He does. But he needs a team that will have a little patience with the growing pains he'll go through. It seemed like he was benched every time he made a bad play in Boston, and you understand that they were on a shorter leash given their place in the standings, but I think it hurt his overall growth as a player. He also gets in his own head a bit too much at times. I see him as a solid fourth defenseman on his best days, but a serviceable, adequately mobile third-pairing guy for a club most nights.
- tyanderson

Bart will be a solid #3 in a couple years.

In Boston he was supposed to be a shut down number 2...........stupid silly.

In two years he will be considered a bargain compared to Perty or Sekera.

No patience in Boston, unfortunately.

Boston would love those first round picks
- Reveen

Take em...we have had 17 picks in rounds 1 and 2 over the last 4 years...too many now...we have to go poach NHL ready players rather than wait 3+years. And how many 1sta do you get for a 7.4M contract...like 1?

Take em...we have had 17 picks on rounds we and 2 in 4 years...too many now...we have to go poach NHL ready players rather than wait 3+years. And how many 1sta do you get for a 7.4M contract...like 1?
- IonSabres

Yep, answering my own post
2 1sts, 1 2nd and 1 3rd.
it's in play for sure for a guy like him...I think the Sabres have other needs to round out the top 6...specifically RW, so it likely won't happen.

Good read Ty. I think one thing that has gotten lost in all of the offer sheet talk is that many players over the last few years simply refuse to sign offer sheets. I think that offer sheets get thrown around more often then we think, but aren't widely talked about because they stop at the player.


Dougie won't sign one. He will wait for a deal to be reached with Boston. Count on it.

waive the pick like Pittsburgh did for Shero

now just offer sheet Hamilton or Spooner/Connolly then Dougie and watch them enjoy that pick now!
- oilerfan94

No and deal with it. Have a nice day or don't. I could give a (frank) honestly.

EDIT: Reread your post. You need rehab. ASAP.

OUR PLAYOFF MARCH WAS STALLED
- tyanderson

No way Hamilton is getting Pietrangelo or Doughty money coming off his ELC unless offer sheeted by another team. It's possible but unlikely as regardless of the money Boston will match unless over 8 million per season & simply deal with the fall out cap issues.

A better comparable for Hamilton are Hedman in TB or Carlsson in Was. Hamilton hasn't accomplished what Pietro & Doughty did in their 1st 3 seasons in the NHL coming off their ELC's.

I see Boston potentially paying Hamilton up to 6 million per season depending upon the term. The shorter the term the lower the dollar value. If Boston decides to bridge for 2 or 3 years in around 4 to 5 million. If push comes to shove &Add years, then add dollars & if Hamilton's agent pushes for term then 8 years at around 6.5 to 7, maybe 7.5 in today's inflationary market but Boston won't be happy about it.

I think Boston will simply state the facts to Hamilton's camp. We have cap issues today, we still feel we are cup contenders & are all in. We need to bridge you, we will pay market value 4 to 5 million & in 2 years, we negotiate they long term 8 year deal, when Eriksson & Kelly come off the books.

If a team offer sheets Hamilton between $7,305,316-to-$9,131,645 then the compensation is two firsts, a second and a third-round pick. Unless the last CBA changed the terms they picks need to be the teams making the offer, which would preclude some teams from bidding. This caveat may have been removed in the last CBA but was present prior.

No and deal with it. Have a nice day or don't. I could give a (frank) honestly.

EDIT: Reread your post. You need rehab. ASAP.
- glove_was_stuck

Rehab is for quitters.

Rehab is for quitters.
- eichiefs9

You're right. Sorry about that!

Rehab is for quitters.
- eichiefs9

I disagree with the statement that bridge deals are a bad idea - especially using Subban as an example.

If they had signed him for 6 million for 5 years when he signed his bridge deal then he'd be a UFA at age 27 or 28 and would then require a long term contract to age 35 or 36 at a much higher dollar amount thatn 9 million.

Current state he's signed till he's 33 - so his prime years before he'll start to decline - at a rate that may be higher right now but over the life of the contract will save them more money then if they had gone for a 5 or 6 year deal @ around 6 followed by a monster deal for 7 or 8 years @ god knows what.

Boston's cap issues are seriously tight but not unmanageable. I have Boston with 15 players signed at 63.474 which includes Savard's 4.007, a 16th player if you will but only for cap & 23 man roster compliance issues come roster declaration date. The Bruin's will get relief on his 4.007 cap hit via LTIR. 9 forwards, Lucic, Krejci, Eriksson, Marchand, Bergeron, Smith, Pastrnak, Kelly & Talbot. 5 D, Chara, Seidenberg, Krug, Trotman & Miller & 1 goalie, Rask.

If the cap comes in at 71 million, Boston has 7.526 to spend plus Savards 4.007 for a total of 11.533 to resign Hamilton, Spooner & Connolly their 3 RFA's & sign or promote 5 more players. 2 forwards; 4th line C/LW & a spare/depth player, 2 Dman; #7/8 depth guys or developing rookies, & a back up goalie.

I see Boston getting Hamilton signed before July 1 at or near 4 million a season on a 2 year bridge deal. Let's even call it 5 million which is very fair & more than market value for 2 years. Spooner & Connolly will be have to accept their qualifying offers coming off their ELC's. Zero leverage, no arbitration rights & to bargaining position. If they hold out Boston will let them sit as they simply have no choice. Connolly made .851 last season & Spooner .870 when in the NHL. 1 year qualifying offers carry a 10% raise so both come in just below a million. That's 7 million for Hamilton, Spooner & Connolly. That leaves 4.53 million to sign or promote the 4 remaining players.

