Obviously the amount of years will be key.
- coffee junkie

It will be key. Unless the UFA requirements change in the next CBA, as of right now, Voracek will be eligible to be a UFA after the 14/15 Season. So if you want a player to give up some UFA years, you usually have to compensate them for that

If he was negotitating with Homer... he would have walked out with a 9 year deal with a cap hit of 4.9
- archion113

- coffee junkie

I love Coburn.. but i think his contract is really over pricing him

Subban with a nasty (and bad) interference penalty. Mean he is. Homer likes that normally?

There are some interesting options for defense this summer... Here is a list of 10 dmen under 30 becoming a UFA this offseason.
(In no particular order)

1)Dennis Wideman
2)Ryan Suter
3)Tim Gleason
4)Carlo Colaiacovo
5)Shaone Morrisonn
6)Johnny Boychuk
7)Chris Campoli
8)Nicklas Grossman
9)Sami Lepisto
10)Derek Smith

Don't think any first pairing dmen are becoming free agents this off season under the age of 30...
- archion113

Suter the only one. With the way Wideman is playing, with the right partner he could be a first pairing

Subban with a nasty (and bad) interference penalty. Mean he is. Homer likes that normally?
- coffee junkie

I don't want Subban anywhere near this team.

I believe in Karma... and when players like him are mouthing off like he does.. i think karma gets the team back.

Remember when we beat them in the playoffs?

Suter the only one. With the way Wideman is playing, with the right partner he could be a first pairing
- Just5

Might be a good idea to go ahead and see if you can lock up suter now instead of this summer...

I love Coburn.. but i think his contract is really over pricing him
- archion113

I agree Homer hasn't been frugal with some of his contracts but every team has some bad contracts. And Homer has made some good signing as well. I would like to read a well written history and grading of his actions as a GM thus far. Would be a great read.

Might be a good idea to go ahead and see if you can lock up suter now instead of this summer...
- archion113

nah get his rights...nashville wouldn't trade him by the deadline. The few fans they have I'm sure would be livid

nah get his rights...nashville wouldn't trade him by the deadline. The few fans they have I'm sure would be livid
- Just5

Why get his rights? It's not going to save you a penny on his contract. It's wasting picks.

I don't want Subban anywhere near this team.

I believe in Karma... and when players like him are mouthing off like he does.. i think karma gets the team back.

Remember when we beat them in the playoffs?
- archion113

I disagree. That is part of the game and part of his game. I was personally very disappointed in Richards for (in my eyes) over reacting to that incident. Play the game Richie. Subban actually got exactly what he wanted and it should been seen as a plus for him. He got one of our best players at the time thinking about him and getting revenge instead of winning the game. That said, I have heard rumors that he is not a good locker room guy (but that is straight up rumors).

I think JvR could be a consistent 35-40 goal scorer with the right center, and it could happen within a couple years. I'd hate to trade him and see him turn into John LeClair.
- Jsaquella

In my opinion Laviolette gave up on JvR playing with Giroux and Jagr too soon. I know Hartnell wasn't doing anything on the 3rd line with Couturier and Read but he wasn't going to. Hartnell never belonged there but that doesn't mean Hartnell couldn't be successful on other areas. I've never understood why the Hartnell-Briere-Voracek idea was never tested. In fact, I think Briere and Voracek look great together already. I love Simmonds but as long as he's seeing PP time and has the right line mates, it won't matter if he's on the second line or the 3rd line. Simmonds and Briere were never working.

Why get his rights? It's not going to save you a penny on his contract. It's wasting picks.
- Jsaquella

Did you tell Holmer that?

I agree Homer hasn't been frugal with some of his contracts but every team has some bad contracts. And Homer has made some good signing as well. I would like to read a well written history and grading of his actions as a GM thus far. Would be a great read.
- coffee junkie

Here's what many overlook. JVR signed a 6 year deal, at 4.25M a year. Right now, it might not seem like he is worth it. But if he get's healthy and plays like he did at the start of the year, then it's worth it. And if he continues to get better and better, how does that deal look 2-3 years from now. He'll be a bargain. Same thing with Coburn. He's giving up Free Agent years. To sign a defensman of his caliber in free agency, will cost you more. It seems Holmgren has always had the philosophy to pay a little more early, to have big savings in Cap value later.

In my opinion Laviolette gave up on JvR playing with Giroux and Jagr too soon. I know Hartnell wasn't doing anything on the 3rd line with Couturier and Read but he wasn't going to. Hartnell never belonged there but that doesn't mean Hartnell couldn't be successful on other areas. I've never understood why the Hartnell-Briere-Voracek idea was never tested. In fact, I think Briere and Voracek look great together already. I love Simmonds but as long as he's seeing PP time and has the right line mates, it won't matter if he's on the second line or the 3rd line. Simmonds and Briere were never working.
- Schenn2shine

The problem i see with JVR is that when he doesn't feel like playing he kinda screws the entire line. He literally disappears. Doesn't do good or bad.. just disappears.

