Couple it with the Shea Weber offer sheet, and the Sabres are sitting pretty right now. Shame on CBUS GM, Scott Howson, for trading the only star player his franchise has ever possessed for some scrap metal. Way to kill a trade market Howson.
Here, Howson tries to put lipstick on the pig that was his Rick Nash trade:
thanks, bluejackets.com
When the ice chips finally settle, Bobby Ryan may just fall right into their lap. Ryan is ripe for the picking right now.
Here's how I see it:
The Rangers have now taken themselves out of contention for the two biggest forwards on the market, Shane Doan and Bobby Ryan.
Doan visited the Rangers last Friday, however, Nash's $7.8 million cap hit for the next bazillion years all but rule out the Rags as a player for Doan or Ryan.
Sorry folks, I don't see the Nashville Predators ponying up a $25+ million signing bonus on a 14 year, $110 million contract to Shea Weber. If it happens, I'll eat my laptop.
Such a move would eliminate Philly from the Doan and Ryan derby.
Comes news today out of Van City, that the Canucks are power skating after Shane Doan. Their GM/President, Mike Gillis, sat with the Globe and Mail on Monday morning, and admitted that he'd be willing to shift his own contract paradigm for 35+ year old players, were he able to land Doan.
“We’re one of the teams that are active in trying to pursue him and see if he’d like to play here in Vancouver,” said Gillis in an interview in his office at Rogers Arena on Monday morning. “Not sure of a timeline yet but we’re hopeful we have a chance to convince him to play here.”
Doan turns 36 in October and has played his whole career for the Phoenix Coyotes. In the past three seasons, he has had an average of 55 points, compared with an average of 69 the three seasons before that.
A Doan signing will be expensive, and demand a multiyear deal. Despite Vancouver’s aversion to such contracts for older players, Gillis said Doan’s availability as a free agent is a rare occurrence.
“There are specific situations that cause you, not to reconsider the guidelines, but present a different set of a facts, a different set of circumstances, that take you outside of those guidelines.”
We know that Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philly, the NY Rangers, LA Kings, and San Jose Sharks all want Doan. Sounds to me like Couver want him just as badly, if not more.
Were I Darcy Regier, I'd let the Pens and Canucks slug it out for the UFA Doan. I'd instead turn my attention to creating a trade to deliver Bobby Ryan to Buffalo.
I'll take Ryan's youthful upside over Doan at this point.
If Darcy plays his cards right, he can get Ryan while the Doan contenders continue to play mental hop-scotch, waiting for Doan to make up his mind as to whether he bolt from the desert, or not. It may be another week or two before Doan makes up his mind. I say, peel off, and focus the strategy on acquiring Ryan by trade.
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