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2020 NHL Off-season thread (we could be here a while)

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Sea Bass, Oct 17, 2020.

  1. Sea Bass

    Sea Bass Well-Known Member

    I’ll start this one I guess.

    There’s been a lot of free agency activity already that we haven’t talked about, but here’s the biggest signing from yesterday:

    Maple Leafs Sign Joe Thornton
     
    Liut likes this.
  2. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    I really love Joe Thornton. And he has every right to go out however he wants. But he is a liability at this point, and I find it kind of sad as a fan that he's not going to hang it up until they tell him he can't play anymore or carry him off the ice kicking and screaming.
     
    OscarMadison and Liut like this.
  3. Sea Bass

    Sea Bass Well-Known Member

    I don’t think he’ll be a liability in the role he’ll play.
     
    JC likes this.
  4. da man

    da man Well-Known Member

  5. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    He can still do what they are asking him to do. Of course he’s not the same player, but he will fill a role for the leafs.
     
    OscarMadison likes this.
  6. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    My bold prediction, based on zero knowledge and just a hunch: Braden Holtby will be in goal when the Seattle Kraken play their first game.

    He does a year in Vancouver to help get the backup goalie there ready and then heads to Seattle. He'll be great for them beyond the ice, the perfect community-friendly guy to help whip that city into an even bigger frenzy.

    I have no idea what to make of the Caps' moves. I like King Henrik in that backup role, not so sure about Samsonov.
     
    OscarMadison likes this.
  7. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Not saying it won't happen, but Holtby's deal was backloaded: $2.9 mil next year, $5.7 mil the second year. I believe he wanted it that way to make himself bit more undesirable in the expansion draft.
     
  8. Tighthead

    Tighthead Well-Known Member

    Most new contracts are back loaded due to cap/escrow concerns, so that would also be a consideration.
     
  9. Splendid Splinter

    Splendid Splinter Well-Known Member

    correct. He still has great vision on the ice. They have a lot of goal scorers on that team, so he should get his assists, and he’s still a big body and can try to get some “cheap” goals in front on the net. He signed for $700k. Not a bad signing by any means.
     
  10. Tighthead

    Tighthead Well-Known Member

    TBL are still in cap hell. Johnson cleared waivers but that is still only $1 million or so in cap relief. They are hamstrung by NMC and NTC contracts. I wonder if anyone has tried to offer sheet Sergachev, as that would be a great predatory move.

    I’m a Habs fan and I don’t get why Bergevin targeted spare parts like Edmundson and Allen when everyone new this was a unique buyers’ market. Most teams have cap or budget constraints.

    Pietrangelo obviously helps Vegas, but giving away Nate Schmidt kind of deadens it. I know they prefer Lehner to Fleury, but if they stuck with Fleury they likely could have kept Schmidt.
     
    OscarMadison likes this.
  11. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Right on the escrow. And backloading doesn’t change the cap hit, it just adds a million or two to what Seattle would have to pay him. I did read something, though, saying they also wanted that extra bit of discouragement for Seattle to pick him.
     
  12. Tighthead

    Tighthead Well-Known Member

    Right, by cap I really meant escrow. It’s going to be a shitty year for HRR.

    I think that after the Vegas phenomenon, some players will be a little less wary of expansion. However, I also think that teams won’t be as generous with Seattle as they were with Vegas (looking at you, Florida).

    I like that the NHL doesn’t want expansion teams to suffer. Some Canadian hockey media guys lost their minds about it, but having bad teams is just bad for everyone. Just because Ottawa, SJ etc suffered through growing pains doesn’t mean everyone should.
     
    Liut likes this.
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