I mentioned before that there is some chatter about Klein being a cap casualty this offseason. There's also been some chatter here (and by Larry Brooks, the only "writer" who has suggested it) about trading Yandle. I think that would be a huge mistake, and I think Klein unfortunately needs to go. There's a huge cap crunch going on right now. Stepan is about to be paid, Kreider will be paid next year. Staal and Zucc have extensions kicking in. Hagelin appears to be in the plan going forward. Reports are they will also try to resign Yandle next year, and rightfully so. He brings an elite puck-moving skill that this team hasnt had in years. There are very few players of Yandle's caliber in the league. That's just a fact. The guy was putting up 50+ point seasons on the Coyotes of all teams. And he got it done in the playoffs with a bum shoulder. You dont let a guy like him get away once you have him. Once he gets a training camp here he's going to look even better. I like Klein a lot. He's tough, he's steady, and he's a great team guy. But all of the "trade Yandle" arguments apply to him as well, if not moreso. His contract is very reasonable for what he brings. He's a right shot, which makes him valuable. He just had a career year before his injury. Now would be the time to sell high on that. Because in reality, he's at best a 2nd pairing guy, even a 3rd pairing guy on a great team. That's what he's been his whole career, and thats what he was here before injuries shook up the pairs. And it's more than likely what he'd be next year as well. A higher end, 3rd pair guy. In our situation, 3m per is too much for that. Dan Boyle is going to be here next year; I've resigned myself to that. He isnt waiving his NTC. Even with the buyout rules, there's no way they are going to keep any portion of his hit on the books. He's going to play out his last year here and I'm perfectly ok with that. He's not nearly as bad as has been suggested. I'm no fancy stats guy, but I saw a stat that he was in the top 5 of all defenseman in the playoffs in shot suppression per 60 mins played. Combine that with 10 pts in 19 games, and that's pretty damn good. The only NHL-ready defenseman in the system is a right shot. That means, even putting skill aside, we can replace Klein more easily than we can replace Yandle. Trade Klein for cap relief, or package him with Talbot for a skater/pick. Bright up McIlrath and sign a Hunwick-type right shot to push him and play the 6/7 d spot. With Talbot, Klein and MSL off the books that is plenty to get all the RFAs locked up, and maybe even enough to bring in one more forward. But I unfortunately dont see a scenario where all of the RFAs are brought back and the D remains the same. Hagelin is more important and would be harder to replace than Klein. Lets get some chatter going about something other than who liked what trade however many years ago.
The beauty of the Yandle trade is we get him for 2.5m cap hit next year. I can tell you that replacing what Klein can bring when he is on his game is a lot easier than replacing Yandle. Puck movers like him just don't exist and we have one. I am not saying throw a bunch of money at him now but they should see how he does next year with a full training camp in the system. I think people will be shocked at how good Yandle really is by December. Basically for next year they are getting Yandle + Boyle for $7m. That is not terrible and Boyle will be gone after 2015-16. I do think this team will need to trade Klein or Girardi because they have enough defense and they need to free up $$$ to add a scorer who can score in the playoffs. Playoff scoring is the #1 priority for this offseason and next year
The problem with Yandle is that his cap hit astronomically grows in 2016 when we'd resign him and have to absorb the entire cap hit. McD, Girardi and Staal are already making $16M between the 3 of them so adding a 4th $5M+ D is tough. Because he is so cheap this year his trade value would be tremendous as he'd basically fit into any team's plan.
This is a fair point but remember, his trade value takes a hit because he's only cheap for one year whereas Klein would be cheap for 3 years. That's also a reason to hold Klein but like Dis and I said, Klein is easier to replace. Second, if they resign Yandle for the 16/17 season I'd have to think that Skjei and McIlrath both factor into the team's planning for that season. That's 2 guys that will be very cheap. Say we get Yandle for 5.5m per. This year the Hawks tied up roughly 22.3m in their top 6 defenseman (Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson, Oduya, Rozsival, and a rotating 6th at around .8m). If our D is McDonagh, Girardi, Staal, Yandle (at 5.5m), McIlrath and Skjei in 16/17, that's roughly 23.4m. Not that much higher, especially if the cap keeps sneaking up. This is also looking very far ahead. To put the best team on the ice next year I think Yandle needs to be here and Klein needs to go to ensure cap room for our forwards.
