[News] An interview with Agent Ritch Winter on revamped FAN960 sked.

[transplant99]

So apparently things have shifted a bit at the Fan960 starting today.

Boomer til 9 AM, then "Flames talk" with Pinder til 10. Marek til noon and another segment of Flames talk.

Today, and every Monday i believe, Eric Francis hosts this segment.

He had Winter on today and he was both fascinating and frank in his responses to various questions.

I missed a bit of it but coles notes are...

He will be advising Mangiapane to sign a short term deal that gets him to UFA sooner, rather than a long term deal the club likely wants to see. He just said bluntly that he believes that players at age 27 or so, have different priorities after a few years in the league and may want to look other places as better ones to succeed in. This was nothing against either the Flames nor the city but more about making sure3 his client has all the options available to him he can. Not to extract more money necessarily but to just be happy in life.

Asked directly if he thought Giordano (also his client) could come back THIS year and finish his contract as a Flame, his response was "its a possibility" in that Brad and Darryl never wanted to lose him, Gio still owns his house here, Gio and Darryl both have huge respect for one another, and Gio never wanted to go elsewhere. Start the rumors!

To me though the eye-opening stuff was about the Olympics. First off he was pretty clear that the NHL made the decision not to go to Beijing, not in consultation with the PA as so many would have you believe, but once the schedule was getting compromised to the point the season was in jeopardy of not finishing on time.

Moreso though, when asked how he would have advised his clients whom possibly got selected to their national teams, he would have said for them to pass and go sit in Cabo for a couple weeks instead. The risk of contracting covid and what might happen while in China was way to much risk of losing money and all the associated costs of getting the virus.

He also volunteered that in his opinion, very few players would have actually gone to China even if allowed for the same myriad of reasons.

Hopefully there is a podcast of this interview somewhere later on, its well worth the listen as Winter is about as connected in hockey circles as they come. His undertaking with Burke I believe is a growing success and he has a decent stable of players as well.

[activeStick]

I love Gio and would welcome his return as long as Treliving can still somehow add help upfront to the middle 6. It's also worth it just to see Bertuzzied's reaction.

[Freeway]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/960/big-sho...-ritch-winter/

[Lil Pedro]

I doubt the flames have any interest in signing 88 to a short term deal that walks him to UFA

[dino7c]

88 needs to pick up his play if he wants a big deal

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by transplant99

...
I missed a bit of it but coles notes are...

Just wanted to thank this on a more personal level. To take the time and provide the notes for the community is a real and valuable contribution to our forum's life. I try to do this myself whenever I attend an event with someone important from the hockey world speaking. I wish more people do it too. Such a great way to stay updated on all things Flames.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

I doubt the flames have any interest in signing 88 to a short term deal that walks him to UFA

It makes sense if they want to find a way to keep all 3 forwards next season. Sign Gaudreau then Tkachuk and Mangiapane to short term deals and see if you can sign both long term once Lucic and Monahan deals expire next year?

I don’t like it but I could see that being their logic

[Locke]

Thanks for the notes.

As for 'The NHL deciding not to go to the Olympics.'

I have no problem with that. If the PA was still advocating for attending they had to be out of their goddamned minds.

Thats classic obstructionism against all reason and sanity.

More likely they were just being obstinate and unwilling to make any concession no matter how logical, obvious and sane. Hopefully the PA was actually on board and thats just blown out of proportion.

[Flames1217]

Mangiapane is 26 when the season ends, so is this a ploy to simply accept a qualifying offer and jet after next season?

Very intriguing to say the least but this agent likes to play hardball so not a surprise.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Locke

Thanks for the notes.

As for 'The NHL deciding not to go to the Olympics.'

I have no problem with that. If the PA was still advocating for attending they had to be out of their goddamned minds.

Thats classic obstructionism against all reason and sanity.

More likely they were just being obstinate and unwilling to make any concession no matter how logical, obvious and sane. Hopefully the PA was actually on board and thats just blown out of proportion.

The PA likely would have agreed in the end, but it wasnt given the opportunity/choice i suspect.

There are likely some members (Ovi among others) who still want(ed) to go.....and as a union, they would have had to advocate for them.

That was all eliminated with one decision....honestly making it easier for everybody involved.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by transplant99

The PA likely would have agreed in the end, but it wasnt given the opportunity/choice i suspect.

There are likely some members (Ovi among others) who still want(ed) to go.....and as a union, they would have had to advocate for them.

That was all eliminated with one decision....honestly making it easier for everybody involved.

