What next?

[sjrules99]

So the opening top 6 D is likely set, as is the opening top 6 forwards. Assuming mitchell is still given a spot, then dougie needs 6 forwards to round out his 13 forwards total. The sharks still have 8.4M remaining on the cap.

So, What will dougie do next to fill out the roster?

Here is my guess:
4th line and 13th forward will be a mix and match of rookies. Desjardins will get a spot. Ferriero likely too. Possibly wingels, mashinter or the like will as well and possibly a nichol-type veteran. These 4 will costs a total of roughly 3M, leaving 5M or so left on the cap for 2 real 3rd liners. I guess wellwood and eager will both go sincethey havent been resigned yet. I wouldnt mind wellwood returning though eager I dont care. I would think dougie will dip into the UFA market.

My choices/expectations would be Upshall, Jokinen, Leino, Torres (I fuckin hate that guy, but he's a winner and so tough to play against), Higgins, Fiddler (for the 4th line), Ward. Each of those guys can put in 15-20 goals and would make a good 3rd liner. Leino and Jokinen amy be priced at over 3M and out of contention, so upshall, higgins, and ward might be better possibilities.

Either way, I like how next year is beginning to shape up. Beyond that, I'm not sure sure, but I guess we take it one step at a time...

What do you guys think dougie will do from now?

 

[rares]

Basically, lines #3 and #4 are back to being non-NHL material slash garbage... Fun!

He's not going to bring in anyone new, don't get your hopes up.

 

[Bowlby]

owen nolan!! lol

 

[SJVP408]

Quick, speedy forwards to play on the third line. That should be the next moves.

 

[Bowlby]

Quick, speedy forwards to play on the third line. That should be the next moves.

we definetly need speed, and toughness, though mcGinn can add that, mashinter too.

 

[sjrules99]

Basically, lines #3 and #4 are back to being non-NHL material slash garbage... Fun!

He's not going to bring in anyone new, don't get your hopes up.

So you think he'll sit on his 8M and just see how it goes? I dont see dougie putting 5 rookies into the opening lineup. He will go after at least a few UFA's and at least one or two will be 3rd line material like manny was.

By the way, I dont see a whole lot of downside giving all the rooks a chance. The current D and goaltending, combined with the current top 6 forwards already places the sharks as an extremely likely playoff team. By giving the rooks a chance to compete and earn some ice time, dougie and all us fans get to see what these guys can (or cant) do. it would be pretty awesome if one of them steps it up and emerges as a legit asset just like clowe, pavs, even cheech did. If not, then 3rd liners are usually pretty cheap midyear.

 

[Ray_Dogg]

Buff bound.
https://twitter.com/darrendreger/status/84465475060375552

 

[rares]

owen nolan!! lol

Would be too cheap and would make too much sense... would never happen.

We go through it every year... Dougie hates Nolan for some reason...

 

[sjrules99]

nolan is like 40. no thanks...

 

[rares]

nolan is like 40. no thanks...

For league minimum that he'd ask for... I'd take him in a heartbeat.

Huge upgrade over any of the young stooges that are on the 3rd/4th lines just to fill up roster spots...

A 40-year old Nolan can still score you 15+ goals... That's like 13 more than Mitchell, McGinn, Vesce and Ferreiro combined, for fuck's sake.

 

[ads_2006]

sit on the money an sign couture and burns to extensions

 

[ads_2006]

alex tanguay?

 

[sjrules99]

re-signing those guys only affects next year's cap. I would be mad if dougie left 5 or 6M unused this year. Also, 3.4M comes off the cap after this year when niity and mitchell are UFA's. Even if the cap remained the same, dougie would have 18M free next year to resign cooch, burns, and braun. if it goes up a few Mil, then we're looking at over 20M available which is far more than enough to keep a burns-level player, cooch, braun, and a few UFA's. Doug has options there...

 

[ads_2006]

Matt Bradley and owen nolan

 

[sjrules99]

alex tanguay?

I like tanguay, though I am iffy on his defense. Also, I think he might command significant money given his good history and good year last year with nearly 70 points. Likely out of dougie's price range.

We could bring back sturm for 1M? Ryder could be a good fit for a reasonable number as well as he was great in the cup run. Simon gagne might not be too expensive either. Samsonov too might be interesting. There are some good names out there that might in dougie's targets. I doubt it but who knows?

 

[sjrules99]

actually... how about dealing for ales hemsky? Injury prone, but top line talent when in the lineup and at a number the sharks can absorb (4.1M). He is proven in the PO's and would be an awesome addition. What might it take? a 2nd rounder this year and a 1st next year? defensive prospects like doherty or petrecki?

If dougie is gunna go for it this year, then you gotta go all out... hemsky could easily be the kind of piece that puts the sharks over the top and edmonton if building for the future so I assume they would be happy to get even more picks and prospects to amek their run in a couple years... hmmm....

 

[Ray_Dogg]

So teh Doug said in teh blog that teh defense is set. So it is all on the forwards at this point in free agency.

 

[Bowlby]

im just throwing names out but what about Ryan Callahan?

 

[sjrules99]

callahan would be an awesome addition and might be in the correct price range (roughly 3-4M per), but he would have to come by trade and wouldnt be cheap. Everyone saw how valuable an addition he was the team USA in the olympics and you dont pry those guys easily. Also, the sharks dont have much of a future to trade away even if they didnt mind completely emptying the tank (which they basically already have). I dont think they would be willing to touch the current defense or top 6 forwards so the only guys they would deal would be niity, mitchell or prospects (which there arent many). I dont see NYR interested in any of that, so I think it's not an option.

I think UFA and internal are pretty much the only courses left for filling out the forwards. I wonder if sgarbossa or viedensky will make the team. Sgarbossa was apparently pretty dominant after his trade and he is lightning fast. Might be like a korolyuk-like addition to the 3rd line?

 

[23sharks]

I'd like to see them get a 3rd line forward:

Leino
Upshall
Cole
Jokinen
Torres

I'd be happy with any one of those guys.