And for this reason .... GMTM will not even make a play for Stamkos. He has bigger fish to fry.

- fastek

A bigger fish to fry than Stamkos? Who is this bigger fish, would love to meet him?

I've spent quite a bit of time looking at the whole situation and decided a fair comp for Stamkos is Evegeni Malkin. Really really good player but not genuinely elite (for whatever reason). I would be comfortable paying him Malkin money: 9Mil or even 9.5Mil, but not 10, and certainly not $11.
- Der Kaiser

You don't think Malkin is elite? I'll grant you the injuries have derailed him but he's a 1.18 PPG player which ranks him pretty high over the last 10 year.

I think he's one of the forgotten superstars in the league because he's played with Crosby

Vanek is the epitome of consistency. He's never failed to score at least 20 goals in his entire career. He scored 20 in 38 games during the lockout year of 12-13. He's got 608 points in 743 games.

Try again.
- Wetbandit1

Mike Richards

Vanek is the epitome of consistency. He's never failed to score at least 20 goals in his entire career. He scored 20 in 38 games during the lockout year of 12-13. He's got 608 points in 743 games.

Try again.
- Wetbandit1

Vanek consistently frustrated me his last 3 or 4 years here.

Great player for 20-30 games, the invisible man the rest of the time

Mike Richards
- fastek

Alexander Semin

Regardless of where we finish...
Maybe we win one of the top 3 picks in the lotto anyways?
Heck, I'd be thrilled at top5
I think 2-5 are all very close
- jdfitz77

Top 5 would be great. I want to be in 4th last or better though because worst case scenario most likely only one team behind us would go into top 3 and then we'd pick 5th and get top D. Much better scenario. 3rd last I think is the golden spot.

A bigger fish to fry than Stamkos? Who is this bigger fish, would love to meet him?
- turbo044

Larger tasks at hand I meant ..............like turning over about 1/2 the roster .... LOL

Vanek consistently frustrated me his last 3 or 4 years here.

Great player for 20-30 games, the invisible man the rest of the time
- sbroads24

The thing I loved about Vanek was he was the ONE GUY for many, many years on this team that would go to the net, get the crap beat out of him and still manage to score big goals. This if course was in the days when you could actually hit people in this league and get away with it.

Top 5 would be great. I want to be in 4th last or better though because worst case scenario most likely only one team behind us would go into top 3 and then we'd pick 5th and get top D. Much better scenario. 3rd last I think is the golden spot.
- bluengold12

Great... Just realized Montreal plays tomorrow night too...

Top 5 would be great. I want to be in 4th last or better though because worst case scenario most likely only one team behind us would go into top 3 and then we'd pick 5th and get top D. Much better scenario. 3rd last I think is the golden spot.
- bluengold12

I agree and at this point 3rd is the best we can hope for. We can't catch the Leafs or the Oil.

Alexander Semin
- fastek

You know what you're right. Youve shown at least one example where it screams consistent superstar goes and gets paid and quits.

What should we do with Eichel and Reinhart in two years?

Probably trade them. They are going to be making good money and we don't want them stinking up the room with their most likely attitude problems.

Great... Just realized Montreal plays tomorrow night too...
- bluengold12

Sabres win vs. the Habs but lose to the Sens. After that 7 out of the last 10 are on the road. In the meantime .. the bottom feeders in the West play each other a bit down the stretch.

I hate rooting against the Sabres but I've resigned myself that this is the last year I will have to do this ............ EVER.

Just give us the 3rd spot ..... that's all I ask

You know what you're right. Youve shown at least one example where it screams consistent superstar goes and gets paid and quits.

What should we do with Eichel and Reinhart in two years?

Probably trade them. They are going to be making good money and we don't want them stinking up the room with their most likely attitude problems.
- ImThatGuy

Oh stop ............you know what i'm sayin'

Chicago should probably trade Kane and Toews. With those contracts their attitudes are probably gona doom that team for as long as they are there. I don't see them ever winning a cup again with those two making that kind of salary.

I mean just look at what once was budding superstar Alex Semin. Everyone thought wow that guy is a top 5 player in this league. He got paid and quit.

Vanek
- fastek

Vanek got paid and then had seasons of 36, 40, 28, 32, 26, 20(in 38gp), and 27 during his 7 year contract.

He also didn't have multiple 30 goals seasons prior to getting paid.

Chicago should probably trade Kane and Toews. With those contracts their attitudes are probably gona doom that team for as long as they are there. I don't see them ever winning a cup again with those two making that kind of salary.

I mean just look at what once was budding superstar Alex Semin. Everyone thought wow that guy is a top 5 player in this league. He got paid and quit.
- ImThatGuy

Exactly ............

Vanek got paid and then had seasons of 36, 40, 28, 32, 26, 20(in 38gp), and 27 during his 7 year contract.

He also didn't have multiple 30 goals seasons prior to getting paid.
- dadeadhead

What has he done since he went to Minny ? 21 and 18 ... nice

Chicago should probably trade Kane and Toews. With those contracts their attitudes are probably gona doom that team for as long as they are there. I don't see them ever winning a cup again with those two making that kind of salary.

