Kevin Francis: More on Tkachuk and would you bring back Tyler Ennis?

Why not use cap hit % instead of raw numbers at the time each deal you referenced was signed?

Might give more clarity to what you're writing.

I agree with those numbers for Tkachuk, although it'd be nice if they were a little lower. At the end of the day, I don't care, just sign the guy already. The Sens don't have the reputation to drag this out.

Hard pass on Ennis. They need a legit #2 with offence upside.

Crazy thought of the day...
Offer sheet RW/C Robert Thomas out of St. Louis to a $4.0M/yr x3yr RFA deal

Rationale:
- Blues only have $1.5M/yr of cap space, and low-balled Kyrou at $2.9M/yr
- coming off a down season, but scored at a >50pts pace in 2019/20
- would fill a major roster/prospect system gap with a natural RH shot RW/C
- just turned 22 and was a 2017-1st rounder, so fits right into the young core
- excellent passer, which is not really a strength of the current top-6 forwards
- already has WJC, OHL Playoff MVP, Stanley Cup experience
- played with Batherson, Mete, and Formenton on the 2018 WJC Team Canada
- compensation would only be a 2nd round pick (up to $4.1M/yr)
- limited disruption to other RFA discussions, given that none of them have established >50pts/yr production

The Blues probably find a way to match this, but I don't really see a lot of risk - because anyone even remotely comparable to Thomas on the Senators' roster (e.g. Norris, Batherson) would be expecting $4M/yr on a bridge deal anyways. Plus, you still have to get the player to actually sign a RFA offer sheet, and Thomas might just be open to doing that. His ice time/opportunity was lowered with the Blues in his 3rd year vs. his 2nd year, even after a Tarasenko trade all of O'Reilly, Schenn, Perron, Kyrou, Saad, and Buchnevich would be playing ahead of him in the top-6, and the Blues might use Kyrou's deal to pressure him to take $2.5M/yr or less.

Where does this fall on a scale of Randy Quaid to the MyPillow guy?

The Brady contract is anything but easy to suss out. Brady’s camp (hi dad) will know with certainty that they have Ottawa’s GM over a barrel- a victim of its reputation. I would expect a Darnel Nurse overpay. Way she goes boys, way she goes.

Anything north of roughly a $6M-$7M x 3 or $7M-$8M x 8 range is an overpayment for a 25/25 player. I would start shopping BT7 if his camp is pushing for an over payment.

Send a message.

Or they could just keep piling on with the "tough to play against" business...
https://twitter.com/Media...tatus/1420842949919875074

RW/C Kole Sherwood - 6'1, 210
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/kole-sherwood

LD Dillon Heatherington - 6'4, 225
https://www.capfriendly.c...yers/dillon-heatherington

I suppose this helps the B-Sens and protects some of the less physical 1st/2nd year prospects, but hopefully neither of these guys sees any NHL time next season, because it will be at the expense of team's better young players.

Anything north of roughly a $6M-$7M x 3 or $7M-$8M x 8 range is an overpayment for a 25/25 player. I would start shopping BT7 if his camp is pushing for an over payment.

Send a message.
- HoweHatrick

I mean... other than Buffalo, wouldn't you be trading him to either a team or a place he'd rather be anyways? Like what message are you sending, "hold out long enough, and you too can escape Melnyk!"

It's not trading him that's the true threat to Tkachuk. If he doesn't come down in asking price, he can just sit at home doing nothing. Sure, it convinces everyone Melnyk is a cheapskate who will never pay to ice a competitive team, but everyone thinks that anyways.

Kevin Francis: More on Tkachuk and would you bring back Tyler Ennis?
- Kevin Francis

Hi Ek!

Those deals were signed when the cap was lower so the dollar amounts aren't necessarily indicative of what the going rate currently is.

I mean... other than Buffalo, wouldn't you be trading him to either a team or a place he'd rather be anyways? Like what message are you sending, "hold out long enough, and you too can escape Melnyk!"

It's not trading him that's the true threat to Tkachuk. If he doesn't come down in asking price, he can just sit at home doing nothing. Sure, it convinces everyone Melnyk is a cheapskate who will never pay to ice a competitive team, but everyone thinks that anyways.
- Antilles

Fair point, but the team has made such a loud commitment to "character" players that playing hardball like that with one of your heart and soul guys could negatively effect that persona.

Hi Ek!
- TurdFergeson

You're a complete (frank)ing loser. Need proof?

You came in here only after reading at 2:51pm today someone suggest in the main blog that Kevin is actually Ek.

Really grasping for attention, eh? Well congrats, you got it, clown. Sorry it wasn't the handslapping you were expecting.

Now why don't you, Kooleus and Gerges go back to being the cool kids of HockeyBuzz

Why not use cap hit % instead of raw numbers at the time each deal you referenced was signed?

Might give more clarity to what you're writing.
- kingcong39

It was a quick casual look at a few players. With the salary cap the way it is, back then it was going up a few mil yearly. Thanks for stopping by.

I agree with those numbers for Tkachuk, although it'd be nice if they were a little lower. At the end of the day, I don't care, just sign the guy already. The Sens don't have the reputation to drag this out.

Hard pass on Ennis. They need a legit #2 with offence upside.
- CooCooKaChoo

That is just it, end the reputation. Look at the Oilers over paying for Hyman, Ceci and Nurse. They are trying to change the narrative.

The Brady contract is anything but easy to suss out. Brady’s camp (hi dad) will know with certainty that they have Ottawa’s GM over a barrel- a victim of its reputation. I would expect a Darnel Nurse overpay. Way she goes boys, way she goes.
- Helm

I truly dont think the Sens go higher than 8/64 mil. Managment knows they can't, especially with so many young guys on the way that will want to be paid.

