Unrelated note, Oshie getting $20 mill for 5 years, very comparable numbers, (stats), to Voracek, as well solidifying a market for what he can ask for, and can expect to get

Agreed. You can't just toss a player after paying $27 MM for 1 season.
If what they are saying about the new minority owner being "able"
to afford it is true, it still doesn't necessarily mean that they should do
it from a business sense.
- section32

Exactly. No matter how much he "loves hockey," he didn't accumulate that wealth by throwing millions of his money into investments where the chances of a good ROI are minimal in the long-term.

I can see V and Mezz, MAB and 2 firsts...V and Bourdon need to be resigned anyway and Mezz is coming off injury

The NHL office detests offer sheets, even if the rules allow for them, and I'm sure they are stewing over the signing bonus vs. salary composition of deal to the point there may even be a "Weber rule" added to next CBA to prevent future predatory (no pun intended) offer sheets from front-loading so much in signing bonus.

The Flyers made 100 percent sure the base salary part of the offer sheet was compliant with the "Kovalchuk rule" about the maximum drop-off in salary from one year to next.


But the signing bonus structure is, shall we say, creative. It may not violate any current rules to frontload so much in bonuses but the intent is as blatant as could be -- make it financially devastating to small-market Predators to match.
- bmeltzer

Well, clearly that is what they are banking on or why bother to make the offer sheet
at all. I'm curious though about the signing bonuses. How long have they been used
historically and to what extent has the league had a problem with them in the past?

Agreed. You can't just toss a player after paying $27 MM for 1 season.
If what they are saying about the new minority owner being "able"
to afford it is true, it still doesn't necessarily mean that they should do
it from a business sense.
- section32

As well, they have other players to sign around him, I think next year, so this would cripple there structure, if not now, in a year or 2, it's not just the player himself, it's the other pieces around him, which would hurt them.

I don't think the Pred will match but I think this deal will turn out really bad for the Flyers long term. Weber is one player, he is not a team. Teams win cups and this puts the Flyers in the same position they were in a couple years ago when they got Pronger. They MUST win the cup or it is a failure. That's a lot of pressure especially with the demands the fans put on this team.

I can see V and Mezz, MAB and 2 firsts...V and Bourdon need to be resigned anyway and Mezz is coming off injury
- vejim

Honestly, if your Poile, you ask for coburn before anyone, he's signed for 4 more years & as close to a defensive side of weber than you get over mez, from poiles standpoint of course.

I don't think the Pred will match but I think this deal will turn out really bad for the Flyers long term. Weber is one player, he is not a team. Teams win cups and this puts the Flyers in the same position they were in a couple years ago when they got Pronger. They MUST win the cup or it is a failure. That's a lot of pressure especially with the demands the fans put on this team.
- The Hip

It's considered a failure every year the Flyers don't win the cup, whether they have Pronger or Weber or neither.

Dammit, work harder people.
- aosplayo

i still think nashville matches but i have been wrong before.now i have done my part to get to 2000

I don't think the Pred will match but I think this deal will turn out really bad for the Flyers long term. Weber is one player, he is not a team. Teams win cups and this puts the Flyers in the same position they were in a couple years ago when they got Pronger. They MUST win the cup or it is a failure. That's a lot of pressure especially with the demands the fans put on this team.
- The Hip

A stud D man is something the flyers have lacked for years

in fact, how many really good D men have the flyers had since 1967?

A stud D man is something the flyers have lacked for years
- vejim

Weber certainly a stud and Bryz is still Bryz and he is signed long term. Will the Flyers "eat" Bryz's contract if he lets the team down? i know they have a lot of money but they are not Bill Gates.

i still think nashville matches but i have been wrong before.now i have done my part to get to 2000
- richiewinthecup

those 6 Nashville owners are scouring all their resources to come up with that money?

Weber certainly a stud and Bryz is still Bryz and he is signed long term. Will the Flyers "eat" Bryz's contract if he lets the team down? i know they have a lot of money but they are not Bill Gates.
- The Hip

I have to admit I will enjoy Weber pasting Malkin and Crosby for 10+ years. He probably will take years off their career.

Weber certainly a stud and Bryz is still Bryz and he is signed long term. Will the Flyers "eat" Bryz's contract if he lets the team down? i know they have a lot of money but they are not Bill Gates.
- The Hip

hopefully, Bryz will bounce back...you know I am not a big Bryz fan

each Nashville owner needs to come up with 4.5 mill to keep Weber

Something along the lines of Voracek, Meszaros, Marc-Andre Bourdon and two or three of the four first-round picks staying with Nashville in exchange for not matching Weber offer sheet and sending one/two of the first round picks back.