I see Boston promoting Morrow at D also an RFA , again at a 10% qualifying offer raise, another million. At forward 2 of Griffith, Kohlachev or Ferlin move up. All are signed under a million. Leaving 1 #7/8 D & a back up goalie. Boston may promote Arnesson at D or they fill these last 2 slots #7/8 D & back up goalie via UFA at the league minimums. They slip in just under the cap with a little under a million left as a cushion.

Now that's baring a trade & I assume Sweeney does something to put his stamp on this team & give the Bruins a little more wiggle room. 1 of Kelly, Eriksson & possibly even Lucic are moved if Lucic's contract situation can't be resolved after July 1st to get him signed to a new deal. Lucic has been very well looked after in Boston & I assume they would like to retain him long term. 8 years at 6.5 to 7.5 is probable but also problematic but Boston would have 2 years to resolve the cap issues that deal will cause.

Thoughts from the bench.

I wouldn't go north of 6,5M$ per season. I hope they sign him long term at that max price.

I the habs didn't sign Subban to that bridge deal and signed him long term, he would probably have sat on his behind having not much to prove.

Also, that theory of bridge deals are not always accurate. Players don't win awards every year.

The bridge deal with Subban was pure Genius.

If that Habs had decided to sign him to a 5-6 years contract like he asked, P.K. would be a ufa in 2 years time.

Sure he's getting more money now, but in the end, the longer we can keep the player the better.

Bruins should aim to do the exact same thing with Hamilton.

If I'm a GM I bridge all my players coming off their ELC's. It's just great cap management & it allows you the potential to tie up your players to longer terms before they secure their UFA rights. If after they come off their ELC's & 2 or 3 year bridge terms & then potentially stage a holdout they will have arbitration rights. If they truly deserve long term deals you get it done.

Any way you work out the math on Subban's last 2 contracts & if he had signed say a 5 year deal at around 6 to 6.5 as opposed to the bridge deal were to the benefit of both Montreal & Subban from my perspective it all balanced out in the wash. Worked out great for both parties both in term & money.

I'm hoping Hamilton's camp chooses the same course of action. I know Boston will want to. If it potentially costs more in the long run to retain Hamilton, I think the added years against his UFA rights & the cap relief today are ample benefits. If Hamilton keeps getting better he will have earned the next big deal & if in the long run it costs more so be it.

The bridge deal with Subban was pure Genius.

If that Habs had decided to sign him to a 5-6 years contract like he asked, P.K. would be a ufa in 2 years time.

Sure he's getting more money now, but in the end, the longer we can keep the player the better.

Bruins should aim to do the exact same thing with Hamilton.
- Scabeh

I would take this. It would give the Bruins room to add another more defensively responsible defense man in addition to Hamilton. He still has major gaps in his d-zone play and with turnovers with I think should detract from his value.

If EDM really want to offer 7 or over than I say take compensation. Their will still be good next year. Same with Buffalo.

If I'm a GM I bridge all my players coming off their ELC's. It's just great cap management & it allows you the potential to tie up your players to longer terms before they secure their UFA rights. If after they come off their ELC's & 2 or 3 year bridge terms & then potentially stage a holdout they will have arbitration rights. If they truly deserve long term deals you get it done.

Any way you work out the math on Subban's last 2 contracts & if he had signed say a 5 year deal at around 6 to 6.5 as opposed to the bridge deal were to the benefit of both Montreal & Subban from my perspective it all balanced out in the wash. Worked out great for both parties both in term & money.

I'm hoping Hamilton's camp chooses the same course of action. I know Boston will want to. If it potentially costs more in the long run to retain Hamilton, I think the added years against his UFA rights & the cap relief today are ample benefits. If Hamilton keeps getting better he will have earned the next big deal & if in the long run it costs more so be it.
- striker777

in the end, it's all just a timing difference. good players will get big $/high cap hit contracts.

Being able to reduce the cap hit but using lower paying years (using rfa years, +34 years to offset prime ufa years) is one way to manage it. signing the long-term deal now also keeps a more consistent cap hit year-to-year, rather than large fluctuations. IMO, i would prefer to manage a cap that way, but it is very subjective and there are advantages/disadvantages to both methods.

Dougie for ROR...runs and hides

Good read Ty. I think one thing that has gotten lost in all of the offer sheet talk is that many players over the last few years simply refuse to sign offer sheets. I think that offer sheets get thrown around more often then we think, but aren't widely talked about because they stop at the player.


Dougie won't sign one. He will wait for a deal to be reached with Boston. Count on it.
- dothedougie

yup, there are numerous reasons why offer sheets are rare. In the end, it is such a low probability tactic, it's typically not worth the time for a gm to use.

I think offer sheets should be used against cap strapped teams' non-core players. Martin Jones in LA is a good example. I think SJ offering give or take $1.5M to him would be too much for LA to pay for a backup and would be a much higher probability of success.

I guess that isn't as good a story as Hamilton.

Dougie for ROR...runs and hides
- DDM-Coga

I would take this. It would give the Bruins room to add another more defensively responsible defense man in addition to Hamilton. He still has major gaps in his d-zone play and with turnovers with I think should detract from his value.

If EDM really want to offer 7 or over than I say take compensation. Their will still be good next year. Same with Buffalo.
- glove_was_stuck

So if Edmonton offers 7.25x5, you'd take the 1-2-3 picks?

Kelly for Landy...runs and hides
- DDM-Coga

Fixed

So if Edmonton offers 7.25x5, you'd take the 1-2-3 picks?
- oilerfan94

From EDM or Buffalo, yes. I'd take my chances.

Fixed
- dothedougie

- glove_was_stuck

hey....I dont like where this is going