AEG has a huge decision to make in the next 9 days.
How can they trust Lombardi - who after almost six years has gotten the team to this point - to make a major trade that could ruin the franchise from a cap perspective for the next 5 years?
I hope AEG is keeping Lombardi on a very short leash. He has already proven to be incompetent in most of the deals he has made so far. The next one could be a killer.
AEG has a huge decision to make in the next 9 days.
How can they trust Lombardi - who after almost six years has gotten the team to this point - to make a major trade that could ruin the franchise from a cap perspective for the next 5 years?
I hope AEG is keeping Lombardi on a very short leash. He has already proven to be incompetent in most of the deals he has made so far. The next one could be a killer.
AEG does not nor will not make a decision in 9 days. It will likely be based on this season. If we make the playoffs, and if Dean improves and re-configures the team in the offseason, he will get another shot, if we fail horribly at both the deadline and making the playoffs, then they will have their decision to make and Dean may likely be gone or have a gun to his head heading into next season.
To be honest, I bet you AEG is rooting for Lombardi to make the deal for Nash. There is nothing they love more than another headliner on one of their teams. They are in the business of attracting people to their facilities, they don't care if they lose money on the team. You are projecting your personal feelings onto them, I bet you Dean is the only one holding the deal back.
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"It has not been a good day. I lost my glasses early this morning and I had to go buy a pair of 79 dollar reading glasses today. 79 bucks. You can literally get them at Costco, three-for-20." - Darryl Sutter's response to going up 2-0 in the series.
AEG does not nor will not make a decision in 9 days. It will likely be based on this season. If we make the playoffs, and if Dean improves and re-configures the team in the offseason, he will get another shot, if we fail horribly at both the deadline and making the playoffs, then they will have their decision to make and Dean may likely be gone or have a gun to his head heading into next season.
To be honest, I bet you AEG is rooting for Lombardi to make the deal for Nash. There is nothing they love more than another headliner on one of their teams. They are in the business of attracting people to their facilities, they don't care if they lose money on the team. You are projecting your personal feelings onto them, I bet you Dean is the only one holding the deal back.
AEG is smart with money if nothing else. Any trade for Nash will be as much about finances and the cap as it will be about hockey. If some bored fans on a website can look at the potentially disastrous cap situation in 2013 and be fearful then so can the accountants at AEG. Just sayin'
AEG is smart with money if nothing else. Any trade for Nash will be as much about finances and the cap as it will be about hockey. If some bored fans on a website can look at the potentially disastrous cap situation in 2013 and be fearful then so can the accountants at AEG. Just sayin'
It is not a disastrous cap situation, as had been discussed beyond comprehension in the trade rumor thread. They don't have accountants re-checking Dean's books in context of the NHL, they have accountants checking the money they are paying versus their own operations and endeavors. Dean and Solomon are the chief AEG employees that are entrusted with governing AEG's money from a hockey perspective. Dean has already publicly said, during his Edmonton interview, that the cap is a non-issue, that it is easily maneuvered around if the right player is available. The bottom line is whether or not such a deal is both affordable (via assets) and wise for the franchise, not whether it is financially feasible. We have the finances and the space to add such a forward. That's why Dean was offering such a contract to Brad Richards over the summer.
Once again someone says Jack Johnson is expendable. Why does it seem like nobody realizes that Mitchell is gone this year and Scuderi next? We have nobody to replace them, let alone shut down guys. Despite Lombardi's blustering, the future of our defense is shaky at best.
Once again someone says Jack Johnson is expendable. Why does it seem like nobody realizes that Mitchell is gone this year and Scuderi next? We have nobody to replace them, let alone shut down guys. Despite Lombardi's blustering, the future of our defense is shaky at best.
We can afford to lose one, though there is little evidence of anything stopping Dean from re-signing them if need be. I don't see it as an emergency, yet.
Once again someone says Jack Johnson is expendable. Why does it seem like nobody realizes that Mitchell is gone this year and Scuderi next? We have nobody to replace them, let alone shut down guys. Despite Lombardi's blustering, the future of our defense is shaky at best.
This. Those guys could walk, and our d-corp suddenly has holes in it and we're back to where we were 2-3 years ago.
