2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[Masqerader]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=428761

Fraser signed - 1 year deal

[Elgefar]

Mats Zuccarello signs a 1 year deal

Joe Pavelski signs a 5 year extension.

[conscript]

Mats Zuccarello signs a 1 year deal

Joe Pavelski signs a 5 year extension.

I can't decide if $6 million per year for Pavelski is good or not. Its more than the Clarkson deal. Career highs of 66 points and 31 goals. He is a playoff gamer for sure. Don't know how I feel about this at all.

[Rennadrel]

If the Leafs can unload Liles, Fraser will get a longer term contract next summer. Now I am just worried about Franson and Kadri's contract values.

[Elgefar]

I can't decide if $6 million per year for Pavelski is good or not. Its more than the Clarkson deal. Career highs of 66 points and 31 goals. He is a playoff gamer for sure. Don't know how I feel about this at all.

Surely he is more deserving of 6 million a year, than Clarkson is of 5.25 million a year. Especially when Clarkson hasn't broken the 50 point at all in his career.

[conscript]

Surely he is more deserving of 6 million a year, than Clarkson is of 5.25 million a year. Especially when Clarkson hasn't broken the 50 point at all in his career.

Can't disagree there lol. That Clarkson contract is a joke. I apparently forgot to type "as it should be" in there. It is the same contract Couture got from the Sharks and they are fairly comparable guys outside of this deal ending when Pavelski is 35 or so.

[Rennadrel]

Sometimes you have to overpay to get the guy you want. Apparently other teams were offering Clarkson 6 million a year or more, i think we got the discount in the end.

[Elgefar]

Yeah, you ended up with the better deal. Good luck moving that contract in a few years.

I also wonder what the GMs who were offering Clarkson 6 million are smoking. It has to be one hell of a drug.

[Zeoni]

Not that bad of a contract considering their 3 massive ones come off the books at the end of this season. I've always liked Pavelski and it's almost impossible to not lock up a centerman because you're not really going to be able to replace a guy like him anyways. I wonder if they resign any of their 3 older core players at the end of this campaign, Boyle is a pretty hard guy to replace too but he's 37 years old right now so if they do end up resigning him at least, I doubt it's more than 1-2 years. I think it's probably time to let one of their 2 big players walk, they've been a part of that core for so long and the result is always the same every year.

[Toxigen]

I also wonder what the GMs who were offering Clarkson 6 million are smoking. It has to be one hell of a drug.

They weren't smoking it.

[Rennadrel]

Not that bad of a contract considering their 3 massive ones come off the books at the end of this season. I've always liked Pavelski and it's almost impossible to not lock up a centerman because you're not really going to be able to replace a guy like him anyways. I wonder if they resign any of their 3 older core players at the end of this campaign, Boyle is a pretty hard guy to replace too but he's 37 years old right now so if they do end up resigning him at least, I doubt it's more than 1-2 years. I think it's probably time to let one of their 2 big players walk, they've been a part of that core for so long and the result is always the same every year.

San Jose needs to blow up their entire team and start from scratch. They have literally scratched and clawed their way into the playoffs every year and wound up playing themselves out of the post season in the first or second round for the last several years now.

In regards to Clarkson, I think he is going to get a better opportunity to play with some skilled players in Toronto, him and either JVR or Lupul will obviously be winging Kadri on the second line and I think that is going to give him more chances to show what he has offensively. Depth wise, it's hard to argue that Toronto doesn't have the most depth in their top 6 in terms of skill, even if Kadri is still a bit of an enigma, he has tons of upside.

[draynay]

I had to guess Clarkson got the contract on the strength of his marvelous playoff beard, it was good enough that nobody noticed he only scored 3 goals in that post-season

[Greeney]

I had to guess Clarkson got the contract on the strength of his marvelous playoff beard, it was good enough that nobody noticed he only scored 3 goals in that post-season

Well, 5.5 million contract seemed to be good for 2 assists and a playoff mustache.

