With the lion’s share of the free agent signings completed, today’s Daily Cup of Joe takes a few minutes to look at how the Hurricanes did with their modest play in free agency and makes a short list of ‘deals I would steal.’
Petr Mrazek
The Hurricanes big move was to re-sign Petr Mrazek. That deal was a very good one based on comparables. The Islanders committed four years at $5 million per year to Semyon Varlamov, and the Blackhawks paid $5 million for one year for Robin Lehner. Those were the other two goalies in the same category as Mrazek, so signing Mrazek for two years at only $3.125 million per year was a nice discount in my opinion.
Deals I would steal
History shows that the winners of the biggest free agent bidding wars more often than not become the biggest losers later. In a open market bidding situation where there is not enough supply to match the demand, basic economics says that there is a significant risk of overpayment. So in general, I am fine with the Hurricanes mostly sitting out the July 1 frenzy. But every year there are a couple deals that I would gladly steal if given the opportunity. Important to note is that many of these deals would not have been available to the Hurricanes, so this is not to say that the team passed on these opportunities.
Joe Pavelski (3 years at $7 million per year)
Pavelski clearly fits as a deal that would never have been available to the Hurricanes. Pavelski only considered a handful of teams supposedly all in the Western Conference. So realistic availability aside, I would take this contract in a heartbeat. Though I might prefer a shorter two years, $7 million per year is not a bad risk and term for a player who oozes leadership, could be a proven catalyst for a second scoring line and would add a much-needed right shot for face-offs and the power play.
Cam Talbot (1 year at $2.75 million)
The Hurricanes got their man in Petr Mrazek, but I would have liked Talbot’s deal as a plan B. At only one year. the risk is virtually non-existent, and the $2.75 million ‘prove it’ salary is a bargain for a starter. Talbot did not have a good 2018-19 season, but for one year my money says that he was more of a victim than a perpetrator in the mess that has been the Edmonton Oilers the past couple years.
Others 2019 NHL free agent signings that are tempting
In addition to the two deals above that I would take, a couple other are tempting enough that I would consider them.
Matt Duchene (7 years at $8 million per year)
Like Pavelski, Matt Duchene is another player who is a strong fit for the Hurricanes need for a catalyst for a second scoring line. His $8 million salary is high but not outlandish. The seven-year term is what gives me pause and pushes this deal down to being only tempting. Also worth noting is that like Pavelski’s deal this is not one that would have been available to the Hurricanes.
Wayne Simmonds (1 year at $5 million)
At 30 years old and with some tough mileage given his rugged style of play, Wayne Simmonds is not the type of player that I would sign long-term at this stage of his career. Further his scoring decline over the past two seasons adds an element of risk. But with Ferland’s departure, I think the Hurricanes lineup could benefit from adding a physical warrior type element. At $5 million, the salary is fairly high, but at one year the risk is low. I go back and forth on whether the $5 million is just to high for a player who needs to rebound to be worth that much.
Tomas Jurco (1 year at $700,000)
After a strong showing with the Charlotte Checkers, Tomas Jurco played his way back up to receiving another chance at the NHL level after a significant injury setback the year before. The price is a fair one, but I just question whether the Hurricanes need more deep center depth with Lucas Wallmark set at the bottom of the Canes’ center depth chart.
Micheal Ferland (4 years at $3.5 million per year)
Micheal Ferland was addressed in more detail in yesterday’s Daily Cup of Joe. Even acknowledging some injury risk, I think the $3.5 million salary is fair. My hesitation in the four-year term.
What say you Canes fans?
1) Do you agree or disagree with the deals I would steal?
2) Would you also consider any of the signings that I labeled as tempting?
3) What other deals, if any, would you steal if given the opportunity?
Go Canes!
As a center, maybe not, but Jurco played LW with the Checkers on a line that included Brown and Necas. That was a very strong line. To play for the Canes I think he needed to see a path to NHL ice and I don’t think it was there for him. As for the other deals I am not sure I would have taken any of them.
I think you right tj. I am sure Jurco wanted to go some place where he knew he had a very good chance at the NHL. I feel this is the one that got away, even though he was never under contract with the canes.
Pavelski would have been a difference maker for the Canes. Two #1 centermen? Hard to handle. I would have done that deal.
Pass on all the others. Duschene is a talented player that has a questionable reputation and has bounced from team to team. Can’t risk it. Like Simmonds, but not sure he can hold up. Don’t think Jurco is enough of a sure thing to offer a one-way, which I believe he got. Ferland? Nope.
Agree. But did Little Joe want to go to the East? Let alone Carolina.
And He eats up Cap, so no Marleau deal or some other move/ No JWilly either if we get Pavelski.
And no Dzingel, maybe.
Still Pavelski has a lot left so worth it. Best Signing in the UFA market. IMO
Different options are good. Makes you think. I wanted Ferland, scoring and a tremendous protector. I also realize he missed half the season and kind of didn’t play as hard when he came back. I suspect that less effort might have been why we moved on. Anyway, he was on my list. We will see what he does in VC.
Well, one desire is now complete. Ryan Dzingel is a Canes, 2yrs, $3.25M, $3.5M. Seems pretty good for 20+ goal scoring, 50-60pts
with the 2 year term better than signing Ferland. But are we too soft?
