Hamilton, Gardiner, and Slavin. That should take care of their attack needs from the defense. Edmundson, Pesce, and van Riemsdyk can take care of the shut down duties. Pesce and Hamilton, in fact, are nice two way options as well. Couple that with the all out attack and raining shots on goal that Carolina forwards have a knack for, and I think getting Edmundson is a nice "balance" trade. The pick COULD have, as Rux said, been higher...maybe a 3rd or so. The Blues? Well, they play a pretty solid brand of defense already, so they could spare not having Edmundson, and in gaining Faulk, even though his defense is questionable at best, I think they could live with it if he can bring his offense and shot blocking to the table for them. Faulk actually rates pretty high in the hits department, but unlike Edmundson, it is usually because he screws up coverage and then has to scramble to "chase the play" and hit whatever he can to try and make up for it.

FINALLY.... the Point has been made... Brayden signs a 3 yr/ 6.75 AAV "bridge deal" (that's a hell of a bridge though!) to remain with the Tampa Bay Lightning From NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/lightning/news/tampa-bay-lightning-re-sign-forward-brayden-point-to-three-year-contract/c-309399624 Of course, all is not good news.... Point is still recovering from hip surgery he had in the Spring, and so won't actually be ready for game action till late October the team is speculating. Not a huge deal, IMO, seeing as how the schedule is rather sparse to start October (and I wonder if the Bolts knew this all along and why they waited till the very last possible time frame to finalize and publish this news)….however, not having training camp, then starting his season right when most players have started to shake off Summer rust, well, THAT could be problematic. Wouldn't be surprised if he starts off slowly. Fortunately, he is too good to stay "slow" for very long AND the Bolts are still quite deep...they can hide his early season deficiencies pretty well (I can see Cirelli being moved up to 2C , or Tyler Johnson moved back to C if need be), while Point sorts himself out.

Wishing him well in his post playing career as well. All the points you made about him, @yave1964, were right on, but I think what ultimately got him to the point where teams no longer felt the need to keep him (including TB who opted to re-sign Coburn instead), is his skating. The man IS smart...not was..IS…. he knows all the nuances of playing defense and seemingly has a sharp mind for the game, but watching him in his remaining days in NY and then even playing sheltered rotated minutes in TB, it was pretty clear he had lost more than a step or two along the way. This post isn't meant to bag on him, but rather to point out the simple fact that his skating speed and explosiveness were just no longer up to NHL standards. He'd probably make a great coach at some level given his keen mind for the game, the position he played, his workmanlike attitude, and understanding "big moments' on the ice, as he was part of many in his career.

Easy answer would be to NOT hang onto him as a keeper...but you know, as soon as you drop him back to the draft pool, someone will pick him up faster than you can say "Fenton traded Nino and Granlund one for one for garbage returns", and even if he starts out slowly (either with the Lightning or *gasp* someone else he is traded to because his agent and the club can't come to a deal), he will do well, and you will kick yourself later. Bottom line...keep him. I would. Even if I weren't a "homer" here. I'd do the same if it were Marner, Boeser, or any of those other high ceiling guys who held out.

Seriously. Us regular little people living off normal salaries can't POSSIBLY fathom the HELL that is living with a paltry $900K annual salary

**Update...errrr, sort of... ** Found this from thehockeynews: https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/lightning-and-their-star-are-not-close-to-contract-but-all-signs-point-to-a-bridge-deal Apparently, the Bolts and Point are hung up on whether to go bridge or full on deal. Point's agent indicates the two sides are still not close, but dialogue continues to go on. To be honest, I thought Point would sign before guys like Marner, McAvoy, Boeser, etc...given that all the talk about him turning down offer sheets and wanting to stay on with the Lightning was pretty prevalent in the hockey media. Not sure which side could be labeled as "unreasonable" here (if there is such a thing in this particular case), but if the Lightning are offering Brayden Point a bridge deal (the article seems to think it is in the 5.7M range AAV for three years), it wouldn't be out of character for them to do so, seeing as how guys like Stamkos, Kucherov, Johnson, Palat, and Vasilevskiy ALL took similar short term deals before ultimately getting the big paycheck. Tampa Bay GM Julien Brisbois says its about managing the cap while trying to stay fair, and should Point take the three year bridge, more cap will open up for a bigger payday after some other salaries come off the books. Point, meanwhile, is understandably trying to get the best possible deal for himself, as NOTHING in life is guaranteed. I mean, he could take a bridge deal, get seriously injured during that time, and never see the light of day on a full, market value contract on his services. Still though, I hope these guys can reach some sort of compromise. Point simply cannot lose anymore time NOT being on the ice. Ultimately it hurts him more than it does the club. I think the bridge deal is a good way to go for both sides...maybe Brisbois can up the AAV just a bit (maybe an even 6M AAV?), giving Point an extra 900K while he plays on for his huge payday...and let's face it, 5.5M-6M annually is NOTHING to sneeze at...especially considering that Point was living off an actual salary of less than 1M annually since he started playing for the big club. Get something done already guys!