Anything north of roughly a $6M-$7M x 3 or $7M-$8M x 8 range is an overpayment for a 25/25 player. I would start shopping BT7 if his camp is pushing for an over payment.

Send a message.
- HoweHatrick

There is no way they could ever trade Brady now, not a chance. And the Tkachuk knows it!

There is no way they could ever trade Brady now, not a chance. And the Tkachuk knows it!
- Kevin Francis

There are no untradeable players.

Love Tkachuk, but if he wants more than 8 million AAV, trade him.

There are no untradeable players.
- HoweHatrick

Yes I agree, never said untradeable, just no way they could trade him now. If the team decided to trade him because they can't get him signed to a new contract, then Melynk be better ready to sell the team the day after they trade Brady, because the fans in the city would turn on him more than ever.

Love Tkachuk, but if he wants more than 8 million AAV, trade him.
- PogBoi

I can't see him wanting more than 8 AAV after 3 years of solid production. No way can Brady's camp compare him to others making 8 AAV.

Fair point, but the team has made such a loud commitment to "character" players that playing hardball like that with one of your heart and soul guys could negatively effect that persona.
- david22

The longer this goes, with a fragile fanbase that doesn't like or want to support Melnyk, management needs to get this done now!

You're a complete (frank)ing loser. Need proof?

You came in here only after reading at 2:51pm today someone suggest in the main blog that Kevin is actually Ek.

Really grasping for attention, eh? Well congrats, you got it, clown. Sorry it wasn't the handslapping you were expecting.

Now why don't you, Kooleus and Gerges go back to being the cool kids of HockeyBuzz
- IRON.MAIDEN

If anyone read my all my work, they would know a few Sens fans went out on Saturday with yours truly to a sports bar to watch the Redblacks game on Saturday night.

Crazy thought of the day...
Offer sheet RW/C Robert Thomas out of St. Louis to a $4.0M/yr x3yr RFA deal

Rationale:
- Blues only have $1.5M/yr of cap space, and low-balled Kyrou at $2.9M/yr
- coming off a down season, but scored at a >50pts pace in 2019/20
- would fill a major roster/prospect system gap with a natural RH shot RW/C
- just turned 22 and was a 2017-1st rounder, so fits right into the young core
- excellent passer, which is not really a strength of the current top-6 forwards
- already has WJC, OHL Playoff MVP, Stanley Cup experience
- played with Batherson, Mete, and Formenton on the 2018 WJC Team Canada
- compensation would only be a 2nd round pick (up to $4.1M/yr)
- limited disruption to other RFA discussions, given that none of them have established >50pts/yr production

The Blues probably find a way to match this, but I don't really see a lot of risk - because anyone even remotely comparable to Thomas on the Senators' roster (e.g. Norris, Batherson) would be expecting $4M/yr on a bridge deal anyways. Plus, you still have to get the player to actually sign a RFA offer sheet, and Thomas might just be open to doing that. His ice time/opportunity was lowered with the Blues in his 3rd year vs. his 2nd year, even after a Tarasenko trade all of O'Reilly, Schenn, Perron, Kyrou, Saad, and Buchnevich would be playing ahead of him in the top-6, and the Blues might use Kyrou's deal to pressure him to take $2.5M/yr or less.

Where does this fall on a scale of Randy Quaid to the MyPillow guy?
- khawk

Not that crazy of a thought but management needs to take care of Tkachuk and Batherson's new deals first before even thinking of extending an offer sheet to Thomas. But you make valid points and with the Blues in a jam with their salary cap, they would probably be forced to move Tarasenko asap if a team extended Thomas an offer sheet.

Not that crazy of a thought but management needs to take care of Tkachuk and Batherson's new deals first before even thinking of extending an offer sheet to Thomas. But you make valid points and with the Blues in a jam with their salary cap, they would probably be forced to move Tarasenko asap if a team extended Thomas an offer sheet.
- Kevin Francis

Senators might be the worst positioned franchise to start an offer-sheet war. Pretty much every single team in the league knows that if they sign Tkachuk to a contract structured similar to Aho's (less per year but mostly signing bonus, highest in year 1), the Senators wouldn't match. Zero percent chance Melnyk allows the team to sign a contract where he has to write a check for 10 million dollars the day they match.

Forcing other teams to spend more money, when your owner is the biggest cheap-skate in the league, is just stupid.

Senators might be the worst positioned franchise to start an offer-sheet war. Pretty much every single team in the league knows that if they sign Tkachuk to a contract structured similar to Aho's (less per year but mostly signing bonus, highest in year 1), the Senators wouldn't match.
- Antilles

Really? I wouldn't bet on that re: Tkachuk. They just freed up $5m in Dadonov, and have the 2nd most cap space of any team on the league. Not to mention that teams can only afford an offer-sheet war if they can: a) afford it cap-wise, b) have the necessary picks, and c) actually get the player to sign. Right now very few teams are in a position to go after RFA like that. Conversely, there are at least 6-8 teams who are seriously vulnerable to these kinds of offers.

Plus, this is specifically a case where the team is pretty clearly planning to give the player limited ice time, as well as a low-ball contract offer. So there may actually be a motivation beyond $$$ for the player to sign... reminds me quite a bit of the Turris situation in Phoenix, actually. And I'm not entirely sure the Blues would just hand over $2m more than they want to pay for a player they clearly have bottom-6 intentions for.