The Swamp

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Mon May 14, 2018 11:23 am

brian wrote: ↑Fri May 11, 2018 1:41 pm VGK is now #1 in the NHL for merch sales and is outselling the other three remaining playoff teams combined.

(Though to be somewhat fair, a lot of those fans already have their gear, so...)

Yeah, :D... I have 3 Caps sweaters (ooooold school Pete Peeters, Ovechkin, no name), 3 hats and I've thrown out probably a dozen t-shirts over the years... And that doesn't include my Hershey gear (sweater, hat, t-shirt.)

My kids also have an array of stuff, including The Girl who has a Burakovsky.

Right there with you. We have so much Sharks stuff, I don't even want to list it!

sancarlos wrote: ↑Mon May 14, 2018 3:01 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Mon May 14, 2018 11:23 am

brian wrote: ↑Fri May 11, 2018 1:41 pm VGK is now #1 in the NHL for merch sales and is outselling the other three remaining playoff teams combined.

(Though to be somewhat fair, a lot of those fans already have their gear, so...)

Yeah, :D... I have 3 Caps sweaters (ooooold school Pete Peeters, Ovechkin, no name), 3 hats and I've thrown out probably a dozen t-shirts over the years... And that doesn't include my Hershey gear (sweater, hat, t-shirt.)

My kids also have an array of stuff, including The Girl who has a Burakovsky.

Right there with you. We have so much Sharks stuff, I don't even want to list it!

Vegas proving to be a national draw especially considering they’re playing a Canadian team.

Sometimes, it pays to procrastinate. I had bought an "inaugural season" patch and was going to have them put it on at the VGK team store, but now I have to get a "Stanley Cup Finals" patch to put on as well.

Your move, Brian/Rams Fanny:

There's a stand outside the arena for every game where they're giving away permanent (i.e. "real") VGK logo tattoos before every game. They've done hundreds, maybe thousands since March.

Not a big Imagine Dragons fan, but the word of their performance before Game 2 tonight leaked already, so...

As long as Michael Buffer isn't doing the intros, I'll live with this local aspect of pregame.

mister d wrote: ↑Wed May 30, 2018 3:15 pm

Jesus that's the actual lead singer of Imagine Dragons? That's fuckin' funny.

Also put me in the "overplay on the radio but don't really mind Imagine Dragons" camp.

I dug their first single.

I think Rams Fanny and I came to the same conclusion without discussing it, but these playoffs crystalized the need for the Knights to build this team from the original playbook for the most part, so given that I'd let all of the UFAs -- Sbisa, Neal and Perron -- all walk unless they agreed to a seriously team-friendly short-term (like three-year) deal.

If that means they have to bring Brannstrom back from Sweden maybe a year too early or throwing Glass or one of the other kids in there for next season so be it. I don't think the worst thing for this franchise would be missing the playoffs next season.

I'd save the cap space for making a run at Erik Karlsson in 2019 after he's a UFA, hoping that he tests the market and sign a third-pairing type D guy to a (hopefully) reasonable short-term contract this year. Save all of the 2019 and 2020 draft picks and just start building up the farm system to be ready to make a 10-year type run starting in 2021 or so.

ETA: Oh, and this would be very unpopular but it would absolutely be the smart move. If some GM signs William Karlsson to a ridiculous offer sheet where the compensation would be two firsts, a second and third then let him walk as well. (I think the range where the Knights would get a first, second and third would be more likely and that's a tougher call but I might still let him walk for that.)

Doesn't that run you into the same problem teams always face? James Neal at market is a very bad contract, but losing James Neal off your roster is also very bad.

If you had to bet, even odds, whether Vegas wins one of the next 10 Cups, would you go yes or no?

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Jun 08, 2018 9:46 am Doesn't that run you into the same problem teams always face? James Neal at market is a very bad contract, but losing James Neal off your roster is also very bad.

If you had to bet, even odds, whether Vegas wins one of the next 10 Cups, would you go yes or no?

