Saad to Columbus

[blny]

Because he was traded before Chia and Nicholson got there?

FWIW, all the guys on the TSN panel, and I mean all in agreement, saying that Chicago got good return. Also, it's been reported that Bowman likes Anisimov. Further to that, a deal like that comes together likely very quick. It's made quicker when a GM has a specific target. If your team doesn't have that targeted player ...

What's a comparable deal from our pov ... Eller, a top top prospect (we don't have a Dano who's put up his numbers so it's Scherbak or McCarron), Tinordi, a minor leaguer, and a mid level pick. That lands us a 22-23 year old player (who saw plenty of PP time with two of the best players in the world, practiced with, learned from, picked the brains of, played with both at various points be it at the same time or not) a guy with about as much value as Tinordi, a young center no better than the kids we have in the pipe, and a college defender with some upside.

Now factor in that it's open season for teams to throw offer sheets and the Jackets haven't signed him officially, and he wants $6.5 million a year, and I just don't pull that trigger. There's falling in your lap, and then there's being suckered.

[Skilly]

Good stuff blny

[seventeen]

Couple of observations.

Why are bridge deals being turned down in favour of long term deals? Hockey is an uncertain game and a bird in the hand is worth several not in your hand? It could simply be that young players are realizing they'd rather have less $$ in the long term, if they can get more right now. Some wise investing and the numbers might work out the same anyway, but the risk is diminished. From the team's standpoint, why not? It's a bigger hit right now, but a smaller hit down the road. Would anyone regret paying Hamilton $5.75 mil for the next 6 years? That's the same as Markov.

Secondly, why more teams don't submit offer sheets. - BC is absolutely right in that it makes no sense most of the time. There is one occasion where it might, though, and that's if you're offer sheeting a team hard up against the CAP and they're a hated rival of yours and you're both contenders. Yes, it simply drives the price up, but an offer sheet might cause that team to lose a good player or at the worst, limit their ability to compete with you. This strategy is still short sighted, but might be used if the circumstances are absolutely right. Otherwise the only guy who wins is the player.