|
|
Post by Tankdriver on Jun 5, 2023 8:23:23 GMT -5
Well that contract is done and under Suzuki's average per year. Seems to be a good deal for each side.
|
|
|
|
Post by habsorbed on Jun 5, 2023 9:54:02 GMT -5
Well that contract is done and under Suzuki's average per year. Seems to be a good deal for each side. Ya, i think it comes to about $25,000 less a year for Cole. Good on HuGo and Cole to recognize that Suze is our future and has proved and brings much more than Cole has to date. I'd certainly take Suze and Cole for $16 million a year over Tavares and Marner for $22 million a year. |
|
|
|
Post by IamCanadiens on Jun 5, 2023 10:15:33 GMT -5
Well that contract is done and under Suzuki's average per year. Seems to be a good deal for each side. Agreed. Habs are banking on his continued improvement with a long term team vision in mind and Caufield is the 2nd highest salary of an active Habs player. Overpaid based on his career but a steal in the long term hopefully. To me it speaks volumes of his character as he didn't handcuff the team with crazy salary demands or by signing an offer sheet. He wants to be a Hab. Even with an increasing salary cap, teams with a player with a 10mill salary are hard to build a deep team around. I don't think any team has ever won a Cup with a salary over 10mill (Pretty sure MacKinnon's big salary kicks in next year). I think it'll eventually happen as the cap increases and I'd love to have a top tier guy but I like the way the Habs are managing the cap. I questioned the length and number of the Gally contract as he played a rough style for a little guy who doesn't have elite skill. Conversely, Caufield has elite scoring abilities and doesn't live in every scrum in the blue paint. |
|
|
|
Post by PTH on Jun 5, 2023 10:24:38 GMT -5
This is a reasonable bet...
If Caufield can develop the rest of his offensive game, it'll be a bargain within 2 years.
If he doesn't, it'll be a tolerable overpayment.
Also, he's showing an advantage to drafting college players and not having to sign them too quickly: no need for a bridge contract, his prime is covered by this deal. Still, if it weren't for the rapidly rising cap in the short-term, I'd have wanted a 2-year bridge before throwing this kind of money at him.
EDIT: interesting question on "dans les coulisses": Does this mean Dubois couldn't earn more than Suzuki if we trade for him ?
|
|
|
|
Post by Boston_Habs on Jun 5, 2023 11:39:11 GMT -5
I can't figure out how I feel about contract lengths. In the NBA, the standard max contract length is 4 years with incumbent teams allowed to sign their own drafted players to 5 year contracts. On the one hand, I like the risk profile of a shorter term deal but it also gives a star player more bites at UFA and also incentives some players to request/force a trade with 1-2 years still left on the deal. That's happened quite a bit in the NBA.
The worst offender by far is MLB, with players in their early 30s getting 10-12 year contracts.
In the context of the league, this is a good deal. If I had a choice, I would have signed Suzuki and Caufield to 5/6 year deals but that's not the world we live in.
|
|
|
|
Post by Willie Dog on Jun 5, 2023 12:10:19 GMT -5
I can't figure out how I feel about contract lengths. In the NBA, the standard max contract length is 4 years with incumbent teams allowed to sign their own drafted players to 5 year contracts. On the one hand, I like the risk profile of a shorter term deal but it also gives a star player more bites at UFA and also incentives some players to request/force a trade with 1-2 years still left on the deal. That's happened quite a bit in the NBA. The worst offender by far is MLB, with players in their early 30s getting 10-12 year contracts. In the context of the league, this is a good deal. If I had a choice, I would have signed Suzuki and Caufield to 5/6 year deals but that's not the world we live in. you might get them on 5 or 6 year deals but the AAV will be higher I would think... This gives a CC 60M+ by the time he's 30, plus whatever he can turn that into (commercials, investments etc...) |
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Jun 5, 2023 13:34:51 GMT -5
Hughes is using the Boston strategy, which saved them a whack of money until retirement loomed for Bergeron. "We can't pay you more than we pay our captain, who is the MVP of our team!". It kept Marchand from signing for more money (which he should have) and the strategy only failed when Bergeron aged and Pastrnak became critical to their team. Pastrnak and McAvoy should keep the Bruins from falling off the cliff (good) while keeping them having enough $$ to build a really good team (also good). Those #20-30 overall draft picks are perfect to keep a team in purgatory, especially when the drafting hasn't been great.