It is not a disastrous cap situation, as had been discussed beyond comprehension in the trade rumor thread. They don't have accountants re-checking Dean's books in context of the NHL, they have accountants checking the money they are paying versus their own operations and endeavors. Dean and Solomon are the chief AEG employees that are entrusted with governing AEG's money from a hockey perspective. Dean has already publicly said, during his Edmonton interview, that the cap is a non-issue, that it is easily maneuvered around if the right player is available. The bottom line is whether or not such a deal is both affordable (via assets) and wise for the franchise, not whether it is financially feasible. We have the finances and the space to add such a forward. That's why Dean was offering such a contract to Brad Richards over the summer.
well we can agree to disagree then.
If Nash is acquired and Quick gets his raise, in 2013 LA will have 10 players under contract for just under $50 million. That leaves about $15 million to spend for the remaining 13 roster spots. How do you build a competitive team like that?
If Nash is acquired and Quick gets his raise, in 2013 LA will have 10 players under contract for just under $50 million. That leaves about $15 million to spend for the remaining 13 roster spots. How do you build a competitive team like that?
It's not all that difficult. Here we are if we make zero deals or signings heading into the 2013 season (bold shows those seeking new contract):
CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR
FORWARDS
Dustin Brown ($3.175m) / Anze Kopitar ($6.800m) / Rick Nash ($7.800m) Simon Gagne ($3.500m) / Mike Richards ($5.750m) / Justin Williams ($3.650m) Brad Richardson ($1.175m) / Andrei Loktionov ($0.816m) / Trevor Lewis ($0.725m) Kyle Clifford ($0.870m) / Jordan Nolan ($0.531m) / Kevin Westgarth ($0.725m)
DEFENSEMEN Rob Scuderi ($3.400m) / Drew Doughty ($7.000m) Alec Martinez ($0.737m) / Matt Greene ($2.950m) Davis Drewiske ($0.616m) / Vyacheslav Voinov ($0.816m)
GOALTENDERS Jonathan Quick ($1.800m) / Martin Jones ($0.525m)
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $53,364,721; BONUSES: $342,500
CAP SPACE (20-man roster): $10,935,279
There are only two players that would really warrant a significant raise, Quick and likely Voynov. NHL revenues continue to expand, so it is likely the cap will go up even further, but for the sake of argument, we will obviously leave it uniform. Even then, I don't really see the problem. We have nearly 11 million in cap space. After Quick gets a raise of ~$4.2 million, things get relatively simplistic, we could even still have a re-signed Mitchell on the books. Most of those players wouldn't warrant more than a 10% increase. If Clifford suddenly turns into a god and we are paying him like Simmonds, then you modify and adapt, many teams do. We aren't all as lucky like Boston.
I have sad this for 2years now, if he is to reach the next level, he has to drive the puck to the net more often. That is what his body is built for.
But I think Kopitar has to strengthen his lower body. I don't things his legs are that strong to impose on defensemen that is why. He doesn't feel confident with the power game... yet.
Maybe it's his demeanor or personality. I don't know.. But it's time for him to get out of his comfort zone, step out of the box and elevate his game if this franchise is going anywhere.....
Because the current Kopitar 1.0 - perimeter player at 6 foot 4 body won't cut it. Especially at $6.8 million per season.
We can afford to lose one, though there is little evidence of anything stopping Dean from re-signing them if need be. I don't see it as an emergency, yet.
Why would they want to come back? Scuderi got a big payday after his SC performance. Mitchell was coming off having his eggs scrambled. Don't get me wrong, I would be happy to keep both of them, but honestly I don't see them wanting to stay with this organization. Why would they?
Once again someone says Jack Johnson is expendable. Why does it seem like nobody realizes that Mitchell is gone this year and Scuderi next? We have nobody to replace them, let alone shut down guys. Despite Lombardi's blustering, the future of our defense is shaky at best.
Jack Johnson is not a replacement for Mitchell or Scuderi. Those guys can play defense, Jack Johnson and his career -90, can't.
Why would they want to come back? Scuderi got a big payday after his SC performance. Mitchell was coming off having his eggs scrambled. Don't get me wrong, I would be happy to keep both of them, but honestly I don't see them wanting to stay with this organization. Why would they?
Defense isn't a problem, they wouldn't lose value, they are established here, and they will continue to be paid handsomely.
Scuderi has already won and has young children, shouldn't be too difficult to sign him to another long term deal to the tune of what he is already making.
Mitchell doesn't warrant a raise, he is being paid fairly. We blew everyone out of the water and outbid Vancouver to get him. He was impressed and felt good about Lombardi's value of him. I don't think signing him to another 2 year deal would be that difficult either. The rumblings are that that may already be in the works.
