Bad, bad idea. His production has declined the last two years, and he's a right-winger, which is what we need the least.
And that deal has to be $2.1M/year for four years, which is too much for a third-line guy in this CBA. $2.1 over 4 years is $525,000 a season, which is basically minimum wage. Buyout or not, he won't go for that cheap.
I like Martin Lapointe and even at $2.1 mil per year is probably average for what a player like him can demand, it certainly gives them more options. I'm not sure this rumour is true but if it is, I would guess that they would put him at LW on a line with Alfredson and Spezza. This would give them added toughness, someone to protect Spezza, play well defensively & score a little.
Does Smolinski play Centre or wing on this roster? My guess is he could slip into the 2nd line centre position because he has size and scoring ability. With Hossa and Havlat this line too will do just fine in the scoring department and Smoke is an excellent defender which frees up the other two to be even more offensive.
Will Vermette be given a chance on the 3rd line? Again, my guess is yes and it may be at centre where he is more comfortable and gives this team another line with scoring potential while still being a very good defensive line. The 4th line will be an energy line with Varada - Kelly - Neil, 3 guys who will work hard and drive the opposition crazy. My only concern is with Kelly on this line, I would have preferred someone bigger and tougher like Scatchard because I still think this line up is too small. In the new NHL obstruction will be called but fighting and intimidation will still be a part of the game and we traditionally have not done that well against tough teams.
Lapointe - Spezza - Alfredson - grit, scoring and protection for Spezza.
Havlat - Smolinski - Hossa - adding Havlat will make this line dangerous.
Schaefer - Vermette - Fisher - OR switch Fisher and Vermette, both work.
Varada - Kelly - Neil - McGratton may get 20 games this year, Travis Green or Gratton may be an option here. Hey, Gratton and Mc-Gratton with Neil would be interesting.
This is an excellent acquisition if its true. Lapointe is an outstandiing leader who has 2 Stanley Cup rings. He plays well at both ends of the ice and skates well.
Don't be surprised if Mucks deals Devries and Smoke before October.
Devries is a top 4 d-man making a little over 2M and Smoke is an affordable team player who can be a very effective 3rd line player or move up into a team's top 2 lines if injuries occur.There will be a market for both.
The Sens are not done in the free agent and/or trade market. When the dust settles, the Sens may add another big name player.
Martin Lapointe had one season at 27 goals, but every other season hovered around 16.
Not surprisingly, Boston signed him after the 27 goal season.
Last season, he scored 15 goals, with 10 assists in 78 games. That's with 14:26 minutes of ice time a game, which is what Spezza got.
His playoff production during his tenure with Boston is 2 goals, 2 assists for 4 points in 18 games.
And we're going to blow 2.1 million a year over FOUR years for this? And those of you desperately hoping that it's 2.1 million at 525,000 a year are kidding yourselves.
We already have Neil, Varada, Fisher. The 2.1 million we give to this guy, will not be transferable, because no team will take him at that amount. So we'll be stuck with a 36.9 million dollar cap, having to sign much more important core players like Hossa, Havlat, Chara, Redden and Phillips.
We're getting as screwed over as Boston did, only the numbers are relatively lower due to the CBA climate. But make no mistake. The money we are throwing at this guy is roughly comparable given the change in economy.
I'm guessing Muckler got all excited seeing everyone else sign players that he wanted to join in on the fun too.
i suspect it could look something like this.
Fisher will be playing LW this year, i have no doubt. If Kaigorodov isnt ready to play 2nd line (i believe he will) then shift all the centers up 1.
This is a very versitile lineup imo.
you can form a variety of extremely effective lines depending on whats required for a given game or series.
Nobody liked Smolinski and his 40 points per year because he made too much money and wasn't gritty enough. If we do get Lapointe now people are saying he is gritty but doesn't get enough points. Yes it would be great to have both those things in one player but those players at these times get over paid. Most, I think agree that Roberts may have gotten more than he is worth but Florida can afford to over pay they have cap space and few good players. If we want to keep our core and most here agree we should then Muckler is doing exactly that. He knows approximately what the core will cost and how much money will be left for UFAs afterwards which won't be much.
