Management must take many more things into account when running their business - the player ONLY has to look out for themselves and if they are presented with a contract they are happy with and sign it, good for the player - they have the option to not sign and ask for less (not likely). But if management is prudent (IE: Tampa) they could potentially discuss with said player why taking less than market is beneficial to the team (signing other players, potential flat cap increases in future, etc). If the team offers contracts in a vacuum and player signs, team is not managing their business prudently. What player would ever go the the team and say, lets scale my contract back a bit so you can sign other players or scale me back because i am worried the cap will remain flat the next few years.
- glennjpawlak22

Yzerman seems to have mastered this....and his players are on same page....this is a skilled GM!!!!

And how many cups does he have to show for the work as G.M. for Tampa???

Hmmmm - the sound of crickets........

What are your thoughts on Hillman tonight?
- breadbag

Too slow for the NHL.

Management must take many more things into account when running their business - the player ONLY has to look out for themselves and if they are presented with a contract they are happy with and sign it, good for the player - they have the option to not sign and ask for less (not likely). But if management is prudent (IE: Tampa) they could potentially discuss with said player why taking less than market is beneficial to the team (signing other players, potential flat cap increases in future, etc). If the team offers contracts in a vacuum and player signs, team is not managing their business prudently. What player would ever go the the team and say, lets scale my contract back a bit so you can sign other players or scale me back because i am worried the cap will remain flat the next few years. Yzerman seems to have mastered this....and his players are on same page....this is a skilled GM!!!!
- glennjpawlak22

Always appreciate the apples to oranges comparisons, or lemons as some would have it, between Yzerman and Bowman.

Yzerman had the benefit of already knowing the Cap had flattened when signing some of these guys. Further, he’s getting buy in on keeping the band together because they have all been chasing, and unsuccessfully so far, the common goal of winning ONE Cup.

It’s a hypothetical but you have to wonder what some of those contracts would have looked like if they’d won even one Cup recently.

Who knows what Q is thinking tbh. Q usually at least likes to leave rookies in the lower lines to ease them into NHL, unless they're getting end of season tastes, so he might still prefer Sikura on the 3rd. I'm not sold on Debrincat facing top comp as is, so itd be hesitant to put a rookie up there as well, even an older one like Sikura. Saad-Toews-Sikura is an optimal line in my brain but I also like Saad-Schmaltz-Kane as a line option. The top 6 could potentially be really fun, if they click.

If Sikura did go on the 1st in place of Kunitz, I have no idea where Kunitz would go, honestly. Q seems in love with that 4th line (poor Kampf) and a 3rd line of Edjsell-AA-Kunitz couldn't out skate Rozsival carrying Handzus on his back.

If it was me, I'd have Kahun in over Edjsell and Kampf in over Martinsen.
- L_B_R

I liked kahun as well, and would like to see Kahun Anisimov sikura as a line. I think Ejdsell needs more time working on his skating...but hasn't he already been doing this for a while? If so, and he hasn't improved much, is it a lost cause?

I think if Kunitz is dropped down to the bottom 6, the first guy they try on the top 6 will be kahun. Kahun Toews Debrincat could be a pretty dangerous line.

I thought Jokiharu was very noticeable offensively, and not too noticeable in a good way on defense, I think he will make the team. I also really liked Davidson. Very steady and making the right plays. I think he gets signed by the hawks, especially since Murphy and Forsling are out. I think the defense to start the year will be:

Keith Seabrook
Gustafson Rutta
Manning Jokiharu
Davidson

When Murphy comes back, they probably send Jokiharu down to work on things.

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