Great signing IMO (Dzingel). Regarding “soft”…we replaced Ferland in last half of last season with Niederreiter who plays a hard game. Also, let’s see how the bottom six flushes out. Maybe another rock will be found there.
Very happy with this. Helps me get over loosing Ferland.
When I heard of the signing of Ryan Dzingel, I asked myself the same question that jaffmaster posed. Soft?
I thought yes.
Then I thought I would check and see. I went to “Hockey Fights” and referenced Ryan Dzingel. I found two interesting pieces of information:
1) Dzingel has had his fair share of fights. Some to defend himself and some to defend his teammates.
2) He is good at it. And he is good at it against bigger players.
I think we found Michael Ferland version 2.0.
Go Donny! Go Donny! Go Donny! Go Tommy! Go Tommy! Go Tommy!
Now all we need is a goalie coach.
Stoked on the Dzingel signing. He had a crappy playoffs, sure, but dude can SHOOT. We need some snipers. I think he’ll do even better here with our emphasis on shooting the puck even more. You could do a Nino-Aho-Svech line, then split Turbo onto a line with Dzingel and Haula or Staal. Playmaking and scoring, on two lines. Also, man, what a great deal. Hopefully this convinces Willy to play another year.
This roster now has six guys who have played CENTER!
Aho, Staal, Teravainen, Wallmark, Haula, and Dzingel…gives the coach a lot of flexibility.
Added to that the Pesce ability to play left or right D, and having two veteran GK, and a very promising Ned, who was very good in the A last year. …NOW I JUST WANT WILLY BACK, and I will be a happy-camper!
I think Willy will come back, after waiting long enough to not make it obvious that he was waiting to see if we replaced Ferland.
There might still be those who say that Tommy is a cheapskate. There are those who have said that small market teams like my beloved Canes never spend to the cap, or even close to it.
In theory, I agree with the comment about small market teams.
Has anyone looked at a snapshot in time of our cap situation on Cap Friendly today? $ 7 million in cap space and we have Willy to sign as well as a couple of RFAs. Am I misreading this? Or is Tommy putting his money where his mouth is? It looks to me that he is going for it. Go Tommy!
Well, we are getting close to the cap to put together a pretty good roster. Kind of hard to say cheap. Don’t like the perceived low balling of players but there is a cap to be aware of.
Definitely like the RDZ signing.
Modest risk, high reward. Management is forgiven for not resigning Ferland since this one was evidently in the works.
The JOe signing would’ve been pretty neat, definitely.
We don’t need more goalies, we already got a bit of a log jam back there. I still think there’s a chance of Reimer being traded.
I would’ve taken Duchene for 7.5 mill for 6 years, but 8 for 8 is a bit risky.
I would’ve signed Jurco in a heartbeat. ON the grand scale 700K is not about as modest as you can get in the NHL, he has a good potential for at least top 9 and he could’ve aided Necas’ transition to the NHL, which I think is the most overlooked and under-rated part of this opportunity. I don’t understand why the team didn’t go for that instead of signing Gibson.
I wonder if we have one more deal in the works, trying to pry Gusev from the cap hell in Vegas.
The team just hired a Russian scout, and Svech is one of the key young Russians in the system.
Gusev would be a dream. Add that to what we have now and you are talking very scary. We are running out of cap though.
The WRAL article talks about how the team is overloaded at LW at the moment.
I wonder how many of those guys are comfortable playing RW as well, Id imagine that guys who are also suse to playing center will be able to adjust, but its true that if the forwards were a country, theyd be aligned with Cuba.
Breezy. I read that Dzingel can play either wing. Also, Svechnikov primarily played as a RW in juniors and international play. Not having any right-shots on the top two lines is not great, but I like the options:
Niederreiter/Aho/Svech
Dzingel/Staal/Teravainen
Haula/Wallmark/Necas
(Dzingel and Haula could be interchanged)
or
Svechnikov/Aho/Teravainan
Niederreiter/Staal/Dzingel
I prefer the first as Aho and Teravainen are the best two playmakers in the lineup—I don’t see NN/Staal/Dz as being highly effective with none being great at setting up line mates and passing. Also, I have been reading that Dzingel is average defensively, so it puts him with Staal and TT who are both strong.
Just curious, and I like these projections, but who would you have at 4C, Gibbons? Certainly bolsters the top 9 if both Haula and Dzingel were to play wing. Williams is also a wild card and would bump Necas out of top 9.
DW has stated Haula fits the 3C, but that can obviously change. I feel this is where Patrick Brown will be missed as a potential 4C.
I think the fourth line (the true disruption line) is fine with Foegele/Martinook/McGinn or Maenalanen
I understand Martinook is not a true center. But he is solid enough defensively for fourth line duties. In reality this line doesn’t need anyone to carry the puck often as the strategy with this fourth line (or any for that matter) will be to shoot the puck in and ferociously forecheck. Give me three of those four players and the forechecking will be a thing of beauty.
A Foegele/Martinook/McGinn or Maenalanen line has 40 goal potential and more importantly a few hundred hits.
RBA and the brain trust seem to have JStaal as the 2C with the 3C and 4C tbd. A lot of fans have Jordan as the 3C.