Why are you always wrong?
- Feds91Stammer

I am not just too smart for most people on this site which doesnt say much....

JT miller is a guy Tampa Should keep. Problem TB has is their team is filled with trash making too much like Palat, Girardi, Callahan, TJ(he bounced back last year but still not sold). Ivthought Coburn made more, he is ok at his cirrent cap hit

Good news is most there d are FA next season. So McDonagh, Stralman, Coburn and Girardi are FAs so they will have space to wprk with

Bad news is TB still needs to either re-sign or replace them. Coburn and Giradi can easily be replaced but your going to pay $$ for anyone replacing McDonagh or Stralman. I am not convinced it will be enough for Kucherov, Sergachev, Point and Vas who will need renewals within next year or two.

You cant spend to the cap every year and worry about it later. You need to know where that money is coming from well before. You also cant rely on the cap going up every year.

This is not a bad contract. Sure, more term than I would like, but that is the cost of doing business nowadays. It's not an awful contract and it's moveable if necessary. It's not too different than what Johnson and Killorn are pulling in. A team in need of size and secondary scoring would take this contract if necessary - it's not like Callahan's albatross.

I'm not taking the Tavares discussion too seriously. Although it would be nice to see him play here, it's not going to happen. Someone else is going to overpay and Yzerman is not giving up Kucherov to land Tavares (directly or through cap-hell). Ultimately, I think Tavares is going to stay in NY.

With the projected cap increases, and the contracts coming off the books in the next two seasons, the Bolts are not nearly as cap-crunched as the pundits keep saying. Yzerman will use his Jedi mind tricks to manage the cap like he usually does.
- GalacticStone

I believe he was signed because JT isnt in the cards.

I am not just too smart for most people on this site which doesnt say much....

JT miller is a guy Tampa Should keep. Problem TB has is their team is filled with trash making too much like Palat, Girardi, Callahan, TJ(he bounced back last year but still not sold). Ivthought Coburn made more, he is ok at his cirrent cap hit

Good news is most there d are FA next season. So McDonagh, Stralman, Coburn and Girardi are FAs so they will have space to wprk with

Bad news is TB still needs to either re-sign or replace them. Coburn and Giradi can easily be replaced but your going to pay $$ for anyone replacing McDonagh or Stralman. I am not convinced it will be enough for Kucherov, Sergachev, Point and Vas who will need renewals within next year or two.

You cant spend to the cap every year and worry about it later. You need to know where that money is coming from well before. You also cant rely on the cap going up every year.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

I am not just too smart for most people on this site which doesnt say much....

JT miller is a guy Tampa Should keep. Problem TB has is their team is filled with trash making too much like Palat, Girardi, Callahan, TJ(he bounced back last year but still not sold). Ivthought Coburn made more, he is ok at his cirrent cap hit

Good news is most there d are FA next season. So McDonagh, Stralman, Coburn and Girardi are FAs so they will have space to wprk with

Bad news is TB still needs to either re-sign or replace them. Coburn and Giradi can easily be replaced but your going to pay $$ for anyone replacing McDonagh or Stralman. I am not convinced it will be enough for Kucherov, Sergachev, Point and Vas who will need renewals within next year or two.

You cant spend to the cap every year and worry about it later. You need to know where that money is coming from well before. You also cant rely on the cap going up every year.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

You just said Palat is trash. Think again. I'd take Palat over Johnson, Killorn, or Miller. So, I tend to take everything else you said with a block of salt.

Coburn, Callahan, and Girardi are gone after this season. Coburn and Girardi will walk. Callahan will get bought out or dumped for peanuts.

Stralman stays and signs a discounted deal for continuing to mentor the young D.

In order to resign Kucherov, Point, Vasi, and Sergachev, one of the following will be gone after this coming season : Killorn, Johnson, or Miller.

Koekkoek will either finally assert himself or be gone after this season.

Hopefully Sustr is gone this year or next - why we keep signing that lanky pylon is a mystery.

Vegas gave the cap a good bump this year. Expect another decent or better bump the following season. Tampa's cap situation is not particularly dire now, nor will it be when it comes time to retain Kucherov and other core parts like Point.

I like Miller and am fine with the contract. If they move Johnson in the next few days that would be icing on the cake. Anyone think Yakupov would be a good fit in Tampa? Kind of a replace Kunitz on the bottom 6 type of player if we can get a good deal.

This is the Sam's New Jersey Devil fandom coming out to rail against the Rangers again in a blog. He is a Devils fan and once you know that it makes more sense. He said trade Stralman, hate this, let's see what they do with McDonagh and how Sam reacts. But being honest though I'm scared what they are going to do with McDonagh extension. Millers is perfectly fine. But Im glad Sam keeps the Bolts board alive.

We have come to respect the moves Stevie Y makes, your blog not so much. Stevie may make a mistake or two but overall has the pulse of the team and quite frankly he is a GM and you’re not .Please Eklund give us a writer who knows and understands the team.

This is the Sam's New Jersey Devil fandom coming out to rail against the Rangers again in a blog. He is a Devils fan and once you know that it makes more sense. He said trade Stralman, hate this, let's see what they do with McDonagh and how Sam reacts. But being honest though I'm scared what they are going to do with McDonagh extension. Millers is perfectly fine.
- stammerman

I like this writer's unorthodox narrative style, but I often disagree with his conclusions.

Trading Stralman is a terrible idea. Stralman likes it in Tampa and Tampa likes Stralman. He will take a team-friendly deal to stay and mentor the young'ins.

