[Signing] Canadiens sign Paul Byron to 3 year extension ($1.167 mil AAV)

[Poe969]

it'll be funny if Engelland is dealt at this deadline and I think it actually could happen. The guy has value and I'm willing to bet other teams would want him. He's tough as nails and he's played top 4 and hasn't looked like an oiler at all. The guy isn't a someone you build your team around but I'll bet a contender would want him.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

I think you have unrealistic expectations about how much defensemen cost in the NHL. This isn't 5 or 10 years ago. The only guys costing less than a million are fringe NHLers and guys on entry level deals. Any good veteran defensemen who hits UFA status will make 2 million+.

UFA top pairing d-men: 7-9 million?
UFA 3/4 d-men 4-6 million?
UFA 5-7 d-men 2-3 million?

Those are approximately the ranges that as I see it. UFA's don't come cheap, especially defensemen. Go look through the transactions for the last few off seasons if you don't believe me. Go look at the salary cap numbers across the league. Philly had Andrew MacDonald in the minors for part of this year making what, 5+ million? Great UFA signing. Almost every UFA defenseman is overpaid. That's the reality.

Engelland's contract isn't the problem right now. Wideman's is and to a lesser extent Smid's. Plus the fact we didn't have any young d-men on entry level deals playing up this year. It won't be the same setup next year, I guarantee you that.

Then why sign a UFA D-man?... winning teams do not have players that are overpaid.

What Defenseman playing on an ELC will be playing on the Flames next year?


This year is Wotherspoon last year on his ELC

[JJ1532]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Then why sign a UFA D-man?... winning teams do not have players that are overpaid.

Hmmm. Bryan Bickell, Dustin Brown, Matt Carle, Jimmy Howard. Kings and the way they got themselves out of Richard's contract. Bet there are a few other players that some teams would consider overpaid, but I don't know enough about them to really say for sure.

Winning teams do have players have are overpaid. It just tends to be 1 or 2 at most.

[ScorchyScorch]

We kept Raymond and Bollig over him. Huge mistake. I mean not one that will hurt the rebuild in the end, but it definitely hurt our season. Byron was a forechecking demon on the PK and was overall just good at possessing the puck, even if he didn't have near elite finishing ability. And possessing the puck more always helps your team.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by ScorchyScorch

We kept Raymond and Bollig over him. Huge mistake.

The team only kept Raymond because nobody claimed him off waivers. Byron had zero trade value, but was good enough for the Habs to claim. Raymond had negative trade value and could not even be given away. As for Bollig, he was not remotely interchangeable with either Raymond or Byron and should not be part of the same discussion.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by ScorchyScorch

We kept Raymond and Bollig over him. Huge mistake. I mean not one that will hurt the rebuild in the end, but it definitely hurt our season. Byron was a forechecking demon on the PK and was overall just good at possessing the puck, even if he didn't have near elite finishing ability. And possessing the puck more always helps your team.

We didn't try to keep those two over him on purpose. We tried to sneak him down to the AHL so he could deal with a crap ton of injuries and rehab down there. We didn't need to waive him IIRC, but it would have been extremely helpful in terms of 30 days worth of flexibility if he was waived and working down there on his injuries. He probably would have cleared too if it wasn't for the Kassian event.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Poe969

it'll be funny if Engelland is dealt at this deadline and I think it actually could happen. The guy has value and I'm willing to bet other teams would want him. He's tough as nails and he's played top 4 and hasn't looked like an oiler at all. The guy isn't a someone you build your team around but I'll bet a contender would want him.

That would be nice, because we would have quite a bit more cap flexibility this summer

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

What Defenseman playing on an ELC will be playing on the Flames next year?

Gee, why don't you tell us? Since you know so much about what the roster will be next year.

Defencemen currently in the Flames' system who will still be on ELCs next season:

Rasmus Andersson
Ryan Culkin
Keegan Kanzig
Brett Kulak
Oliver Kylington
Kenney Morrison
Patrick Sieloff

There are a couple of extreme long shots on that list, but I don't see how you can categorically state that none of them will be on the NHL roster next year.

As for Wotherspoon, while his ELC is up, I can't see him being in line for much of a raise on his next deal. I would be mildly surprised if he didn't sign his qualifying offer.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Then why sign a UFA D-man?... winning teams do not have players that are overpaid.

Is that a serious question? You sign UFAs because they are free assets to acquire. That's the upside, you give up nothing to get them. On the downside they are overpaid. Winning teams definitely sometimes have overpaid players. Didn't the Hawks win the cup with Christobal Huet making 5+ million? Maybe I'm misremembering but its easy to come up with examples of overpaid players being on contenders.

Originally Posted by ricardodw

What Defenseman playing on an ELC will be playing on the Flames next year?

This year is Wotherspoon last year on his ELC

Well ricardo my time machine is broken right now so I can't tell you for sure. But one or two of Wotherspoon, Nakladal, Kulak, Chychrun (if we draft him) could easily make this team next year and be relatively cheap contracts.

[Strange Brew]

^ You do give up something for UFA's. Cap space. That is an important asset which is why bad UFA signings are so detrimental to a team's success.