It's pretty obvious that Raymond may be more hurt than originally thought, and may be place on long term LITR until
possibly 2012, so Sturm is his replacement, as the money is the same.
So there's still room for a Top 6 Power Forward, most likely via trade
This is a real head scratcher. There's no way Sturm was getting offers even close to this, if there were any at all.
He is not a coveted free agent. There are so many better players he could have got for less. Even if Gillis really wanted him for some bizarre reason, I'm fairly positive he'd sign for half of that contract. FFS, Higgins is a better player and he was re-signed for 300k less!
Well I dunno - it's a "whatever" signing in my books - but when all is said and done I don't see our closest competitors finding gems out there either - so on the whole the day is a wash IMO.
Hawks got a whole lot better today
Brunette, ODonnell, Carcillo, Mayers ...all short term. Montador was longer term, but that's ok, I think.
the thing i still don't get though, is that $2.25M isn't exactly chump change, even on a 1 year deal. and that seems fairly at odds with what i make of the 'Gillis Approach' of not wasting $$$ on 'compromise/okayish' players...and instead, going after 'great players' and filling out with very very cheap 'moneypuck' low-risk/high-reward longshot players.
$2.25 isn't chump change, but it is $.25 less than what it would cost to have Raymond on the roster, if he wasn't hurt and put into LTIR purgatory... If no injury issues, I'd imagine that Sturm would get around $4.25 today (given what other UFAs are signing for) instead of $2.25... Probably, at least, $1 million more...
IMO, the Canucks still get a Kesler winger, and physical 4th line Glass upgrade... I don't think the Sturm signing stops this from happening...
$2.25 is an amount that, I think, the Canucks should be able to just about squeeze to make it work when Raymond comes back (assuming the Canucks also get a Kesler winger for between $4 - $5... and 4th liner for around $1). On paper (assuming the Canucks spend right up to the cap - to get the most out of the LTIR benefit) when Raymond comes back, the Canucks are $2.5 over... But with injuries that are bound to occur (and uncertainty with how long Raymond will take to recover), the Canucks should be able to come under without making roster turnover (getting rid of a player's rights)... Next season, it's juggling the cap to make room for a gluttony of forwards, as the Canucks juggled the cap for the gluttony of defensemen last season... Hope that come the last day of the regular season, all the forwards play their first game together... With this approach, the Canucks ice a playoff team greater than the salary cap otherwise suggests they can...
IMO, Sturm fits... It's an around Raymond cap hit, and Sturm brings depth to the line-up... He also has question marks and can contribute to the "need injuries to be cap compliant" game, to be a pawn for Gillman to make the cap work... Sturm could be a solid complimentary player on the team (greater value than $2.25 otherwise suggests), yet he can also be somebody who is first to be shipped out if it doesn't work - in the event that a roster decision needs to be made (a la Schaefer last season)...
I like the signing... Assuming it doesn't affect the Canucks getting a significant Kesler winger... and I don't think it does...
Last edited by I in the Eye: 07-01-2011 at 06:45 PM.
This is a real head scratcher. There's no way Sturm was getting offers even close to this, if there were any at all.
He is not a coveted free agent. There are so many better players he could have got for less. Even if Gillis really wanted him for some bizarre reason, I'm fairly positive he'd sign for half of that contract. FFS, Higgins is a better player and he was re-signed for 300k less!
This.
2.25 seems way too high for a reclamation project like Sturm. If you had told me Canucks were signing Sturm I would have guessed 1-1.5 mill, similar to Torres last year. Gillis seems to think he's capable of scoring 20-25 goals. That is not happening without top 6 minutes and at the very least 2nd unit PP time. Not exactly the kind of player I would like to be giving those minutes.
For all those that are saying that Sturm can replace Raymond's cap hit if Raymond is put on LTIR so it means we still have the cap space to get a legit top-6 forward, you're wrong. We can't use Raymond's LTIR space until we use up every single dollar of cap space that we have, so there is about no way we can go out and get a top-6 forward anymore.
Who really was "cheap" that was signed today though that fits that description?
