Apperently Luongos not at practice.....................................

Interesting.

Are you suggesting a similar to the major soccer leagues?
- Nucker101

I hadn't thought of it that way and am not advocating for DP slots to be given out. I'm more thinking about it from the perspective that, if there is already a salary cap in place restricting what teams can spend, why not just leave it at that without imposing additional restrictions. Allow every team to negotiate their own contract with a player and, if they want to trade that player, they'd be trading his rights only and not his contract. That way the player and only the player himself is the basis for all trades without an existing contract. Once a trade is agreed to between the organizations (for example, Kesler gets traded for Benn), then both Kesler and Benn would have permission to speak with the other team about a new salary. If all are agreed, the players get traded.

Of course, someone like Scott Gomez would never agree to be traded because no other team would offer him anywhere near the salary he's currently making. Players in this situation might prefer to decline all trades and collect their high paychecks, even if it means sitting on the bench, until the contract expires. That's fine, sh!t happens and it will act as a self-regulator for teams to not offer contracts that are too long lest they get stuck with an untradeable asset. No need for Bettman's claws to get involved, the system would regulate itself.

What I've described is essentially the model that European soccer follows but in this case it would operate under a hard cap.

Apperently Luongos not at practice.....................................
- pker2theend

He's playing poker.

Apperently Luongos not at practice.....................................
- pker2theend

Kulikov is MIA......

Luongo has been protected at every opportunity. He never plays in Minnesota because he's got a bad record there???? AV has always made sure Luongo didn't get "let down games", they always put Schneider in for these games.
- Scooby_Doo

Luongo started most of the games against teams like the Wings, Sharks, Hawks, etc. over the last couple of years.

Apperently Luongos not at practice.....................................
- pker2theend

Source?

I hadn't thought of it that way and am not advocating for DP slots to be given out. I'm more thinking about it from the perspective that, if there is already a salary cap in place restricting what teams can spend, why not just leave it at that without imposing additional restrictions. Allow every team to negotiate their own contract with a player and, if they want to trade that player, they'd be trading his rights only and not his contract. That way the player and only the player himself is the basis for all trades without an existing contract. Once a trade is agreed to between the organizations (for example, Kesler gets traded for Benn), then both Kesler and Benn would have permission to speak with the other team about a new salary. If all are agreed, the players get traded.

Of course, someone like Scott Gomez would never agree to be traded because no other team would offer him anywhere near the salary he's currently making. Players in this situation might prefer to decline all trades and collect their high paychecks, even if it means sitting on the bench, until the contract expires. That's fine, sh!t happens and it will act as a self-regulator for teams to not offer contracts that are too long lest they get stuck with an untradeable asset. No need for Bettman's claws to get involved, the system would regulate itself.

What I've described is essentially the model that European soccer follows but in this case it would operate under a hard cap.
- AlexF

Interesting, I actually really like that idea but there's no way it will ever happen.

Kulikov is MIA......
- Scooby_Doo

http://www.sbnation.com/2...contract-florida-panthers

He's playing poker.
- LeftCoaster

Maybe Bieksa really knocked him out.

He's not much better, that's for sure.
- Nucker101

I have a hard time believing this. Parent wouldn't even be a top pairing in the ECHL. Did you catch any of the Wolves games at the end of last season? He was awful. At least Barker looks like a fringe NHLer from what I've seen of him on Chi, Min, and Edm.

Barker as a top 4 for 2.5 million (like in edmonton) is awful, but as a 7/8 for 700, 000 it's a low risk signing. Hopefully he won't be relied on to play too often, though.

I have a hard time believing this. Parent wouldn't even be a top pairing in the ECHL. Did you catch any of the Wolves games at the end of last season? He was awful. At least Barker looks like a fringe NHLer from what I've seen of him on Chi, Min, and Edm.