I think Caufield can be as good as Pastrnak, so comparing the salaries, I'd say Hughes came out fairly well, even if CC doesn't become full Pastrnak. At the same age of 21 (2016-17 season), Pastrnak put up .45 goals per game and .93 ppg. Caufield last year had .56 gpg and .78 ppg. One has to factor in that the Habs had a crappy team, with a crappy Power Play while Pastrnak played with Marchand and Bergeron on a 96 point team. The Habs are coming and Caufield will be a big part of that. Great move to lock him up long term. Put him on a power play with Michkov and Suzuki and look out.
|
|
|
|
Post by Willie Dog on Jun 5, 2023 14:49:52 GMT -5
They paid for what he can do... read somewhere that he had 0.57 goals-per-game put him at 10th among all NHL scorers — just below Alex Ovechkin’s 0.58, and just above Jason Robertson (0.56), Jack Hughes (0.55) and Auston Matthews (0.54).
BTW, did I mention I love this deal, lock up our top 2 forwards for a reasonable cap hit... this will be a bargain in year 4 and forward... this is how you build a complete team
|
|
|
|
Post by Tankdriver on Jun 5, 2023 16:54:59 GMT -5
What I like about it, is that it sets a bar within the team. Your captain will be the highest paid, and everyone else will slot under it for the next few years. Also, in 4 years time this deal will be a steal.
|
|
|
|
Post by folatre on Jun 5, 2023 19:09:30 GMT -5
I know there are always concerns -- will Caufield be able to round out his game offensively and defensively? Will he prove to be a durable NHLer, playing 70+ games year in year out? Those questions are not trivial, but I am firmly in the camp supporting this deal. Aside from when Ducharme was jerking the kid around and playing him on the fourth line and saying you have to earn power play time, Caufield has been a flat-out phenomenal goal scorer in his young career. And nothing is more valuable than guys who light the lamp. He projects as a lock to snipe in the 35 goal range and, if Montreal's power play produces at a middle of the pack clip, Caufield probably hits 40 regularly.
The cap ceiling is going to rise nicely after the upcoming season. Even if Caufield never evolves much beyond being a one-dimensional high-end sniper, $7.85 per for the the prime years of a guy averaging 40 goals per for the life of the contract will be good value.
PTH, I was wondering the same thing about Dubois. I believe management would reason that buying seven or eight UFA years from a top six centre is probably a different animal (Suzuki and Caufield are 4 RFA years + 4 UFA years), so it would not shock me if a big shark like Dubois could get 8 years/$66 million. If Dubois is looking for $9+ per then I think Hughes would say no way because it would not conform to the roster architecture he is looking for.
|
|
|
|
Post by Skilly on Jun 5, 2023 19:34:51 GMT -5
Hughes is using the Boston strategy, which saved them a whack of money until retirement loomed for Bergeron. "We can't pay you more than we pay our captain, who is the MVP of our team!". It kept Marchand from signing for more money (which he should have) and the strategy only failed when Bergeron aged and Pastrnak became critical to their team. Pastrnak and McAvoy should keep the Bruins from falling off the cliff (good) while keeping them having enough $$ to build a really good team (also good). Those #20-30 overall draft picks are perfect to keep a team in purgatory, especially when the drafting hasn't been great. I think Caufield can be as good as Pastrnak, so comparing the salaries, I'd say Hughes came out fairly well, even if CC doesn't become full Pastrnak. At the same age of 21 (2016-17 season), Pastrnak put up .45 goals per game and .93 ppg. Caufield last year had .56 gpg and .78 ppg. One has to factor in that the Habs had a crappy team, with a crappy Power Play while Pastrnak played with Marchand and Bergeron on a 96 point team. The Habs are coming and Caufield will be a big part of that. Great move to lock him up long term. Put him on a power play with Michkov and Suzuki and look out. The contrarian arguement to that is that Pastrnak put up his numbers over a full season (75 games, 70 points), and Pastrnak's game was more well rounded (34 goals, 36 assists) Caufield put up his numbers over 46 games. With the way the team slid, very probable Caufield's numbers would have stalled too. We really don't know what we have with Caufield , and we certainly don't know if he can stay healthy for a full season. |