There is no guarantees that a particular player will do well with a new organization, there are just too many variables. We hope for the best and plan for the worse. If he signs Lapointe great, we need that kind of player, if he doesn't then let's go after someone else who can help. We have a good team now but it can always get better and as Chara says we have all year to trade players and get better. I think we keep de Vries and even Smoke unless Kaigorodov comes to NA then we deal Smoke. The guy(s) I think they might move soon is Varada or Schaefer, I just don't see room on this roster for both of them with Vermette, Bochenski and Eaves knocking at the door. Lapointe can do what both those guys do and fight, he is already more valuable.
It also looks like the good players, the elite players are being spread out across the NHL, Columbus, Florida, Pittsburg, Calgary etc... everybody is getting into the act which means no one team can stock pile elite players like NYR used to. There may be parity in the league but more importantly Ottawa was already an elite team and some of these other teams have improved themselves but at the same time took away some good players from some good teams. While the Floridas are getting better the Colorados and Detroits may have dropped a notch or two. We haven't lost any good players from our team yet and hopefully Muckler will prevent that from happening and if we add a better player we move up a notch. It's all about asset management now and I still think we have a good management group here.
Well, it's been nearly a day and not even a peep about this from any other source, credible and non-credible. I think it's safe to say it's not true, though I wouldn't be surprised if the Sens were in talks with Lapointe right now. A contract, on the other hand, won't happen anytime soon, if at all.
...why is there extra money for an aging grit player when we have 1 very tough, young defenseman sitting in Russia saying that Ottawa isn't coming close to offering him enough? And Hossa, Havlat, Spezza and Fisher have yet to sign as well?
If they aren't in the fold, how does Muckler know what he can pay for any other FA?
You can just pull a Bob Clarke. Sign an entire new team and trade your existing team. He STILL has got to trade more players to fit under the cap, and he is running a HUUGGGEEEE risk of some team trying to poach one of his RFA's (ie, Gagne or Jonsson). You offer $3.999 mil for Gagne, and the Flyers are SCREWED.
I hope Muckler is reading this. The sens have to do this it is perfect. How about just 2.99 million? It still screws up Clarke big time. Plus Gagne is a reasonable price.
Bobby Clarke has essentially stripped naked in a room in front of the other 29 GMs, placed a large jagged phallic object on the table, bent over, closed his eyes and plugged his ears. The question now remains: which GM is gonna do it?
LA just takes Roenick off Clarke's hand for a conditional pick (3rd round pick at best)
LA gets an elite hockey player.
Does Clarke really care? No.
1. He didn't have to buyout JR last week.
2. He gets something back, a pick and the Flyers scouting staff is pretty good.
3. He gets FORSBERG. PERIOD.
If he's healthy, he's Peter the Great. If not, Clarke still has Handzus, Primeau and 2 young wild cards - Carter and Richards down the middle.
Signing the best player in the world is always a VERY good move.
Anything under $4 mil your only losing picks from 1 draft, so not a big deal. $3.999 mil gets you the player for the Adam Oates trade for petes sake. Not a big problem, IMHO.
Has Ecklund been right on any of his "my sources tell me" prognostications?
I'll answer that for you......no, he hasn't.
Can we just agree the guy has no credentials, no credibility and nothing to do with hockey in general other than probably being one of us who likes to frequent these boards.
I think it is time for this Ecklund says, infatuation to end.
Last edited by discostu: 08-04-2005 at 03:08 PM.
Reason: All HF members are to be treated with the proper courtesy and respect, meaning no personal attacks.
Yay!!!!
This is the best non-signing ever.
Muckler, yesterday I thought you were an idiot and today you're my hero. Such is the life as a fan... bi-polar disorder comes with the job.