In the end, we have no reason to believe either way. There is no reason to believe they won't sign other than to perpetuate your own frustrations and fears with this organization onto them, but things are a lot different in the locker room, when you are 30+ making millions with a family. I don't see how Dean can't convince them to stay. There is no use worrying about it now, that is something for the offseason, not the deadline.
Talking about AEG and money, I heard something on Thursday's broadcast I don't remember hearing before. Before the game, either Bob or Jim said something like, 'All the tickets have been distributed so this is the XX sell-out in a row!'. I would assume that if there is an eroding of sold tickets then we will see action sooner rather than later.
I have sad this for 2years now, if he is to reach the next level, he has to drive the puck to the net more often. That is what his body is built for.
But I think Kopitar has to strengthen his lower body. I don't things his legs are that strong to impose on defensemen that is why. He doesn't feel confident with the power game... yet.
Maybe it's his demeanor or personality. I don't know.. But it's time for him to get out of his comfort zone, step out of the box and elevate his game if this franchise is going anywhere.....
Because the current Kopitar 1.0 - perimeter player at 6 foot 4 body won't cut it. Especially at $6.8 million per season.
Yes i think this was what they asked from him.
But IMO this is not the problem.
The mayor problem is to create quality scoring chances.
Shooting whenever you can will increse scoring chances but just at the minor level.
Would be like incresing puck posession through Murrays board cycles.
On paper it will increase the numbers but not the goals scored.
The article pointed on somethign more important.....
speed in neutral zone and entering the O-zone in better ways.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY MURRAY.
We enter slow and at the board. You can't make it anymore easy for the defender to defend us.
What i want is a fast transition from defense to offense and criss crossing winger in neutral zone combined by penetrating the ozone more towars the middle of the ice to have several OPTIONS to decide where to go instead just one way from the board to the inside.
The next thing is that our centers have to go back to playmaking not to shooting.
They simply don't create the chances where the wingers just have to tip the puck over the line........
Kopitar and Richards have to go to the point areas and pull the attention from defenders from here. Some creative and agile moves will force at least one defender to leave his optimal position and opens a slot fo the winger to go.
A deadly pass must follow that creates a quality scoring chance....
The last thing i wanna see is the centers going to the board !!!!!
They are called centers for a reason.
And even more i don't wanna see a pass from the board to the guys who is glued for whatever reason at the blue line and shots the puck into the crowd in front of the net to hope for lucky bounces....
We ned a yougn coach with visions, with a real 2-way game.... someone who takes a towel and slaps it into Stolls face after he hit section 319 from 10 feet goal distance... soemone who controls the locker room, who uses it as a war rom.
Someone who let loks for chemistry and uses it to create fancy moves and passing and let the lines practice these.
The guys nee some guidance and some creative and well known moves where they can pass blind just knowing a winger wil be at this point.
Is all that to much asked from a professional hockey team ???????
How comes Detroit can win 22 straight home games with a crappy roster like that ??
It is because the guys in farm team are well coached and prepared for the role they have to play in Detroit.
I wish someone would prepare Lewis to turn into a Draper, he has the tools to to.
Clifford would be an amazing McCarthy clone...
There is so much to do and i realy wonder why we still are loking for the mesias
and hope by miracle everything changes without doing any changes to us, to our attitudes, to our mentality......
We don't need a shoting mentality, or a hard working mentality, or a board battly mentality........
WE NEED A WINNING MENTALITY
btw...... Lombardis amentality to draft gritt and completely ignore talent isn't helping either.
But IMO this is not the problem.
The mayor problem is to create quality scoring chances.
Shooting whenever you can will increse scoring chances but just at the minor level.
Would be like incresing puck posession through Murrays board cycles.
On paper it will increase the numbers but not the goals scored.
The article pointed on somethign more important.....
speed in neutral zone and entering the O-zone in better ways.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY MURRAY.
We enter slow and at the board. You can't make it anymore easy for the defender to defend us.
What i want is a fast transition from defense to offense and criss crossing winger in neutral zone combined by penetrating the ozone more towars the middle of the ice to have several OPTIONS to decide where to go instead just one way from the board to the inside.
The next thing is that our centers have to go back to playmaking not to shooting.
They simply don't create the chances where the wingers just have to tip the puck over the line........
Kopitar and Richards have to go to the point areas and pull the attention from defenders from here. Some creative and agile moves will force at least one defender to leave his optimal position and opens a slot fo the winger to go.
