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Disasterous off season
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Marty
Jul 31, 2017, 9:50:21 AM7/31/17
to
What a joke. Can't get it done with Radulov, thanks to a partly "take it
or leave it" offer. A suspect trade for offence that gives up a MAJOR
defensive prospect. Trading Beaulieu for garbage. Signing Prince to a
contract that is NOT even close to getting a hometown discount, more like
a hometown premium. However, the icing on the cake is just letting Markov
walk the plank even though he would do a 1-year deal and the Hab's have
NINE MILLION in free cap space!!! Instead, they dumpster dive with Streit
who wasn't good enough to play for Pittsburgh in the play-offs!
Bergevin shows he has no clue how to negotiate contracts this off-season.
Sending Markov adrift is a classless, baffling move. Does he get a bonus
if they have a massive amount of unused cap space or something?
Anyway, I seriously can't believe Markov is going to play in the KHL when
the Hab's have more cap space than they know what to do with. The only
reason Markov is walking is because Bergevin is too stupid to realize
that, yes, Markov was acting as his own agent and may not know how to play
the negotiation game properly. It was Bergevin's job to keep
communicating and walk him towards a deal. Instead, he signs an inferior
player just so he doesn't have to back off he "take it or leave it" offer.
Pathetic.
or leave it" offer. A suspect trade for offence that gives up a MAJOR
defensive prospect. Trading Beaulieu for garbage. Signing Prince to a
contract that is NOT even close to getting a hometown discount, more like
a hometown premium. However, the icing on the cake is just letting Markov
walk the plank even though he would do a 1-year deal and the Hab's have
NINE MILLION in free cap space!!! Instead, they dumpster dive with Streit
who wasn't good enough to play for Pittsburgh in the play-offs!
Bergevin shows he has no clue how to negotiate contracts this off-season.
Sending Markov adrift is a classless, baffling move. Does he get a bonus
if they have a massive amount of unused cap space or something?
Anyway, I seriously can't believe Markov is going to play in the KHL when
the Hab's have more cap space than they know what to do with. The only
reason Markov is walking is because Bergevin is too stupid to realize
that, yes, Markov was acting as his own agent and may not know how to play
the negotiation game properly. It was Bergevin's job to keep
communicating and walk him towards a deal. Instead, he signs an inferior
player just so he doesn't have to back off he "take it or leave it" offer.
Pathetic.
Gerry
Jul 31, 2017, 10:01:29 AM7/31/17
to
But Marty, he's not finished yet. Just wait until you see the grand unveiling of the Master Plan. Suddenly everything will make sense!
I think I need to watch that FA Frenzy presser again. He had those take it or leave it offers for Radulov and Markov, suggested they could only afford 1, like it was taken for granted that they would at least get one of them... but according to Radulov they came back to him anyway with an amended offer, but he left anyway. And according to Markov he came back with a 1-year counter too, but chose to leave anyway as well. Bergevin tripped over his ego on those ones. I think he's in over his head in this job, it's just becoming more and more evident.
l8r,
Gerry
I think I need to watch that FA Frenzy presser again. He had those take it or leave it offers for Radulov and Markov, suggested they could only afford 1, like it was taken for granted that they would at least get one of them... but according to Radulov they came back to him anyway with an amended offer, but he left anyway. And according to Markov he came back with a 1-year counter too, but chose to leave anyway as well. Bergevin tripped over his ego on those ones. I think he's in over his head in this job, it's just becoming more and more evident.
l8r,
Gerry
Mike
Aug 1, 2017, 2:30:55 PM8/1/17
to
thoughts now that I've regained consciousness. We're going to enter the
year with $8.4M cap space and still missing a #1 centre and a #2 centre.
He's going to try Galchenyuk and/or Drouin, the team will get off to its
usual torrid start, talk of "legitimate contender" will abound, once the
rest of the league catches up (mid December) the usual swoon will begin,
Bergevin will make an ill-advised trade because he knows his ass is on
the line, we'll lose Galchenyuk and Gallager for a second rate #2
centreman and the team will disappear once again in the first or second
round, unable to once again score goals.
As far as Markov goes, I don't blame Bergevin for letting him go - I
think I would have done likewise. Two years is too much and it is time
to go a different direction. His pp stats last year were not that great
- lets face it. That ship has sailed. It does sound however that BErgy
caught his pecker in his zipper with Radulov. His kind doesn't come
around every year and signing him would have been a big plus for this team.
Gerry
Aug 1, 2017, 3:33:35 PM8/1/17
to
On Tuesday, August 1, 2017 at 2:30:55 PM UTC-4, Mike wrote:
...
If they made the decision to part ways with Markov, replaced him with a better/younger player, made a spot for Sergachev/Beaulieu to grow in, didn't even offer him a deal, ok, I could maybe see it. But they did offer him a deal (I would guess something like $4M/1yr), according to Bergevin at the frenzy presser, and it only seems like a bit more whitewashing of history that they now say they wanted to go in a different direction all along (yet signed an older more worn down PMD to replace him?).
Letting Markov go... while I wouldn't have... it didn't seem to be part of any plan per se, just an unexpected result from a failed negotiation process. The team didn't get better from it.
If they really wanted to get better/younger, they might have explored the deadline market for him one of these years too. They lost their 2nd best defenseman from last season for nothing, end of the day. Whether you wanted Markov back or not, that's not good asset management.
l8r,
Gerry
...
> As far as Markov goes, I don't blame Bergevin for letting him go - I
> think I would have done likewise. Two years is too much and it is time
> to go a different direction.
