Byfuglien not in Nylander talks
Posted by TimS on Sat, 11/22/2008 - 01:03
If the Hawks do trade for center Michael Nylander, Dustin Byfuglien won't be part of the deal.
"His name was never mentioned," GM Dale Tallon told the Daily Herald on Friday. "I have no idea how this started."
To get Nylander, who would bring with a $4.87 million cap hit, Tallon needs to shave about $4 million off his present payroll. Moving Sopel somewhere would account for $2.5 million.
Still can't figure out why the Hawks are so hot after Nylander. He's 36, signed through 2011 for that big cap hit and has a no-trade clause kicking in after this season.
The Buff rumors DIDN'T start with him leaving the morning skate. They were going on about three days earlier. By the way, today's Saturday. Maybe that's Tallon's fault, too.
have a few too many last night? lol
...been there, done that, right???
Patience!
Get rid of some of the dead weight on the blue line (Brent Sopel).
Ride out the year a little bit and see if Khabby can be moved if over-paid for and see if Huet can earn his contract.
Tallon: Hey!! Check it out! I signed Cristobal Huet to a 4 year deal! High five!
Mcdonough: But we have a number one goalie already, Dale.
Tallon: No problemo. Got it covered. I'll just trade him and if no there's no takers, I'll put him on waivers. Yea! Who's da man?
Mcdonough: Nobody took him. We're stuck with two high priced goalies and we're over the cap, Dale.
Tallon: Heh, heh. Fret not, good buddy. I just traded Robert Lang away. We're under the cap. Fixed!
McDonough: But now we don't have a 2nd line center.
Tallon: Yo, McD. I just cut a deal to bring Nylander over here. We gots a 2nd line center again.
McDonough: But Nylander's contract is even larger than Lang's and he's old and weak on defense too.
Tallon: Heyyy, tell ya wh...
Bowman: Fire him.
First off, Tallon will not be fired until the end of the season, because if this team doesn't make the playoff's McDonough and the back-stabbing Bowmans will need a fall guy. Because it won't be coach Q. There is no need to get Nylander, he is in the coach's doghouse in Washington..WONDER WHY..maybe Tim can address that more. But when he was here people called him the magician because he always disapeared, especially when it came to playing D...if you put him on a line with Havlat..or Havvy as he is being called now, there will be a lot of 3 on 2's or 4 on 2's the hawks D or goalies will have to face. His cap number is a big liability for years to come, but then Tallon is under pressure
from J-Mac to win now...What a mess the front office is becoming again, even without Pulford around. J-mac said in another paper the other day he knew right away, that most of the front office staff would have to go, a lot of people might say that about many of current staff....at all levels.
You would think Scotty Bowman would step in if Tallon was going to do something stupid and trading for Nylander would fall under the stupid category...
that is about the funniest comment written here.
Whose our Jagr?
Havlat?
Imagine that pair working oh so hard in the defensive zone.
HA!
The beat writer for another paper did an article.
I only read parts of the above but if Nylander is such a playmaking centre why did he ride pine for weeks in Washington?
If he was oh so valuable it was before they acquired Federov, promoted Laich, and realized Backstrom could fill the premier role.
He's much slower and less interested defensively if that is possible.
At 35, and with the length of the contract, is he your cornerstone second line guy until the contract is up?
Or are you desperately trying to unload him in 2 seasons?
"His name was never mentioned," GM Dale Tallon told the Daily Herald on Friday. "I have no idea how this started."
perhaps it started when Byfuglien suddenly left the morning skate (& arena) in Dallas and was unavailable for comment later and when Q was asked about it, he was reportedly quoted as saying "We'll know more later" - presumably no mention of any injury - which naturally started the speculation which was further fueled when Tallon was reported as not being available for comment later...
even though Tallon was a "color" man on TV, it is apparent he lacks basic smarts to be honest with the media while also excercising necessary discretion - it seems he prefers to impugn his own credibility by making obviously unbelievable statements.
This is yet another major bungling on his part - how he keeps his job with McDonough & Bowman as sharp as they are (and now a qualified GM in Burke available) is beyond me.
Hey, I love that idea. I don't like taking back Nylander and his 4.8 per, but I love the idea of dealing Sopel for a used puck bag and a 20% discount to the Harris Club level. If any team is desperate enough to take Sopel, we should thank our lucky stars.
LOL, Sopel is horrible this year......So did he get an assist on Roenick's goal last week? He gave him a sweet pass with a bow and ribbon on it.
And a -7..... Burrish is -5, but atleast he shoots sometimes and gets into scraps......Is Sopel affraid he will ruin his face if he fights? He's pretty damm ugly...scary ugly almost
http://www.sportsargumentwiki.com/index.php?title=Brent_Sopel
I'm fine if he doesn't play again this year.
Sopel was 8th in the league in blocked shots before he got hurt around game 11 (maybe that helps answer shy he is so goofy looking - all those pucks hitting him can't help that). Hasn't done squat since then, including play. Sopel does seem unable to hit/fight/pass since October. I still prefer him to Walker though.
