[Proposal] Weaponize Cap Space - T. Ennis

[D-Money]

The Minnesota Wild are in a jam. Both Matt Dumba and Jason Zucker are RFAs this year, and they are right up against the cap. Although the cap is rising, it probably won't be enough for them to re-sign both, and still fill out their roster as they'd like.

 

Most of their big money contracts are for good players, but one is most certainly not: Tyler Ennis. He is now a depth forward, and has been a healthy scratch in the playoffs. He has one year remaining at $4.6 million on his contract. It is likely that Minnesota would be willing to give assets to get his contract off the books, even though there's only 1 year left on it.

 

But the thing is, he is still only 28. And in the past, when used in an offensive role, he was a productive player. We need a center who can produce offense and run a PP. He also was an assistant captain the previous 2 seasons in Buffalo, so he is likely a decent guy in the room. There is a chance that he could be a useful player for us in the short term. And if not, well, it's only one year.

 

Not sure what the actual asset(s) coming back could be, but perhaps...

 

To MIN: Brendan Guance

To VAN: Tyler Ennis + Louis Belpedio + 2018 VGK 3rd

 

Guance has one year left at $750K, so that is a savings of $3.85 million for Minnesota. Belpedio is a solid offensive RHD prospect, with 2nd pairing potential - something we desperately need. Character guy too, who captained his NCAA team (despite being a younger player), and played on the 2015-16 USA team at the World Juniors. But Minny will have Dumba and Brodin locked up (both under 25), so their current and future top-4 RHD are already solid. And Minny has three 3rd rounders in 2018, so giving up the latest one won't hurt their draft much, whereas that will make up for us lacking a 4th round pick.

 

Again, the actual pieces of the return are just speculative. Regardless though, Ennis is a guy who could fit well here, and still bring us additional assets.

 

[Drive-By Body Pierce]

I see you've read some recent articles from The Athletic.

[kloubek]

I do like the idea of taking on Ennis for a year, and think they would be more interested in getting Granlund to unite the brothers.  I think Granlund holds more value anyway, and getting rid of him helps our glut of forwards. The one advantage is that either guy CAN play center if asked of him.

I also like that you are targeting a defenseman that is largely already developed since the draft, one that is improving, and also has reasonable size at that.

So, I take your proposal and I counter by including Granlund instead (or in addition to).  Adjust draft pick to taste.

 

 

[D-Money]

10 minutes ago, Drive-By Body Pierce said:

I see you've read some recent articles from The Athletic.

I have a subscription, but haven't been on in over a week. Didn't see anything about Ennis - but he stuck out like a sore thumb on Minny's Capfriendly page. 

[NewbieCanuckFan]

23 minutes ago, D-Money said:

The Minnesota Wild are in a jam. Both Matt Dumba and Jason Zucker are RFAs this year, and they are right up against the cap. Although the cap is rising, it probably won't be enough for them to re-sign both, and still fill out their roster as they'd like.

Failing that, do a Booby Clarke move and offer both of them an offer sheet.  High enough not to cost us much in terms of picks but high enough to cause them even more cap trouble.

 

Then you go talking deals with them.  Heh, no more "Mr. Nice Guy".  

 

[Phil_314]

9 minutes ago, NewbieCanuckFan said:

Failing that, do a Booby Clarke move and offer both of them an offer sheet.  High enough not to cost us much in terms of picks but high enough to cause them even more cap trouble.

 

Then you go talking deals with them.  Heh, no more "Mr. Nice Guy".  

 

If we're doing that let's get Dumba and really weaponize cap space that way.  Young, right-handed 50 point D-men don't just grow on trees.  

[qwijibo]

15 minutes ago, NewbieCanuckFan said:

Failing that, do a Booby Clarke move and offer both of them an offer sheet.  High enough not to cost us much in terms of picks but high enough to cause them even more cap trouble.

 

Then you go talking deals with them.  Heh, no more "Mr. Nice Guy".  

 

You can’t actually do that. Because you have to have the picks available for compensation in case the offer sheet is accepted.  You can offersgeet one of them. Assuming they actually sign.  

[Hobble]

By paying $1M in cap-space, I can activate Seven Tools of the Bandit, which prevents your team from playing trap for one whole period!

 

(Obviously this popped into my head after reading first half of title.)

[Noble 6]

I've been talking about taking Ennis back for a long time. It would really help them out and give them some more flexibility. Given that he only has one year left, I don't think we'd get anything significant back. I'm not sure how good the prospect you included is, but he probably wouldn't be available in that deal just for taking Ennis. It's also a chance to let Granlund play with his brother, so he could be of value to them as a roster replacement. 

 

To MIN:

 

RFA Rights to Granlund

 

To VAN:

 

3rd 2018 (VGK)

3rd 2019

 

Granlund = 3rd 

Ennis + 3rd = Cap Space

[mll]

 

This was their owner Craig Leopold in January 2017 - it's doubtful he wants another undersized player on his team re Granlund.  The Wild went on to lose in the 1st round and this year are struggling vs the Jets.  

 

“So, what am I expecting this year? I don’t know if we’ve got the kind of team, right now, that can play four hard series in the playoffs. I don’t know, they could surprise me.

“But I don’t think we’ve got that type of team. We haven’t built it yet. We’ve got some guys coming up who within a couple of years of being in this league can start to make a difference in the weakness that we have, which is the size of our players — although we’re better than we were last year. Staal certainly helps at center, and Niederreiter is playing more to his strength.

“But, I don’t know where it’ll go.”

