Unofficial 2013-2014 Armchair GM Thread

[bustaheims]

Yea the contract length is alarming. A short term deal would be ideal, if that opportunity arose. I still think he will significantly outperform both Grabovski and Bozak though, if given the #1 centre role here.

Well, you also have to take into account what it would cost to acquire him. If the Leafs were willing to take on the full impact of the rest of his contract, they could probably get him relatively cheap - though, it would mean taking on a $6.67M cap hit for 7 seasons. If the Rangers retained a portion of the cap hit and salary, the acquisition cost would increase, in which case, you have to balance what's leaving the team with the potential for increased performance the team might see with Richards on the 1st line.

 

[caver]

I don't know if I would use the buyout on Komisarek. It's his last year and the Leafs have lots of cap space. They may want 2 buyouts for next summer based on the play of some current players, plus they could grab a big contract that a team is shedding and try it out for a season. (Can teams use both buyouts next summer?)

 

[Redleaf]

Yea the contract length is alarming. A short term deal would be ideal, if that opportunity arose. I still think he will significantly outperform both Grabovski and Bozak though, if given the #1 centre role here.

Well, you also have to take into account what it would cost to acquire him. If the Leafs were willing to take on the full impact of the rest of his contract, they could probably get him relatively cheap - though, it would mean taking on a $6.67M cap hit for 7 seasons. If the Rangers retained a portion of the cap hit and salary, the acquisition cost would increase, in which case, you have to balance what's leaving the team with the potential for increased performance the team might see with Richards on the 1st line.

Contract aside, if Richards can return to form under a different coach and system (and city), he would be one hellava pick up for the Leafs.

 

[Big Daddy]

You guys have to be serious.  If Richards is bought out there will only be one phone call.  His old friend Yzerman will have him back in Tampa with Stamkos lightening fast.

 

[bustaheims]

You guys have to be serious.  If Richards is bought out there will only be one phone call.  His old friend Yzerman will have him back in Tampa with Stamkos lightening fast.

To centre their 3rd line? They already have 2 pretty good, well paid guys playing down the middle there.

Also, Yzerman and Richards have never played on the same team or even been part of the same organization. What makes you think they're old friends?

 

[Kin]

You guys have to be serious.  If Richards is bought out there will only be one phone call.  His old friend Yzerman will have him back in Tampa with Stamkos lightening fast.

Why? Building around Lecavalier-Stamkos-St. Louis isn't working now, why put more money into the forwards instead of a terrible back end?

 

[mr grieves]

AT FORWARD
- I also like Iginla but Clarkson wants to play for the Leafs and he would also cost no assets to acquire. MacArthur was given $3.25 MIL as a RFA and Clarkson is bigger, can match him in scoring and can fight middleweights.  Sounds like a $3.75 to $4 MIL contract is coming to Clarkson.  I would consider making Clarkson a Leaf for life and offering him the UFA max of 7 years as he has been quite durable over his career. A contract of $4, $4, $4, $4, $4, $2.5 (age 35), $2 (age 36) would be a $3.5 MIL cap hit.

I hate his streakiness as a goal scorer because he looks like a superstar power forward for some games and then disappears for LONG stretches.  JVR seems a bit similar so I can't haggle about that point to much.

I agree with much of what you say, but I don't know that I'd rather Clarkson over MacArthur. The former can, in his best seasons, math MacArthur's scoring in his worse seasons. MacA has a career shooting percentage of 14%, while Clarkson's at 9.4%. His Corsi numbers are better on their own and relative to his team, telling me he contributes to the best possible defense, puck control and offensive zone time. Maybe it'd be nice to get more hitting and a local boy, but I'd not want to devote another .75m in cap space to that, especially if it comes with a long-term deal during which he'll break down.

If MacArthur is still looking for his payday, it's not happening this year. I'd bet after a mediocre season he'd be willing to sign a short-term deal for about what he made on the last contract. That might be in the team's best interest moving forward.