Its almost like equally representing 1000 disparate voices and opinions is a hopeless task and eventually a grownup has to step in to tell them what to do.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by transplant99

He will be advising Mangiapane to sign a short term deal that gets him to UFA sooner, rather than a long term deal the club likely wants to see. He just said bluntly that he believes that players at age 27 or so, have different priorities after a few years in the league and may want to look other places as better ones to succeed in. This was nothing against either the Flames nor the city but more about making sure3 his client has all the options available to him he can. Not to extract more money necessarily but to just be happy in life.

This should be every player under 27 right now.

NHL salary cap is flat right now and revenue is in question...don't lock yourself in for 8 years.

Take a 2 year deal and you probably will have an opportunity to really cash in if the salary cap takes a big leap once you are in full scale of the new TV deals, and you have gate revenue back again post-COVID.

Unless a team is overpaying you for a 7-8 year deal right now then it makes sense.

For Mangiapane a 2 year deal will make him a UFA at 28 when his next deal expires and he can re-sign for 7-8 years then if he wants.

Same thing with Tkachuk, I'd be advising him to take a 2-3 year deal that will expire when he's 27 and he would still be a UFA then under better economic conditions.

It's different for Gaudreau. He will be 29 before the start of next season, so this is the off-season where he should be cashing in long term for 7-8 years.

Stupidest thing McDavid ever did was take 8 years when he could have taken 5 years and walked himself right to UFA.

[chedder]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

It makes sense if they want to find a way to keep all 3 forwards next season. Sign Gaudreau and Tkachuk and Mangiapane to short term deals and see if you can sign both long term once Lucic and Monahan deals expire next year?



I don’t like it but I could see that being their logic

There is zero chance that Gaudreau signs a short term deal. They have Chucky for one more year if they want to pay him 9 million next year or extend him 8 years. Either way Chucky is getting paid. I don't think short term deals help in any way regardless. Mange is more likely to take less per year on a long deal than a short one.

[Vinny01]

Would not be stoked to give Mangiapane an 8 year deal at 28. Teams make their biggest mistakes when they do these types of deals. I am willing to do that for Gaudreau but teams that have the bulk of their cap tied into guys 30+ don’t win cups and in many cases don’t even make the playoffs

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by chedder

There is zero chance that Gaudreau signs a short term deal. They have Chucky for one more year if they want to pay him 9 million next year or extend him 8 years. Either way Chucky is getting paid. I don't think short term deals help in any way regardless. Mange is more likely to take less per year on a long deal than a short one.

Agreed not what I meant but poorly worded by me. It was sign Gaudreau (I know it will be 6-8 years) then sign the other 2 to short deals. Tkachuk I would prefer to go long term since he will cost $9M for a 1 year it is not a huge amount more for term (I hope)

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

This should be every player under 27 right now.

NHL salary cap is flat right now and revenue is in question...don't lock yourself in for 8 years.

Take a 2 year deal and you probably will have an opportunity to really cash in if the salary cap takes a big leap once you are in full scale of the new TV deals, and you have gate revenue back again post-COVID.

Unless a team is overpaying you for a 7-8 year deal right now then it makes sense.

For Mangiapane a 2 year deal will make him a UFA at 28 when his next deal expires and he can re-sign for 7-8 years then if he wants.

Same thing with Tkachuk, I'd be advising him to take a 2-3 year deal that will expire when he's 27 and he would still be a UFA then under better economic conditions.

It's different for Gaudreau. He will be 29 before the start of next season, so this is the off-season where he should be cashing in long term for 7-8 years.

Stupidest thing McDavid ever did was take 8 years when he could have taken 5 years and walked himself right to UFA.

Tough though - you are saying "don't take this guaranteed $48M deal - take $20M now and hope that you can make out better in 4 years, assuming you are still as good, don't get hurt and the league revenues stay the same".

[dino7c]

Mangiapane started great, he has 21 points though. Will pass his career high of 32 but by how much?

There should be caution on both sides, is he really going to be able to hit a home run UFA deal in a couple years? depends on his play I guess, seems like his hot start was just that.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Mangiapane started great, he has 21 points though. Will pass his career high of 32 but by how much?

There should be caution on both sides, is he really going to be able to hit a home run UFA deal in a couple years? depends on his play I guess, seems like his hot start was just that.

Yeah his Cy Young stats off the start were pretty indicative of an unsustainable trend. Really good player that still needs to work on being more of a consistent threat offensively.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Yeah his Cy Young stats off the start were pretty indicative of an unsustainable trend. Really good player that still needs to work on being more of a consistent threat offensively.

Mangiapane is a relentless puck-hound who has the jam to make plays in the tough areas of the ice. But he doesn’t use his teammates especially well. Most of time when he has the puck on his stick down low, he’s thinking goal or bust. He’s probably finding it harder to drive the net now that teams are keying on him.

[DoubleK]

I don't know if I'd want my agent speaking to the media.

This feels akin to my lawyer flapping his gums whenever someone shoves a microphone in his face.