In my opinion Laviolette gave up on JvR playing with Giroux and Jagr too soon. I know Hartnell wasn't doing anything on the 3rd line with Couturier and Read but he wasn't going to. Hartnell never belonged there but that doesn't mean Hartnell couldn't be successful on other areas. I've never understood why the Hartnell-Briere-Voracek idea was never tested. In fact, I think Briere and Voracek look great together already. I love Simmonds but as long as he's seeing PP time and has the right line mates, it won't matter if he's on the second line or the 3rd line. Simmonds and Briere were never working.
- Schenn2shine

It's a valid gripe, but JvR wasn't going good at the start, and neither was Hartnell, so he juggled to try to get guys going. I mean we all have lines we'd like to see tried, but I'm sure that the coaches are thinking of different combos all the time.

It's a valid gripe, but JvR wasn't going good at the start, and neither was Hartnell, so he juggled to try to get guys going. I mean we all have lines we'd like to see tried, but I'm sure that the coaches are thinking of different combos all the time.
- Jsaquella

And they have the benefit of seeing things in practice, of how they look.

Here's what many overlook. JVR signed a 6 year deal, at 4.25M a year. Right now, it might not seem like he is worth it. But if he get's healthy and plays like he did at the start of the year, then it's worth it. And if he continues to get better and better, how does that deal look 2-3 years from now. He'll be a bargain. Same thing with Coburn. He's giving up Free Agent years. To sign a defensman of his caliber in free agency, will cost you more. It seems Holmgren has always had the philosophy to pay a little more early, to have big savings in Cap value later.
- MJL

Scott Hartnell is a prime example of this. Hartnell was signed for his potential and now he looks like a player that I'd like to see get re-signed next season.

Did you tell Holmer that?
- Just5

Yep. I was running next to his bike in Avalon with a sign...all of the sudden he wasn't next to me anymore

Here's what many overlook. JVR signed a 6 year deal, at 4.25M a year. Right now, it might not seem like he is worth it. But if he get's healthy and plays like he did at the start of the year, then it's worth it. And if he continues to get better and better, how does that deal look 2-3 years from now. He'll be a bargain. Same thing with Coburn. He's giving up Free Agent years. To sign a defensman of his caliber in free agency, will cost you more. It seems Holmgren has always had the philosophy to pay a little more early, to have big savings in Cap value later.
- MJL

He's only worth it if he can actually put in some goals.

If he's not scoring 25+ goals a year then his contract will weigh him down. Look at Hartnell last year.

Players getting Hartnell money should be scoring goals or bringing to the table what Mike Fisher or Hartnell bring to the table.

If he's gonna put up 40-50 points a year, i would rather him not being paid so much.,

And they have the benefit of seeing things in practice, of how they look.
- MJL

That, too. There's a few things that I disagree with, but mostly it's wingers playing the point on the PP...Hate JvR there, for example.

Here's what many overlook. JVR signed a 6 year deal, at 4.25M a year. Right now, it might not seem like he is worth it. But if he get's healthy and plays like he did at the start of the year, then it's worth it. And if he continues to get better and better, how does that deal look 2-3 years from now. He'll be a bargain. Same thing with Coburn. He's giving up Free Agent years. To sign a defensman of his caliber in free agency, will cost you more. It seems Holmgren has always had the philosophy to pay a little more early, to have big savings in Cap value later.
- MJL

If he somehow figures his crap out and starts playing the way he can play... and becomes a super star.. then we'll be saving some cap for a while.

If he doesn't, then we're not saving any cap.

That, too. There's a few things that I disagree with, but mostly it's wingers playing the point on the PP...Hate JvR there, for example.
- Jsaquella

Only thing worse than JVR there is having Schenn there.

It's a valid gripe, but JvR wasn't going good at the start, and neither was Hartnell, so he juggled to try to get guys going. I mean we all have lines we'd like to see tried, but I'm sure that the coaches are thinking of different combos all the time.
- Jsaquella

I don't want to make this sound like I dislike Simmonds but the truth is, I love Wayne Simmonds. However, there was never a need to force chemistry with Briere. For most of the first half of the season they played together and nothing ever came of that. In my opinion, keeping Briere and Simmonds together for so long forced a juggling act because Simmonds was wanted in the top 6. I could be wrong but just my view.

Scott Hartnell is a prime example of this. Hartnell was signed for his potential and now he looks like a player that I'd like to see get re-signed next season.
- Schenn2shine

Hartnell at 4.2 right now is a bargain. He signed that deal 5 Seasons ago including the current one. And Holmgren signed JVR to essentially the same deal 5 years later. If JVR becomes what they think he'll be, it's a good deal.