Tim Brent: 2 yrs for 1.5M : 750k cap hit for a youngish UFA who does a lot of the same things we payed Ryan Johnson 1.1M cap hit for 3 years ago in a completely different market/salary cap. He's my "great buy of the day" player.
For all those that are saying that Sturm can replace Raymond's cap hit if Raymond is put on LTIR so it means we still have the cap space to get a legit top-6 forward, you're wrong. We can't use Raymond's LTIR space until we use up every single dollar of cap space that we have, so there is about no way we can go out and get a top-6 forward anymore.
No, they're right. As long as Raymond's on LTIR the Canucks can replace his salary.
For all those that are saying that Sturm can replace Raymond's cap hit if Raymond is put on LTIR so it means we still have the cap space to get a legit top-6 forward, you're wrong. We can't use Raymond's LTIR space until we use up every single dollar of cap space that we have, so there is about no way we can go out and get a top-6 forward anymore.
Who really was "cheap" that was signed today though that fits that description?
that's not the idea at all. the idea is that the 'cheap' signings that fill that description will probably be found LATER in the offseason, after the initial crazydust has settled.
my take on Gillis Philosophy is:
-sign 'GREAT' players immediately amidst the frenzy because they're worth it (eg. Hamhuis).
-don't sign big $$$ and big term contracts with 'less than ideal' players just because they're all that is currently available.
-sign cheap longshots with upside later when they no longer hold all the cards and can't demand stupid salaries (eg. Torres) and of course guys like Tambi, Wellwood, etc who maybe haven't panned out 'great', but have certainly contributed in their time here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Connecticut
I think frustration is making you miss the point. Sturm is on a one year contract. Gillis is talking about core guys that the team is built around, guys he's willing to sign to long term contracts: Luongo, Sedins, Kesler, Burrows, Bieksa, Hamhuis, Edler, Malhotra, etc.
As others have said, Gillis is not going to tie up $20-30M on a 4-6 year deal for a player that's "good". Compare Leino/Fleischmann @ 4.5M to Kesler @ 5M. Which would you rather have? One is good, one is great. If you fill up on good players, you have no room left for great ones when the opportunity presents itself.
You can't have a team with only great players -- thus the Sturm signing -- but if you're going to make a commitment to a player, you want him to be great. I fully support that philosophy.
well said. and i fully agree with that philosophy as well.
i just hope Gillis pulls a rabbit out of the hat once again as the offseason rolls along, to acquire a 'great' player.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drop the Sopel
Excluding this past year where Sturm missed more than half the year he hasn't had a season where he's been on pace for less than 20 goals, in 8 years. He's been an extrememly consistent goalscorer...
Factor in Raymond's situation and this is a great signing IMO. I didn't undertand it at first glance but it's basically a no risk/high reward move. Not to mention his skillset will be a perfect compliment to Vancouver's system.
This signing is the definition of moneypuck.
i see what you're saying and partially agree. it makes sense as a sort of potential 'throwaway' solution to Raymond's completely uncertain timeline for recovery and the fact that we don't know what we're going to get if/when he returns. and with Sturm, if he somehow magically gets his groove back on despite the knees and the age, etc...he could be a nice player to have as depth. if not, you toss him on waivers and hope Raymond steps right back in.
but to me, $2.25M is still a great deal more than i expect on a 'moneypuck' pickup like a Torres/Tambi/Wellwood/Rome/etc. I mean, that's inching dangerously close to the $2.5M that i see him spending on players he seems to view as 'great', like a Samuelsson/Malhotra UFA pickup where he doesn't hesitate to provide term for them.
You're not serious, are you? They got better by acquiring Mayers and O'Donnell? do you WATCH hockey?
It's amazingly stupid what Chicago did. Trade Brian Campbell to free up cap space only to end up not using it. They still have 7 million left over with one more spot to fill, and very few options. Now they're out a very good #3 (maybe #2) defenseman, replaced by a couple of bottom-pairing d-man and loads of unused cap space. They're a much worse team for it.
do you WATCH hockey?