How long does MAF play at a reasonably high level and do they get a top tier G to replace him when he falls off/retires?

I think they're in a good position to win in the next 10 years but they're going to have to continue to load and beat teams like EDM/TOR and some others who are 3-4 years ahead of them on the loading up with young talent train.

Even odds, I say no, because at the end of the day, for most of that you've got to beat 31 other teams. I'd like to see it though.

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Jun 08, 2018 9:46 am Doesn't that run you into the same problem teams always face? James Neal at market is a very bad contract, but losing James Neal off your roster is also very bad.

If you had to bet, even odds, whether Vegas wins one of the next 10 Cups, would you go yes or no?

I don't know if there's more than three or four teams I'd take that bet for and even some of those (Edmonton, Toronto, Winnipeg, Tampa?) there would still be some huge question marks/concerns. So the easy answer is no, but the wild card is all of these draft picks. I'm not as upset about the Tatar trade as some people because Vegas needed forwards under contract for the next three years and the first only turned out to be the 30th overall, but for the most part I'd like to see them keep the picks they have and maybe add some others. If next year goes in the tank somehow and they haven't worked out an extension this offseason, then Fleury (assuming he's still anywhere near as well as he played this year) would be a great trade asset.

I think Subban can be a starting goalie in the NHL but his injury history is troublesome but depending on how the front office feels about him, 2018-19 could be Fleury's last year.

Your point about Neal is a good one -- that's the biggest/hardest dilemma most GMs face it seems. (Not him specifically maybe, but guys like him.)

I'm of the mind now that they should definitely try to make the team as good as possible -- this isn't a tank situation by any stretch, but the "mushy middle" isn't really that big of a concern for the next two or three years like it would be for just about any other GM or franchise in the NHL if it means they're building up the farm system and acquiring draft assets.

Should be really interesting to see what they do this offseason given the ton of space they have. Like would Neal come back for $9MM on a one year deal if you don't chase Tavares or Karlsson or someone like that?

Screw AB InBev, but still....

What a season.

You know, they went further in their first season than the Leafs have gone in 50 years.

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Jun 08, 2018 9:46 am Doesn't that run you into the same problem teams always face? James Neal at market is a very bad contract, but losing James Neal off your roster is also very bad.

Yeah, I'd let Sbisa and Perron walk, but if you could get Neal on a team-friendly contract I'd certainly want him. He is one of those guys that other teams hate but is really productive for your team, not only in goals and assists, but also in sandpaper, aggravation and shit that pisses off the opposition. He clearly was under the Sharks' skin during their playoff series.

Since we're not above a little ballot-stuffing if you have a Twitter account and 15 seconds, consider casting a quick vote for my suggestion (First Four).

Didn't that Russian dude you guys got real weird with precede the draft class?

mister d wrote: ↑Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:58 pm Didn't that Russian dude you guys got real weird with precede the draft class?

Everyone in the Expansion Draft too. This is just to reflect the first draft class.

(I'm bitter about drafts right now.)

It's obviously not just about money of course. Free agents like Tavares are going to sign where they feel most comfortable and where they think they win, etc. but when you start talking about the kind of money elite players receive, state income tax can make a difference.

Let’s not forget perceived quality of life in each city, too.

sancarlos wrote: ↑Tue Jun 26, 2018 1:26 pm Let’s not forget perceived quality of life in each city, too.

Sure, there's an infinite number of factors (though money is one of, if not the biggest). Seems like Tavares is a guy who doesn't really want to play in a market where there's a lot of intense pressure from the media, so I'm kinda dubious Toronto and Boston are really in the running. I really think he's just going to end up staying with the Islanders.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jun 26, 2018 1:30 pm

sancarlos wrote: ↑Tue Jun 26, 2018 1:26 pm Let’s not forget perceived quality of life in each city, too.

Sure, there's an infinite number of factors (though money is one of, if not the biggest). Seems like Tavares is a guy who doesn't really want to play in a market where there's a lot of intense pressure from the media, so I'm kinda dubious Toronto and Boston are really in the running. I really think he's just going to end up staying with the Islanders.