Dale is interested in Nylander because he needs something right now to save his butt. Dale has made some good trades (Sharp, Versteeg), but he's also made many desperate moves. Once again, many long term consequences if signing a player like Nylander. Just how many good teams has Nylander been on? Check it out, I don't think it's a coincidence. When I think of Nylander I think of Arnason. Lot's of skill, little heart and dedication. Just another guy showing up to get paid. Do we really need this example for our young guys? I seriously wonder if Dale has a chart or board in his office that documents the Hawks salary commitments over the coming years. Yes Nik and Havlat will be off the books soon, but we've got some important young D men who will be commanding big bucks in the near future. Enjoy them now because we won't have room for a couple of them soon enough.
"Dale is interested in Nylander because he needs something right now"
he could care less about the long term (witness the length of contracts given to campbell & huet) since he knows he won't be around in the long term to have to deal with the cap issues he is creating.
in fact his modus operandi is "GM by the seat of his pants" - no plan, no cap management, no brain - sure lets give sopel (an unsigned FA invited to Detroit's camp likely as a 6th/7th dman) not just 50% more than what detroit was offering for 1 yr deal to start, but extend him another 50% increase on a 3 yr deal after a mere 40 games or so...
let's sign huet before we figure out what to do with Khabi...
lets trade lang because we need to get under the cap ...oops...we need a vet 2nd line center...lets acquire nylander & his $4.875M contract (that will eat up cap room that would otherwise be available AND necessary for kane, toews & keith after next year)...
let's waive khabi in training camp (without having appeared in a pre-season game) and hope someone claims him to free up cap space ...after stating that his intention was to go into the season with two number 1's when he signed huet.
how much more does a guy have to do to get fired, especially when there are better GMs available right now??
Maybe the idea of actually having a playmaking center excites them. Nylander was able to make Jagr into a 50 goal man late in his career. Look at Jagr's total after Nylander was let go from the Rangers. A playmaker may make the $6 million Havlat is making not look so stupid.
Havlat is a pending UFA.
Question: Are the Hawks intending to re-sign Havlat if they keep him for the rest of the season?
Answer: Based on his likely salary demands, his oft-injured status and his overall contributions, very, very doubtful.
Question. Will the hawks chances of winning the cup this year improve by keeping him for the entire year?
Answer: IF he remains healthy and plays to his ability, yes, but those chances will still be slim to none.
Question. Will the hawks chances of making the playoffs this year improve by keeping him for the entire year?
Answer: IF he remains healthy and plays to his ability, yes, but are they that much different a team with or without him? I say not really, based in part on the team's performance last year after he went down - the kids did alright without him - it was only when toews went down in January that they went into a swoon and with Q around, I don't think he lets the team get that far out of hand this year...
Question. If Havlat isn't going to be re-signed and his presence isn't going to be decisive in the Hawks winning a Cup or making the playoffs this year, does it then make any sense whatsoever to acquire a $15M cap hit over the next THREE years made up of a soft, slowing old center who is a liability defensively and has never won anything???
Answer: If your name is Dale Tallon and you are only concerned about the Hawks making the playoffs THIS year (and nothing else), yes. If you are a credible GM confident in your abilities (and thus your prospects of finding a similar job on another team) you do what you think is best for the club now & in the future and you reject nylander out of hand based purely on his contract & your knowledge that such money needs to be saved for re-signing Kane, Toews & Keith.
Problem is I doubt anyone would take Havlat. He has spent half the season watching games from the top of the circle. Him and Nylander together would be awful. Him for Nyldander isn't an improvement. Havlat for a draft pick or an enforcer type (something the Hawks desperately need) to free up cap space would be good.
You are correct that he has become primarily a perimeter player who rarely ventures into high traffic areas any more (probably because of his shoulder history), but I would argue that he still can be dangerous & productive, particularly on a pp (tho obviously not worth the $6M he's making).
since he is a UFA, i think there is interest in him, which will only increase as the trade deadline approaches and his remaining salary continues to decline.
nj expressed an interest in him at the deadline last year - and elias is good buddies with him, which may make for good chemistry on the ice.
nj when healthy has a surplus of centers in zubrus, zajac, madden & rupp and i think rolston has also played the position. with madden a 36 yr old UFA at the end of the season, nj may be prepared to move him for something in return rather than see him walk (tho i don't know the status of any contract negotiations) but he is just the type of vet the hawks could use (responsible defensively, good skater & tons of cup winning experience & leadership).
i think they might be able to interest NJ by offering either havlat, or alternatively khabi who might interest them more than havlat if they continue to flounder without broduer and start to fall out of the playoff race, tho khabi would be regarded only as a rental and the hawks might have to add a defensive prospect (where nj needs help the most, especially with brodeur out) or draft pick.
i'm sure lamareillo would hate to give up madden, but in havlat he'd be gaining 8 years and a proven top 6 point producer, tho obviously would have to resign him to get the full benefit of the age discrepancy. if they start to fall out of the playoff race without their #1 goalie, khabi could get them back into it, tho I suspect the hawks would have to sweeten the pot for lamareillo to give up madden.