Rangers have to shake things up - as presently constructed, they are a playoff team, but nothing more. Lightning did the Rangers a favor - Blackhawks would have swept the Rangers.
Nonsense. The Blackhawks would not have swept the Rangers. The Rangers were actually a far worse matchup for the Hawks than Tampa. However, I do agree that they need some significant changes. One of them is to stop trading high picks like morons for relics or short term rentals.
One of them is to stop trading high picks like morons for relics or short term rentals. I will break that down for you: Stop trading high picks (sidenote: I would not consider mid to late 20's picks to be "high picks") like morons (even though I was for every one of those trades at the time they were made, and especially loved the Nash deal at the time, and called Yandle a diference maker when I loved that trade, and I said our system was still good AFTER the Yandle deal despite what the morons on HOF have to say). We are now morons for making those deals. Why we love our dumpy....
Chuck, just cut to the chase and ask Dump out already. We've seen the same response from you to him many times already. We get it.
I just find it funny is all. We are all morons who liked the trades. Dump, who loved the trades, is not part of that group though. I keep thinking he'll get it 31, but then I see another post with him calling everyone morons, or see him go back and forth with Al and others about Vermette and other trades, and it makes me laugh. He cannot be that clueless...LOL. My only issue with regards to dealing Klein is his cap hit is only 2.9 mill, so we don't get this huge savings. If you told me a package of Klein and Talbot could get us a R shot forward for the top 9...I do it in a second. If you told me by dealing Klein it would open up space for us to add that forward...I do it for sure. I simply do not know how much moving the 2.9 of Klein helps us in that regard though. If it does then yes I am with you Prod and would look into doing that.
I think it is great timing that once Boyle's contract is up Yandel would be looking for a new deal. Take away MSL and that opens some cap to extend Stepan. If there is a way to move Hags, Talbot and Klein for cap relief and a right handed RW then you make that deal. Not sure what is available but we need a true RWinger
The bigger problem long term is giving Girardi who is now going to start declining a 6y deal with an NTC at 6m. I understand certain dynamics are in play when talking about terms of UFAs but that's going to a cap strain in 2y.
Klein is a lot more valuable than Yandle. That's because he's right handed. Klein on the FA market would get more money than Yandle IMO because he's right handed. THN had a stat on how much more right handed defenseman got paid and it was considerable.
I don't think Klein would get more money than a yearly 50 + point dman like Yandle right now. Klein had a great year before getting hurt this season, but that was his first real good top level year. Before that he was a 4th or 5th dman pretty much. That's where Prod makes some sense on Klein, we would be dealing high off his best season. But maybe that is a sign of things to come. If he has another season like he did this past season, then his financial value will rise, but right now no way would he get more than Yandle IMO. My stance on Klein is simple, if dealing him lands us the top 9 R shot winger we need I would do it. But if taking his not huge 2.9 mill cap hit off our books doesn't help us get that player, not sure I see the value in moving Klein.
Problem with Yandle is he's left handed. AV has a bug up his ass about having 3 righties and 3 lefties. Sather gave Staal a no trade clause like a moron. Skjei is left handed and he's the next left handed defenseman on the team. So, if they can't afford to sign Yandle, then trade him now. There was one rumor out there that the Rangers were packaging both Yandle and Talbot in a deal. Who knows if it is true. \
Well said 71...let's not look the other way anymore. He is a very solid dman. So please stop looking the other way despite him doing something to you (I assume that is why you hate him so much...he must have done something to you/your family...oh wait you don't hate him though right...LOL).