I agree with you about the Islanders. But, I'm hoping that the low-intensity vibe of San Jose also appeals to him. The Sharks fare well on the criteria Tavares is expected to use to make is decision. A large number of former players have retired to the area, and Joe Thornton has long voiced his pleasure of being able to live his life below the radar. And, the Sharks are the only contender for him that have both a void at first line center and lots of talent to surround him.

And, I hope he also recognizes that Lou Lamiorello is a short-timer but the team/management/location/lack of winning dysfunction on the Island may not be short-term.

Colin Miller signs for 4 years, $3.875 AAV. I’m calling right now this deal will be considered a steal for VGK in two years.

Knew this would happen eventually, but this is quicker than I thought, but VGK will be hosting a six-team preseason rookie camp tournament at their practice facility this year.

Will be VGK, Anaheim, LA, San Jose, Arizona and Colorado.

brian wrote: ↑Fri Jul 27, 2018 1:54 pm Knew this would happen eventually, but this is quicker than I thought, but VGK will be hosting a six-team preseason rookie camp tournament at their practice facility this year.

Will be VGK, Anaheim, LA, San Jose, Arizona and Colorado.

Should be fun. A couple weeks ago, I watched a Sharks' intrasquad prospect scrimmage game. It was fun and they got a halfway decent-sized crowd.

brian wrote: ↑Fri Aug 03, 2018 5:39 pm Stop by and see the team of the Rockies in Salt Lake City, Steve!

I notice one of the stops is in Reno. The neighbor's boy attends UNR and is a big Sharks' fan. He says that he thinks the hockey loyalty in Reno is fairly evenly divided between the Sharks and the Knights. That will likely change over time now to the Knights' advantage, but the Sharks were their "local" team for 25 years.

sancarlos wrote: ↑Fri Aug 03, 2018 6:08 pm

brian wrote: ↑Fri Aug 03, 2018 5:39 pm Stop by and see the team of the Rockies in Salt Lake City, Steve!

I notice one of the stops is in Reno. The neighbor's boy attends UNR and is a big Sharks' fan. He says that he thinks the hockey loyalty in Reno is fairly evenly divided between the Sharks and the Knights. That will likely change over time now to the Knights' advantage, but the Sharks were their "local" team for 25 years.

Yeah, I saw that myself when I was there in February. Was watching the game at a sports bar and roughly half the crowd was engaged in the game and of that half it was evenly divided between San Jose and Vegas.

I was the only person I saw wearing VGK gear in Boise last December though.

VGK signs Karlsson for 1 year, $5.25M the morning of his arb hearing. Glad he’s got 1 more RFA year in 19-20 but kinda wish they had gone the route of a three-year, $6M AAV bridge deal because if he even scores only 30 goals this year a long-term deal is gonna be really expensive.

brian wrote: ↑Sat Aug 04, 2018 2:22 pm VGK signs Karlsson for 1 year, $5.25M the morning of his arb hearing. Glad he’s got 1 more RFA year in 19-20 but kinda wish they had gone the route of a three-year, $6M AAV bridge deal because if he even scores only 30 goals this year a long-term deal is gonna be really expensive.

I know he's only had one big year, but I've got to believe that Karlsson took a sizable discount there. Mark Stone just got over $7 mill from Ottawa.

Stone has more of a track record. Karlsson’s ask in his arb hearing was $6.5M so VGK just ate $250k to avoid the hearing since the arbitrator would have split the difference but I was hoping the hearing would be impetus for a bridge deal like they gave Colin Miller.

I really thought a 3/$18M deal would have been good for both sides. VGK buys one FA year but $18M is a lot for a guy who might never hit 20 goals again depending. Still a lot of time for Karlsson to get a really big payday. But still like McPhee holding the line at a long term deal. If Wild Bill scores 40 again this year just gotta bite the bullet and pay him $8M+ a year. Good problem to have.

Sounds like Vegas is betting he doesn’t reach that goal mark again.