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Interesting stuff around in the last 24 hours...
On Doughty...
Many mixed reports here. Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos is reporting Doughty as having rejected the latest Kings offer, and there are reports the Kings don't expect Doughty at their event on Sunday...
No disrespect to Kipper at all here, but I am not hearing this is nearly as dire as Nick is hearing this is. Again, we can only go on who we talk to, but those I talk to are saying they are very confident that the details will be worked out and the main stumbling blocks regarding Doughty's deal have already been agreed upon.
Of course this can, and sometimes do, go haywire...but I have not been able to find anyone who is willing to say Doughty has out and out "rejected" anything, and many of the other insiders haven't spoken out either way on Doughty (which is also telling given this is a MAJOR player we are talking about, and when the biggest media guys are quiet regarding a story of this size it usually means they know something 'off the record.')
All I can say is it is my belief Kings fans should NOT be jumping all over Doughty for rejecting a huge deal yet. This could get done.
As for the event on Sunday...If Doughty isn't in attendance it will definitely send mixed signals to the fan base, but as I have said before....remember Dean Lombardi isn't ONLY trying to sign Doughty, and the timing of signing Doughty may be more tied to another deal than anyone knows at this point.
As a source noted... "Lombardi is a very crafty GM when it comes to always wanting the "upper hand" in a deal, and in a strange way NOT having Doughty signed could give Dean a certain amount of leverage in this instance...especially given the team he is talking trade with..."
Would the Preds move Suter?
No.
To put it another way.... Nope. Suter is a tent pole player and will not be moved in any circumstance. (and that is from as good a source as you can get on the matter)
Does Couturier have a legit shot at sticking?
Rookie Sean Couturier has really impressed the Flyers brass already in the limited time they have seen him on the ice, and as Tim Panaccio pointed out a few weeks back Couturier has a shot at making this team THIS year. His only issue may be that he is too lanky right now, (The guy does basically disappear when he turns sideways) and the Flyers would like him to fill out his frame.
If Couturier were to make the big club this season, there are some housekeeping issues that need to be resolved first. The Flyers are maxed out on contracts (and Couturier is not yet signed). They will also need to clear cap space, as the team is also perilously close to being maxed out on the cap.
The $1,402,500 worth of cap penalties incurred for bonus overages last season have left the Flyers just $175,239 away from the cap ceiling (not including a long-term injured reserve allowance for Ian Laperierre's $1,166,667). This complicates any potential entry level contract that would see Couturier play in the NHL. Technically speaking, the Flyers are already over the cap when you count the contracts of Michael Leighton ($1.55 million) and Matt Walker ($1.7 million) but these contracts are likely to come off the cap via waivers and AHL assignments for Leighton and Walker.
Skill-wise....it's all there is spades and Couturier does remind you of Jordan Staal in many ways...including his maturity and his presence in all zones on the ice. The Flyers rookie camp opens Monday and many are saying they believe it will be interesting to see how Brayden Schenn and Couturier compare side by side. Brayden has been brought along slowly by Dean Lombardi who is notorious for long-range thinking, while Couturier may have to make the jump sooner.
And while he is a natural center, I expect to see Couturier will see some time on the wing with Schenn during the pre-season
I have even heard the Flyers could be looking to make one more trade if Couturier DOES NOT make the line-up..which was kind of shocking to hear given that I fully thought, or should I say expected, Couturier to be heading back to the Q for one more year.
more to come.
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