Only 30 hours until hockey xmas!!

Only 30 hours until hockey xmas!!
- CanuckDon

I was just listening to Dave Tomlinson, he is musing that when JB says he has his eyes on 6 different players (5 forwards, 1 dman) with the #5 pick, he is not including Matthews or Laine...

expecting some surprises for hockey xmas

I think the UFA's fall into a couple of different tiers like every year the top couple of tiers get massively overpaid and then there are some good value players further down. This year is one of the best for UFA forwards and I hope Benning can snag some good value in the my tier 3 or 4 group. Bolded are players I think will have good contracts and provide good value.

Stamkos is alone in the top tier and might fetch 10 million

Lucic, Eriksson, Okposo, Ladd, Backes, Demers is the 2nd tier and I guess will fetch between 5-7 per year. (Yandle I also considered in this group)

Boedker, Nielsen, Hudler, Staal, Brouwer, McGinn, Perron, Purcell, Campbell, Versteeg, Russel, Hamhuis, Doan, Vrbata I guess will fetch between 3-5 million.

Parenteau, Chimera, Matthias, Wiese, Helm, Stempniak, Boyes, Stalberg, Nash, Jones, Stewart, Grabner, Gagner, Lewis, Kennedy etc.... I guess will be 1-3 million.

Did you cats notice last night when Messier handed Henrik the Clancy award - Hank followed by acknowledging all the previous captains in Canucks history - except Moose!! 3rd degree burn right there...

Cheers to the real King Henrik!
- Brooks_Light

It seems a bit fecked up. If Subban isn't a #1, he is at least a top pairing dman.

Right from the start it seems like the Montreal management group didn't like him. It is hard enough finding a dynamic top pairing guy like that, it is a little surprising they can be that fickle.
- hillbillydeluxe

With all the contract squabbles they had with him its not surprising there's lots of chatter but if they traded him would they be okay with a no name defence with Carey Price holding the fort, I think they might.

Doubt it. Benning not interested in talking to Lucic until after the draft weekend. Doesn't sound like he's in a rush to sign him.
- Marwood

Benning's hoping that Lucic gets only 4 year offers then he can come in and do the same and say come back home Milan.

Apparently their asking price is 4OA+Eberle/RNH/Hall+ something else(depending on which of the 3 they get).
- Retinalz

So Mtl would become Edmonton East then? woah

Iain MacIntyre ‏@imacVanSun · 40m40 minutes ago
Hearing conjecture about #Canucks trading down, maybe taking Brown, but just don't think they're going lower than 5th tonight.

**in JB's interview, he said it was too expensive to move up and liked being in the #5 spot, having those 6 players in mind.

Jason Botchford ‏@botchford · 5m5 minutes ago
benning called lucic a "unique player." - "we would definitely have interest in him."

Jason Botchford ‏@botchford · 10m10 minutes ago
In the Canucks "six" — the players they would take at 5 — one is D (long thought to be juolevi) and 4, 5 and 6 are pretty close

Jason Botchford ‏@botchford · 57m57 minutes ago
Benning says the team will try to sign two of the bigger name free agent wingers "not sure it will happen tho"
- hillbillydeluxe

Thanks HB for this.

I was just listening to Dave Tomlinson, he is musing that when JB says he has his eyes on 6 different players (5 forwards, 1 dman) with the #5 pick, he is not including Matthews or Laine...

expecting some surprises for hockey xmas
- hillbillydeluxe

I hear a lot of speculation about Benning liking 6 different players at 6...but I think people are misinterpreting his words. All he said is he likes 6 players so he is guaranteed to get one of them. I think he clearly means he has a defined top 6 in the draft and he will be able to select between 2 of them.

Wasn't Kaptaan offering Tanev for Yakupov?
- CanuckDon

Yeah i'd say Boedker is hovering around the 5 Mil mark

I'd overspend on Okposo But not Eriksson strictly based on age and future decline. AND I always felt like Lucic is such a hothead and he racks up quite a bit of PIMs. Okposo plays the same way minus the liability. Mind u I watch a lot of Isles games too so i'm a little biased.

Jamie Benn is every teams wet dream - he'll fetch top dollar - I read an article on the players tribune and he seems to love Texas so i don't know if anyone will be able to pry him away.

theres some beauty RFAs that I'd love to get our hands on (in a non sexual way) Krieder, Hoffman, Shaw, Pirri

what RFAs were you thinking?
- Brooks_Light

I agree Benn would be expensive, $10m expensive if that even does it.

I like Pirri as I've said before because he's still young and has upside and won't be that expensive, the others will cost at $2m more a year.

I think the UFA's fall into a couple of different tiers like every year the top couple of tiers get massively overpaid and then there are some good value players further down. This year is one of the best for UFA forwards and I hope Benning can snag some good value in the my tier 3 or 4 group. Bolded are players I think will have good contracts and provide good value.

Stamkos is alone in the top tier and might fetch 10 million

Lucic, Eriksson, Okposo, Ladd, Backes, Demers is the 2nd tier and I guess will fetch between 5-7 per year. (Yandle I also considered in this group)

Boedker, Nielsen, Hudler, Staal, Brouwer, McGinn, Perron, Purcell, Campbell, Versteeg, Russel, Hamhuis, Doan, Vrbata I guess will fetch between 3-5 million.