I mean just look at what once was budding superstar Alex Semin. Everyone thought wow that guy is a top 5 player in this league. He got paid and quit.
- ImThatGuy

They haven't won a cup on their current deals.....fact

I agree and at this point 3rd is the best we can hope for. We can't catch the Leafs or the Oil.
- fastek

Not going to happen for us- we're playing too well + now getting O'Reilly back. Realistically, we'll finish 6th -7th last. Maybe we'll get lucky in the lottery and pick 1-2-3. If not, take Nylander, chychrun, Dubois, sergachyov or Juolevi -whomever GMTM rates highest.

They haven't won a cup on their current deals.....fact
- sbroads24

#Doomed

What has he done since he went to Minny ? 21 and 18 ... nice
- fastek

He was also 30 and not 26/27.

And Minnesota overpays everyone.

Larger tasks at hand I meant ..............like turning over about 1/2 the roster .... LOL
- fastek

We have plenty of options for lines 3 and 4. Desperately need two top 6 forwards and a top line LHDman. Stamkos, maybe Faeshing, 2016 1st rd dman pick??

Father Time?
He's 26, not 40 something like Jagr
That's a brutal comparison
I'm not gonna waste my time listing stats for all the really good NHLers from 30-33 years old
They still stay VERY productive

And your ASSUMPTION that all these guys will be upset or whatever IF they don't play center is just an assumption
It's entirely possible that Stamkos would be ok playing center if it's with Eichel as opposed to Filppula
And IF not...
Why can't Jack play the wing?
Reinhart is doing it
It's good enough for ovechkin...
Zetterberg often plays wing when they put him with Datsyul
MacKinnon plays a lot of wing
I can go on & on

So as for "how it would work?"
I'd say that's something that Murray & Bylsma and ROR, Jack & Stamkos would all talk about & figure out
- jdfitz77

I'm not talking about 2 or 3 years from now, I'm talking about years 5-7. Where did I say he wasn't going to be VERY productive? I said he could put up 70-75 points. I'll elaborate. He could put up 70-75 points for the next 4 or 5 years probably. How many of those 30-33 year old players are making ~15% of a teams cap? Because I've got news for you, the cap isn't going up anytime soon.

Ovechkin doesn't play center because he's dogpoop at back checking and all-around defense. Centers have to play defense. The NHL isn't like the game, you can't just throw guys any old place and expect results. I play with 5 forwards all the time and I wreck people, that doesn't mean it would work in real life. You have to balance personalities and where a guy is best fit to play. Most of those highlight reel goals Eichel has scored this year? Say goodbye to them when he's on the wing. Most of them were a direct result of him being in the middle of the ice.

The only assumption I made is Jack wouldn't like playing wing. Both Stamkos and ROR have both, numerous times, come out and said they'd rather play center, which in the ultra conservative NHL may as well be an ad on the from page of the New York Times saying they hate playing wing. If Stamkos really didn't care he'd have signed in Tampa already. He's not going to find a better situation than Tampa.

You'd roll the dice paying a guy 15% of your cap and 3 guys ~35% and just "hope it all works out"?

I'm not talking about 2 or 3 years from now, I'm talking about years 5-7. Where did I say he wasn't going to be VERY productive? I said he could put up 70-75 points. I'll elaborate. He could put up 70-75 points for the next 4 or 5 years probably. How many of those 30-33 year old players are making ~15% of a teams cap? Because I've got news for you, the cap isn't going up anytime soon.

Ovechkin doesn't play center because he's dogpoop at back checking and all-around defense. Centers have to play defense. The NHL isn't like the game, you can't just throw guys any old place and expect results. I play with 5 forwards all the time and I wreck people, that doesn't mean it would work in real life. You have to balance personalities and where a guy is best fit to play. Most of those highlight reel goals Eichel has scored this year? Say goodbye to them when he's on the wing. Most of them were a direct result of him being in the middle of the ice.

The only assumption I made is Jack wouldn't like playing wing. Both Stamkos and ROR have both, numerous times, come out and said they'd rather play center, which in the ultra conservative NHL may as well be an ad on the from page of the New York Times saying they hate playing wing. If Stamkos really didn't care he'd have signed in Tampa already. He's not going to find a better situation than Tampa.

You'd roll the dice paying a guy 15% of your cap and 3 guys ~35% and just "hope it all works out"?
- Wetbandit1

Soon those 30-33 year Olds making ~15% will be.
Ovechkin
Crosby
Malkin
Kane
Toews
Kopitar.


What do all of those players have it common?

What has he done since he went to Minny ? 21 and 18 ... nice
- fastek

He's also 32, and he scored 52 points last year. He's got 41 this year so far, but like I said he's 32 it's natural to slow down. But he also doesn't really rely on his "speed" like some guys, so he can be productive and just stand in front of the net like he has his entire career and pack another 80 goals in before he quits.