[Signing] Kesler signs extension with Ducks

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

ROR set the standard for that.. these days, the answer is "yes"

O'Reilly has averaged 60 points as a 22-24 year old these last 2 seasons. Kesler, as a 29 and 30 year old, put up an average of 45 points in the same time frame.

[SuperMatt18]

Not a terrible cap hit at first glance but wonder how long he will be effective for.

His regular season play has been diminishing the last couple years, and you have to question how he will age.

Can't question that he was a beast for most of the playoffs this year though...he must really hate Toews who tends to own him in big games (Countless playoffs and 2x Olympics).

[dammage79]

Kesler ain't no spring chicken and is a chicken made of glass and no spine. And they pay him this? Whatever, stupid dumb Ducks.

They just guaranteed no Stanley Cup wins.

[Phaneufenstein]

Ducks Cup window is fully open now that the 'Hawks are weakened by post-championship talent drain.

To me this signing looks like a GM willing to overpay and over-commit to guys just so his team has at least a couple of kicks at the Cup, without much regard for the long term.

Chances are if the Ducks don't win in the next couple of years, Murray will be gone and Kesler's contract becomes someone else's problem. And if they do, nobody will care about a couple of bad contracts.

Letting Beauchemin go and signing Bieksa is still something I don't understand from their standpoint.

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

Mike Halford

✔ @HalfordPHT

Anaheim has now spent nearly $50 million to extend Kesler and Bieksa until they're 38 and 37.

Yeesh.

Benning should win GM of the year just for avoiding those extensions. I would want nothing to do with either player at that age (well even now for that matter). Two guys who's games will fall off dramatically in 2 years time.

[Dime_On_Flames]

Anaheim really needs to obtain Burrows...the trilogy of d-baggery would then be complete!

[AcGold]

Ha-ha stupid ducks, Kesler is not worth it at all.

[BigTuna]

The money is ok per. The issue is term. Kesler is already past-his-prime and you give him 6 more years? He plays that style that kills your body by your 30's. I actually thought he was just ok last season. Notghing great.

Terrible mistake.

[dash_pinched]

Fear The Fin@fearthefin

Looking forward to Kesler getting taken 1st overall in the expansion draft.

lol

[Parallex]

The Ducks are really going to regret that deal long before it's over.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Reminds me of the Dustin Brown deal. Marginal now, terrible in a couple of years.

[Jason14h]

To me this signing looks like a GM willing to overpay and over-commit to guys just so his team has at least a couple of kicks at the Cup, without much regard for the long term.

Chances are if the Ducks don't win in the next couple of years, Murray will be gone and Kesler's contract becomes someone else's problem. And if they do, nobody will care about a couple of bad contracts.

Exactly. Why do people think GM's overly care about the cap in 6 years?

Anaheim is built to win the cup now, before Getz and Perry are past their primes/way past.

This is the cycle of a salary cap. You need to decide when your 3-4 year window is and try to win.

In 2020 who knows what anything will look like! We could have more lockouts, compliance buyouts, expansion, etc.

The point of the NHL is the WIN the cup, not set up for years of being pretty good.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Phaneufenstein

Ducks Cup window is fully open now that the 'Hawks are weakened by post-championship talent drain.

Annoyingly I don't think Chicago is that much weaker. They'll probably have another Stanley Cup hangover year but Chicago is just so deep organizationally that I think what they lost will be replaced in the aggregate.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Anaheim pushes chips to center of table. "All in".

Such a weird situation for them. Tons of young talent, but the elite centerpieces of the team are just about at the end of their run in terms of running a cup contender. So you either go for it now, or try to transition and hope that you can find some worthy heirs, in spite of the fact that you won't be drafting in the top 10 for the foreseeable future. The latter is easier said than done, and it looks like the decision has been made to go with the former plan.

[Erick Estrada]

He's a very good 2nd pairing center and all around player and it's market value but given the way he plays and his injury history I feel he's going to have a major drop off when he's at his mid-30's. That said teams are simply willing to live with the long term consequences as maybe they know something we don't in that there will be another round of compliance buyouts when the CBA gets revisited.

[JohnnyT]

Haven't seen this posted yet, per Dreger on Twitter:

@DarrenDreger: $6.875 aav for Kesler. No move clause in first 5 yrs. limited no trade in final year of extension.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Exactly. Why do people think GM's overly care about the cap in 6 years?

Anaheim is built to win the cup now, before Getz and Perry are past their primes/way past.

This is the cycle of a salary cap. You need to decide when your 3-4 year window is and try to win.

In 2020 who knows what anything will look like! We could have more lockouts, compliance buyouts, expansion, etc.

The point of the NHL is the WIN the cup, not set up for years of being pretty good.

The potential to give up the prime years of the young defense of Lindholm, Fowler, Despres, Vatanen, and Theodore, with a young goalie like Gibson could just as easily cost the Ducks a shot at the Cup if they are paying 24M to 37 year old forwards.

You're right a GM isn't always overtly focused on the long-term future of the team...that doesn't mean it's always the best move to give up the future for the present. We've seen that before.

And even then, rarely do you see Stanley Cup contenders move 'all' their first round picks and prospects year after year to try and win today. Even the Stanley Cup favourites focus on tomorrow. In fact, this was the first year since 1996 that the Hawks didn't pick in the first round.

[Huntingwhale]

Gross. 6.8mil cap hit for a player who will be 32 year old when it kicks in for 6 years, and a NMC to boot? All for a guy who hasn't scored above 50pts since 2011?

Intangibles or not, that's a horrid contract. Kesler and his stupid agent just raised the bar.

[Jason14h]

The potential to give up the prime years of the young defense of Lindholm, Fowler, Despres, Vatanen, and Theodore, with a young goalie like Gibson could just as easily cost the Ducks a shot at the Cup if they are paying 24M to 37 year old forwards.

That's a problem for 5 years down the road.

None of those players are the superstar to lead you to a cup.

It is foolish to plan 5 years in the future in sports. 3 years at a time. Anaheim with Kesler is a better team for the next 5 years, just as Flames would be with Giodano.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

That's a problem for 5 years down the road.

None of those players are the superstar to lead you to a cup.

It is foolish to plan 5 years in the future in sports. 3 years at a time. Anaheim with Kesler is a better team for the next 5 years, just as Flames would be with Giodano.

Yeah....I agree with what you're saying with the exception that I dont believe you have to sell the farm 5 years from now in order to be contenders now.

I've given Bob Murray a lot of credit but this is crazy. Hes rolling the dice with 30+ year old players.