If the direction was different... in a good way... I could see it. But Streit is a year older and not as good in any facet of the game.
> think I would have done likewise. Two years is too much and it is time
> to go a different direction.
If they made the decision to part ways with Markov, replaced him with a better/younger player, made a spot for Sergachev/Beaulieu to grow in, didn't even offer him a deal, ok, I could maybe see it. But they did offer him a deal (I would guess something like $4M/1yr), according to Bergevin at the frenzy presser, and it only seems like a bit more whitewashing of history that they now say they wanted to go in a different direction all along (yet signed an older more worn down PMD to replace him?).
Letting Markov go... while I wouldn't have... it didn't seem to be part of any plan per se, just an unexpected result from a failed negotiation process. The team didn't get better from it.
If they really wanted to get better/younger, they might have explored the deadline market for him one of these years too. They lost their 2nd best defenseman from last season for nothing, end of the day. Whether you wanted Markov back or not, that's not good asset management.
l8r,
Gerry
Chuck
Aug 1, 2017, 4:27:00 PM8/1/17
to
What else could they have done with Markov to have better managed him as an asset? Be more public about the decision a lot earlier. Doesn't it Help Markov if Montreal appears to be still talking with him? Helps him maybe to get more cash from a team trying to sign him if they think there are other bidders that includes his former team? Doan was cut loose early, did that impact his offers?
Chuck
Aug 1, 2017, 4:38:07 PM8/1/17
to
I think Streit can match Markov's PP output, which based on last year. Sets the bar pretty low. I think Streit will get fairly regular stints in the pressbox. If Juulsen or Jarabec step up, Striet's 700 K contract is a lot more attractive to park then 6 million.
Or maybe Markov just wants a chance to play in the Olympics, something he could not do if he stayed in the NHL
Or maybe Markov just wants a chance to play in the Olympics, something he could not do if he stayed in the NHL
Gerry
Aug 1, 2017, 5:19:28 PM8/1/17
to
I have no way of knowing, but I suspect Markov wanted most to play for the Habs. However, he's a bit of a different individual, and he wanted to do it on his terms. Or something relatively close to his terms, without a lot of bluff, counter-bluff, and BS. The Habs weren't ready to deal in a low-key manner with him, so he went with his next-best choice, which also had perks (nearer to kids, Olympics, etc). I don't get the impression that he was ever listening to other teams or concerned about offers or bids. He had a price at which he was willing to play for the Habs, and failing that, he had other priorities in his life.
Where it breaks down is in knowing what that price was. We don't know that. We have the following rumour mill items:
a) Markov might have wanted $6M per for 2 years initially
b) Habs offered something less than this for 1 year, take it or leave it, but better take it before Radulov takes what they offered him because they can only sign one of them
c) Markov went off on his honeymoon and probably left them hanging for a couple weeks
d) Habs lost Radulov, got nobody else, probably got a bit miffed that Markov left them hanging
e) Habs started looking around for alternatives, though it was too late to get anybody of any real quality
f) Markov offered a 1-year option (but still probably at a price outside the Habs' range)
g) One side or the other or both gave up and they met to mutually agree to just walk away
So it seems kind of unnecessary to me, but I don't know the numbers. If Markov's 1-year ask was at $6M or less, I'd think they should have fallen all over themselves to welcome him back. They aren't going to use that $8.4M in cap space any better way, and there is no chance whatsoever that any of their bargain replacments or kids can play at Markov's level this season. But for all I know Markov wanted $8M for 1 year, which would be a little outrageous (even if that's a precedent Thornton already got away with).
Anyway, he's gone and will never be back, never hit his 1000 games, never move into #2 all-time, etc. Habs will probably continue to wallow in mediocrity either way, so for him it's probably not a bad deal to spend a couple stress-free years in Kazan, maybe get to play in the Olympics, etc. Feels to me like the Habs lose more than what a $2M gap in pricetag would represent, but I guess we'll see what they do with their $8.4M and rag-tag D.
l8r,
Gerry
Where it breaks down is in knowing what that price was. We don't know that. We have the following rumour mill items:
a) Markov might have wanted $6M per for 2 years initially
b) Habs offered something less than this for 1 year, take it or leave it, but better take it before Radulov takes what they offered him because they can only sign one of them
c) Markov went off on his honeymoon and probably left them hanging for a couple weeks
d) Habs lost Radulov, got nobody else, probably got a bit miffed that Markov left them hanging
e) Habs started looking around for alternatives, though it was too late to get anybody of any real quality
f) Markov offered a 1-year option (but still probably at a price outside the Habs' range)
g) One side or the other or both gave up and they met to mutually agree to just walk away
So it seems kind of unnecessary to me, but I don't know the numbers. If Markov's 1-year ask was at $6M or less, I'd think they should have fallen all over themselves to welcome him back. They aren't going to use that $8.4M in cap space any better way, and there is no chance whatsoever that any of their bargain replacments or kids can play at Markov's level this season. But for all I know Markov wanted $8M for 1 year, which would be a little outrageous (even if that's a precedent Thornton already got away with).
Anyway, he's gone and will never be back, never hit his 1000 games, never move into #2 all-time, etc. Habs will probably continue to wallow in mediocrity either way, so for him it's probably not a bad deal to spend a couple stress-free years in Kazan, maybe get to play in the Olympics, etc. Feels to me like the Habs lose more than what a $2M gap in pricetag would represent, but I guess we'll see what they do with their $8.4M and rag-tag D.
l8r,
Gerry
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