|
|
|
Post by Skilly on Jun 5, 2023 19:40:09 GMT -5
They paid for what he can do... read somewhere that he had 0.57 goals-per-game put him at 10th among all NHL scorers — just below Alex Ovechkin’s 0.58, and just above Jason Robertson (0.56), Jack Hughes (0.55) and Auston Matthews (0.54). BTW, did I mention I love this deal, lock up our top 2 forwards for a reasonable cap hit... this will be a bargain in year 4 and forward... this is how you build a complete team It's still only over 46 games. I don't think Caufield maintains that pace last year over 70+ games. The other difference in Caufield and those players you mentioned are the percentage of points that are goals. Over 46 games, Cole only got 10 assists. So if we are to believe that Caufield will average 50 goals and 20 assists over the 8 years, then yes it's a good contract. But you can count on 2 fingers the number of NHL players that averaged close to 50 goals over their careers. So Caufield has to get those assists up, or we are going to have a 30 goals 45 point player ...and that's not good. |
|
|
|
Post by drkcloud on Jun 5, 2023 19:47:44 GMT -5
Hughes is using the Boston strategy, which saved them a whack of money until retirement loomed for Bergeron. "We can't pay you more than we pay our captain, who is the MVP of our team!". It kept Marchand from signing for more money (which he should have) and the strategy only failed when Bergeron aged and Pastrnak became critical to their team. Pastrnak and McAvoy should keep the Bruins from falling off the cliff (good) while keeping them having enough $$ to build a really good team (also good). Those #20-30 overall draft picks are perfect to keep a team in purgatory, especially when the drafting hasn't been great. I think Caufield can be as good as Pastrnak, so comparing the salaries, I'd say Hughes came out fairly well, even if CC doesn't become full Pastrnak. At the same age of 21 (2016-17 season), Pastrnak put up .45 goals per game and .93 ppg. Caufield last year had .56 gpg and .78 ppg. One has to factor in that the Habs had a crappy team, with a crappy Power Play while Pastrnak played with Marchand and Bergeron on a 96 point team. The Habs are coming and Caufield will be a big part of that. Great move to lock him up long term. Put him on a power play with Michkov and Suzuki and look out. The contrarian arguement to that is that Pastrnak put up his numbers over a full season (75 games, 70 points), and Pastrnak's game was more well rounded (34 goals, 36 assists) Caufield put up his numbers over 46 games. With the way the team slid, very probable Caufield's numbers would have stalled too. We really don't know what we have with Caufield , and we certainly don't know if he can stay healthy for a full season. I'm excited by Caufield but I'm still not completely sold on him. He missed half a season after taking a solid, not gargantuan, hit along the boards. Will his small frame be able to survive the nhl? Still unanswered... hopefully as the team improves, his numbers do as well but he still has a long way to go to Pastrnak comparisons. Pastrnak is able to go to the net, haven't seen a lot of that from CC |
|
|
|
Post by Skilly on Jun 5, 2023 19:48:20 GMT -5
This is not to say I don't like the contract. In todays market, where you pay for potential, not production, it is likely a contract that was only slightly overpaid.
But I really question whether a guy who has never scored 40 goals in his career, is able to do it, (I'm fine with 30 goals, 40-50 assists), and if he should be paid like it's a guarantee he will.
We burned lots of cyberspace arguing over if Chris Higgins was a 40 goal player. Caufield has a better chance of doing it than Higgins ever did, but even if we get a 40 goal , 20 assists first line winger ... I'm not sure that's enough production.
