Goal:thecup

I want to win the Stanley Cup. I signed with Toronto because they give me the best opportunity to do that.

Italians and good white people too! Ha Ha Ha

That's a lot of "M"s.

I see posters putting up D-pairings without putting Quinn with Schmidt, which I think would be a very exciting top D pair.

Sundin

Sad to see Tofu go but his new contract does not fit the new reality. Part of this new reality that I have not seen discussed yet is that the AHL is not planning to play this season and the effect that could have on JB & Co's decision-making processes right now. One of the realities of team-building is deciding where to place the yutes so they can develop properly, and the AHL does a great job of providing one huge such place, that is, up until Covid. We (the Canucks) have many prospects on AHL contracts and most likely wanted to put more down in the "A" again now, and in the future. Teams are actively trying to find spots for their prospects to play and talent is being forced down, and out by the AHL being closed. We have a number of guys not on AHL contracts thankfully, and some guys with contracts have stayed, or gone to Europe etc, but the spots are filling up fast. So what do you do with your AHL Yutes? Maybe play them on the big club? JB said he is going to honour the contracts they have signed and I take this to mean, including and especially the young guns, and now perhaps, our AHL (top) players. These next two seasons will be unlike any we have ever experienced. It is the perfect time to get our house in order. Cover the kids' bonuses. Cut the chaff. Do not extend or sign anyone over a certain age. Run out the old expensive contracts. Sign only the young guns. Get lean and mean. Take advantage of teams that have not adjusted. Steal a #1 RHD from someone. I thought this year's Cup might earn an asterisk, but I think the next two will be even more abnormal. The NHL is fighting for its life right now financially, and one way we can help is by being strong ourselves. Another thing not really discussed much is that this Covid Crunch is shrinking seasons (and playoffs perhaps?); e.g. if the NHL starts the season in January (or even Feb now), I am sure they are going to want to shorten it up so that they can get back to a normal schedule as quickly as possible. So I think 20/21 will be shorter and 21/22 will be shorter, and maybe by 22/23 we might be back on track, but maybe not too. All this hockey, crammed into super-tight schedules, and rushed playoffs are going to take a toll on the players as well as coaches and staff. If we are not "cup-contenders" (as if any of you can say for certain we are or we are not, lol) during this period, so be it. As long as we are solid as a team and everybody works hard, we can be proud of our team and enjoy their efforts (and need I say, the games themselves). There are more important things than signing this or that winger, like everyone's health, for example. And, we just might win it all anyway; lots of teams are going to have lots of their own problems. Along the same lines, what are the bubble considerations going to look like for next season and the future? Is there going to be a Canadian Bubble? If so, would more players like to move or return to Canada to get away from the awful mess in the USA? Most people are looking at forgiving any thought of gate revenue for 20/21, but maybe this goes on for 21/22 as well. For example, if the NHL can wrap up 20/21 by say July or August (and I don't think the NHL gives a hoot for the Olympics right now), have a quick break, training camp and exhibition, and back at 21/22 by say Nov/Dec, we still may not have a cure or vaccine for Covid even by then. Then what? Other leagues, that have opened up the gate revenue are having to shut some teams back down and this type of reaction will have further complications for scheduling. If the players have to 'bubble' for the whole season, will they want to again for the playoffs? And again another season, and playoffs? Not saying this will happen, just that we should appreciate the depth of these types of issues and be thankful our management group is taking it seriously, and more seriously than just whether we could have signed Tofu if we hadn't signed Beags or whatever nonsense if being shuffled around. The blood has only begun to be let. The financial realities have only begun to roost. Many people are in much poorer (health and finances) condition than pre-pandemic. The global economic effects have only begun to hit; governments are rushing to try to save it all with massive money-inflating schemes and negative interest rates, or at least to hide the true effects from the general public as long as they can. As these strictures come to bear on pro sports and the NHL, there will be personal bankruptcies of team owners, event venues (hockey rinks), peripheral vendors and related businesses etc. Season ticket holder bases will also be impacted and corporate box revenue should decline. In Vancouver, in BC, in Canada, we will most likely be ok and in fact may weather these storms better than most. But overall, the NHL is in trouble as are all pro sports. For right now, we see teams like our Canucks, not giving out new contracts, further term, no-trade/no-move clauses, or any other over-payments due to changed conditions. I believe this is only the beginning. All players who signed before Covid are thanking their lucky stars and hoping the league/team stays solvent long enough for them to get paid. Soon players will be scrambling to take what they can get. At least the young guys will be. The old guys will not suffer the bubbles as easily, nor fight off Covid as well as the young guys, and will be more easily satisfied with what they have already earned. So, I think the Canucks are looking at this year's decisions in light of the prospect of long-term no-gate-revenue business and perhaps NHL Team Owners Bankruptcies, bringing to mind what to do with borderline viable franchises like Arizona, Florida, Edmonton (where would they be without McDavid), when the money dries up? How many players are going to become desperate for a contract of any kind? How many are going to opt out and say, "Enough is enough, I'm out."? Previously I posted that the two greatest assets for teams right now were young players and cap space; now I would like to add short-term, no clause, and cheap contracts to that list. If Toffoli had wanted to stay, he probably could have done so on a short-term contract. There is no reason for all this whinging. Be thankful we have a team, a league, hockey to watch, and our health to enjoy it. We (the Nux) are going to be ok, possibly even very good.