 

[caver]

Good points about MacArthur. I think Clarkson would make the Leafs a tougher team to play against and that is something Carlyle wants. The old blueprint for a top line used to be a skilled center, a sniper on one wing and a tough guy who can score on the other side.

 

[bustaheims]

Good points about MacArthur. I think Clarkson would make the Leafs a tougher team to play against and that is something Carlyle wants. The old blueprint for a top line used to be a skilled center, a sniper on one wing and a tough guy who can score on the other side.

Sure, but the Leafs have the latter two. Kessel is the sniper and JvR, while he doesn't fight, is a big, strong winger who can score and bring a physical element to that line. Clarkson plays the same wing as Kessel, so, he's not a fit for the top line any way. The Leafs don't really need to add on the wing. They need help down the middle.

Clarkson's a 2nd/3rd line tweener who is going to get paid big this summer. As much as he may want to play here, some team is going to offer him stupid money that he won't be able to turn down, and the Leafs should do the right thing and walk away.

 

[mr grieves]

Good points about MacArthur. I think Clarkson would make the Leafs a tougher team to play against and that is something Carlyle wants. The old blueprint for a top line used to be a skilled center, a sniper on one wing and a tough guy who can score on the other side.

Sure, but the Leafs have the latter two. Kessel is the sniper and JvR, while he doesn't fight, is a big, strong winger who can score and bring a physical element to that line. Clarkson plays the same wing as Kessel, so, he's not a fit for the top line any way. The Leafs don't really need to add on the wing. They need help down the middle.

Well, they do need another top 6 winger if MacArthur leaves. I wouldn't trust Frattin to reliably pot 20 per year quite yet.

But agreed -- it's the middle that needs the most help. Kadri and Grabbo seem to be a 2A/2B combo... I don't see how we'd get a legit top-line center. Trade for Stastny? And trade what?

I'm ambivalent about filling that slot anyway. Over the last several years the team's had a reasonably productive top line with the likes of Bozak and Stajan centering it. Both Grabbo and Kadri are vast upgrades over that.

It's the vacant #3 slot that I think most likely to be filled with something useful. I'd like to see Boyd Gordon there. Or see if Colborne's ready to step into the promotion-from-AHL 3rd line (with Frattin and Kuli on wings?), and put Gordon on a line with McClement and Komarov to create a proper shutdown line that can be played 10-15m a night rather than 5 (unless they get trapped in their own zone for some long shifts, in which case you get 8...). In either case, adding Gordon -- even if playing him or McClement on a wing -- would give the team 5 centers.

 

[Jalili]

Yea the contract length is alarming. A short term deal would be ideal, if that opportunity arose. I still think he will significantly outperform both Grabovski and Bozak though, if given the #1 centre role here.

Well, you also have to take into account what it would cost to acquire him. If the Leafs were willing to take on the full impact of the rest of his contract, they could probably get him relatively cheap - though, it would mean taking on a $6.67M cap hit for 7 seasons. If the Rangers retained a portion of the cap hit and salary, the acquisition cost would increase, in which case, you have to balance what's leaving the team with the potential for increased performance the team might see with Richards on the 1st line.

Contract aside, if Richards can return to form under a different coach and system (and city), he would be one hellava pick up for the Leafs.

Ideally we want to commit to players who are trending upwards rather than downwards.

And if the season Richards just had is any indication, he's headed downhill.

 

[louisstamos]

It's the vacant #3 slot that I think most likely to be filled with something useful. I'd like to see Boyd Gordon there.

I might be wrong on this, but I thought Boyd Gordon was an RW?

 

[Jalili]

Haven't seen a lot of Bickell, but saw him take an incredibly stupid penalty with the goalie out and 1:40 left in the game yesterday. Effectively ended any chance the Blackhawks had of getting back in the game.

He's got the size, but the IQ? Not sure. I'm also not sure of his linemates but it looked to me as if he saw a good amount of icetime with Toews and Kane. Not too difficult to put up points with those guys.

