Originally posted by: Gnarcore
Date: July 01, 2015 at 07:36 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/official-nhl-2014-2015-season-drop-the-puck.64072/
chromie said:
Frolik signing is being heralded as one of if not the best signings of the day. When you see what Soderberg signed with Avs for and what Belesky is going to sign for Frolik at 4.3 is absolutely fair market value. Nice signing by the Flames. A couple nice signings in Edmonton in Andrej Sekera and Letestu. Who said they couldn't attract free agents?? Oilers all of a sudden have some depth on their back end and a couple youngs guys like Griffin and Nurse who can potentially step in and make impacts as well. Have to say nice work by Ciarelli over in Edmonton, rather impressive to see a franchise get rremoulded in such short amount of time like they have.
The only reaction I have to what the Canucks are doing...rather NOT doing is head scratching. I applauded the organisation when they named Linden President and Benning gm, for giving the org a clear direction moving forward, at this point I have to say that direction is not clear, the future is not certain, there are questions about their goaltending, their defense and questions about where the goals are going to come from... Not too much to like about Kassian and a 5th for Prust. They get older by 6 years, Prust is a ufa end of next year and plays the exact same role that Dorsett plays. Canucks should be looking at something like what Boston is doing and what Flames have done in terms of restructuring their team from the floor up.
Hansen, Hamhuis, Burrows, Edler, Higgins and even the Sedins should all be fair game. I just don't see how anyone can look at that team and think that is a group that is going places. Yeah they got a couple nice bright spots in Horvat and Virtaennen but most all teams have kids like that coming up, they need more of them just to keep pace and they need to get higher returns on their veterans before they are over the hill and have diminished return values....ugh.
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Kassian has proven to be a lazy, non motivated average player who takes stupid penalties at the worst times. Wasted potential that hopefully gets on track in Montreal. Prust is one of the better bottom 3 guys in the league. I think this was a case getting out a guy with poor character. The Canucks are burdened with aging players who were given no trade clauses by the last regime. Sadly I think the ownership is holding back from a true rebuild and forcing this 'retool' which will draw it out. But it is early and day one of free agency..more trades can happen. As I said earlier...I really hope they're awful and get Jakob Chychrun.
They should NOT follow Boston....Sweeney is a moron based on his work the past 2 weeks....Dougie Hamilton = did not get enough, Lucic = kept too much salary for little return but I do like Belesky @ 3.8 million. But I am always nervous about guys coming off their one and only big year....Belesky rode Kesler's coat tails this season.
Most teams do not have a Horvat. This kid at 19/20 played the top lines of other teams and out drew the best faceoff men in the league routinely. That is not something rookies do...pretty much ever. I really think we are seeing a future Selke winner here who can chip in 60-70 pts and shut down the opponents. He scores big goals too. Virtaanan is a mix of speed, strength, grit and skill that anyone outside (and most in) the top 10 of a draft year don't have. But he is a very raw player. You didn't to mention Cole Cassels (just shut down McDavid in the OHL playoffs. Scoreless in 4 of the 5 games of the final but set a record in scoring before that) and Jared McCann who was one of the best in the OHL last year after coming off injury. There are few other guys in 1-2 years who are ready to go with Gaunce being a solid 4th/3rd line checking center. They completely lack a blue chip blue liner right now...... C'mon Chychrun!
Frolik is a decent signing of a s--- group of UFA forwards. In the next 3 years they have to lock down all their youth and this pretty much seals the deal on Giordano being gone. He will command 8-9 million a year on the open market. With Hamilton locked up that isn't so bad. They have a slew of bridge contracts to sign but one thing is for sure...Calgary is the most improved team on paper right now other than Buffalo.
Sekera's deal is a lot of money (and too much term at his age) for a guy who is overall solid but nothing special. You can spout off about Edmonton's young D but nothing is proven there whatsoever. You're really over rating Nurse but did forget to mention Klefbom. Letestu is average but was decent on a Columbus team riddled with injuries. As they currently stand even with their additions Edmonton is a non playoff team. But in 2-3 years are going to be f---ing deadly and cup contenders.
This was a very weak UFA crop.