A deadly pass must follow that creates a quality scoring chance....
The last thing i wanna see is the centers going to the board !!!!!
They are called centers for a reason.
And even more i don't wanna see a pass from the board to the guys who is glued for whatever reason at the blue line and shots the puck into the crowd in front of the net to hope for lucky bounces....
We ned a yougn coach with visions, with a real 2-way game.... someone who takes a towel and slaps it into Stolls face after he hit section 319 from 10 feet goal distance... soemone who controls the locker room, who uses it as a war rom.
Someone who let loks for chemistry and uses it to create fancy moves and passing and let the lines practice these.
The guys nee some guidance and some creative and well known moves where they can pass blind just knowing a winger wil be at this point.
Is all that to much asked from a professional hockey team ???????
How comes Detroit can win 22 straight home games with a crappy roster like that ??
It is because the guys in farm team are well coached and prepared for the role they have to play in Detroit.
I wish someone would prepare Lewis to turn into a Draper, he has the tools to to.
Clifford would be an amazing McCarthy clone...
There is so much to do and i realy wonder why we still are loking for the mesias
and hope by miracle everything changes without doing any changes to us, to our attitudes, to our mentality......
We don't need a shoting mentality, or a hard working mentality, or a board battly mentality........
WE NEED A WINNING MENTALITY
btw...... Lombardis amentality to draft gritt and completely ignore talent isn't helping either.
I agree with most of your points and everything.
But I just feel Kopitar has to elevate his game.
We can talk about, discuss about systems, new vision and X and Os but until each player put in a full commitment in elevating his game as an individual player. I don't care who coaches your team you're going to win.
Like you said, "WINNING MENTALITY."
But that "winning mentality" is only a result of "commitment" from each individual players to elevate their game, from conditioning, refining their strength, improving where they are weak as a player and so on....but I don't see that from our core players....
Doughty.... - has not elevated / improved his game since being a Norris candidate
Kopitar.... has not either... esp at $6.8 million
Brown.... we can find a 20-25 goal scorer who can hIt. He's nothing special yet... projected to be a power forward - never pan out yet......
Johnson....... hasn't been consistent... his plus minus..... still a minus...
Only Quick has been really the only one who has elevated his game IMO.
I like Dean to be fired. But he has a point, until the core elevates their game.... we won't go so far as a franchise.
Because by the end of the day..... it's about time the players step up...
In the end, we are just giving players... excuses... IMO.
edit: WE HAVE TO MAKE PLAYERS ACCOUNTABLE TOO!
It's not all that difficult. Here we are if we make zero deals or signings heading into the 2013 season (bold shows those seeking new contract):
CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR
FORWARDS
Dustin Brown ($3.175m) / Anze Kopitar ($6.800m) / Rick Nash ($7.800m) Simon Gagne ($3.500m) / Mike Richards ($5.750m) / Justin Williams ($3.650m) Brad Richardson ($1.175m) / Andrei Loktionov ($0.816m) / Trevor Lewis ($0.725m) Kyle Clifford ($0.870m) / Jordan Nolan ($0.531m) / Kevin Westgarth ($0.725m)
DEFENSEMEN Rob Scuderi ($3.400m) / Drew Doughty ($7.000m) Alec Martinez ($0.737m) / Matt Greene ($2.950m) Davis Drewiske ($0.616m) / Vyacheslav Voinov ($0.816m)
GOALTENDERS Jonathan Quick ($1.800m) / Martin Jones ($0.525m)
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $53,364,721; BONUSES: $342,500
CAP SPACE (20-man roster): $10,935,279
There are only two players that would really warrant a significant raise, Quick and likely Voynov. NHL revenues continue to expand, so it is likely the cap will go up even further, but for the sake of argument, we will obviously leave it uniform. Even then, I don't really see the problem. We have nearly 11 million in cap space. After Quick gets a raise of ~$4.2 million, things get relatively simplistic, we could even still have a re-signed Mitchell on the books. Most of those players wouldn't warrant more than a 10% increase. If Clifford suddenly turns into a god and we are paying him like Simmonds, then you modify and adapt, many teams do. We aren't all as lucky like Boston.
A couple of points:
1. rosters must be 23 players not 20
2. you are relying heavily on currently untested players to play key roles in 2013 and beyond. I am skeptical that they will rise to the occasion.
But hey, you and AEG/Lombardi may be on the same page.
