I think it's telling that Morrow wasn't named once in the interview. For the past five years, Morrow's name was always one of the first mentioned when the Stars were trying to promote the team. In only one season, Morrow has gone from THE CAPTAIN to an afterthought.
I hate to say it, but it's appropriate. Marty Turco and Mike Modano will always be favorite players for me, but it was time to move on. The team made the right decision. It's probably time to do the same with Morrow. I know he's only one year removed from 30+ goals, but all the information and backtracking on his injury ... now no surgery .. I just don't have the best feeling he'll every return to form.
And I wonder if the silence is due to uncertainty in the team of what to do with him. Do they demote him or trade him? Will he even be able to come back and play next season?
And I wonder if the silence is due to uncertainty in the team of what to do with him. Do they demote him or trade him? Will he even be able to come back and play next season?
I don't doubt someone would take a risk on him. I just wonder how much they'd get for him.
At the deadline, despite the injury and production, even guys like Bob McKenzie were talking about his value being OK. I think the way the year ended along with no surgery would have to limit that value even more though.
I think there's something to the teams mostly silence when it comes to Morrow. As long as they don't stick to the young roster player schtick ... teams would take a chance on him. Would be a prospect ... conditional pick .. or both? I don't really know.
The other big issue is Morrow controls where he goes with a NTC. I don't think he'll be a pain about the process, but I expect ... and it's his right ... for Morrow to want a team like Vancouver, Detroit, or Boston rather than Columbus or Edmonton.
Toronto fans seem to want him, and I do think Burke would be the perfect guy to take a chance on him. I just can't come up with a reasonable explanation why he'd waive to go to Toronto.
They don't get him closer to winning a Cup next year than Dallas. If you were an aging, injured, high profile player trying to re-find your game ... the circus that is Toronto seems like the last place on Earth you'd want to go. Boston and Vancouver would be bad too, but I think Toronto is next level looney.
So if I was going to come up with reasonable proposals for Vancouver, Detroit, or Boston ....
To Dallas: Mason Raymond, Manny Malhotra
To Vancouver: Brenden Morrow
I think the obvious player in Vancouver is still Mason Raymond. He'll end up having a smaller cap hit than Morrow which would help the Stars, but I think Vancouver is a team that's probably done with Raymond, and they'd gamble on Morrow. I think it's likely that Dallas would also have to take back Manny Malhotra's $2.5 million salary/cap hit which would make Raymond's cheaper contract insignificant. Vancouver would probably end up saving cap space in this move.
To Dallas: Benoit Pouliot
To Boston: Brenden Morrow
Personally, I like Raymond's history and potential to bounce back from a serious injury better than I like Pouliot's ability to finally put it all together. That said, Pouliot has better size, and he managed to score 16 goals in reduced minutes in Boston with limited PP time (likely mostly garbage time). I think he'll also be cheaper than Raymond which shouldn't matter. So the debate IMO is ... do you want the skilled guy with work ethic issues who's never really lived up to his high potential or the former sniper recovering from a serious ... potential career ending ... injury? Also ... because I think I let my opinion slip in a bit too much ... Raymond has one year of success (only 25 goals), and he was already slipping before the injury (fell back to 15). My opinion aside ... the smart thing probably would be the younger guy with higher upside.
To Dallas: Non-roster asset probably of minimal value
To Detroit: Brenden Morrow
You're probably just giving a hated rival a boost. I can't think of anyone off their roster that fits in this type of trade. Plus ... they shouldn't ... would love to be wrong ... but they shouldn't be trading a top prospect for Morrow. IMO, if he ends up in Detroit it's a pure dump.
Lecavalier is a non-starter for me. Eric Staal has had his issues but if we're going to gamble on a center I'd much rather take a chance on him. I also think he wouldn't cost a ton because of his cap hit.
As for the rest of the list of guys at least somewhat likely to be moved:
Seabrook, Yandle, Backes, Okposo
Sharp, Burns
JVR
What about Okposo as a buy low candidate? NYI may be ready to cut bait with him and I can't imagine they'd demand an arm and a leg for a guy who just can't seem to break out.
I don't see that #1 defenseman that's out there available for trade. Dallas absolutely needs one but I can't picture any situation where a legit one is for sale unless they pick up a prospect they think can become that, which again seems unlikely. If that's true then improving your top six has to be the priority and see what's available at the deadline or this next offseason to improve the back end.
That's about as good a deal as Dallas can hope for.
Maybe you have to make it Ott for Spooner and Horton, assuming they want to dump his injured contract.
And no one has mentioned it but I think outside of bringing in a UFA/trade piece of all the players, Matt Fraser, is my odds on most likely to make the roster. His production and AHL experience should give him the edge on Glennie, Smith, and Chiasson.
That's about as good a deal as Dallas can hope for.
Maybe you have to make it Ott for Spooner and Horton, assuming they want to dump his injured contract.
And no one has mentioned it but I think outside of bringing in a UFA/trade piece of all the players, Matt Fraser, is my odds on most likely to make the roster. His production and AHL experience should give him the edge on Glennie, Smith, and Chiasson.
I'm not sure Boston has a cap dump besides Horton. I'd try and get Pouliot or Kelly's rights, too, depending on what they want us to add for that.
That's about as good a deal as Dallas can hope for.
Maybe you have to make it Ott for Spooner and Horton, assuming they want to dump his injured contract.
And no one has mentioned it but I think outside of bringing in a UFA/trade piece of all the players, Matt Fraser, is my odds on most likely to make the roster. His production and AHL experience should give him the edge on Glennie, Smith, and Chiasson.