There probably won't be any gate revenue until the 21/22 season at the earliest. There is a lot of blood yet to be let. Benning made a point of saying they were going to honour the contracts they had signed. I took this to mean that the first priorities were going to be, to be able to pay everything currently, e.g. including the kids' bonuses. I can see why he signed Holtby and he kept the contract to 2 years or less, which I also believe is in his mandate. No long term deals, no NTCs nor NMCs, keep enough cash to pay everything with nothing carried forward to next year. It is going to be such a goofy season anyway; that is not to say do not try. More like, use this time to clean up the books as best we can, and take advantage when cap-strapped teams get desperate for our cap space. I think JB may have a deal for Virtanen but has to wait for the arbitrator, and then Jake goes. I like Jake and wish he could stay, but Benning singled him out after the playoffs, Virtanen turned down his QO, and opted for arbitration. If we keep Jake we will have to protect him in the expansion draft, maybe losing him for nothing anyway. So a trade may open up a spot where we can protect a different forward. I think we are going to get a good RHD, not a true #1, but hopefully a solid talent that can compliment Hughes. Maybe we go with: Hughes - New Guy Edler - Myers Juolevi - Tryamkin/Rafferty That way, we would only have to protect Edler, Myers, Juolevi (I think). We get some extra room to get that "Almost #1 RHD" and maybe a winger like Tofu at a new reduced price and term.

Wonder if AP is even awake yet?

Does anyone believe Peter An' Jello will sign for less than 7 years? (He can no longer get 8 from Saint Lou.) He is the most sought-after UFA out there; he will dictate terms.

Restated because highlighting and bolding didn't seem to work: "the NHL is relying more and more on young players." This is the way (Dao) to go: bring on the kids, no NTCs or NMCs, no long term deals, no rewarding past performances (not even, "What have you done for me lately", but more like, "What are you going to do for us in the future?"). The most valuable assets right now for NHL teams (imo) are Young Guns and Cap Space. (I would make an exception for Pietrangelo for two reasons: first one is that he is exactly what we need, and the second one is that I am an old fart and it is difficult to free myself from my old habits like wanting to acquire established NHL star players for the Canucks.) JB is right on track imo, replacing Markstrom with Holtby, letting Tanev and Stetcher walk, keeping our young guns and not wasting them getting rid of 'bad' contracts, etc. Speaking of which, I think, if we wanted to trade Sutter (and I'm not sure we do), we would not have to add a sweetener like a prospect or a pick; I think he is valuable enough by himself, maybe with a bit of a cap trim. Center: Petey/Miller, Bo, Sutts, Beags = good to go. Wings: Dime a dozen, lots in pipeline, no need to add or waste prospects or cap. LD: just fine (no need for OEL)(Hughes, Edler, Juolevi, young guns) RD: need AP (but costs cap space for a long term - 7 years), or some other very good 1RD somehow, but for 3RD (or 2RD if he works out) Tryamkin, who plays the right side and is a giant and we have a couple guys who could fight for 3RD, 4RD. Goal: already sorted: Holtby/Demko. Hang in there JB & Co; keep creat'n' cap and hang'n' on to our best prospects and picks and let these idiots running teams like TO, Cowgary, and Edmonchuk, continue to sink their own ships. (And for this old fart: land AP please.)

