I missed a couple of under-the-radar signings over the past few days. Preds made a great deal for Derek Roy and took a chance on Mike Ribeiro to hopefully add more offense. Also, the Rangers signed Matt Lombardi to a two year deal, which if he can avoid concussions, could prove to be a good signing and help replace lost depth.
NHL Random Thoughts Thread
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Arbritation hearings have started. Yestarday was Sobotka and Franson. Franson signed before with another 1 year deal at 3.3mil and Sobotka was awarded a 1 year deal but he's already signed in the KHL so essentially he knows whats waiting for him when he gets back.
The bigs ones I'm interested in are tomorrow the Rangers and Kreider, Colorado and O'Reilly, 25th for Lars Eller and Montreal then the huge one Subban on August 1st.
List here for those interested: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?id=46931
Leafs offseason training!Comment
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Leafs have fired their assitant GMs Poulin and Loiselle and hired a 28year old to assist Nonis. Kyle Dubas was the Greyhounds (OHL) GM for three years. His pedigree is developing players and systems based on metrics and puck possession.
I'm fairly happy with this. Poulin and Loiselle were just dinosaurs and part of the blame the players not us approach that happened in this off season. A lot of metric guys are happy right now.
Leafs offseason training!Comment
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Leafs have fired their assitant GMs Poulin and Loiselle and hired a 28year old to assist Nonis. Kyle Dubas was the Greyhounds (OHL) GM for three years. His pedigree is developing players and systems based on metrics and puck possession.
I'm fairly happy with this. Poulin and Loiselle were just dinosaurs and part of the blame the players not us approach that happened in this off season. A lot of metric guys are happy right now.
Also, out of curiosity, where do you stand on metrics in hockey?Comment
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What does that do for the future of Nonis? I think you were in here saying he would be gone by the middle of next season, but having a 28 year old as the assistant means that he certainly wouldn't get the job.
Also, out of curiosity, where do you stand on metrics in hockey?
As far as metrics I'm fairly big on them now. Over the last 2 seasons I've really started to change my approach and view of the game. My stances on having fighters in the lineup has changed (I was a big pro fight guy even as early as the beginning of last season) and now I've turned more into having a 4th line of younger or depth players that can actually contribute. I was always a guy that worried about where faceoffs are and who was playing on the line in whatever zone so I guess I fell into metrics fairly easily there. I don't hold it as the end all for hockey since I feel some people want to turn it into what baseball has become but I see the value in it probably more then others.
Leafs offseason training!Comment
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I'm sure plenty teams wanted him. At least the Avs don't have to do this next year, and he hits UFA after that.Comment
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Another arbitration case settled before going, this time it's Brassard signing with the Rangers for five years, $25 million. I think they committed too much to Brassard considering some of the other players they have coming up for raises and extensions over the next few seasons.
Derick Brassard and the New York Rangers have agreed to terms on a new long-term contract and will avoid arbitration. According to Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada and Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the deal will pay $25 million over five years for an annual average of $5 million. Brassard was previously scheduled for an arbitration hearing Monday, which will now be avoided.
The Rangers now have escaped arbitration hearings with each of the three players who filed for it this summer. Brassard joins Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello as the three RFAs who secured new deals over the last two weeks outside of the arbitration room. The Rangers have just one more restricted free agent to re-sign on the NHL roster, defenseman John Moore.
Brassard had a strong 2013-14 season with the Rangers, posting 45 points in 81 games. He was a strong performer in the playoffs as well with 12 points in 23 postseason contests as the Rangers made it to the Stanley Cup Final.
Brassard came to the organization as part of the trade that sent Marian Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2012-13 season and has played well since his arrival. He had 12 points in 12 postseason games during the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Per previous reports, Brassard was seeking an arbitration award of $4.95 million, with the Rangers countering at $3.825. The difference is that would have been a one- or two-year reward, so the Rangers are paying more while getting the security of the term. By giving Brassard five years, the Rangers are taking up four years of unrestricted free agency eligibility, so that often comes with a higher price tag.
It's a lot of money for a player that has never topped 50 points in his career. At 26, Brassard has been a pretty consistent performer over the years, hovering around the 40-45 point range in full seasons. He's a valuable center who plays at both ends of the ice, but the term and value of the deal comes as a bit of a surprise.
Starting next season, Brassard will be the Rangers' fifth-highest paid player on the roster. Considering how many contracts the Rangers have to re-work after next season is over, they didn't do themselves any favors with the contract awarded to Brassard in those future negotiations. The upcoming negotiation with Derek Stepan prominently comes to mind.
It's those looming negotiations that made the last two weeks so important for the Rangers to get through as reasonably as possible. They did so with Zuccarello and Kreider, but the Brassard deal is awfully pricey.
There's no question that Brassard brings value to the Rangers and he could continue to get better as he progresses in his career. How general manager Glen Sather can maneuver through the next few years in which he has to re-sign core players like Stepan, Zuccarello and Marc Staal will help show whether or not this deal between Brassard and the Rangers was truly a sensible one.
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-...5-million-dealComment
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While you annoy me at times, leaffan, I actually respect your hockey opinion (when you're not being too anti-Habs).
Your thoughts on the Habs' off-season?My Twitch video link: http://www.twitch.tv/dave374000
Twitch archived games link: http://www.twitch.tv/dave374000/profile/past_broadcastsComment
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