This Miller contract is not awful. Even if the Bolts make an improbable run at Tavares or Karlsson, Yzerman has more than proven he has the wizardry to make things happen - trades, buyouts, whatever it takes.

It's a fine contract. On a percent-of-cap basis it doesn't look bad at all; $5.25M today isn't $5.25M five years ago. There's no way SY signs this deal if he thinks it impacts his ability to sign 86 in the future, either. You're locking up a 20+ goal scorer during his pre-30s years at market rate, or a hair below it.

Do I think it was a necessary signing? No. Am I fine with it? Yeah.

This is the Sam's New Jersey Devil fandom coming out to rail against the Rangers again in a blog. He is a Devils fan and once you know that it makes more sense. He said trade Stralman, hate this, let's see what they do with McDonagh and how Sam reacts. But being honest though I'm scared what they are going to do with McDonagh extension. Millers is perfectly fine. But Im glad Sam keeps the Bolts board alive.
- stammerman

The prospect of a McDonagh extension is a lot scarier than this one. The guy is on the wrong side of the aging curve and his trendline has been bad for a little while now. I'd be incredibly wary of giving him term.

The prospect of a McDonagh extension is a lot scarier than this one. The guy is on the wrong side of the aging curve and his trendline has been bad for a little while now. I'd be incredibly wary of giving him term.
- Michael_Stuart

We miss you Stewie

McD is a exciting one. He is only two years younger then Stralman and yet people are ready to sign him long-term and let Stralman walk if he wants 3+ years.

We miss you Stewie

McD is a exciting one. He is only two years younger then Stralman and yet people are ready to sign him long-term and let Stralman walk if he wants 3+ years.
- Cloud

The most I would throw at McD is 5 x 5 - and even that feels high to me, but that is what it takes to get a solid d-man signed.

I'd rather go higher per year than give more term.

You just said Palat is trash. Think again. I'd take Palat over Johnson, Killorn, or Miller. So, I tend to take everything else you said with a block of salt.

Coburn, Callahan, and Girardi are gone after this season. Coburn and Girardi will walk. Callahan will get bought out or dumped for peanuts.

Stralman stays and signs a discounted deal for continuing to mentor the young D.

In order to resign Kucherov, Point, Vasi, and Sergachev, one of the following will be gone after this coming season : Killorn, Johnson, or Miller.

Koekkoek will either finally assert himself or be gone after this season.

Hopefully Sustr is gone this year or next - why we keep signing that lanky pylon is a mystery.

Vegas gave the cap a good bump this year. Expect another decent or better bump the following season. Tampa's cap situation is not particularly dire now, nor will it be when it comes time to retain Kucherov and other core parts like Point.
- GalacticStone

Kucherov is gonna get more $$ than Stamkos for sure. Point will get a decent raise as will Serg. Vas though should be significantly higher if he continues to play well. You arent going to Stralman at a discount because 5 mill seems to be close to the going rate of mediocre dmen now. What JJ gets will set the tone for what Stralman nd alot of other dmen will be looking for. Plus you also have to consider the chance TB somehow lands Tavares.

Kucherov is gonna get more $$ than Stamkos for sure. Point will get a decent raise as will Serg. Vas though should be significantly higher if he continues to play well. You arent going to Stralman at a discount because 5 mill seems to be close to the going rate of mediocre dmen now. What JJ gets will set the tone for what Stralman nd alot of other dmen will be looking for. Plus you also have to consider the chance TB somehow lands Tavares.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Without a doubt, Kucherov will be the highest paid member of the Lightning, unless he absolutely implodes next season. Thankfully there is no income tax in Florida, so that helps a little. Expect Kucherov to get north of $9-million, or more if he lights up the world next season.

I'd be OK with giving Stralman two more years at 3-5 million. He's still very effective even if his offense is slipping. He's solid defensively and still quite mobile. I don't think we have enough depth in the prospect pool to start letting Stralman go and it's not exactly a buyer's market for defensemen right now. He's better than many of the alternatives (or about the same).

JJ just got overpaid. Somebody needs to drug-test the Penguins GM for that contract. That signing has buyout written all over it.

I don't think Tampa is a serious contender for Tavares and honestly, I am not sure we should want him, given that the asking price seems to start at $10-million per. If Tavares takes a team-friendly deal, it will be to stay put in NY.

Tampa already has a solid core locked up in reasonable long term deals. Once Kucherov and Vasi are locked up (which they will be), everything else is a rotating supporting cast of rentals and entry-level contracts. Yzerman is following the Detroit blueprint that existed when Yzerman was a player there. He is already about 80% there now in Tampa. It's just a matter of one or two missing pieces and the hardware to show for it.

Keep in mind this is the same guy that said to trade Stralman (1 year left on his contract) for Kucherov and Point contracts.


- Feds91Stammer

and the same guy who said stamkos and point would cost the lightning the series against the devils for holding onto pucks for too long , and that kinkaid would outperform vasilevskiy

i don't even care what the blogs say anyway, or who writes them. i come here to see everyones opinion and talk hockey in the comments so it doesn't make a difference to me. tbh we were spoiled with stuart. probably won't get anyone close to him back again. sam has a tough act to follow and while i don't agree with him quite often its nice to have the blogs up

Now THAT is a bad contract...

Now THAT is a bad contract...
- Michael_Stuart

I agree with a full NTC the entire contract. I think the first 3 or 4 years will be ok. After that though I hope he has legs to go the distance of this contract.

Now THAT is a bad contract...
- Michael_Stuart

Yeah what happened to the typical 5 year which would have have been marginal for length