OT- Oilers sign Vanek to 7 year/50 mil offer sheet

[Crowned]

The Oilers signed forward Thomas Vanek to a seven-year, $50 million offer sheet, a signing that carried a price tag of four first round picks. Sabres general manager Darcy Regier called a media conference on Friday afternoon to announce that the team would match the offer

That's huge news. I think the Oilers are going to target one of Emery/Parise next. Thomas Vanek is worth a large contract, as he's an elite player.


It makes you wonder why the Oilers didn't accept Smyth's offer before the deadline and decided not to re-sign him. After signing Vanek to a 7 year offer sheet, they'd be required to give up 4 first round picks as well.

[kelso]

I dont think Smyth is in the same class as Vanek- maybe he was, but both are on different sides of the hill right now.

[Crowned]

I dont think Smyth is in the same class as Vanek- maybe he was, but both are on different sides of the hill right now.

Vanek is the much better player, but comes with a hefty price tag. My point about Smyth is, if they're willing to shell out all kinds of money towards Nylander and Vanek, why didn't they get a deal done with Smyth? He was the heart and soul of that franchise, and they weren't far away in the negotiations...there's no reason why they couldn't get a deal done, other than Smyth wanting to leave on his own.

[whysoserious]

I'm glad Edmonton did this. It's the first big offer sheet we've had in the NHL probably since Fedorov.

Team's should be looking to use this tool more to improve their clubs. The Leafs should be looking at this as well and targeting some cap strapped teams if they get their own cap in order.

Buffalo matched and acting like sucks about it. Sorry, but it's part of the CBA and too bad. You didn't have to match. As Kypreos said, they screwed themselves by not signing Briere and Drury last season when they probably could have had them both for around 10 million a season combined. They couldn't lose those two and then Vanek as well.

Teams have to start giving their prospects long term deals right off the bat. Although it could backfire, you'll get them for cheaper at the beginning of their careers and sign them for 4 or 5 years or even longer.

[whysoserious]

-= original quote snipped =-




Vanek is the much better player, but comes with a hefty price tag. My point about Smyth is, if they're willing to shell out all kinds of money towards Nylander and Vanek, why didn't they get a deal done with Smyth? He was the heart and soul of that franchise, and they weren't far away in the negotiations...there's no reason why they couldn't get a deal done, other than Smyth wanting to leave on his own.

Yeah, but I think they decided for a player his age in the new NHL they were only willing to go so far. Whereas with Vanek, sure your overpaying off the bat but your getting a player that could be the franchise for 15 year's as opposed to signing Smyth who's aging and is not the most talented player to begin with. Don't get me wrong, he's very good but he makes the most of what he has.

[r_gill]

Lowe already admitted that if he had the choice to go back and re-sign Smyth when he had the chance instead of trading him he would have. Lowe basically has been slapped around this off-season and can't attract free agents to Edmonton. He has to get creative now to get his impact players and if teams aren't willing to deal with him he is going to hand out these devastating offer sheets to their best players. He can afford to absorb such cap hits since Edmonton is a young team but other teams can't.

[MAS]

hockey wise, the best thing for Buffalo to have done is just let Vanek walk. I think Vanek wouldn't have helped Edmonton really improve that much while Buffalo would get Edmonton's 1st round pick for the next 4 years (meaning a chance at Tavares).

However PR wise that woulda killed them with the season ticket holders

Oh btw Crowned, you can't offer a contract sheet to someone who's filed for arbitration, so Emery is out. This is also why you might have noticed the Rangers QUICKLY filed for arbitration right after this event with Lundqvist

If i'm the Leafs next year, and Crosby and Ovechkin are available as RFAs, I go after them with full fury. I would even go as far to offer them 7 year $70 million contracts. They are WELL worth 4 first round picks as well. And, especially in Pittsburgh's case, you would open up the market for the coming years if they match Crosby's offer (which we all know they would), meaning Staal and Malkin would be RFAs the following season and they wouldn't have enough to keep them

[The-Insider]

hockey wise, the best thing for Buffalo to have done is just let Vanek walk. I think Vanek wouldn't have helped Edmonton really improve that much while Buffalo would get Edmonton's 1st round pick for the next 4 years (meaning a chance at Tavares).
However PR wise that woulda killed them with the season ticket holders