Well, to be honest, I thought the Hawks were a bit idiotic to trade away Saad in the first place. Hopefully, Flyers fans won't have to see that sort of short sightedness with regards to Konecny. Team seems to be trending upward, he is a young player who hasn't seen his ceiling yet, Philly should just now stick with him for the duration...……..UNLESS, they'd like to trade him to the Wild for Kevin Fiala…

Fantastic. So...I suppose NOW you are gonna tell me that just because I am a Vezinette quality goalie in street ball hockey, that I really can't play for my national women's hockey team??? Pffft…..

KONECNY IS SUK!! (And I only say that because this signing just means he won't be a member of the Bolts or Wild anytime soon) With all the crazy rates for players going around these days, $5.5M for a 22 yr old with very good upside seems like a bargain. Travis has improved every year in every league he has been in (and yes, I am counting the OHL), has done so in the NHL, and has even shown a streak of consistency having his last two seasons in the NHL be almost identical production-wise: 47 and 49 points respectively. Obviously, The Fly would like to see maybe 60-65 pts out of this guy (and they may get it), but if he puts up, say another 49 pt season with a bit better defensive play to go along with it, I'd say that would be a successful season as well. Easily one of my favorite players from another team....good ol Travis Connect-Me.

There's a reason guys like Joe Thornton, Zdeno Chara, and before them, Henrik Zetterberg, Matt Cullen, Chris Kunitz, and Chris Chelios can continue to play well past the traditional 'expiry dates': Because they keep themselves in fantastic condition and, equally important, they have the heart, drive, and desire to continue to compete at a high level even as their skills diminish.....and compete pretty well at that high level too. Joe Thornton will retire one of two ways: Either injuries will slow him to the point where he simply can't go on the ice anymore (like a Ryan Callahan, David Clarkson, or Nathan Horton)... Or he will just decide he and his body have had enough and leave on their own terms, like Zetter, Chelios, Cullen, etc did. I don't think Thornton is the type of player who will be forced out of the league because "he can't play well anymore". As long as he is physically able and has the drive, he can and will, contribute. Nice luxury for the San Jose Sharks to have.

According to capfriendly, he has a NMC for the first 4 years of the deal, then a modified NTC for the remaining three. https://www.capfriendly.com/players/jared-spurgeon

That's the thing with Barry Trotz teams.... they ALWAYS play more than the sum of their parts. We've seen that when he was in Nashville, we saw that last year when everyone thought the Isles would struggle without John Tavares. Say the Islanders 'play over their heads' and the ol 'on paper X team is better'....and you wouldn't be wrong...but the bottom line is, Trotz gets lots of mileage out of whatever he is handed, and as long as the team buys in, I see no reason why still can't continue to be a threat to finish top 3 in the division.

Well, he is locked in....so he can continue to be one of your favorites...

As expected high dollars...smart long term (personally, I think he is a better overall player than even Matthews or Tavares, and that will show itself in the long term)…. This of course, further tightens the screws on a Leafs team that is truly cap strapped, however, if the guys they have are truly "the right guys", that point will be moot and the team can just shuffle in and out support players as needed. With Marner now in the fold, looks like the Leafs forward ranks are locked in.....but of course, next season, they have interesting decisions to make (whether by choice, or forced by the above mentioned cap crunch) on defense as they will have several impending UFA's to look over. From a competitor's standpoint, I am disappointed to see Marner keep the Leafs' forwards strong....but looking at it from the Maple Leaf fanbase perspective, sigh of relief, your guy is back where he belongs and can now focus, along with his linemates, on HOCKEY.... and trying to keep up with the Lightning in the division!

Glad to have him extended. A bit of an overpay in in money and term, but he otherwise walks. And as someone pointed out in the Spurgeon signing thread, Fenton dropped the ball on this (I know, shocker, right?), by not getting something done sooner. Meanwhile other d-men get big contracts, so naturally, Spurge, who is still a fair bit better than some of those guys and established as well, is going to want his big coin. At any rate, the Wild will keep a good skating, smart, offensive/defensive blue liner for the next several years. Hopefully, the team will still get his very best years for at least most of the contract.....then settle up with the Devil at contract's end...