|
|
|
|
Post by Willie Dog on Jun 5, 2023 20:12:36 GMT -5
They paid for what he can do... read somewhere that he had 0.57 goals-per-game put him at 10th among all NHL scorers — just below Alex Ovechkin’s 0.58, and just above Jason Robertson (0.56), Jack Hughes (0.55) and Auston Matthews (0.54). BTW, did I mention I love this deal, lock up our top 2 forwards for a reasonable cap hit... this will be a bargain in year 4 and forward... this is how you build a complete team It's still only over 46 games. I don't think Caufield maintains that pace last year over 70+ games. The other difference in Caufield and those players you mentioned are the percentage of points that are goals. Over 46 games, Cole only got 10 assists. So if we are to believe that Caufield will average 50 goals and 20 assists over the 8 years, then yes it's a good contract. But you can count on 2 fingers the number of NHL players that averaged close to 50 goals over their careers. So Caufield has to get those assists up, or we are going to have a 30 goals 45 point player ...and that's not good. The assists should go up if they can find a decent right winger for that line |
|
|
|
Post by jkr on Jun 5, 2023 20:14:32 GMT -5
I can't figure out how I feel about contract lengths. In the NBA, the standard max contract length is 4 years with incumbent teams allowed to sign their own drafted players to 5 year contracts. On the one hand, I like the risk profile of a shorter term deal but it also gives a star player more bites at UFA and also incentives some players to request/force a trade with 1-2 years still left on the deal. That's happened quite a bit in the NBA. The worst offender by far is MLB, with players in their early 30s getting 10-12 year contracts. In the context of the league, this is a good deal. If I had a choice, I would have signed Suzuki and Caufield to 5/6 year deals but that's not the world we live in. you might get them on 5 or 6 year deals but the AAV will be higher I would think... This gives a CC 60M+ by the time he's 30, plus whatever he can turn that into (commercials, investments etc...) I'm OK with a longer term deal. Just look at Toronto. If Matthews & Marner had signed 8 year deals instead of 5 year deals, they would have 4 more years of Matthews & 5 more years of Marner instead of 1 and 2 years respectively. Matthew's says he wants to stay. Sure he does, if you pay him more than MacKinnon. How are they going to squeeze a 5 year 65 million $ deal into their cap? I dont want that crap happening in Montreal. |
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Jun 5, 2023 23:54:32 GMT -5
Matthews seems to want a lot without contributing much in the way of championships. He’s not as good as McDavid or Mackinnon, though he likely believes he is. Championships don’t follow him around and it’s not because the teams are bad. Bad luck?
My solution has always been to trade him. He should be someone else’s headache.
|
|
|
|
Post by habsorbed on Jun 6, 2023 1:15:24 GMT -5
This is a steal on so many levels. No one would be surprised to see Cole win the Rocket Richard Trophy duirng this contract. At that pay that would be crazy. He is likely to be a routine 30+ if not 40 goal man with supporting players. That's on Le Club if they can't get those players because Le Club should have cap space as Cole and Suze haven't taken it all up. If Cole is injury prone and can't play then LTIR and it's not our cap space. I just don't see this failing unless Cole can't perform which he has shown no signs of, and one can make that argument about any young player.
Of the top 9 highest paid players in the NHL, TO has 3 of them, and they are now strapped to improve their team. Habs don't have a player in the top 70. So assuming Suze and Cole continue to develop, HuGo will not have the TO problem Dubas has created with lack of cap space.
|
|
|
|
Post by Skilly on Jun 6, 2023 13:13:45 GMT -5
The absolute best thing about Cole’s contract is his last three years
2023-24 - salary $4.975 + 5 million signing bonus
2024-25 - salary $4.975 + 5 million signing bonus
2025-26 - salary $9.975
2026-27 - salary $8.705
2027-28 - salary $6.125
2028-29 - salary $5.985 (15 team NTC)
2029-30 - salary $5.985 (10 team NTC)
2030-31 - salary $5.985 (5 team NTC)
|
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Jun 6, 2023 15:46:56 GMT -5
Article from The Athletic by Arpon Basu on Caufield's signing. The Canadiens’ bet on Cole Caufield the player, but especially the person, was a smart one.By Arpon Basu
Jun 6, 2023
When handing a player, any player, an eight-year contract, there are several questions beyond just hockey that need to be asked. What kind of person are we committing to? How will he react to signing a deal that guarantees him $62.8 million? How will it impact his drive? His willingness to do everything in his power to improve? To win?
