People **** on me earlier this year when I said it was going to take $1.8 to $2 million to sign this guy.
Well now, with the way he has produced this year, even more than I anticipated due to injury & increased ice-time, he is going to be due for a contract in the neighborhood of about $2.2 to 2.5 million if we want to sign him to a 3 or 4 year deal.
His production & resume are superior to Clarke McArthur's stats a year ago, and he will eligable for the same or more if he goes to arbitration -- especially considering his numbers relative to ice-time & PP time -- not to mention the fact that someone will go after him with an offer sheet.
This is why I was hoping Shero signed this guy early in the season when he probably could have locked him up for under $2million on a 3 year deal. Oh well....
Keep in mind that TK's in a very good situation here, and MacArthur really wasn't. I still think he can be re-signed for 2 mil or under, barring some superstar antics in the playoffs.
I am one of the biggest TK critics around here by far. And I want to see him with a long look in the T6 next season. I am hoping he becomes our pour mans St. Louis.
He seems to have built a chemistry with Kunitz. So whom ever Kunitz gets paired with at center I want TK to come with.
With another signing:
Neal - Crosby - Signing
Kunitz - Malkin - Kennedy
or
Kunitz - Crosby - Kennedy
Neal - Malkin - Signing
Without another signing:
Kunitz - Crosby - Kennedy
Neal - Staal - Malkin
or
Neal - Crosby - Malkin
Kunitz - Staal - Kennedy
I like how him and Kunitz have played together even when Staal is not between him, there were looks of both Jeffrey and Letestu centering them and they looks just as effective and dangerous together.
If the salary cap does not rise, or rises very little. Those last two are probably what we will see too.
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"No! forget the glass Woodhouse, just give me the pitcher, for I am a sinner in the hands of an angry god. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death... which I hope is soon. Amen."
I think having Stall is great for depth at center and being strong down the middle, but he's also a holding us back in a way. I know its a great problem to have, and with all the injuries we had this year, who wants to give up depth? The only way to keep Stall on a top line is to either put malkin on wing w/ either Stall or Sid though, at least TK is answering some of our top line winger problems next year.
I'm still very much convinced that we need to cut ties with some excess fat and use that and the increase in the cap to get another second line wing. I figure if we can cut $2-3 mil from the roster and the cap goes up $3mil, we'd have approx $4mil for a winger after resignings and raises. I'd give TK a touch over a mil...like Talbot...Dupuis money would be a stretch but if it came down to it I'd pull the trigger.
UFA is a Leino, Gange, etc. Winger possibilities are: Jeffery, Letestu, Tangradi, Johnson...
I like this because it creates 3 duos that are all threats. Kunitz - Staal is working well right now and they are up against the #1,#2 pairings...I think they could work well agains the #3 pairing
Kulemin is on pace for a 30/30 season being the anchor on one of the best lines in the league today. Kid can play left or right wing and works his *** off every night. Ideal winger for malkin. I love staal but I just question we will end up keeping him. Just a possibility.
You honestly believed he was going to go on the tear he's on now that SirBrad mentioned above? Sounds like you were more lucky than accurate.
That's right. I said I believed that he has 30 goal potential (which people gave me **** for) and that he should be locked up long-term. If you care enough, I'm sure you could search it.
I said what I said because the guy is only 24 years old -- which is still long before most players reach their prime -- showed good promise, and was our best & most natural scoring RWer, even if by default. He has always put up pretty decent numbers given that he got ZERO power play time and averaged less than 14 minutes per game.
So it was not illogical to think that, if given 18 minutes per game with some PP time and playing in a top 6 role that he could put up 20 or 25 goals, while having some of the best work ethic & tenacity in the league. Like it or not, that gets you north of $2 million in the NHL nowadays.
I honestly thought that perhaps Shero could envision this happening and would use TK's "lack of production" as a negotiating tool to sign him for less money on a long-term deal, and then after he signed, start giving TK the kind of ice-time & opportunity to play in a bigger role, and then he would end up being a bargain.
