It was my sense that a lot of what happens at the deadline will have to do with the contract situations of both Richard Zednik and Dainius Zubrus. The club is in talks with both players, but I don't have the impression that either of the upcoming UFAs is close to re-signing. The Caps want to retain both players--but at the right price and length of term for a rebuilding team on a budget. If the sides don't get closer in the coming days, things could get interesting.
It left the interview with the impression that things could go either way as the deadline nears, and that not even McPhee is sure just yet what's going to go down. They could re-sign both Zednik and Zubrus and have a quiet week. Or we could see a flurry of minor to midsize deals.
There's eight days to go before something has to be hammered out.
Tarik's earlier impression made it seem as though Zubrus and the Caps were only haggling over term. Now, though, there seems to be more doubt that there will be an agreement before the deadline. There's plenty of time left for something to ultimately get done so take it FWIW.
There's eight days to go before something has to be hammered out.
Tarik's earlier impression made it seem as though Zubrus and the Caps were only haggling over term. Now, though, there seems to be more doubt that there will be an agreement before the deadline. There's plenty of time left for something to ultimately get done so take it FWIW.
Here we go....cheapest organization in the league strikes again. I will quickly join the "Fire McPhee" club if he bungles the negotiations with Zubrus and the guy walks for nothing.
I bet Zubrus is looking for 4 years and the Caps are offering 2 with a club option.
I bet Zed wants 3 and they're offering 1.
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George McPhee....The Teflon GM. 15 years of failure and counting....
6 - Number of playoff series the Capitals have won since George McPhee took over as General Manager in 1997 (which makes him the third-longest-tenured GM in the League), three of which came in McPhee's first season on the job.
Get him signed to a second line right wing contract. Then put him there
get him signed to a 2nd line RW contract which he deserves and then keep him with Ovechkin so his point totals don't disappear.
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Originally Posted by shanwon
Here we go....cheapest organization in the league strikes again. I will quickly join the "Fire McPhee" club if he bungles the negotiations with Zubrus and the guy walks for nothing.
I bet Zubrus is looking for 4 years and the Caps are offering 2 with a club option.
I bet Zed wants 3 and they're offering 1.
We don't know what he is looking for, but I love the fact that McPhee is not as foolish as most on this board and is not simply going to give him whatever he wants. I am all for signing Zubrus at the right price, but its far from the end of the world if we lose him.
In fact part of me really wants him to go just so next year at this time I can point out how replaceable he is, because I have little doubt he wouldn't be missed that much.
As for you stance on Zednik, why would you want to give him any deal? let alone 3 years
3 mil a year is good. It should be clear to everyone that as the years go by our talent will pass him by, so 3 mil for Dainius "Fumble the puck at the worst possible time" Zubrus is good. I doubt it will have a tremendous effect on Ovechkin if we do trade him though
3 mil a year is good. It should be clear to everyone that as the years go by our talent will pass him by, so 3 mil for Dainius "Fumble the puck at the worst possible time" Zubrus is good. I doubt it will have a tremendous effect on Ovechkin if we do trade him though
3 million a year for Zubrus is actually a little high, but I would still do it if it was for only 3 years.
But Zubrus is prob looking for 3.5+ for 4 or 5 years, to that I say...
exaclty, it is about a team not giving into one player who thinks he is more valuable than he is.
TRADE HIM
true dat. i will also propose the revolutionary theory that trading zubrus would be the best thing to happen to ovechkin, as zubrus is a bit of a security blanket for ov, and it's time for our boy to step up and throw this team on his shoulders.
true dat. i will also propose the revolutionary theory that trading zubrus would be the best thing to happen to ovechkin, as zubrus is a bit of a security blanket for ov, and it's time for our boy to step up and throw this team on his shoulders.
Well i don't know about that, but I welcome the support.
3 million a year for Zubrus is actually a little high, but I would still do it if it was for only 3 years.
But Zubrus is prob looking for 3.5+ for 4 or 5 years, to that I say...
HELL NO, LET HIM GO! HELL NO, LET HIM GO
If Pucky McFumbles wants that much simply for the joy of playing with Ovechkin they'd better trade him. 3 mil would get him laughed out of DC if he wasn;t ovechkin's center. he should be on the second line with semin and backstrom next year. He'd probably get the same point totals
If Pucky McFumbles wants that much simply for the joy of playing with Ovechkin they'd better trade him. 3 mil would get him laughed out of DC if he wasn;t ovechkin's center. he should be on the second line with semin and backstrom next year. He'd probably get the same point totals
There is really no reason at all to beleive he would get simular point totals playing with anyone but Ovechkin. But I love the nickname.