Yes, sadly, while Fenton was busy trying to see how he could fit ex-Predators into the lineup, the time to extend Spurgeon SOONER came and went.....and yea, maybe the Wild could have signed him for a bit less if they had just gotten around to doing it well before other defensemen got fat contracts. I suppose family planning to Disneyland or trips to Cabo take up lots of time though......something "minor" like locking in Spurgeon before prices got out of hand could have easily slipped through the cracks....

I don't know about "wildly" overpaying him....yes, it is a bit more in term and money than a guy who will be 31 when the contract starts should probably get, but I'd classify it as a bit of an overpay to keep a guy who still brings plenty of offensive/defensive skills and smarts to the team. The bottom line, IMO, was whether the Wild wanted Jared Spurgeon around or not, because if they don't pay him the 7.5M, someone else certainly would have....and have gotten a solid #2 or #3 defenseman. Term will likely bite Minnesota in the rear down the road, but apparently the team feels they will just deal with that when the time comes. There are options....buyouts, trades with retention, or LTIR if Spurgeon suffers some serious injury to where he can't even go on the ice anymore. Personally, I'm glad to have him back. He and Mat Dumba make a very fine offensive attack pair from the blue line...whether working together or on separate pairings. Even though Spurge isn't what I would consider an "elite defender", he still does many things pretty well. 7.5M is the cost of doing business and keeping around a criminally underrated defenseman.

@pilldoc @hf101 Ok, today finished looking over the settings, draft time (Mon, Sept 30th 6pm EST/7pm CST if that hasn't changed), and have already started my @J0e Th0rnton styled spreadsheets in preparation for the draft for the All Star League. Everything looks good, I have been logging in with no issues, so just ready to go! Thanks again for the renewal and hosting once again, welcome back to all returning players, and welcome in to any NEW players we may have on board....either brand new, or new from one of the Tier 2 leagues. As always, should be fun!

Back for season number 22 that is. From Yahoo sports: https://sports.yahoo.com/sharks-sign-40-old-joe-thornton-1-2m-155023879--nhl.html Still searching for a Stanley Cup ring and not wanting to play anywhere else, he feels well enough to endure another grinding season and also obviously feels the Sharks still have what it takes to win a championship. At $2M for the one season he signed for, the Sharks probably couldn't do better for their bottom six. They get a guy who is a leader (with or without a letter), knows the organization and its players, the management, the fanbase, and the expectations. His skillset is diminished from what they once where, but they are still good enough, and in some cases better than, many others that can be found in bottom six roles. With the many departures, especially of Joe Pavelski, it means more responsibilities will be heaped on young players such as Timo Meier and many others still will be asked to step up their games. But there will be Jumbo Joe to help with any and all transitions for those guys. 40 years old and still gunning for a Cup. Good luck to him and his Sharks this upcoming season.

From MSN Sports https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/hurricanes-sign-jake-gardiner-at-late-summer-discount-adding-to-surplus-on-blue-line/ar-AAGUBgr 4 Years and just a hair over $4M per. You know, not bad...not bad at all for a guy who, for having his warts defensively, STILL is far from terrible (he might be a bit better than Shattenkirk defensively), but he does bring some physicality and scoring prowess from the blue line. And with the way the Hurricanes love to shoot the puck as a team, Gardiner may find himself in offensive zone heaven playing for Carolina. Jake Gardiner as a top tier paid and top pairing everyday defensemen in Toronto may not have been a good thing, but Gardiner as first or second pair guy, on a team friendly contract for his skillset, on a lower pressure team like Carolina may pay off in spades for both team and player. If 4M per was all it took to get him to sign, it's a wonder he was still sitting out there as long as he was....then again, he could have just SETTLED for the 4, after seeing that other teams simply were not going to meet any higher salary demands from his camp. At any rate, a decent contract for a still pretty good, albeit turnover prone, attacker from the blue line.

Uh oh...Retirees......be on the lookout.... you just may get...………. KRONWALLED!!!

**Thread Bump*** @yave1964 Thought this might be of interest...Sportsnet, they of the NHL Central midday show, has let go a trio of their highly esteemed panel. Nick Kypreos. John Shannon. Doug MacLean. https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/hockey-analyst-nick-kypreos-leaving-sportsnet Not mentioned here, but I read elsewhere, the lay offs or parting of ways, if you would, are revenue based. Still though...does this mean they will bring in new personalities to liven things up on Hockey Central and other shows that air on Sportsnet? Or does it just mean the "Leaf analysts" will simply be replaced by MORE Leaf analysts? Might be worth tuning into Hockey Central at Noon once the season starts to see if the changes are positive..... eh?

Well, you know, JR, at the very least, they got the sport, league, and division correct. Can't have it all I suppose. Gotta take the "wins" where you can.... ya know? All joking aside, I think it is a well deserved award won by Lehner....NHL numbskullery aside.