Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

Coyotes won't sign Bleackley to entry-level contract


Recommended Posts

https://www.nhl.com/news/arizona-coyotes-not-signing-conner-bleackley-who-can-re-enter-nhl-draft/c-280854820

"Arizona GM says supplemental draft pick 'more valuable asset' "

Quote

Red Deer forward Conner Bleackley can re-enter the 2016 NHL Draft after Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka confirmed Wednesday the team will not sign the former first-round pick to an entry-level contract.

 

The deadline for Bleackley to sign a contract was Wednesday. As a result, Bleackley is eligible for the 2016 draft and the Coyotes will receive a 2016 supplemental second-round draft pick. The Coyotes now have eight picks in the draft, including two each in the first and second rounds.

The 2016 draft is at First Niagara Center from June 24-25.

"We're going to take the compensation pick," Chayka told NHL.com at the NHL Scouting Combine. "There's a lot of value in that pick. That's not to diminish anything Conner has done or the type of player he is. He had a good Memorial Cup. He's a good player, but at this point [the draft pick] is a more valuable asset for us."

The Colorado Avalanche selected Bleackley with the 23rd pick of the 2014 draft. He was traded to the Coyotes along with forward Alex Tanguay and defenseman Kyle Wood for forward Mikkel Boedker on Feb. 29.

Bleackley, 20, had 46 points (13 goals, 33 assists) in 55 games with Red Deer of the Western Hockey League this season.

Bleackley sustained a wrist injury when a skate blade severed tendons during the first period of a win against Edmonton on March 19. It was his second major injury of the season; he missed six weeks because of a broken left kneecap sustained Jan. 23.

The wrist injury was expected to keep him out for the remainder of the season, but Bleackley returned for all four games in the Memorial Cup held in Red Deer, Alberta, from May 20-29. He had two assists, a plus-4 rating and four shots on goal in the tournament.

"Hats off to him for returning to the lineup and playing well," Chayka said. "It's not easy to do, especially at a Memorial Cup level to come back off an injury like he had and perform the way he did. It's a pretty special thing, but we're in the business of maximizing assets so that's our decision."

I know there was a little bit of talk about him from our perspective at the draft two years ago, and in proposals, but I was more interested in the management of the asset to take the pick in return vs signing a prospect.

 

EDIT: for the Canucks perspective:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Heated Blue said:

I really feel for the guy. 

 

To come back from such a serious injury so quickly and put in a good showing only to be cast aside by the team that drafted him.  

 

Hopefully it motivates rather than crushes him.

The Avalanche were willing to trade 23rd to Pittsburgh at the draft.   I find interesting how they never really warmed to the pick and I think if he didn't get traded to Arizona they too would have chosen the compensatory pick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK so here's an interesting question.

 

Lots of rumours or supposings as it were that Arizona will try moving up somehow still, obviously the matthews connection

 

Is it possible they want this extra pick to see about using it as part of a package deal to move up as opposed to a question mark in bleackley?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anything's possible, but then they could have also used Bleackley for that.

 

1 hour ago, suitup said:

Yes that's what I was trying to say thanks.

I got it, just added the clarification. B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

OK so here's an interesting question.

 

Lots of rumours or supposings as it were that Arizona will try moving up somehow still, obviously the matthews connection

 

Is it possible they want this extra pick to see about using it as part of a package deal to move up as opposed to a question mark in bleackley?

they might get to the 4 or 5 spot to get Tkatchuk, but not a chance they get to one.  Plus, I was shocked when Colorado drafted this guy in the first place  He really can't skate very well. They took him in that trade knowing they weren't going to sign him, and that the second was coming in compensation.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brutal not to stand by your pick. Sure the 2nd rounder is probably comparable to what Bleackley has done, but the compensation pick is not meant to be used this way. If there was a general disagreement between both parties or Bleackley wouldn't sign, then i'd say go for the pick, but choosing not to, in order to land a 2nd is just shady. 

 

I'm not a fan of this move.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Ossi Vaananen said:

Brutal not to stand by your pick. Sure the 2nd rounder is probably comparable to what Bleackley has done, but the compensation pick is not meant to be used this way. If there was a general disagreement between both parties or Bleackley wouldn't sign, then i'd say go for the pick, but choosing not to, in order to land a 2nd is just shady. 

 

I'm not a fan of this move.

Yeah, the optics aren't good although the loophole exists.  It's kind of a MLB move except I think the MLB teams only have a year to try and sign the player before they go back in the draft and gain the compensatory pick.  We'll probably start to see more of this in the next few years as the statasticians take over the hockey world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What a joke! Why does Arizona get a compensation pick simply for refusing to sign him? Its nobodies fault that they drafted a player they later changed their mind on. Its not like there was some big contract dispute, they simply decided they would rather have another shot at it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Heated Blue said:

I really feel for the guy. 

 

To come back from such a serious injury so quickly and put in a good showing only to be cast aside by the team that drafted him.  

 

Hopefully it motivates rather than crushes him.

 

18 minutes ago, ehdee said:

What a joke! Why does Arizona get a compensation pick simply for refusing to sign him? Its nobodies fault that they drafted a player they later changed their mind on. Its not like there was some big contract dispute, they simply decided they would rather have another shot at it.

"The Colorado Avalanche selected Bleackley with the 23rd pick of the 2014 draft"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

People are missing the fact that Arizona just recently traded for Bleackley in the Mikkel Boedker deal.

This isn't the "whoops we messed up" fallback plan that some people seem to be thinking it is.

They likely knew all along that they weren't going to sign him after they traded for him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Warhippy said:

OK so here's an interesting question.

 

Lots of rumours or supposings as it were that Arizona will try moving up somehow still, obviously the matthews connection

 

Is it possible they want this extra pick to see about using it as part of a package deal to move up as opposed to a question mark in bleackley?

more likely Tkachuk as he is from arizona as well. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...