Oh btw Crowned, you can't offer a contract sheet to someone who's filed for arbitration, so Emery is out. This is also why you might have noticed the Rangers QUICKLY filed for arbitration right after this event with Lundqvist

If i'm the Leafs next year, and Crosby and Ovechkin are available as RFAs, I go after them with full fury. I would even go as far to offer them 7 year $70 million contracts. They are WELL worth 4 first round picks as well. And, especially in Pittsburgh's case, you would open up the market for the coming years if they match Crosby's offer (which we all know they would), meaning Staal and Malkin would be RFAs the following season and they wouldn't have enough to keep them

I strongly disagree. He's really young and super talented - and with a +47(best in the league) this year, clearly he can play a two-way game. Vanek is 23 and is coming off a 40+ goal season (5th in the NHL). It's follow up on his rookie campaign (25 goals). Vanek is a superstar in the making. It's an enormous gamble to think that any one of those 4 first round picks would amount to Vanek. Would you let Dwight Howard walk for 4 Timber-Wolves first round draft picks? I don't think the best thing for Buffalo to have done is to tell their 23 year old franchise player to take a hike. They still have great goaltending behind them and a solid club. They won

[whysoserious]

hockey wise, the best thing for Buffalo to have done is just let Vanek walk. I think Vanek wouldn't have helped Edmonton really improve that much while Buffalo would get Edmonton's 1st round pick for the next 4 years (meaning a chance at Tavares).

However PR wise that woulda killed them with the season ticket holders

Oh btw Crowned, you can't offer a contract sheet to someone who's filed for arbitration, so Emery is out. This is also why you might have noticed the Rangers QUICKLY filed for arbitration right after this event with Lundqvist

If i'm the Leafs next year, and Crosby and Ovechkin are available as RFAs, I go after them with full fury. I would even go as far to offer them 7 year $70 million contracts. They are WELL worth 4 first round picks as well. And, especially in Pittsburgh's case, you would open up the market for the coming years if they match Crosby's offer (which we all know they would), meaning Staal and Malkin would be RFAs the following season and they wouldn't have enough to keep them

That would be my dream. Whether they were able to land Crosby or Ovechkin shouldn't matter. If it leads to us getting either Malkin or Staal that would be ideal. I'd prefer to get Staal to come join this team.

Although, rumour is Pittsburgh is already working on a 7 year deal with Sydney for something like 8 million per season.

[Crowned]

hockey wise, the best thing for Buffalo to have done is just let Vanek walk. I think Vanek wouldn't have helped Edmonton really improve that much while Buffalo would get Edmonton's 1st round pick for the next 4 years (meaning a chance at Tavares).

However PR wise that woulda killed them with the season ticket holders

Oh btw Crowned, you can't offer a contract sheet to someone who's filed for arbitration, so Emery is out. This is also why you might have noticed the Rangers QUICKLY filed for arbitration right after this event with Lundqvist

If i'm the Leafs next year, and Crosby and Ovechkin are available as RFAs, I go after them with full fury. I would even go as far to offer them 7 year $70 million contracts. They are WELL worth 4 first round picks as well. And, especially in Pittsburgh's case, you would open up the market for the coming years if they match Crosby's offer (which we all know they would), meaning Staal and Malkin would be RFAs the following season and they wouldn't have enough to keep them

30 other teams will be looking to do the same.

[Tor-Rap-Tor]

4 First round draft choices Plus the cap hit for Vanek, if I were Buffalo I would have let him go...
Next year go after Crosby or Ovechkin two players that would certainly be better than Vanek and the cost would be a wash because you are just virtually trading Vanek for one or the other of them, or even target two or three lesser players, same deal... However...

I do not agree with Pirating players, I think that it sets a bad standard for developing players within a system and will ultimately lead to small market teams being hit the hardest because they will be teams trying to build through the draft, while trying to build a fan base. It certainly ratchets up costs and we will find ourselves back into lockout in a very short order. Teams would be forced to pay huge premiums for their own players, as Buffalo already has, losing two of their top players in Drury and Briere so they could keep Vanek...

Can anyone imagine what would happen if someone were to offer say Sidney Crosby 10 million a year for 7-8 years an outrageous amount of money but is he worth it, Yes! I think he is and from a Leaf's stand point financially all it would cost us is McCabe and Kubina's combined salaries and draft choices but could The Penguins match this and what would a loss this huge do to their team?...