I'd say doubtful for Fraser IMO ... the production is still promising, but there are quite a few top AHLer scores that never translate to the NHL. The main reasons are speed and defensive play. Fraser seems like a very good prospect, and the smarter thing would likely be letting him step up and develop his two-way game more in the AHL (and hope he did quite a bit of power skating over the summer).
Based on what Lites was saying ... I get the feeling Jim thinks the Stars have a ton of confidence in their prospects, but not necessarily for the wingers to make the full time jump to the NHL next year.
Quote:
JL: I will tell you the perception of our team is … is that we feel we need two Top 6 forwards … we need two Top 6 forwards.
Norm: You need to add two?
JL: We need to add two in our current set or create them through our system from the minor league system. We have candidates for that, but there are a lot … it’s a little early … you can not assume that you’re going to get with the people we have … that are now coming to the system.
Norm: Well as Darrell Royal once said, “Potential means you haven’t done it yet.”
JL: You haven’t done it yet … exactly right.
I don't know that 100% he's saying they aren't ready, but maybe they'd prefer to look at some current NHLers first and the prospects are the backup plan. Regardless, it would line up with GMJN saying to keep the prospects in the AHL as long as possible, and even Les Jackson talking about Reilly Smith probably being better off in the AHL.
Personally I'd like to see them role with them, but I get that's not the Dallas Stars' style. Patience has worked out more often than not for them.
Just wanted to throw out a big thanks to BigG44, I no longer have to scour the interwebs for Stars related media, or free agent info. You type out a lot of stuff, so thanks dude.
I did really like those Gainey answers and quotes in the interview, sounds like they got a pretty good group, or they could be blowing smoke up our a** (doubt it though)
Just wanted to throw out a big thanks to BigG44, I no longer have to scour the interwebs for Stars related media, or free agent info. You type out a lot of stuff, so thanks dude.
I did really like those Gainey answers and quotes in the interview, sounds like they got a pretty good group, or they could be blowing smoke up our a** (doubt it though)
Yea, you really do a ton of work, bud. Never realized how much effort you put into every post, and it really is appreciated.
Elite Prospects has a rumour from a German newspaper that Damien Brunner from Zug is in talks with Tampa, Detroit, and Dallas. carry on.
The report I saw previousy, before teams were named, said he was old enough that he didn't require an ELC. This really does seem like a decent option because he'll likely sign a very short one way deal. Plus, the risk is minimal with Dallas' AHL wing depth. If he sucks, they aren't stuck without options.
At the deadline, despite the injury and production, even guys like Bob McKenzie were talking about his value being OK. I think the way the year ended along with no surgery would have to limit that value even more though.
I think much of the hockey media will continue to overstate Morrow's value because most of them probably did not see him play much at all this season.
That's actually an excellent point I did not consider.
To be fair to them, when they talk on air or on the record with people in the organization, including Ralph and Razor, they're going to get the company line about Morrow being a warrior, the leader, one of the best players, etc. Even a guy like Heika would probably be reluctant to give an honest opinion of Morrow in an interview. That stuff would get back to Morrow, and there's no way a Stars media or local media person wants to be on record "trashing" (as it would be interpreted) THE Captain.
If Morrow is still with the team next year, a guy like Heika will depend on his regular access to Morrow to get quotes, and he's not about to risk that by telling the whole world that Morrow was as useful as a hobbled donkey this season.
I'm all for it, as long as we aren't counting on him to be a top 6 winger.
He's a 26 year old scorer in a European league; what else would they be trying to sign him for? You don't sign a guy like Brunner to add some punch to the 4th line.
He's a 26 year old scorer in a European league; what else would they be trying to sign him for? You don't sign a guy like Brunner to add some punch to the 4th line.
Yeah the rumor is he wants to sign with a team to give him Top 6 minutes. He knows he's not a checker, and he'll fail if that's his role.
Also, I didn't pay much attention to his age earlier, but I think Euros have to sign ELC's until they are 28. The story I read may have been incorrect which means he'll sign a 1 year ELC which is even less of a risk.
If Dallas signs him, I don't think they're counting on him being the Top 6 winger in the sense that all hope rides on him. Like I stated earlier, they have the prospect depth to roll the dice on this guy. He would likely be the primary option so the prospects get more development in the AHL, but if this turns into Brunnstrom 2.0 I don't believe for a second the team would hesitate to make a change.
Knowing this ... or at least his agent should be able to figure out he'd be on a short leash in Dallas because of the depth ... he'll have to decide if it's worth coming to Dallas. I have to assume he'd have a better shot at a Top 6 role still in Dallas than Detroit (although Hudler could be on his way out) or Tampa, but I could be wrong.
Yeah ... just to be safe I went to check the wording on the current CBA. It still states European players are in the ELC system until the age of 28.
I'd like to see Dallas get creative.
Since the minimum salary is $525K and the max signing bonus he can earn is $92.5K, Dallas could offer him a $307.5K games played bonus for 1 game. Then they could give him max A bonuses. It might be irrational, but it really annoys me when a player like Brunner gets B bonuses. There's less than a 1% chance, IMO, he'd earn it his first year in the league. While I do believe the bonus overage will come back, I'd like to know for certain before they burn that cap space on something as dumb as a B bonus.
I think they should give him a 1 year contract worth $1.775 million:
*$92.5K signing bonus
*$525K actual NHL salary
*$307.5K games played bonus
*$925K salary against the cap
*$70K AHL salary
*$850K A bonuses
Elite Prospects has a rumour from a German newspaper that Damien Brunner from Zug is in talks with Tampa, Detroit, and Dallas. carry on.
First of all tagesanzeiger.ch is a swiss newspaper.
If I am trying to search after this rumor/article I couldn't find anything. Neither with the search words "Dallas" or "Brunner", so I wouldn't bet my money on it.
