ForumGhost

Well, what I meant was 6 million before this season began, which was where a lot of people had him for a long term contract.

I would love to have Vinny, but I would not offer him more than 5m per over 3 years. The big problem is that it really makes Deharnais redundant. With the length of his new contract, it seems like the organization has decided to commit to him. It's pretty rare for teams to move players they've just signed. Ultimately, if Vinny really wants to stay in Tampa, he will probably just sign a 1 year deal somewhere and resign with Tampa the year after.

So Letang turned down 7 million per year over 8 years (max contract length). Considering that Subban was considered in the same class as him even before he locked down the Norris, is this going to set the bar for Subban's new contract after next season? I was hoping that Subban would sign somewhere around 6 million, but if Letang is able to negotiate his way north of 7 million, you can bet Subban will ask for just as much. It's funny that many people were on MB's side when he strong-armed Subban into a short term deal last season, but in the end it looks it hurt the team rather than help it in the long run, as Subban did nothing but raise his value. I think Letang has set a troubling precedent, as I thought that the lowering of the cap would make players realize they will have to sign for less money, even if only slightly. 7+ seems fair, if not a little much, for a great defensemen (mind you, his bread and butter is an offensive game on a team with Crosby, Malkin and company) in the pre-lockout cap era, but now it just seems like way too much. If players still think it's okay to sign for these amounts, I can see contracts like this outright crippling teams.

We don't need him and he doesn't want us. I'd rather go for a bigger winger like Horton, Iginla ,Morrow or Clarkson.

Bring in Danny Kristo!

Gio and Patches both injured... I saw that Gionta had to leave the game for a bit last night, but didn't see anything on Pacioretty at all. I hope it's just the one game.. .

I think Shultz's -17 will keep him out of contention. Ditto Huberdeau's -15. It's a super crowded race this season (shortened schedule makes it less likely star rookies will run out of gas and take themselves out of contention). I don't think you can decide this race in stats alone, since so many players have similar numbers. Of all the rookies, I think Gallagher best exemplifies the intangibles of a heart and soul player. That, combined with his high +/-, overall numbers and the fact he played fewer games will give him the edge over all the other players.

I wouldn't be so fast to dismiss Tinordi. Gallagher and Galchenyuk were considered raw rookies. Galchenyuk even missed the entirety of last season, plus is younger, so you would expect him not to perform nearly as well as he had. Gallagher has been even more impressive, especially considering people questioned if he could even play at all in the NHL due to his size. Both are Calder candidates. Give the rookies a chance to surprise you, I say.

It looks as though Tinordi will play tomorrow. Sure he's not totally ready, but he can't be any worse than Drewiski or Weber.

Cool story bro.

Is there any chance he comes back in the playoffs, or is he 100% finished.

I think Gorges should be playing with Markov for that reason. He is our most responsible defensive player, and will have no problem covering the ice behind Markov. Also, Tinordi should be playing for Weber.

Ehh, he shouldn't really be playing anyways. Moen, Halpern and Prust should be our permanent 4th line. The return of Prust should basically solidify our 12 forwards. Any more injuries, Blunden will have to do. If a top 9'er goes out, I'd like to see Kristo given a shot.

Great news! Now we just need to get Diaz back...

I'm wondering if we should give Tinordi another shot, just for the physicality and size. Pairing him with Markov or Gorges might give him less responsibility. I love Franky, but he's not as stable in the backend. Markov - Subban Gorges - Tinordi Bouillion - Beaulieu/Drewiske

If Toronto was hanging up the phone, I don't believe Vancouver wasn't asking for O'Rielly or Kadri, unless it was multiple 1st rounders. Also, I can't believe Washington dealt Forsberg. Erat is good, but Forsberg is potential future star. The pressure to make the post season must be huge there. My biggest wish was to land Pominville, but looking at the huge price Minny paid, I'm glad we stayed out of that.

If Bourque and Diaz are back for playoffs, we will be fine, even without Armstrong out. Moen - Halpern - Prust is a pretty great 4th line in my opinion, with White as the 13th forward. I'm hoping to see Kristo tried out for a few games. Maybe switch him out with Galchenyuk for a few. Even though Galchenyuk has played well, he's still a young guy who isn't physically mature. Combine that with the fact this is teh biggest workload he's had in his career (missing all of last year + shortened, schedule-intensive season), it might pay off in the long run to keep his tank gassed.

Great to hear about Diaz. I think the Armstrong injury might force our hand to pick up a bottom 6'er. Can Torres kill penalties?

Worth noting that Markov is 5th in the league in scoring among d-men, and has points in 13 of his last 16 games. The only one in those top 5 with more goals is Subban.

Do we really want Weber over Tinordi...?

Not gunna lie, I would be way more confident in the next two games with Prust, Bourque and Diaz. I really hope all 3 are ready in time for playoffs. On the other hand, Pens are missing Malkin and Letang, so hopefully it all evens out. Carey has gotta steal one of these games.

Annnnd NHL.com releases an article about the best defencemen in the league. Guess who is missing. The stigma against Subban around the league is just amazing. I'm not sure what he has done to earn this kind of hatred. I feel like a lot of it has to do with his swagger and aggression. The 'hockey purists' (read: aging white men) love their Sydney Crosby's, who don't have the capacity to better emote than a bag of nickels. He may get a Norris nomination, but I promise you no matter how good his number end up being, he will never win it.

Letang for Subban? Is that supposed to sound as ridiculous as the other two proposals?

Oh well, in that case... Enjoy the AHL!

So obviously Komi has not been great with the Leafs, but is he really THAT bad? We could potential grab him back for half the price Burke signed him for. Is he good enough to push any of the current lineup out?