They are all normal questions, but one thing we know about Cole Caufield is those questions have already been answered. What he will do on the ice over the course of his eight-year deal might be a bit of a question mark, but off the ice, the way he carries himself and drives himself to be better, the way he interacts with his teammates, the type of person he is, those questions are no longer questions. In a way, those are the questions that are sometimes more difficult to answer. But if we on the outside already have a lot of evidence of those answers, the Canadiens surely have a mountain of it. A lot of what Caufield said Monday after the contract was announced only reinforced those beliefs. “To be honest with you it really doesn’t make sense to me,” Caufield said when asked about that dollar figure of $62.8 million. “It’s something that I could have just dreamed about as a kid. But even this number, it probably wouldn’t even have popped into my head. “I mean, I just love the game so much and to be able to do this in a place like Montreal for that amount of money, I mean, put the money aside, I just love being in Montreal. … So I couldn’t be more proud. My parents are very excited. My family’s all excited. So I think we’re in a really good spot.” One of the first things Caufield mentioned was how this contract impacts his family. His father, Paul, his mother, Kelly, and older brother, Brock, have all played instrumental roles in Caufield earning this contract, and they mean the world to him, so that initial reaction is not the least bit surprising. Being able to pay them back is something Caufield has had on his mind for a long time. Caufield was 10 years old when he first realized what playing in the NHL can bring to him and his family. He was at The Brick tournament in Edmonton with the Chicago Junior Blackhawks and his coach was Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Savard. At one point during the tournament, Savard turned to a young Caufield, pulled out a stack of hundred dollar bills and said, “Cole, you make the NHL, this is what you get.” Caufield’s eyes lit up. Kelly Caufield laughed as she told me that story back in 2019 when I visited Stevens Point, the small town in central Wisconsin that is at the heart of everything Caufield became as a player. It’s funny to imagine that scene now that Caufield has signed for way more money than Savard made in his entire career. But Caufield’s background and history as a player must have been reassuring to the Canadiens in making the decision about this commitment. He’s had to work for everything. He is extremely goal-driven. And he is as competitive as anyone. This money, as life-changing as it is for him and his family, is not likely to change him one bit. “I think just going to the rink every day, I’d do it for free,” Caufield said. “So my passion for the game, it’s never going to change. I’m really excited. And obviously it’s really special for me and my family. But at the end of the day, I just love being a hockey player.” Kelly Caufield is a school teacher. Paul Caufield is a hockey coach who manages the only hockey rink in Stevens Point, the one where Brock and Cole spent hours together doing drills Brock found on Instagram. When Caufield played in the 2019 U18 World Championship in Sweden, most of the players’ parents were on hand to watch their sons win bronze. Neither Paul nor Kelly Caufield was there because the trip was too expensive. When Caufield found out he would be making his NHL debut in 2021, he posted a simple message in his family’s group chat “22 is in.” Kelly Caufield didn’t get the message right away because she was teaching. This time, Caufield’s first call after learning he had come to terms with the Canadiens on this contract was to his mother. Who, again, was teaching and didn’t take the call. “So she sort of gave me a call back, which was pretty funny,” Caufield said. “But she was excited and started crying on the phone. It’s really something special for my family. They couldn’t be more proud and I couldn’t be more thankful for what they’ve done, and everybody around me and close friends, everybody. And they push me every day to be better. And I mean, I’m just at a loss for words sometimes just thinking about it.” In other words, Caufield’s work ethic doesn’t simply appear out of thin air. It’s been ingrained in him by his family. And family is everything to the Caufields. “Just seeing the name on the back of his jersey,” Brock Caufield said after his little brother made his NHL debut. “Like, my grandpa started our family through hockey, and it’s just been such a family atmosphere. My mom and dad, my dad would be coaching, my mom would be in the stands, my brother and me would be playing, just thinking back to all those memories, how it all helped Cole get here and helped our family get to where we are. It’s just cool looking back on all that, and seeing his name on the back of his jersey is pretty special.” There is a unique combination of confidence and humility in Caufield. He never doubts his own abilities despite the fact so many have doubted him his entire life. But he is able to recognize where he stands in the NHL. At the end of the season, when asked what he thinks he’s proven after 53 goals in 123 NHL games, Caufield showed that recognition. “I’ve not really played a full season yet, so I don’t think I’ve proven anything,” he said then. “I think there’s a long way to go, but I like where I’m going.” Again on Monday, Caufield talked very matter-of-factly about what he needs to improve to continue growing his game. It is something he not only accepts, but embraces. “I think there’s a lot more in my game that needs work,” he said. “And so for me, it’s just about kind of completing my game all around. I think every year, wherever I’ve played I’ve gotten better and it’s just my mindset every summer.” Caufield also embraces being in Montreal, the history of the Canadiens franchise, the expectations that history creates and his desire to get the franchise back to its previous glory. That, too, has value, because this pressure to perform is not for everyone, and one thing this administration has made clear is they are looking for people who will thrive in this unique environment. “At the end of the day, I’m a team player and I want what’s best for us,” he said. “To be here for a long time, to kind of grow this place back up again is really special to me, something that I’m excited for the challenge.” Even the notion of the Canadiens stating his contract could not be worth more than captain Nick Suzuki’s — it ultimately came in at $25,000 a year less — was not the least bit objectionable to Caufield. In fact, it made perfect sense. “I mean, yeah, I think that’s kind of understood on both sides, too,” Caufield said. “I mean, that’s our guy, that’s our leader. I think everyone around knows that. And, you know, it’s still a heck of a lot of money. So I’m not complaining about anything like that. Again, I’m excited and proud to be a part of this and to do it with him along the way will be pretty special as well.” There are still on-ice questions Caufield needs to answer, as he himself admitted. The way he is trending, however, suggests those will be answered soon enough, and should he reach his ceiling, the contract has the potential to become a bargain not too long from now. But the type of person Caufield is has long since answered the off-ice questions the Canadiens might have had. The type any organization would want to keep around for as long as it could. |
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Jun 6, 2023 16:04:39 GMT -5
He has a well grounded perspective on life and hockey. Also, it's interesting that he didn't come from an entitled background. His family was what I'd call lower middle class. Teachers in the US are paid like rented mules and you can't make a fortune managing a hockey arena. The fact they couldn't travel to Sweden for the U-18s because it was too costly proves that.