 

 

Minnesota is also not really in a position to move prospects or draft picks.  Their farm system is totally depleted and Iowa has never made the playoffs.  Fletcher has traded away too many picks - especially in the 1st 3 rounds.

 

Belpedio could have also elected to become a UFA this August and they convinced him to sign with them re what would that say about them as organisation to agents.

 

They are more likely to buyout Ennis than to give up a pick or a prospect.

 

At this stage it's unclear if Suter will be able to return and perform to his usual self.  It's an injury that is seen in car accidents but very seldom in sports.  Apparently the doctors even told him it would be career ending if he played another sport where his foot is not in a boot.

 

Btw Fletcher was asked about cap space earlier this year and he said he didn't foresee any issues in re-signing Dumba and Zucker.   

 

[D-Money]

/\

Interesting. Losing Tuch and Haula hurt them...but so would have losing Brodin or Dumba. Greenway looks promising though.

[Hairy Kneel]

Wow they lost both Tuch and Haula

[Drive-By Body Pierce]

3 hours ago, D-Money said:

I have a subscription, but haven't been on in over a week. Didn't see anything about Ennis - but he stuck out like a sore thumb on Minny's Capfriendly page. 

Not regarding Ennis, just the phrase you used and how you used it.

 

THE ATHLETIC: In his recent eight-point plan for the Vancouver Canucks to make the most of this offseason, JD Burke suggested they “weaponize” their salary-cap space by targeting teams with prospect depth in need of shedding salary. He thinks the Dallas Stars could seek someone to take the final season of center Jason Spezza’s contract ($7.5-million cap hit) off their hands, or the Washington Capitals could look for a trade partner for the final year of defenseman Brooks Orpik’s $5.5- million cap charge, or the Tampa Bay Lightning might seek a taker for the final two years of winger Ryan Callahan’s $5.8-million annual price tag.

[Nuxfanabroad]

"Weaponizing" cap shouldn't be confused with pickin' up the slippery soap in the communal showers. It's worth our while, or JB shuts it down.

 

Can't remember if you first suggested this team/target(cos seen it before), OP..but I like this trade pattern. Not too shabby.

 

Btw, Minny's GM shouldn't be whining about size..they seem to have it. They just ain't THAT great, & BB's a lousy late-season coach. The Parise/Suter ballyhooed UFA windfalls are starting to bite their a$$, as well.

 

About 15 mos back the Mild looked like they were going somewhere. Now they look like the Blues, Ducks or Caps..possibly starting a longgg slope downwards.

 

 

[D-Money]

1 hour ago, Drive-By Body Pierce said:

Not regarding Ennis, just the phrase you used and how you used it.

 

THE ATHLETIC: In his recent eight-point plan for the Vancouver Canucks to make the most of this offseason, JD Burke suggested they “weaponize” their salary-cap space by targeting teams with prospect depth in need of shedding salary. He thinks the Dallas Stars could seek someone to take the final season of center Jason Spezza’s contract ($7.5-million cap hit) off their hands, or the Washington Capitals could look for a trade partner for the final year of defenseman Brooks Orpik’s $5.5- million cap charge, or the Tampa Bay Lightning might seek a taker for the final two years of winger Ryan Callahan’s $5.8-million annual price tag.

Ah...

 

I listed to Halford & Brough, who are the main writers for The Athletic Vancouver, and they use the term "weaponize cap space" liberally.

 

I'd heard Spezza, Callahan, and Orpik mentioned before - but there are some problems with those guys. For one, Spezza and Callahan have trade protection, so it may be hard to get them to waive it (particularly Callahan). And secondly, all those teams are in "win-now" mode, and despite being overpaid, each of the players are still decent contributors, in roles that their team's are not necessarily strong at (Washington is weak at defense, Tampa does not have many physical forwards, and Dallas needs a 2C like Spezza...he just needs to play better).

 

Ennis seems to make even more sense, as his team has already deemed him as truly unnecessary (by the playoff scratches). He's also relatively young, and a Western Canadian kid, so there's at least a remote chance that he could be someone that actually carves out a longer-term role in Vancouver.

[ForsbergTheGreat]

Let not help them. Instead let’s kick them when there down and offersheet dumba. 

[qwijibo]

14 minutes ago, ForsbergTheGreat said:

Let not help them. Instead let’s kick them when there down and offersheet dumba. 

That only works if you offer him way above his value AND he’s ok signing with one of the worst teams in the league.  Not really an effective strategy 

[ForsbergTheGreat]

Sure offer 6.5-7 million for 7 years. Why wouldn’t a western Canadian kid want to play with us.  We’re not going to be bad forever. Especially when we’re paying him a ton of money. It would put the wild in a real tough situation to match. 

[qwijibo]

8 minutes ago, ForsbergTheGreat said:

Sure offer 6.5-7 million for 7 years. Why wouldn’t a western Canadian kid want to play with us.  We’re not going to be bad forever. Especially when we’re paying him a ton of money. It would put the wild in a real tough situation to match. 

So the wild chose not to match and you’ve just overpaid for a young player and handed Vancouver’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks to the wild. 

[ForsbergTheGreat]

9 minutes ago, qwijibo said:

So the wild chose not to match and you’ve just overpaid for a young player and handed Vancouver’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks to the wild. 

Over paid. Not by much. Market value for a player like his is around 6 million. And 1st 2nd and 3rd is the value of acquiring a 24 year old who puts up 50 points, with a right shot, who plays 24 min a night. Flames paid more for dougie and hamonic. Oilers paid slightly less for Reinhart. I would happily give that value for a player dumba. He  our biggest need perfectly. Age position and skill set