Tim Panaccio tweeted an agent told him that the AAV on Streit deal is $5.25M per season.
The Flyers are presently 10% ($7.8 million) over the salary cap, so they cannot officially sign Streit to his new deal.
The Flyers will have to purge salary from its books in the days and weeks to come.
Teams cannot execute amnesty buyouts until after the NHL Stanley Cup Finals have concluded. Game 3 is tonight. Game 7 is scheduled to be played on June 26.
If the Flyers buyout Briere and Bryzgalov, they will save $12.2 ish million off the 2013-14 salary cap. Briere no doubt is on his way to UFA status. The Flters cannot write a check and bid adieu to Bryzgalov until they find his replacement in goal.
Briere is only Flyer locked in on a buyout. Bryz remains up in air b/c of unknown goalie replacement
(concerned sergeant joel quenneville on two-way police radio):
"Calling all cars. Be on the look-out for a violent offender who's been missing for a week. He's 6'4 235 pounds. You can drive a squad car through the three-tooth-wide gap on his grill. He has chunks of flesh missing from his face and is sporting bruises and contusions about the head and neck. He's got a recent history of controlled violence, and excessive physicality If seen, approach him with caution as he may be agitated and upset. He's been slumping and isn't happy about it. He was recently demoted at his job, days after he single-handed whipped the ass off the City of Los Angeles. If you happen to see him, call for back-ups as he is in hot demand. Do not try to handle this hombre on your own. He has the ability to escape easily by dropping his shoulders and mowing over opposition. He was last seen in Chicago on June 8, just after Game 7 of the Blackhawks series win at the United Center".
Where has Bryan Bickell been hiding? His team needs him in a big bad way right now. Tied 1-1 and on the road in Boston for Game 3 tonight, Quenneville and the Blackhawks need their resident ass kicker to re-emerge and to take the wheel of the bus to run over the Bruins, and to beat them at their own game.
Bickell was the darling of the postseason for the first three rounds leading up to the Cup Finals.
Bickell was a one-man wrecking crew in the series wins over Minnesota, Detroit, and Los Angeles. In his first 17 games of the playoffs, the light 'em up left winger scored 8 (count 'em 8) goals, including two GWGs, with one coming in OT. He also added 5 assists while running on Chicago's top line. He was +7. Life was great, and getting greater. His UFA stock price was literally rising by the minute. Right before our eyes, he became the prom king that was being courted by 29 other NHL GMS.
Look at his resume, leading up to the Stanley Cup Finals:
Bickell earned a post-season career-high 13 points (8G, 5A)
Tied for second in the league in playoff goals
Tallied a playoff-high two assists in Game 5 vs. LA
Registered his postseason career-high fifth goal and sixth point in Game 6 at DET
Equaled a playoff career high with four points (3G, 1A) in five games
Tied his playoff career high with his third goal of the postseason in Game 4 at MIN
Scored goals in the first two games of the WCQF vs. MIN.
Then, suddenly, like a hunk of Kryptonite, Milan Lucic and the Boston Bruins appeared from parts unknown and Bickell's magic powers inexplicably vanished. In Games 1 and 2, Bickell was rendered useless. Don't get me wrong. He skated and competed, however, he lacked the pop and zip that we've come to know and love.
Wanna know why?
Lucic, Thornton, McQuaid, Boychuk and the Bruins have done their homework. They figure its easier to hit Bickell before he freight trains them. Bickell is absorbing a lot more body contact from the Bruins than he likely anticipated. The Bruins are winning the campaign to deny Bickell his time and space. In the first three round of the playoffs, Bickell had 8 goals on 35 shots. In the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, he has two shots (one in game 1 and 1 in game 2) and no goals. He can't get his shot off because he is being hammered off the puck.
Bickell is now skating on the third line with Shaw and Bolland. He's being relied upon to provide more sandpaper and jam. His offensive production has suffered as a result. he's got to get his groove going in Game 3 by spit-balling pucks at Tuuka rask from all angles. One might just clunk in off a skate or a D-man's elbow pad. Bickell has to use his 6'4 235 pound frame to create time and space for himself on the inside of the hash marks and below the faceoff dots. Bickell has to get filthy and go back to the areas where angels fear to tread.
Bickell realizes that there's more that he can do. After today's skate, he said:
"I need to be more physical".
Thanks, chicagotribune.com
Mark my words, Bickell will answer the bell and he will destroy everything in a Blue and Gold sweater that dares to cross his path tonight.
Did you know that the Blackhawks have lost all three Game 3s that they've played thus far in the playoffs?
Time for Bickell to answer the all point bulletin.
****
Has this sudden swoon damaged his UFA value? Not in the least. Bickell's stick is still high, however, it will go even higher when his team wins the Cup.
I dare say that the Sabres better be preparing a monster-sized UFA offer for teh Bowmansville, Ontario native. Bickell is 27 years old and he'd be the perfect addition to a young, gifted and gritty Sabres team. He's fit right skating alongside Ott, Kaleta, Foligno, Weber, Scott, and Girgensons.
All due respect to fellow UFA-to-be power forwards Ryane Clowe and David Clarkson, I'd rather have Bryan Bickell in Buffalo. His skill set and his physicality will augment the Sabres' roster perfectly. For a big man, he can motor. He'd open up a ton of white ice for Vanek, Hodgson, Ennis, Grigorenko, Flynn and Porter to create oodles of offensive plays in. (Notice how I deliberately left out Stafford and Leino? ) Add in Armia, Larsson,and the dynamic youngsters that the Sabres draft in two weeks and the Sabres will have a bevy of offensive beauties who will require some protection in the years to come.
I think Bickell is the right man for the Sabres. I like Danny Briere. He a diversion that the Sabres do not need right now. They need structure and strength. They missed on Leino as a UFA. They need to right that wrong by acquiring Bickell and his lunch pail to add more muscle and production, the kind that Zack Kassian was supposed to be capable of supplying.
Ruff is one of two top contenders to take over the Vancouver and Dallas head coaching vacancies.
Tortarella is rumored to be in the Vancouver discussion as well.
Vigneault has never won a Stanley Cup, nor has Ruff. Vigneault has 422 career regular season and 37 playoff wins.
Ruff should get more per season than Vigneault, right?
To pay a head coach $2 million per season doesn't seem outlandish, considering the gargantuan contracts that the owners are paying the players (see Malkin's extension at $9.5M AAV per season). I like this trend. If the owner and GM feel strongly about their next head coach, pay him top dollar.
Lindy Ruff, he of 571 regular season career wins (.560 win %), should be compensated similarly. Vigneault never won a Cup. Did he?
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