But, alas: there were some injuries and TK was forced into a role that, quite frankly, he deserved, and now we are going to have to pay the piper for it.
People **** on me earlier this year when I said it was going to take $1.8 to $2 million to sign this guy.
Well now, with the way he has produced this year, even more than I anticipated due to injury & increased ice-time, he is going to be due for a contract in the neighborhood of about $2.2 to 2.5 million if we want to sign him to a 3 or 4 year deal. His production & resume are superior to Clarke McArthur's stats a year ago, and he will eligable for the same or more if he goes to arbitration -- especially considering his numbers relative to ice-time & PP time -- not to mention the fact that someone will go after him with an offer sheet.
This is why I was hoping Shero signed this guy early in the season when he probably could have locked him up for under $2million on a 3 year deal. Oh well....
Considering his age, his production this season, and the fact that he has a cup on his resume, I'd say it would be pretty realistic to assume that he could definitely get something north of 2 million per season for at least a 3-4 year team. He's also shown steady improvement in his overall play in my opinion. The only thing that makes me somewhat skeptical is his proneness to injury, but at least this season he's done a great job at staying healthy.
Personally, I think it would be foolish to let him walk, especially considering the chemistry he's managed to forge with some of the other guys on this team (namely Cooke and Staal).
I'm still very much convinced that we need to cut ties with some excess fat and use that and the increase in the cap to get another second line wing. I figure if we can cut $2-3 mil from the roster and the cap goes up $3mil, we'd have approx $4mil for a winger after resignings and raises. I'd give TK a touch over a mil...like Talbot...Dupuis money would be a stretch but if it came down to it I'd pull the trigger.
UFA is a Leino, Gange, etc. Winger possibilities are: Jeffery, Letestu, Tangradi, Johnson...
I like this because it creates 3 duos that are all threats. Kunitz - Staal is working well right now and they are up against the #1,#2 pairings...I think they could work well agains the #3 pairing
Two thoughts. No way is Kennedy only getting Talbot money and even Dupuis money is a stretch. I think Cooke money is more likely. Also, I like the depth idea but you seriously are putting Cooke with Malkin? Why wouldn't you just keep Cooke / Staal / Kennedy together if Kennedy is staying on the third line? That line was already the "best 3rd line in hockey" and with Kennedy's newfound scoring touch that line could be a threat like it is. Malkin needs at least one good top 6 option so give him Kunitz or Neal. I like Leino a lot and would love to see him as a Pen but he's not a guarantee to work out here. Based on that combo of players this is what I like:
Kunitz / Crosby / Kennedy
Neal / Malkin / Leino (not sure if Leino can play RW. if not I'd acquire a RW instead)
Cooke / Staal / Jeffrey
Adams / Talbot / Tangradi
I think that makes both of your top 2 lines fantastic. That is line 1a and 1b for sure and the although there is a bit of change on that 3rd line, I think you are still getting some goal scoring ability in Jeffrey and a good defense guy as well. The fourth line is great as well although I'd like to see Tangradi develop his offensive game with at least one decent forward option (I'd put Letestu in that spot and not resign Talbot). That would be a responsible line and could put up some goals. Maybe throw in a physical 4th liner like Rupp as well and Vitale as 1st call up.
I'll admit... I was pretty unhappy with TK earlier in the season. There was a strech of 10 games where it didn't seem like he existed, but he's really stepped it up recently and hopefully he can carry his recent good play into the playoffs.
I'm rooting for the little guy.
(Actually we're both the same size, he's just little compared to your average NHLer)
I remember some people wanted him benched/waived and some people wanted him on Crosby's wing before the season. There was really no in between.
The rest of the Crosby's wing people and I were right!
I just can't see how he wouldn't fit in well with Crosby... His style of play fits too much to not work. He forechecks hard, works well along the wall an behind the net, has a good shot, and can stickhandle well. Plus this season he's shown a better knack for knowing when to pass the puck instead of shoot it, and he's placing his shots better for passes of the goalies pads.
I think if you just give him a bit of time to develop chemistry with Crosby he would be perfect.