What is also interesting is that there was a lot of speculation during negotiations, that they weren't going well, making it sound like Caufield was playing hardball. He does get a lot of his money up front and that's a fair trade-off for not demanding more than Suzuki but his comments don't reflect an obsession with money. Whether it's $30MM or $60MM, it's still a lot of money. Obviously he was going to get paid, but he's not sulking about not getting more. I wonder how Matthews looks at contract negotiations? The scuttlebut (and who knows if it's true or not) is that he wants to be the highest paid NHL'r. Seriously? Accomplish something first, Auston. You're going to be 26 in September. These are prime years coming up and all you can claim is getting to the 2nd round once in 7 tries. Sheesh. Now that comment might simply be some pundit trolling, but doesn't it sound like something Matthews would say? I couldn't see that coming out of Cole's mouth. Great kid, glad he's ours. He and Michkov. Yikes! Goalies will be terrified.
|
|
|
|
Post by Willie Dog on Jun 6, 2023 17:00:38 GMT -5
He has a well grounded perspective on life and hockey. Also, it's interesting that he didn't come from an entitled background. His family was what I'd call lower middle class. Teachers in the US are paid like rented mules and you can't make a fortune managing a hockey arena. The fact they couldn't travel to Sweden for the U-18s because it was too costly proves that. What is also interesting is that there was a lot of speculation during negotiations, that they weren't going well, making it sound like Caufield was playing hardball. He does get a lot of his money up front and that's a fair trade-off for not demanding more than Suzuki but his comments don't reflect an obsession with money. Whether it's $30MM or $60MM, it's still a lot of money. Obviously he was going to get paid, but he's not sulking about not getting more. I wonder how Matthews looks at contract negotiations? The scuttlebut (and who knows if it's true or not) is that he wants to be the highest paid NHL'r. Seriously? Accomplish something first, Auston. You're going to be 26 in September. These are prime years coming up and all you can claim is getting to the 2nd round once in 7 tries. Sheesh. Now that comment might simply be some pundit trolling, but doesn't it sound like something Matthews would say? I couldn't see that coming out of Cole's mouth. Great kid, glad he's ours. He and Michkov. Yikes! Goalies will be terrified. I so want Michov... Caufield-Suzuki-Michov... what a frightening 1st line and 1st PP unit and CCs assists will go up with another sniper on the line |
|
|
|
Post by habsorbed on Jun 6, 2023 21:14:14 GMT -5
Of all the articles i've read on Mich none have addressed his character. i'd be surprised if it is anything close to Suze or Cole.
|
|
|
|
Post by folatre on Jun 6, 2023 22:03:31 GMT -5
Good question, habsorbed. It could be a bit of a black box given how little access North American execs and scouts have had to the KHL and Russian prospects since the invasion of Ukraine.
However, Montreal should be better positioned than many clubs to mine useful intel on Michkov since Bobrov's father is a long-time fixture with SKA St. Petersburg and current consultant.
