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Kucherov Will Break The Bank |
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If Alex Killorn is worth a seven year contract extension at a $4.45 million average annual value, then what is Nikita Kucherov to the Tampa Lightning?
Seriously.
I like Killorn's game and his leadership. A lot. However, when did he become a $31 million guaranteed performer in the NHL?
Crazy money. Crazy term.
That's why I call it"free agent freak out season".
Anything crazy can happen and usually does.
Case in point, Killorn becomes a $31 million man.
Killorn, 25, earned $2.55 million last season. He was RFA and filed for salary arbitration. Killorn is entering his fifth season with the Lightning. He scored 14 goals and 26 assists in 81 games last year as well as five goals and eight assists in the playoffs.
Bolts GM Steve Yzerman now has only $8.53M in available salary cap space and Yzerman still has to have to sign his prime RFA Nikita Kucherov, his 23 year old rock star forward.
I suspect that Kucherov is happier about Killorn's new extension than Killorn himself.
It can be argued that Kucherov is twice as valuable to to the past and present success of the Lightning. Kucherov has established himself as Tampa's reliable, go-to guy for scoring and offense. He added considerable value to his brand when captain Steven Stamkos underwent surgery to remove blood clots last spring. In 211 career regular season games, Kucherov has scored 67 goals and added 81 assists for 148 total points. In 45 career playoff games, Kucherov has popped in 22 goals and added 20 assists. The Russian sniper and former Quebec Rempart authored his career best 30 goals and 36 assists in 77 games played in 2015-16.
What is Kucherov's ceiling in terms of growth and development?
I can see a day in the near future when Kucherov scores 80-90 points.
It does not seem outlandish at all for Kucherov and his agent to demand and receive an 8-year, $8 million average annual value whopper of a contract extension.
It can be argued that Kucherov is as valuable to Tampa's offense, if not more, than Stamkos.
Kucherov is no longer a secondary or tertiary scorer. He is a primary goal scorer who has earned the trust of his head coach Jon Copper, who plays Kucherov in key moments of games. In the recent history of the Bolts, Cooper doesn't play Stamkos in such pressure packed moments of games.
After the team announced the Killorn signing, Yzerman told the Tampa Times that he intends to re-sign restricted free agents center Vlad Namestnikov, defenseman Nikita Nesterov, and center Yanni Gourde.
Get ready for Yzerman to flip his switch to "trade" mode.
Life would have been much easier for Yzerman had Stamkos signed with Buffalo or Toronto as an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
There is no possible way on earth to re-sign Kucherov, Namestnikov, Nesterov and Gourde with $8.53 million dollars in cap slush money.
Killorn, 25, who made $2.55 million last season, was a restricted free agent who had filed for arbitration. He's entering his fifth season with the Lightning, having racked up 14 goals and 26 assists in 81 games last season.
Who will Yzerman trade away?
Left winger Jonathon Drouin, who is entering the final year of his entry level contract?
Forward Valtteri Filppula carries a $5 million cap hit the next two seasons.
Left D Jason Garrison and his $4.6 million the next two years is a prime trade candidate. Garrison is a 3-40 point D man that plays a top four role. He's big, strong and smart. He makes a great first pass to get the biscuit to his forwards with urgency and accuracy.
Goalie Ben Bishop has one year remaining on his contract at $5.95 million. Andrei Vasilevskiy was signed to a three-year extension on July 1. Yzerman will likely trade Bishop this summer or risk losing him to the Las Vegas Knight in next summer's expansion draft.
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Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray has been looking for a left shot D-man.
Murray would be wise to phone Steve Yzerman and make a trade proposal for Jason Garrison.
The 6'2" and 225 lb. defender will turn 32 in November.
Trading a second round pick and a third round pick to the cash strapped Lightning would get the job done. Yzerman cannot take a contract back from Murray as he needs to create as much salary cap space to sign his RFAs Kucherov, Namestnikov, Nesetrov, and Gourde.
Garrison has two years remaining on his deal and would be a wise bridge man to play beside Rasmus Ristolainen while promising youngsters Brendan Guhle and Will Borgen earn needed experience before they transition to the Buffalo blue line.
Garrison averaged 18:27 TOI last season.
Garrison blocked 105 shots and landed 88 hits last season. He landed 99 shots on goal and scored 6 goals and 5 assists.
How can Tim Murray make a deal for Garrison work for the Sabres since he himself has limited salary cap space. As of today, the Sabres have $7.6 million in cap space. Tim Murray could get $1.5 million in additional cap dollars if he were to place veteran Cody McCormick on long term injured reserve. McCormick suffers from chronic blood clot issues and was forced to sit out the entire 2015-16 season.
Murray can also trade left winger Evander Kane to Vancouver for other assets. Kane will earn $5,250,000 this season and next season. Kane's name is also linked to trade rumors with teh Anaheim Ducks.
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