Barker as as top 4 for 2.5 million (like in edmonton) is awful, but as a 7/8 for 700, 000 it's a low risk signing. Hopefully he won't be relied on to play too often, though.
- Fosco

Fair enough, but honestly neither of them belong in the NHL IMO. Barker was one of Edmonton's worst d-man last year, talk about the worst of the worst. Vandermeer is the one I'd call a fringe NHL'er.

Interesting, I actually really like that idea but there's no way it will ever happen.
- Nucker101

Totally agreed and certainly not with Bettman at the helm. Just thought I'd have a rant.

I have a hard time believing this. Parent wouldn't even be a top pairing in the ECHL. Did you catch any of the Wolves games at the end of last season? He was awful. At least Barker looks like a fringe NHLer from what I've seen of him on Chi, Min, and Edm.

Barker as a top 4 for 2.5 million (like in edmonton) is awful, but as a 7/8 for 700, 000 it's a low risk signing. Hopefully he won't be relied on to play too often, though.
- Fosco

Not arguing either way but from Pass it to Bulis this morning:

Here’s Bryan Reynolds of Wild blog Hockey Wilderness on Cam Barker, following a breakdown of his mediocre numbers in Minnesota:

These are the statistics. They are there for you to see, and for you to debate their value. However, there are things that are not represented on paper. Things like his positioning, his skating (we compare his skating ability to that of Kobe Bryant), his speed, his emotion, his physicalness, and his ability to clear the crease.

To sum up, he is terrible positionally, he looks to have cinder blocks taped to his legs when he skates, has speed that rivals that of Andrew Brunette (no offense Andrew), has as much emotion on the ice as Johnny Five, and skated away from players that had destroyed Niklas Backstrom in the crease more times than should be allowed for an NHL defenseman.

The Wild eventually bought Barker out, and he signed with the Oilers. Here’s Jonathan Willis of Oilers Nation on Barker’s play:

Cam Barker has easily been the worst of the Oilers’ regular defensemen since the first day he stepped into the lineup. All season he has been either the very worst or close to it in terms of scoring chance plus/minus. David Staples, who looks at scoring chances a different way – trying to analyze who directly contributed to each play – came away with the same data. Barker isn’t even Marc-Andre Bergeron, creating offense while allowing chances the other way – he’s been impotent offensively, recording one point in an hour of power play time and another point in 330 minutes in other situations.

He needs them all for his Blacker doll.
- A_SteamingLombardi

Not arguing either way but from Pass it to Bulis this morning:

Here’s Bryan Reynolds of Wild blog Hockey Wilderness on Cam Barker, following a breakdown of his mediocre numbers in Minnesota:

These are the statistics. They are there for you to see, and for you to debate their value. However, there are things that are not represented on paper. Things like his positioning, his skating (we compare his skating ability to that of Kobe Bryant), his speed, his emotion, his physicalness, and his ability to clear the crease.

To sum up, he is terrible positionally, he looks to have cinder blocks taped to his legs when he skates, has speed that rivals that of Andrew Brunette (no offense Andrew), has as much emotion on the ice as Johnny Five, and skated away from players that had destroyed Niklas Backstrom in the crease more times than should be allowed for an NHL defenseman.

The Wild eventually bought Barker out, and he signed with the Oilers. Here’s Jonathan Willis of Oilers Nation on Barker’s play:

Cam Barker has easily been the worst of the Oilers’ regular defensemen since the first day he stepped into the lineup. All season he has been either the very worst or close to it in terms of scoring chance plus/minus. David Staples, who looks at scoring chances a different way – trying to analyze who directly contributed to each play – came away with the same data. Barker isn’t even Marc-Andre Bergeron, creating offense while allowing chances the other way – he’s been impotent offensively, recording one point in an hour of power play time and another point in 330 minutes in other situations.
- AlexF

Spot on.

Spot on.
- Nucker101

Meet your newest Vancouver Canuck.