Parenteau, Chimera, Matthias, Wiese, Helm, Stempniak, Boyes, Stalberg, Nash, Jones, Stewart, Grabner, Gagner, Lewis, Kennedy etc.... I guess will be 1-3 million.
- belcherbd

Hamhuis Perron Staal
Nash

With all the contract squabbles they had with him its not surprising there's lots of chatter but if they traded him would they be okay with a no name defence with Carey Price holding the fort, I think they might.
- allsports

I guess it depends on the package coming back and their other needs.

It was a circus there last season when Price went down, but if they traded Subban, it could end up being a mini rebuild/reload if they aren't happy with what is in their system.

It sounds crazy if they traded Subban after he just made that big hospital donation.

Hamhuis Perron
Nah
- CanuckDon

I'm talking about value.... so if Hamhuis and Perron come in for 3-4 each for 2-3 years I think it helps this team more than an overpay for Lucic/Erikkson etc over 6 years.

Like I said there are a lot of quality players on the market and not a lot of cap space to go around. There are going to be some ridiculously good value deals signed, which depending on how the season goes can also likely be flipped for assets at the TDL.

I guess it depends on the package coming back and their other needs.

It was a circus there last season when Price went down, but if they traded Subban, it could end up being a mini rebuild/reload if they aren't happy with what is in their system.

It sounds crazy if they traded Subban after he just made that big hospital donation.
- hillbillydeluxe

It would be crazy but life happens

I hear a lot of speculation about Benning liking 6 different players at 6...but I think people are misinterpreting his words. All he said is he likes 6 players so he is guaranteed to get one of them. I think he clearly means he has a defined top 6 in the draft and he will be able to select between 2 of them.
- CanuckDon

I was surprised when Tomlinson mentioned Matthews and Laine were not on the list of 6, those two were not expected to be available when we pick. Thought Tomlinson basically said JB identified 6 players he liked and was guaranteed to get one of them.

Made me think if those top 2 players weren't part of the 6, then JB could essentially trade down to 8 and still pick one of the 6 he likes...

anyway, Tomlinson could be wrong, and just because JB has said 6 players, he likely covets a couple more than the rest.

I was surprised when Tomlinson mentioned Matthews and Laine were not on the list of 6. Thought Tomlinson basically said JB identified 6 players he liked and was guaranteed to get one of them.

Made me think if those top 2 players weren't part of the 6, then JB could essentially trade down to 8 and still pick one of the 6 he likes...

anyway, Tomlinson could be wrong, and just because JB has said 6 players, he likely covets a couple more than the rest.
- hillbillydeluxe

There have been some rumblings on twitter that Winnipeg still could take Puljarvi at #2

I was surprised when Tomlinson mentioned Matthews and Laine were not on the list of 6. Thought Tomlinson basically said JB identified 6 players he liked and was guaranteed to get one of them.

Made me think if those top 2 players weren't part of the 6, then JB could essentially trade down to 8 and still pick one of the 6 he likes...

anyway, Tomlinson could be wrong, and just because JB has said 6 players, he likely covets a couple more than the rest.
- hillbillydeluxe

All conjecture right now anyways. I was surprised to see on the link to canucksarmy that Nationnetwork ranked Logan Brown at 15 behind Nylander, Mcleod, Bellows.

There have been some rumblings on twitter that Winnipeg still could take Puljarvi at #2
- fiveandagame

if is funny when you think teams can be bs'ing about their intentions.

Some are saying Laine could be an Ovechkin

at least they are all, media and teams, keeping it interesting.

All conjecture right now anyways. I was surprised to see on the link to canucksarmy that Nationnetwork ranked Logan Brown at 15 behind Nylander, Mcleod, Bellows.
- allsports

I'm not surprised that he is ranked behind Nylander and think him McLeod and Bellows are all comparable but think he is a bit ahead.

Seeing Juolevi ranked behind Sergachev and Chrychrun was more surprising to me.

All conjecture right now anyways. I was surprised to see on the link to canucksarmy that Nationnetwork ranked Logan Brown at 15 behind Nylander, Mcleod, Bellows.
- allsports

those rankings are a little mixed up from what we have seen...
matthews
laine
puljujarvi
duboi
tkachuk
keller
sergachyov
chychrun
juolevi
jost
nylander
bean
bellows
mcleod
brown
gauthier
fabro
mcavoy

There have been some rumblings on twitter that Winnipeg still could take Puljarvi at #2
- fiveandagame

If you are a GM on draft day the best thing you can do is be incredibly dishonest. If any team knows your "list" you will be at a disadvantage. The Jets will take Laine

if is funny when you think teams can be bs'ing about their intentions.

Some are saying Laine could be an Ovechkin

at least they are all, media and teams, keeping it interesting.
- hillbillydeluxe

Wonder which GM is the best at poker because that's what they're playing right now, who's drawing, who's folding, who's going all in. Winn Cheveldayoff said they have already decided who they're picking so we all think Laine but like you said there's chatter.

If you are a GM on draft day the best thing you can do is be incredibly dishonest. If any team knows your "list" you will be at a disadvantage. The Jets will take Laine
- CanuckDon

Hi,

New blog with Henrik's NHL Award win, Benning saying he thinks he'll stay at five and the free-agent market getting established with Goligoski & Yandle signings.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...-Sleep-to-Draft/194/77727