You've got Markstrom for Holtby so far.

Maybe we don't even need to sign Tanev, Markstrom, etc; maybe its time to build cap space and take care of the obligations we have already undertaken so that we are free of them in the future. Bound to be a goofy year anyway; we should still make the playoffs; and then "anything can happen" etc. I don't think we are in a hurry to sign any free agents right away; JB & Co are assessing the market, and it has only begun to crash.

You are not 'letting everyone know' because most of us have you on 'Ignore'. It is only when someone deigns to argue with you that any of us see your crap.

Can't offer him anything, yet. Can't afford to be exposed to an arbitrator's ruling.

Drai for Marky.

As per NHL.COM: The 2020 NHL Draft will be held virtually Oct. 6-7. The first round will be Oct. 6 (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS). Rounds 2-7 are Oct. 7 (11:30 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects and other features. Today, a look at Alexis Lafreniere and his rise to being the projected No. 1 pick of the draft. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Thanks for all your very good content. This one I do not understand; care to clarify?

Boston?

About a week or so ago, JB apparently said something like he was not impressed with Jake's playoff performance. Others ran with it for a while and I was just trying to further it's journey to the curb. I personally see nothing in it except that JB made somewhat similar comments that amounted to lauding Demko, which in turn seemed to have certain implications for Markstrom. I think he will, and I hope he does, hold onto both Jake and Jacob. As for the actual Jake quote, I think it may have been in that video with Green and Benning after we were eliminated (but I'm not going to look it up, lol). Nice to see you back ON, and full of beans too, I might add.

Shotgun Jake is going to sign a team-friendly contract and be very good value for the foreseeable future. (IMO of course.) JB's comments are just posturing (again, imo) as he has to squeeze every negotiation for every loose buck to massage the team through the next two years. Crazy adjustments coming due to Covid, shortened season, bubble playoffs, cap flattening, escrow, all forms of revenue disappearing, AHL not playing, people getting sick and dying, old contracts locked into new realities, etc., etc. For me, I am excited to see how everyone navigates their way through all this, and how the Nux can come out on top. We have great team spirit and character, many players now want to play for our team (Hello Jared "It is what it is" McCann), and hopefully this translates to savings on every contract and negotiation. The team was giving Jake the cold shoulder a bit until he got up to speed in the Play-Ins, but I think that was tough love (e.g. from Horvat, "C'mon Jake, move your &^@#in' ass!" and Jake's whining about nobody liking him and just skating around him every time and making him look bad, or some such like). If Jake signs such a contract, he will be a solid player on the third line, with the ability to move up and add to both the power play and penalty kill (do not ignore Jake's takeaways). If Toffoli is true to his word, and willing to accept a lower contract to stay with us, then we save a bit more there and keep another valuable player. Pearson is on record as saying something like, "if the team can find a way to sign Toffoli, he would be willing to take a cheaper contract (next year) too". Markstrom may take a cheaper contract to stay, and the team can afford to pay JM enough to make Seattle think twice if we were to leave him unprotected. If Seattle takes him anyway, we save his contract cost; if not, we get to keep Jacob and Thatcher. It is time for Benning to play hardball and insist on at least a little bit of 'give-back' on every single contract to keep the team together and build on last season and our playoff successes. I do not think it is time for him to be paying new UFAs high dough until we see how this transition period goes, what's available, and at what cost. The minute these Stanley Cup Playoffs are concluded, the starter's gun will sound, and we are going to see an "offseason" like we have not seen before. So many balls in the air, and some of them "Super-Sutter-Sized"*, some players holding huge bags of cash and some very good players signing much smaller contracts. I hope Tampa wins the next 3 games and gets this out of the way (and thwarts Gaglardi, our owner's long-time rival). But mostly so we can get on with this fantastic off season. * Super-Sized Sutter Family Roots:

Long read but great article; thanks for posting.

Not true. Lots of us understand large sums of money.

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