Quoting: mikeb98
I think a 3 year deal would definitely be cheaper, however they just signed JT Miller to 5.25, and I don't see Point getting less than that, so maybe a 3 x 5.25 deal?
That's true. Kucherov took less than $5,000,000 on a shorter-term bridge deal, and I was sort of going by that. But, the salary cap has gone up, which means player salaries have gone up. Point plays a more important role than J.T. Miller, and, as a two-way center, has a more valuable skillset than Miller (centers are worth more, speed is worth a lot and Point was a tenth of a second away from beating McDavid for fastest skater at the all-star game, and defensive forwards are in demand, especially if they can also score). I would say anywhere from $5m-$6m is reasonable for a bridge deal for Point, and $6.5m-$7m if you want to sign him longer term. It is hard to see him making less money than J.T. Miller, though. $5.25 for three years is reasonable, but honestly I would prefer to pay him $6.5m and add a seventh year. Yzerman tends to prefer the bridge deal route, though, and in that case you can reduce his term and free around $1m of salary.
Quoting: mikeb98
Fair point, I wasn't sure on him. I did 4.75 just to give him a bit of a raise, but possibly something lower. They do have Cal Foote coming up, with Dotchin projected to be top four, so he is slowly on his way out the door I imagine.
With Sergachev and Foote coming up and Hedman and McDonagh great defensemen, Stralman could play in a third-pairing role, which may make sense for him as he ages. The Lightning could always have one of Hedman, McDonagh, or Stralman on the ice (with Sergachev and Foote providing additional offense as well), which would easily be among the best defensive groups in the League. The Lightning's offer could honestly be less than $4m, and he can take it if he wants to stay and contend for a Cup, or leave it (they have Cernak or Koekkoek to replace him if necessary, though that's probably downgrading). If he wants to get paid and play in a more major role, then he's probably leaving. I don't see Tampa giving him a raise, though. Then again, solid defensive defensemen are becoming more valuable, so it could happen, especially if they're not confident enough to form a pairing with two of Cernak/Koekkoek/Dotchin and Stralman doesn't want to take a crazy discount to play in a limited role. If he does re-sign, I expect that contract to be his last with Tampa.
Quoting: mikeb98
I wasn't sure what to give Koekkoek, so I very well could have overpayed him, but like you said, it depends on his year (same goes for Point extension on that matter).
I can see them trying to extend Point this year, like they did for Kucherov. Yzerman said that he likes to give players peace of mind and help himself understand what cap space they have to work with. For Koekkoek, though, they're definitely not extending him beyond the one year this offseason, leaving his salary to be determined by his production and consistency this season.
Quoting: mikeb98
To your point, almost all of TB's core has taken less money to play there, especially Hedman. It is a great place to play and live (been there a couple of times), and for a Southern city, they have a great, supporting fanbase.
That's definitely true. Vinik is probably the best owner in all of sports, and the Lightning is overall a really well-run organization. Tampa itself is a great place to live, with great weather (it does get hot, but it's near the water, which keeps it cooler than some other places), a rather cheap cost of living (and no state taxes, allowing Yzerman to give them almost their entire salary in bonuses so they can take home more income), access to things like beaches, and a great fanbase. Plus, we have one of the best prospect pools in the League and are an immediate Cup contender. There's certainly a reason people take discounts to stay here, but I'm not sure if I'm over-estimating the extent of those discounts. But, you have the salary cap at $80m, and though I agree that you should plan for the worst and I have no problem with setting the cap there, realistically they'll have a bit more to spend.
Quoting: mikeb98
I absolutely agree. EK is a great defenseman, but i feel that TB is an overall better team without him, and are in better shape for the near future as well (with extensions for Sergachev, Point, Gourde, Vasilevsky, etc.). I actually just made a post for TB getting EK and made a mock roster for the 18-19 and 19-20 season, check it out if you can, I am interested to know what you think about it.
If he were free, I think he'd make us a better team, but obviously he isn't, and I think too many people are focusing on the actual value of these players instead of each team's needs. Sergachev is not as good as Karlsson, but he's also cheaper than Karlsson, a lot younger, and has potential to reach that level at some point, so I'd be cautious before trading him. He's certainly not as proven as Karlsson and may never reach that level, so maybe that's worth it is if you can keep Foote, Gourde, Point, Vasilevskiy, etc. and still avoid completely destroying the prospect pool. Otherwise, we can win a Cup without Karlsson. I also think that Faulk from the Hurricanes may be a cheaper option if Yzerman doesn't want to stand pat.