I'm starting to wonder if our scouts are even watching players play before making their "recommendations." You get the impression these guys are maxing out their corporate cards on the road and use the rink time to snooze and nurse their hangovers. Wouldn't be the first time.

Meet your newest Vancouver Canuck.

I'm starting to wonder if our scouts are even watching players play before making their "recommendations." You get the impression these guys are maxing out their corporate cards on the road and use the rink time to snooze and nurse their hangovers. Wouldn't be the first time.
- AlexF

I'm not a fan of our scouts at all, the guys in the OHL and Gradin in Sweden aren't bad but we've struggled picking in the WHL and QMJHL and I'm ot too sure about our pro-scouts, I think MG relies on his own opinion for the most part when analyzing NHL players.

The guy who recommended Barker has got to go.

I'm not a fan of our scouts at all, the guys in the OHL and Gradin in Sweden aren't bad but we've struggled picking in the WHL and QMJHL and I'm ot too sure about our pro-scouts, I think MG relies on his own opinion for the most part when analyzing NHL players.

The guy who recommended Barker has got to go.
- Nucker101

What about the guy who recommended Weiss? Same guy?

What about the guy who recommended Weiss? Same guy?
- AlexF

Weise? Hopefully it's the same guy, I'd rather have one horrible scout than 2 bad ones.

Not arguing either way but from Pass it to Bulis this morning:

Here’s Bryan Reynolds of Wild blog Hockey Wilderness on Cam Barker, following a breakdown of his mediocre numbers in Minnesota:

These are the statistics. They are there for you to see, and for you to debate their value. However, there are things that are not represented on paper. Things like his positioning, his skating (we compare his skating ability to that of Kobe Bryant), his speed, his emotion, his physicalness, and his ability to clear the crease.

To sum up, he is terrible positionally, he looks to have cinder blocks taped to his legs when he skates, has speed that rivals that of Andrew Brunette (no offense Andrew), has as much emotion on the ice as Johnny Five, and skated away from players that had destroyed Niklas Backstrom in the crease more times than should be allowed for an NHL defenseman.

The Wild eventually bought Barker out, and he signed with the Oilers. Here’s Jonathan Willis of Oilers Nation on Barker’s play:

Cam Barker has easily been the worst of the Oilers’ regular defensemen since the first day he stepped into the lineup. All season he has been either the very worst or close to it in terms of scoring chance plus/minus. David Staples, who looks at scoring chances a different way – trying to analyze who directly contributed to each play – came away with the same data. Barker isn’t even Marc-Andre Bergeron, creating offense while allowing chances the other way – he’s been impotent offensively, recording one point in an hour of power play time and another point in 330 minutes in other situations.
- AlexF

Fair enough, but Barker being the Oilers' worst defenceman is still better than Parent being the Wolves worst defenceman, by a country mile.

Fair enough, but Barker being the Oilers' worst defenceman is still better than Parent being the Wolves worst defenceman, by a country mile.
- Fosco

You sure about that?

What about the guy who recommended Weiss? Same guy?
- AlexF

Not getting the Weise hate. The kid was a 24 year old waiver pick up. Maybe expectations need to be tempered.

He's put up numbers in the AHL that would have many in this fanbase clamouring had he been an actual Canuck drafted player.

He may be a fringe NHLer, but at 24, there's still time for him to be a solid bottom 6 player.

Definitely worth a contract spot, whether he makes the big club or not.

Fair enough, but Barker being the Oilers' worst defenceman is still better than Parent being the Wolves worst defenceman, by a country mile.
- Fosco

Can anyone tell him how parent got a contract of almost 4 mil a year his career high is 1 goal

You sure about that?
- Nucker101

Not to the point where I'd put money on it

Just shows you how much faith I have in Parent's ability, more than anything.

Weise? Hopefully it's the same guy, I'd rather have one horrible scout than 2 bad ones.
- Nucker101

good point.
I like the Vandermeer signing. He is far better then Rome and is willing to drop the mitts. Barker