The Predators could probably have extracted a higher price in trade if they hadn't waited so long, but the above would still be a good return under the circumstances.
- bmeltzer

I think that would be completely asinine. They dont match we give up four first rounders... We then trade Voracek, Meszaros, MAB for 1 first round pick?

I would rather stand pat, call their bluff, and watch them match. It ensures that the Pens and Rags dont end up with him, and we are left in the same boat we started in... and that boat is really more of a yacht in the making.

Just my personal opinion.

Something along the lines of Voracek, Meszaros, Marc-Andre Bourdon and two or three of the four first-round picks staying with Nashville in exchange for not matching Weber offer sheet and sending one/two of the first round picks back.

The Predators could probably have extracted a higher price in trade if they hadn't waited so long, but the above would still be a good return under the circumstances.
- bmeltzer

At this point I think that is fair value given the predicament they are in. But I suspect they will push for Coburn.

How about thae d combinations?

Weber - kimmo
Grossmann - Coburn
Schenn - Gus

The only thing I'm not crazy about is giving Kimmo that many minutes, but I guess they like Grossmann and Coburn and you wouldn't put Gus or Lilya with Weber. Other option is Coburn with Weber and Kimmo with Grossmann.

Any chance Timmonen goes to Nash as part of a trade, assuming he would waive to NTC to go back to his old team? He takes up $6.33 million in cap space with only $3 million in salary, fills the leadership void left by Weber leaving, and could potentially fetch a nice return around the deadline if the Preds are out of contention.

If not, maybe they would take Lilja as part of a package deal, since he would fill a roster spot and maybe turn into a mid-round draft pick at the deadline.
- sheerrw

Never... Timonen wants to win a cup... probably more so than most players.

I don't think the Pred will match but I think this deal will turn out really bad for the Flyers long term. Weber is one player, he is not a team. Teams win cups and this puts the Flyers in the same position they were in a couple years ago when they got Pronger. They MUST win the cup or it is a failure. That's a lot of pressure especially with the demands the fans put on this team.
- The Hip

The cap hit is very manageable as structured. This is the best D Man in the league at
the beginning of his prime. He hasn't turned 27 yet. Unless he is injured like Pronger, God forbid, this is the biggest no brainer ever.

I think that would be completely asinine. They dont match we give up four first rounders... We then trade Voracek, Meszaros, MAB for 1 first round pick?

I would rather stand pat, call their bluff, and watch them match. It ensures that the Pens and Rags dont end up with him, and we are left in the same boat we started in... and that boat is really more of a yacht in the making.

Just my personal opinion.
- jak521

would like to see our boat run over Crosby and Lundquist

I think that would be completely asinine. They dont match we give up four first rounders... We then trade Voracek, Meszaros, MAB for 1 first round pick?

I would rather stand pat, call their bluff, and watch them match. It ensures that the Pens and Rags dont end up with him, and we are left in the same boat we started in... and that boat is really more of a yacht in the making.

Just my personal opinion.
- jak521

Holmgren would do it due to the relationship he has with Poile.

If they want Coburn then package Read and MAB. Or Jake, Mesz and MAB. At this point Bourdon is not a deal breaker. With Weber I prefer Gus in the lineup over MAB anyway.

Hi Bill,

Great read as always.

Another option is to change th w ownership percentage, meaning one owner kicks in the extra cash in exchange for a greater stake. To me that is much more likely than getting everyone to invest equally.

It's complicated, but they could match the deal now and the change the ownership ratios.

I think that would be completely asinine. They dont match we give up four first rounders... We then trade Voracek, Meszaros, MAB for 1 first round pick?

I would rather stand pat, call their bluff, and watch them match. It ensures that the Pens and Rags dont end up with him, and we are left in the same boat we started in... and that boat is really more of a yacht in the making.

Just my personal opinion.
- jak521

This is well orchestrated. Holm green gives offer sheet. Weber signs. Weber's entourage announces how excited he is to possibly go to Philly. Holm green goes back to Nashville and says...look, I will sweeten the deal with x, y, and z.
Poile can save face and the Preds don't look like they can't afford to match because they stuck to there guns and got something for a player that no longer wanted to be in town.

OR Nashville matches putting the teams future ability to sign quality players into question. They lost $7.5 MM last year. Their gross ticket sales only equal what the first year of this deal is paying. This is NOT a smart deal for them to match which is exactly what Homer is counting on. But Poile is his bud and he can turn it into a win win...albeit completely contrived and orchestrated to the Flyers advantage.

would like to see our boat run over Crosby and Lundquist
- vejim

So Weber is the only way to get that accomplished? I just don't understand the "save face" sentiment. Homer tried to get trades accomplished. He tried. Poile put himself in a bad spot.. and Homer capitalized on him...

"A gentleman is simply a patient wolf."