There is really no reason at all to beleive he would get simular point totals playing with anyone but Ovechkin. But I love the nickname.
I figure Semin and Backstrom together can create the same opportunites that ovechkin alone created for him. Its a stretch, but I don;t think its a big one.
get him signed to a 2nd line RW contract which he deserves and then keep him with Ovechkin so his point totals don't disappear.
We don't know what he is looking for, but I love the fact that McPhee is not as foolish as most on this board and is not simply going to give him whatever he wants. I am all for signing Zubrus at the right price, but its far from the end of the world if we lose him.
In fact part of me really wants him to go just so next year at this time I can point out how replaceable he is, because I have little doubt he wouldn't be missed that much.
As for you stance on Zednik, why would you want to give him any deal? let alone 3 years
You love that about McPhee?? The honest truth is that you don't have a clue what's going on just like the rest of us. So love the imaginary qualities about McPhee all you want. GMGM COULD want to give Zubrus the term he's looking for and Ted could be stopping it for all we know. How on earth can you say sign him to a 2nd line RW contract and in the same breath, say keep him on the top line with Ovy?
Yeah...I would love to see us next year with Backstrom and Beech as our centers....that would really show us how irreplacable Zubrus is.
I never said I would give Zed 3 years....READ MY BOY READ....I said I expect that's what Zed wants.
If it was me....I would offer Zubrus 3 yrs for $10 mil with a club option year (and a reasonable buyout if it's not picked up).
You love that about McPhee?? The honest truth is that you don't have a clue what's going on just like the rest of us. So love the imaginary qualities about McPhee all you want. GMGM COULD want to give Zubrus the term he's looking for and Ted could be stopping it for all we know. How on earth can you say sign him to a 2nd line RW contract and in the same breath, say keep him on the top line with Ovy?
Yeah...I would love to see us next year with Backstrom and Beech as our centers....that would really show us how irreplacable Zubrus is.
I never said I would give Zed 3 years....READ MY BOY READ....I said I expect that's what Zed wants.
If it was me....I would offer Zubrus 3 yrs for $10 mil with a club option year (and a reasonable buyout if it's not picked up).
If that is the case than I love the fact Ted knows more about what Zubrus is worth than GMGM. Either way it works for me.
And I say pay Zuburs as a 2nd line RW and keep him on a line with Ovechkin for 2 reasons.
1. He isn't that good, and doesn't deserve anything more than a salary fit for a good 2nd line RW (even though he is really only average).
2. The only reason why he can be considered above average is because he plays with Ovechkin. You take him off that line and all of a sudden you may be paying a guy 3 million + a year to score 15 goals per and get hurt.
Yeah...I would love to see us next year with Backstrom and Beech as our centers....that would really show us how irreplacable Zubrus is.
It's Brooks Laich, I'll have you know.
He'd easily put up the points that Zubrus has had with Ovechkin.
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If it was me....I would offer Zubrus 3 yrs for $10 mil with a club option year (and a reasonable buyout if it's not picked up).
Club options are a no-no under the new CBA.
I'd offer three years with $3M per and not budge. I like Zubrus (particularly considering the alternatives in the organization outside of Backstrom) but if his demands are unrealistic then trade him and get some young talent back. But absent info on what Zubrus is asking, it's difficult to interpret things as they currently stand.
If GMGM and Leonsis are lowballing him (which is entirely possible) then that's not backbone...that's disrespecting organizational loyalty in favor of being cheap ***** that won't spend more than the salary floor. We don't really know whether it's backbone GMGM is showing by shooting down unrealistic demands from Zubrus or that he's simply doing the bidding of Leonsis in lowballing him.
I would actually much rather go into next season with the Laich and Backstrom as the top 2 centers for one season than overpay Zubrus and give him a deal he doesn't deserve for 3 or 4 years.
I wouldn't mind re-signing Zednik for another year, maybe two. The price would have to be right, though.
But Dainius Zubrus? Trade him and forget about him. The guy sucks, period. He can't even get up for a contract year; he's been decent but nothing at all special. He's strong as a horse... so what?
The problem is, of course, the gaping hole at the center position...
I would actually much rather go into next season with the Laich and Backstrom as the top 2 centers for one season than overpay Zubrus and give him a deal he doesn't deserve for 3 or 4 years.
Again, it depends on what he's asking for. Anything over $3M for three years, I'd agree, is too much.
But if Zubrus walks, then the Caps absolutely have to be players on the free agent market this summer and bring in a scoring-line center. Going with Brooks Laich as your second-line center is just as laughable as entering this eason with Kris Beech & Jakub Klepis vying for the spot. I'm a fan of Laich and his consistent effort level but he's not a second-line center.