[Elgefar]

San Jose needs to blow up their entire team and start from scratch. They have literally scratched and clawed their way into the playoffs every year and wound up playing themselves out of the post season in the first or second round for the last several years now.

In regards to Clarkson, I think he is going to get a better opportunity to play with some skilled players in Toronto, him and either JVR or Lupul will obviously be winging Kadri on the second line and I think that is going to give him more chances to show what he has offensively. Depth wise, it's hard to argue that Toronto doesn't have the most depth in their top 6 in terms of skill, even if Kadri is still a bit of an enigma, he has tons of upside.

So playing with Elias, Kovalchuk and Parise didn't give him enough chances to showcase his offensive "skills"? It's not like he has been lacking good teammates to help him score goals, and yet he only has 1 17+ goal season. The Leafs are paying this man 5.25million dollars a year to score 15 goals and 30 points?

[VanillaO]

Pavelski contract is confusing for sure. He's a 3rd-line center with obvious 2nd line center skills. I assume they're planning on letting Big Joe walk after this season. No way you can pay 3 Centers 1/3 of your cap (both Pavelski/Couture's extensions kick in a year from now for 6 each). Couture seems like he could easily play on the top line, which would give Pavelski room to move up.

A signing with obvious future choices in mind, I guess.

The most important thing, though (as conscript pointed out), is this guy comes to play hard in the playoffs. Assuming the Sharks can get there, count on him being around a half to full point/game player, which is well above most guys.

Also, for what it's worth, Clarkson was going to get overpaid no matter what, because he's a gritty player who drives the net and isn't afraid to throw down the gloves and stand up for himself and teammates. If he didn't get what he wanted to be at home in Toronto, he'd have taken more money to play elsewhere, you can bet your ass.

As for the Leafs, Nonis has almost painted himself into a corner. Either he moves Liles, or no one takes him, and he has to move Franson. I would much rather Liles be moved for damn near anything (didn't we get him for a 2nd rounder as it is?) to open up space for Kadri and Franson to stay mid-range term. This was one of three Burke signings last year that made me go 'what?'. The others were Grabovski and Wilson's extension at Christmas.

[Rennadrel]

I think Kadri and Franson will have 3 year deals with progressively increasing salaries. Buying out Liles is not an option, the cap hit over 6 years would be almost a million for three years, 1.25 in year 4, 2 million in year 5 and 1.25 in year 6.

[Raleik]

I think Kadri and Franson will have 3 year deals with progressively increasing salaries. Buying out Liles is not an option, the cap hit over 6 years would be almost a million for three years, 1.25 in year 4, 2 million in year 5 and 1.25 in year 6.

My guess is Franson's gone. Leafs only have 4.9 million left in cap space, no way are they able to sign Kadri and Franson for that. They're both likely to look for ~3 mill. And, if the Leafs aren't willing to give it to them, they can easily find it elsewhere whether it's through an offer sheet or a trade to a team who has the space to give them the money. Kadri is more important to the team, so I see him staying and Franson getting shipped out.

[conscript]

My guess is Franson's gone. Leafs only have 4.9 million left in cap space, no way are they able to sign Kadri and Franson for that. They're both likely to look for ~3 mill. And, if the Leafs aren't willing to give it to them, they can easily find it elsewhere whether it's through an offer sheet or a trade to a team who has the space to give them the money. Kadri is more important to the team, so I see him staying and Franson getting shipped out.

Its so very Maple Leafs that bringing in a 27 year old center who hasn't broken 40 points in 4 years, and put up a whopping 14 last year in 35 games on the best team in the NHL, is going to cost them either a quality young defenseman who they desperately need or a 22 year old center who was on pace for 75+ points last year.

[Deleted]

Gomez to Panthers for ~ 1 Mil.

Good signing, low risk, possible high reward. The Panthers have a metric crapton of cap space available, so signing someone like Gomez for low dollars is pretty reasonable. If he works out - great. If not, no harm done.

[Toxigen]

Gomez looking to spend his last year(s) in sunny Florida.

Ft. Lauderdale is nice for someone who has money.