Ryan Wilson: Best Acquisitions By Each Team In The Atlantic Division Best Acquisitions By Each Team In The Atlantic Division

Sergei Gonchar has signed a try-out contract with the @penguins

It might only be a PTO, but Gonchar has zero value with the team. Pouliot, Letang, Malkin, Maatta can all play the point on the PP. And Gonchar is worthless at anything other than the PP.

Relax guys. Gonch won't be playing. He will be there strictly because he mentored Geno and will help out with Plotz.

Which now leads me to believe that they want Plotz in the majors and not in the minors.

Montreal = Kassian > Semin

Leafs = Matthias > P.A

Bruins = Irwin is an incredible underrated signing. Wish my canucks grabbed him

Relax guys. Gonch won't be playing. He will be there strictly because he mentored Geno and will help out with Plotz.

Which now leads me to believe that they want Plotz in the majors and not in the minors.
- Francois Leroux

If he can teach Pouliot a thing or 2 about the power play during camp then it was well worth it. I don't think it has any relation to plotz Geno is here to help with that.

Montreal = Kassian > Semin

Leafs = Matthias > P.A

Bruins = Irwin is an incredible underrated signing. Wish my canucks grabbed him
- Codes1087

This board had a boner for Semin which sounds kind of funny

Sergei Gonchar has signed a try-out contract with the @penguins
- PensFanRVA

no risk here. even if he plays well in camp he will get vet minimum. doubt he gets a nmc so if they dont need him they bury him in minors. I like it.

Relax guys. Gonch won't be playing. He will be there strictly because he mentored Geno and will help out with Plotz.

Which now leads me to believe that they want Plotz in the majors and not in the minors.
- Francois Leroux

Why not just hire him in another capacity then? Plotnikov has an out-clause so if he doesn't make the NHL team, he'll most likely be going back to the KHL.

I think everyone is on board with the signing as it really won't result in him getting a contract. If anything it is a great way to bring in a professional role model to work with the staff during camp.

And another thing. Taking advice from a coach and taking advice from a veteran player in full gear is two very different things. Letting Gonchar bring that element is good for these young guys.

I think everyone is on board with the signing as it really won't result in him getting a contract. If anything it is a great way to bring in a professional role model to work with the staff during camp.

And another thing. Taking advice from a coach and taking advice from a veteran player in full gear is two very different things. Letting Gonchar bring that element is good for these young guys.
- usethe1-2-2

Yep. Can't be a bad thing to having a true professional in camp. Interesting thought on TIOPS. He's basically saying Pouliot being on the opening day roster isn't certain since they have a bunch of waiver eligible dmen.

TBH, I'm not sold that Pouliot is ready. He struggled quite a bit in his own end.

Ya you all say he won't be signed but $10 they sign him. It's the pens way... I don't like this one bit. I would have rather given a pto to tlusty bergenhiem santorelli etc.. I just don't understand this move.. even with all the bringing him in is good for the young defenseman.. ya will it still be good when pouliot is in ahl and Gonchar and Scuderi are taking up ice time...


F old guys who won't just retire or be traded!

Ya you all say he won't be signed but $10 they sign him. It's the pens way... I don't like this one bit. I would have rather given a pto to tlusty bergenhiem santorelli etc.. I just don't understand this move.. even with all the bringing him in is good for the young defenseman.. ya will it still be good when pouliot is in ahl and Gonchar and Scuderi are taking up ice time...


F old guys who won't just retire or be traded!
- nh4442

I don't think anyone is questioning the Penguins forwards at this moment.. the real worry the Penguins have IS with their defense. I don't see how bringing in Gonchar could be a bad thing. The move could even just be insurance in case Letang, Maatta, or Pouliot get hurt. Considering they seem to be soft as baby poop.

Ya you all say he won't be signed but $10 they sign him. It's the pens way... I don't like this one bit. I would have rather given a pto to tlusty bergenhiem santorelli etc.. I just don't understand this move.. even with all the bringing him in is good for the young defenseman.. ya will it still be good when pouliot is in ahl and Gonchar and Scuderi are taking up ice time...


F old guys who won't just retire or be traded!
- nh4442

That's how I feel about it. There are players that would have value offering a PTO. Visnovsky, Zidlicky, Rozsival, etc., among many other forwards. Gonchar isn't one of them. Dumoulin, Erixon, Clendening have to clear waivers if not on the roster too. Though hopefully with everyone having their own players to clear, no one will be claiming anyone at the start of the season.

Everyone made great acquisitions except the Leafs.

That's how I feel about it. There are players that would have value offering a PTO. Visnovsky, Zidlicky, Rozsival, etc., among many other forwards. Gonchar isn't one of them. Dumoulin, Erixon, Clendening have to clear waivers if not on the roster too. Though hopefully with everyone having their own players to clear, no one will be claiming anyone at the start of the season.
- jfkst1

I hope they offer 5_10 guys tryouts. Gonch berg etc. No harm. And if they legit beat out a young guy thats great. If the young guy... Say dp . starts in wbs and old guy peters out... Call up dp and send old guy down. No harm no foul

Ryan Wilson: Best Acquisitions By Each Team In The Atlantic Division
Best Acquisitions By Each Team In The Atlantic Division
- Ryan_Wilson

I would argue that Wisniewski and Lack are equally important to this club.

