Mike Augello: Distracting Draft Chatter, Sunday's News And Notes

John Shannon

Go Leafs Go

Bozak is gone is my bet sooner than later is my bet.

It's actually pretty sweet for the Leafs for there to be a cap crunch when they are in good cap shape.

what are these Malkin rumors?

Bozak is gone is my bet sooner than later is my bet.

It's actually pretty sweet for the Leafs for there to be a cap crunch when they are in good cap shape.
- Zezel

Agreed. No doubt.

The Pens don't need Bozak.

The Pens don't need Bozak.
- TheRollingPuck

Kessel needs bozak.

Kessel needs bozak.
- burn

Not on the ice though.

Not on the ice though.
- sloppyseconds2

Laundry, sandwich making, ps4 playing, hot dog runs.......

John Shannon
- nbboy

He still thinks Luongo will be a Leaf.

Guy's a (frank)wit

The Pens don't need Bozak.
- TheRollingPuck

Cool

Hard to trade him in the off season unless there are other pieces, more likely will be a deadline deal with a GM that Lou can fish-in to thinking Bozak will help them make or be better in the playoffs. Pump and Dump like they did with Phaneuf and Pollak

The Pens don't need Bozak.
- TheRollingPuck

shocking revelation.

Leading in the SCF, and the name Bozak comes up?

I could see leafs sending Bozak to the wild or Devils. Wild are looking for scoring and leafs are looking for a young dman to groom; could see dumba and a contract coming back.

Lou will try and pry Larson and or Kinkaid from the Devils. I could really see something like Bozak and a second or a prospect like Percy going the other way.

I could see leafs sending Bozak to the wild or Devils. Wild are looking for scoring and leafs are looking for a young dman to groom; could see dumba and a contract coming back.

Lou will try and pry Larson and or Kinkaid from the Devils. I could really see something like Bozak and a second or a prospect like Percy going the other way.
- Kinggilmour

Think Bozak could pry dumb away?

And I would be interested in Larson and Kinkaid. Very underrated goalie

I could see leafs sending Bozak to the wild or Devils. Wild are looking for scoring and leafs are looking for a young dman to groom; could see dumba and a contract coming back.

Lou will try and pry Larson and or Kinkaid from the Devils. I could really see something like Bozak and a second or a prospect like Percy going the other way.
- Kinggilmour

Dumba would cost A LOT more than that package you're suggesting.

I could see leafs sending Bozak to the wild or Devils. Wild are looking for scoring and leafs are looking for a young dman to groom; could see dumba and a contract coming back.

Lou will try and pry Larson and or Kinkaid from the Devils. I could really see something like Bozak and a second or a prospect like Percy going the other way.
- Kinggilmour

cool. bozak for dumba, that sounds fair.

cool. bozak for dumba, that sounds fair.
- Barx

Unless you're in any way associated with the Wild...

Haha wait, Malkin rumours? Now? Why?

I could see leafs sending Bozak to the wild or Devils. Wild are looking for scoring and leafs are looking for a young dman to groom; could see dumba and a contract coming back.

Lou will try and pry Larson and or Kinkaid from the Devils. I could really see something like Bozak and a second or a prospect like Percy going the other way.
- Kinggilmour

Bozak for Dumba will be hard to pull off. Dumba has so much more trade value that the Leafs have to take back a bad contract AND give back a solid piece. Main problem is which contract comes back? And it is enough to pry Dumba when at best the Leafs will include Percy or a pick in the 29-56 range?

The only way that the Leafs would take Laine, would be if they took Matthews second.
The Jets would be nuts to deal the #2 pick, but stranger things have happened. Still I'd doubt that Lou would be the sort of show-boat to try to pull off such a deal.
It might not be impossible, but it would likely be a lot bigger than the original Kessel deal from Boston to Toronto.
Would the Jets consider Nylander and Pittsburgh's #1 plus some other prospect? Maybe, but would that prove anything for Toronto? Laine could be a dominant player. While Nylander may be a star, but he's unlikely to carry a team on his back. So maybe you consider rolling that dice? Most likely though, everybody stands pat in the top 2.

I think the news on the salary cap potentially dropping below $70m is an absolute stunner. Hoping that the NHLPA is going to bail out the league by approving the 5% inflation escalator is highly problematic. The inflator is what triggers the escrow holdback (15%+ of a players salary) and it is universally despised by players and agents.

This is going to put many teams at risk. It will knock most of those teams out of the UFA bidding market, including any chance they will be able to bid for their own players (no way LA can offer Lucic a deal or Boston can retain Ericsson). Stamkos is a bit more complex because he is in a UFA class all of his own and Tampa has a boatload of young skilled players they can move as incentives to off load another big salary (Bishop).

The talk about Detroit moving salary to bid on Stamkos is just fluff. Rangers will not be able to move Nash. St Louis will lose some good players. Just as important otherplayers will need to accept substantial cuts in pay just to get an NHL contract (Stahl, Ladd). Guys who thought they would get a huge pay day (e.g. Yandle) will need to curb their expectations.

So, think in terms of as many as 10 top teams having to shed salary. Also, there is a group of young teams (e.g.., Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa) that are fast approaching cap thresholds. They are not really in a position to take on much more in long term salary. If they want to be able to cover their own player contracts in the next few years they need to be careful.

Colorado is the poster boy for a team that looks like it is okay when it is not. It appears to only have a cap hit of $52m. for 14 contracts. But if you look closer they need to sign Mackinnon and Barrie this summer. And, they need to add as many as 7 other contracts for a full roster of 23.

I think the potential for huge deals is phenomenal, but teams will pay very little for taking on a big dollar contract. We may be surprised to see movement of some very high profile players.

Nattering Nabobs of Negativism

Spiro T Agnew

I think the news on the salary cap potentially dropping below $70m is an absolute stunner. Hoping that the NHLPA is going to bail out the league by approving the 5% inflation escalator is highly problematic. The inflator is what triggers the escrow holdback (15%+ of a players salary) and it is universally despised by players and agents.

This is going to put many teams at risk. It will knock most of those teams out of the UFA bidding market, including any chance they will be able to bid for their own players (no way LA can offer Lucic a deal or Boston can retain Ericsson). Stamkos is a bit more complex because he is in a UFA class all of his own and Tampa has a boatload of young skilled players they can move as incentives to off load another big salary (Bishop).

The talk about Detroit moving salary to bid on Stamkos is just fluff. Rangers will not be able to move Nash. St Louis will lose some good players. Just as important otherplayers will need to accept substantial cuts in pay just to get an NHL contract (Stahl, Ladd). Guys who thought they would get a huge pay day (e.g. Yandle) will need to curb their expectations.

So, think in terms of as many as 10 top teams having to shed salary. Also, there is a group of young teams (e.g.., Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa) that are fast approaching cap thresholds. They are not really in a position to take on much more in long term salary. If they want to be able to cover their own player contracts in the next few years they need to be careful.

Colorado is the poster boy for a team that looks like it is okay when it is not. It appears to only have a cap hit of $52m. for 14 contracts. But if you look closer they need to sign Mackinnon and Barrie this summer. And, they need to add as many as 7 other contracts for a full roster of 23.

I think the potential for huge deals is phenomenal, but teams will pay very little for taking on a big dollar contract. We may be surprised to see movement of some very high profile players.
- spatso

oh