This is Duff's opinion, not mine. don't shoot the fucking messenger. If you've got issues bring them up with Duff.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/3 ... world.html

Brian Duff's Blog: Changing how GMs manage big contracts in a salary cap world

Brian Duff
2010-05-06 09:40:00
A little more than three weeks ago, 14 teams concluded what was, for the most part, a fruitless 82-game regular season.

Since then, eight more teams have joined them – in some cases far earlier than they or the prognosticators would have anticipated.

That’s 22 teams that came nowhere close to winning the ultimate prize; 22 teams that probably have committed to certain players for longer than they would have liked based on bang for the buck, or lack thereof.

The one thing I’ll remember about the 2009-10 season (starting last summer) was the willingness of some teams to make tough decisions and resist the urge to accept the status quo.

Think of former Montreal GM Bob Gainey’s boldness to go small in acquiring Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and, most importantly, Michael Cammalleri; the Kings taking on the big contract of Ryan Smyth, but knowing they were acquiring an even bigger heart; Minnesota and Montreal both benefiting by exchanging homegrown, yet still young, high draft picks in Benoit Pouliot and Guillaume Latendresse; ditto for Colorado and Phoenix after they swapped youngsters Wojtek Wolski and Peter Mueller.

Teams that are reluctant to change are often guilty of one thing: falling in love with their own. They draft, develop, sign and sometimes suffer because they fear the breakup. And the optics of the salary cap world can make it appear as though they have little recourse.

“Nonsense,” said former NHL GM and NHL Network colleague Craig Button.

Button believes the time has come for more NHL teams to look at other leagues, namely the NFL, and act as those teams do.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, just more than a year removed from winning the Super Bowl, unloaded a significant headache in receiver Santonio Holmes (Super Bowl XLIII MVP) to the New York Jets for a fifth round pick. Will more NHL teams be willing to unload a big contract for essentially nothing other than cap relief? Will more NHL teams be willing to play the role of the Jets and take on a risky player/contract?

The following names are in no way to be likened to Holmes when it comes to personal conduct and it’s not entirely fair to think all should be hoisted into trade talk, but you know that in each local market fans are screaming for change.

Behind the scenes, are the managers thinking the same way?

And would you be willing to trade some of these players straight-up for similar contracts, or a late round pick?

(For the sake of simplicity, we’ll ignore no-trade clauses, long-term service/loyalty to the organization, etc.)

POTENTIAL TRADE BAIT
PLAYER, TEAM
SALARY
Joffrey Lupul, ANA
3 years/$4.25 million
Jason Pominville, BUF
4 years/$5.3 million
Tim Connolly, BUF
1 year/$4.5 million
Derek Roy, BUF
3 years/$4.0 million
Rod Brind’Amour, CAR
1 year/$3.6 million
Erik Cole, CAR
1 year/$2.9 million
Niklas Hagman, CGY
2 years/$3.0 million
Ales Kotalik, CGY
2 years/$3.0 million
Daymond Langkow, CGY
2 years/$4.5 million
Mike Commodore, CLB
3 years/$3.75 million
Shawn Horcoff, EDM
5 years/$5.5 million
Sheldon Souray, EDM
2 years/$5.4 million
Rostislav Olesz, FLA
4 years/$3.125 million
Patrik Elias, NJ
3 years/$6.0 million
Brian Rolston, NJ
2 years/$5.0 million
Dainius Zubrus, NJ
3 years/$3.4 million
Wade Redden, NYR
4 years/$6.5 million
Brad Boyes, STL
2 years/$4.0 million
Ryan Malone, TB
5 years/$4.5 million
Alexander Semin, WSH
1 year/$6.0 million

Of course, names like Jarome Iginla, Jason Spezza and Vincent Lecavalier have been floating around the rumor mill, too – and will likely continue to right up until the draft in late June.

It’s highly unlikely any of these names will move, but that’s based upon what history has shown us.

Is it time to re-write the team-building script and give history a different look?

What about that old adage about the lottery, ‘you can’t win if you don’t buy a ticket.’

Maybe it’s time more than a few teams cut the cord and take a gamble on new numbers that could prove lucky.


I'd say add stafford to that list and beg darcy not to go after souray, He's more injury prone than connolly, if such a thing is possible).

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"Tis The Season, Fa la la la la LaFontaine" - Rick Jeanneret

Wow psych, now that was some creative headline writing! That's nothing more than the writer's own list of potential trade options. There's no rumor to it, just arbitrary names thrown out.

Thanks for wasting my time.

Yeah this was bull shit.

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Wheelhouse

still there is someone talking about it out there. it's not a waste of time. it's an article. it's an opinion of someone who gets paid to talk hockey. for a magazine that is all about hockey. but take it however you want.

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"Tis The Season, Fa la la la la LaFontaine" - Rick Jeanneret

It' a good read, the NHL should cut their losses with some players they love and try someone else, even Darcy should realize that.

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Ok then psych, the next time one of my buddies suggests trading Vanek, I'll be sure to post a new topic titled, "Vanek on the trading block".

i did post it as trade bait. not that they are going to be traded and it even says rumoured in the title. to quote many people don't shoot the messenger. shoot the writer. you got a problem bring it up with Duff. i'm just the messenger. it's easy to shoot the messenger, but that is taking the easy way out.

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"Tis The Season, Fa la la la la LaFontaine" - Rick Jeanneret

Duff's article was about how risky he thought GMs should be to get rid of, or take on big contracts. Then he listed all those players while asking the readers if they would trade, or trade for them. In no way, shape, or form did he suggest that any of those players were going to be traded, or even rumored to be on the trading block. You suggested all of that and titled the topic as if our three were on the trading block.

I have no problem with Duff's article. It's you that turned it into a trade bait thread with a very inaccurate title. It's appropriate to shoot the messenger when the messenger gets the message wrong. If a warring nation was depending on you to deliver a peace treaty to the other nation, they'd still be fighting. Potentially thousands of soldiers would die needlessly, because the treaty parameters were provided inaccurately and the battles would continue. Their blood would be on your hands. I hope you think about that the next time you post a trade bait thread tainted with yellow journalism.

A little much don't you think?

We aren't talking about 100's or thousands of people's lives here, we are talking about words on a computer screen.

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I wasn't talking about the thread. I was talking about the article.

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Wheelhouse

Not You.

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A player 'rumored' to be trade bait would logically have some kind of connection back to Darcy Regier, or someone in the league that new a player's name was being shopped to other GMs.

A journalist speculating about what players COULD be trade bait isn't the same thing, and that's what this article is.

I doubt PMF intended to mislead with the title, but it is in fact a bit misleading.

Why is this making us angry?

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

These were my thoughts exactly, haha.

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Rest in Peace Nani. 10/3/10

Gerbacity



"Grier coming in over the line. He leaves it to Gaustad. The shot. THEY SCOOOREE!! RING UP ANOTHER ONE FOR THE GOOSE!!! HONK IF YA HEAR THE GOOSE!! 3-0 BUFFALO!"

Yeah, seriously...lighten up Sabresfan1980.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

I know I'm pretty dry, but I thought that last post was over the top enough that people would pick up on the sarcasm.

My delivery doesn't translate as well over these technical internets wires.

I would say so!

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mechaphil

A random internet post compared to a war...come on people I'm not THAT much of an asshole.

Oh...I always use the quick reply box, which doesn't have emoticons right there to click on - which would aid in translation.