Ditto for Chris Stewart(who's been mentioned here a few times).. Great size/skill, but the IQ is so-so at best.

 

[Redleaf]

Yea the contract length is alarming. A short term deal would be ideal, if that opportunity arose. I still think he will significantly outperform both Grabovski and Bozak though, if given the #1 centre role here.

Well, you also have to take into account what it would cost to acquire him. If the Leafs were willing to take on the full impact of the rest of his contract, they could probably get him relatively cheap - though, it would mean taking on a $6.67M cap hit for 7 seasons. If the Rangers retained a portion of the cap hit and salary, the acquisition cost would increase, in which case, you have to balance what's leaving the team with the potential for increased performance the team might see with Richards on the 1st line.

Contract aside, if Richards can return to form under a different coach and system (and city), he would be one hellava pick up for the Leafs.

Ideally we want to commit to players who are trending upwards rather than downwards.

And if the season Richards just had is any indication, he's headed downhill.

I think the key word you used was ideally. Most times the ideal guy just isn't available.

Don't forget Lupul was trending downwards too before the change of environment.

 

[Jalili]

That's true.

I think Richards' trajectory is more similar to that of Gomez/Drury though, to be honest.

 

[bustaheims]

Don't forget Lupul was trending downwards too before the change of environment.

That's not really true. He wasn't really progressing, but he wasn't really trending downwards either. The big issue with Lupul was his health and the fact that the Ducks didn't think he could play LW effectively, making him an expensive 3rd line winger in their eyes. Also, when the Leafs acquire Lupul, he was 6 years younger than Richards is now.

 

[Kin]

Well, they do need another top 6 winger if MacArthur leaves. I wouldn't trust Frattin to reliably pot 20 per year quite yet.

They wouldn't need one. That might be ideal but if you have a reliable 30+ scorer in Kessel, another guy who seems near that in Lupul and a guy in JvR who's fully capable of scoring 25 or so then you can have your top 4 wingers be those guys and someone like, say, Kulemin and have it be a very effective top 6. Especially considering they're likely to have their offense spread out the way they did this year you don't need everyone in your top 6 to be a reliable 20 goal scorer

 

[Redleaf]

Don't forget Lupul was trending downwards too before the change of environment.

That's not really true. He wasn't really progressing, but he wasn't really trending downwards either. The big issue with Lupul was his health and the fact that the Ducks didn't think he could play LW effectively, making him an expensive 3rd line winger in their eyes. Also, when the Leafs acquire Lupul, he was 6 years younger than Richards is now.

Fair enough. Either way he was falling out of favour with the Ducks, much like Richards is now with the Rangers. He rediscovered his game with a change of scenery.

Can Richards do the same, at an even older age? I think he can, but the contract is certainly an issue as it stands now.

 

[mr grieves]

It's the vacant #3 slot that I think most likely to be filled with something useful. I'd like to see Boyd Gordon there.

I might be wrong on this, but I thought Boyd Gordon was an RW?

Maybe listed as/naturally, but he takes a lot of faceoffs for a winger

http://stats.tabita.org/faceoffs/player/boyd_gordon

 

[mr grieves]

Well, they do need another top 6 winger if MacArthur leaves. I wouldn't trust Frattin to reliably pot 20 per year quite yet.

They wouldn't need one. That might be ideal but if you have a reliable 30+ scorer in Kessel, another guy who seems near that in Lupul and a guy in JvR who's fully capable of scoring 25 or so then you can have your top 4 wingers be those guys and someone like, say, Kulemin and have it be a very effective top 6. Especially considering they're likely to have their offense spread out the way they did this year you don't need everyone in your top 6 to be a reliable 20 goal scorer

True enough. Spread him down to the third line then -- and rest easy that, if Lupul's out another 20 games with an unlucky injury, you've someone who can slot in on the second line. I guess what I'm not certain of is whether there's an upgrade on MacArthur worth the cap space.