|
|
|
|
Post by mikeg on Jun 6, 2023 22:45:05 GMT -5
Of all the articles i've read on Mich none have addressed his character. i'd be surprised if it is anything close to Suze or Cole. From the few articles I have read Mich is a gamer, has a high compete level but don't expect him to backcheck and play hard defensively. The kid has superstar offensive instincts, and when he's in the offensive zone anything is possible. I want players like that, he'll never be a selke winner, but he has the potential to be an art ross winner, and if he's there for us at 5, it should be a no brainer. |
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Jun 7, 2023 0:43:43 GMT -5
He has a well grounded perspective on life and hockey. Also, it's interesting that he didn't come from an entitled background. His family was what I'd call lower middle class. Teachers in the US are paid like rented mules and you can't make a fortune managing a hockey arena. The fact they couldn't travel to Sweden for the U-18s because it was too costly proves that. What is also interesting is that there was a lot of speculation during negotiations, that they weren't going well, making it sound like Caufield was playing hardball. He does get a lot of his money up front and that's a fair trade-off for not demanding more than Suzuki but his comments don't reflect an obsession with money. Whether it's $30MM or $60MM, it's still a lot of money. Obviously he was going to get paid, but he's not sulking about not getting more. I wonder how Matthews looks at contract negotiations? The scuttlebut (and who knows if it's true or not) is that he wants to be the highest paid NHL'r. Seriously? Accomplish something first, Auston. You're going to be 26 in September. These are prime years coming up and all you can claim is getting to the 2nd round once in 7 tries. Sheesh. Now that comment might simply be some pundit trolling, but doesn't it sound like something Matthews would say? I couldn't see that coming out of Cole's mouth. Great kid, glad he's ours. He and Michkov. Yikes! Goalies will be terrified. I so want Michov... Caufield-Suzuki-Michov... what a frightening 1st line and 1st PP unit and CCs assists will go up with another sniper on the line That line would have the collective highest hockey IQ on the planet, but it would be physically small. If Slaf progresses well, having him on a line with Caufield and Suzuki would be really good. Size and skill. Michkov and Dach would go well together too. That would be a daunting 1-2 punch. |
|
|
|
Post by habsorbed on Jun 7, 2023 0:58:36 GMT -5
I so want Michov... Caufield-Suzuki-Michov... what a frightening 1st line and 1st PP unit and CCs assists will go up with another sniper on the line That line would have the collective highest hockey IQ on the planet, but it would be physically small. If Slaf progresses well, having him on a line with Caufield and Suzuki would be really good. Size and skill. Michkov and Dach would go well together too. That would be a daunting 1-2 punch. I like that suggestion. The Cole Suze Mich line would be way too small. Perhaps Anderson with Dach and Mich. |
|
|
|
Post by PTH on Jun 7, 2023 8:24:24 GMT -5
That line would have the collective highest hockey IQ on the planet, but it would be physically small. If Slaf progresses well, having him on a line with Caufield and Suzuki would be really good. Size and skill. Michkov and Dach would go well together too. That would be a daunting 1-2 punch. I like that suggestion. The Cole Suze Mich line would be way too small. Perhaps Anderson with Dach and Mich. I expect Anderson to be long gone before Michkov even arrives in the NHL... Slafkovsky and/or Dach would be a better bet to add size to a smurf line. |
|
|
|
Post by Willie Dog on Jun 7, 2023 9:26:37 GMT -5
I like that suggestion. The Cole Suze Mich line would be way too small. Perhaps Anderson with Dach and Mich. I expect Anderson to be long gone before Michkov even arrives in the NHL... Slafkovsky and/or Dach would be a better bet to add size to a smurf line. I agree, Josh is 29, I can see him moved at the draft... I'd try to bring Perry back... he'll be inexpensive, he had great chemistry with the rest of the team, was a mentor to CC somewhat and can be on the 4th line with Pez to drive others teams nuts... The real shame is Monahan, the team was so much better with him on it, such a smart player, he could be on the 1st line with cc and Suze and have slaf, dach and I'd try Mesar with them |
|
|
|
Post by PTH on Jun 7, 2023 9:51:50 GMT -5
I expect Anderson to be long gone before Michkov even arrives in the NHL... Slafkovsky and/or Dach would be a better bet to add size to a smurf line. I agree, Josh is 29, I can see him moved at the draft... I'd try to bring Perry back... he'll be inexpensive, he had great chemistry with the rest of the team, was a mentor to CC somewhat and can be on the 4th line with Pez to drive others teams nuts... The real shame is Monahan, the team was so much better with him on it, such a smart player, he could be on the 1st line with cc and Suze and have slaf, dach and I'd try Mesar with them I'd look at keeping Monahan around, he's eligible for a contract with performance-based bonuses, and could add a solid veteran presence, even more if Anderson or Dvorak get moved. I'd keep Monahan ahead of any other potential UFA - Drouin, Gurianov, etc. |
|
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/6F6VF25GCFF2HFJCOITRJSGNPE.jpg)