Now we just need a forward or two and the Canes might look like an NHL team.

Of course, Swedish League MVP Derek Ryan is a complete wildcard as well.

so.... just because Ottawa doesnt aquire anyone in the offseason they are an automatic to miss the play-offs

- 3/4s of the team is under 25 and improving
- Methot missed half of last year and was the catalyst that propelled Karlsson to his 2nd Norris

Ottawa will make the play-offs (most likley finishing around 6th) and will win the first play-off round!

so.... just because Ottawa doesnt aquire anyone in the offseason they are an automatic to miss the play-offs

- 3/4s of the team is under 25 and improving
- Methot missed half of last year and was the catalyst that propelled Karlsson to his 2nd Norris

Ottawa will make the play-offs (most likley finishing around 6th) and will win the first play-off round!
- SensnRBs

On the back of Andrew Hammond?

Yep. Can't be a bad thing to having a true professional in camp. Interesting thought on TIOPS. He's basically saying Pouliot being on the opening day roster isn't certain since they have a bunch of waiver eligible dmen.

TBH, I'm not sold that Pouliot is ready. He struggled quite a bit in his own end.
- madmike71

Yeah I'm giving him till Thanksgiving to see what he has. He looked pretty bad pretty often last year. Everyone is still hurt over Despres but he was a turn over machine in his own end. I mean pee wee mistake bad. Maybe if they got a F instead of Lovejoy, but that trade has no impact on the future or the playoff results from last yr. From what I saw from Dumo, DP and Harrington they didn't leave that great of an impression.

Everyone made great acquisitions except the Leafs.
- walshyleafsfan

Spaling?????

Yeah I'm giving him till Thanksgiving to see what he has. He looked pretty bad pretty often last year. Everyone is still hurt over Despres but he was a turn over machine in his own end. I mean pee wee mistake bad. Maybe if they got a F instead of Lovejoy, but that trade has no impact on the future or the playoff results from last yr. From what I saw from Dumo, DP and Harrington they didn't leave that great of an impression.
- sammy87

I'd be absolutely fine with Pouliot as a 5/6 dman. Playing on the 2nd pairing he isn't going to get sheltered minutes and that concerns me because he got very favorable deployment last season and I'm not sure he can handle a top 4 dman position yet. I'm also not confident Maatta can handle the top pairing either.

On the back of Andrew Hammond?
- BINGO!

Anderson is the starting tender Mr. Funnypants

How about we someone turn this Gonchar try out into him becoming an assistant special teams coach?

Ryan.

I don't share your optimism currently on the cap situation nor your implying that this new MLBAM deal significantly helps league revenue. This deal doesn't commence until January of 2016, the costs of moving the facilities & some personal from Canada to the US will need to be incurred. The NHL markets these platforms now themselves meaning this revenue stream already exists. This is a partnership so the NHL will now share this revenue stream in some way with MLB. Terms not disclosed. It's about building a better platform for the future. Even the NHL is projecting that this partnership will only increase this particular revenue stream by 3 to 5% annually in the future once they recover their infrastructure costs. This is a long term vision.

Baring a significant recovery of the Canadian dollar the cap will at best be flat next season; but most likely declines for 2016-17, & moving forward until it's impact is fully accounted for & the dollar starts to recover; if it recovers, & then only if the NHLPA agrees to the 5% escalator. The Canadian dollar has been in free fall & the effects on this years cap were virtually unaccounted for as the dollar didn't start it's decent until the middle June last season. League revenue's don't run on a calendar year but a fiscal year & the NHL's ends shortly after the Stanley Cup; Lets say their year end was the end of June, which was when the dollar started it's decent! The Canadian dollar has a direct correlation to the price of oil & the royalties it generates for the various levels of government not to mention the high paying jobs; tax revenue, it creates in the real world; which are drying up fast. There is no anticipated recovery in the price of oil over the next 3 years. It's a supply & demand issue. The US went from a net importer of oil to one of the worlds largest producers with the creation of fraking, other streams being brought on line, & the reduction in consumption with conversion to other sources such as Liquid natural gas, etc. In just 3 years.

It is going to be very interesting to see how this monetary issue effects the cap & the teams that have painted themselves into corners assuming a constantly raising cap. Teams don't just need capolygists any longer, they need currency traders with a firm understanding of global monetary issues, specifically the Canadian dollar as slightly less than 30% of the teams play in Canada & they generate a disproportionate portion of the the league revenue, unfortunately in Canadian dollars & having to pay salaries in US dollars. Several teams are in serious cap hell next season if the cap doesn't push 74 million. I'm projecting a slight decline to about 70 million for the 2016-17 season & that's with the NHLPA 5% escalator. Should the NHLPA vote that down next season then another 2 to 3.5 million less than 70 million!