Thoughts on Thoughts: Kesler's future, 'bold' Flyers, Leafs untouchables & more

“Thoughts on Thoughts” is a feature that looks at Elliotte Friedman’s terrific weekly post “30 Thoughts.” Justin Bourne selects his 10 favourite tidbits, and elaborates.

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Friedman’s column, June 23rd: NHL free agents reluctant to commit early

10 Thoughts

2. When Los Angeles announced John Stevens's promotion last week, it also revealed new contracts for Davis Payne and Bill Ranford. Who didn't come up? Darryl Sutter. That led to speculation he might work one more year before Stevens takes over. Doesn't sound like that's Dean Lombardi's plan. Word is discussions are underway on a new contract for Sutter.

While it would shock me zero percent to hear that Darryl Sutter has decided to go back to his farm and his life in Alberta and leave Los Angeles on his own terms, I have to - have to - believe that he sees where the Kings are and where they’ve been, and knows they have the chance to do something really special. They have a chance, slim though it may be, to be a historic team, an actual dynasty. I don’t know how strongly he wants to be in the NHL, but for the chance to be a part of something so huge like that, you’ve gotta believe he wants to at least see it through. I’m sure he’ll re-up before long.

4. One team that has definitely made an offer [for the first overall pick]? Vancouver. I believe it included their first pick in this draft (which is sixth overall) and Hunter Shinkaruk, who was taken 24th in 2013. There was at least one other piece, probably off the main roster, but I can't pin it down. It's not Ryan Kesler, who won't go there.

I like the idea that Vancouver wants to get aggressive, but I just feel like they’re a franchise teetering perilously close to disaster. They’re also not far from being pretty good again, so there’s a lot of pressure on their next few roster moves. A top prospect and the 6th overall pick in a draft that isn’t crazy top heavy for one better prospect feels a bit dicey.

Blue chip difference-makers are tough to come by, I get that. You need them to win the Cup, I know that. It wouldn’t be totally asinine or anything like that. But that price sure ain’t cheap.

5. The Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch reported Kesler would only go to Chicago or Pittsburgh. I don't think the list is a long one, but it does include Anaheim.

I find having a list that short odd. If I’m looking at NHL cities and rosters and staffs, I think I could come up with a dozen that I could fairly say “They have a chance, that looks like a cool place to live.” I mean, “Chicago” is the no-brainer of no-brainers, you would just think a guy that apparently wants out of town would be a little more flexible in providing avenues for his departure.

7. Islanders GM Garth Snow is on record telling Newsday's Arthur Staple that he will give up the fifth selection for a player who can help them win now. Other teams are more in "stealth mode," and one is definitely Toronto. Dave Nonis is like a baseball GM, throwing 25 players on the waiver wire to hide the one he really wants to move.

I’m really going to enjoy The Summer Of The Islanders Actually Trying To Improve. If a ninth-overall pick fetched Cory Schneider last year, you’re looking at a pretty good roster player for a fifth. I’m curious to see what they turn it into, if anything. And please let it be something - as an Isles fan, I’m tired of the promise of prospects on the way.

8. There is no doubt he is testing the market on a significant portion of his roster. I don't think Toronto will make a deal just for the sake of it, but the Leafs are looking to add depth up front and re-arrange the blue-line. Teams asking about Morgan Rielly are being laughed out of existence. I also don't think Jonathan Bernier and Phil Kessel are available, either. They get asked a lot about Jake Gardiner and James van Riemsdyk, but are you willing to make an offer that doesn't allow Toronto to say no?

I think it’s pretty telling that the Leafs seem to know what they have in Morgan Rielly. His skating ability is unlike many on the back-end in the NHL, and you can see what that’s done for other not-so-huge D-men who could fly like Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rafalski, even Brian Campbell. With some development, the Leafs might have a legitimately great player there.

12. Finally, there's Philadelphia. It would be a surprise if the Flyers, hosts of this draft, did not at least inquire about what it would take to get near the top -- if not right at it. This is a franchise unafraid to take bold swings.

This is true. They are unafraid to take bold swings.

“I don’t need a sword to fight this dragon.”

Bold.

“I don’t care if no one else can, I’m leaping off this cliff and flying.”

BOLD.

The Flyers are nothing if not bold.

*Boldly finish fifth in the Metro Division*

15. Hearing a lot of Montreal's decisions are based on whether or not the Canadiens decide to keep Andrei Markov. His asking price (reported to be three years and $18M) is steep, especially that third year. Accepting that, or something close to it, affects Marc Bergevin's ability to do other things. He's undoubtedly looking to see if there's something he can do that would make this choice an easier one.

As we saw earlier today, this did happen. He signed a three year, $17.25 million dollar deal. While the hockey community often finds itself laughing at contracts, and may find itself doing the same as a 38-year-old Markov hobbles around the ice for near six million bucks, allowing players to over-earn at the end of contracts for a year or two is a reasonable compromise for getting UFA’s to sign.

So many teams are desperate to improve, and a name like Andrei Markov would help them. To convince a talent like that to choose your team, there has to be some incentive. As much as we like to play the “If I was GM” game and say we’d only give him two years, we’d also be GMs of teams without Andrei Markov, because someone would throw in the third year to (hopefully) get two good ones. It’s not as easy as what’s fair, or what would be good. That’s what he and his agent were after - a three-year deal around that number - and since he’d get it elsewhere, you’re helpless unless you’re willing to lose a valued commodity for nothing.

16. In the middle of all the Jason Spezza rumours, he did a really nice thing for Sam Bennett. Bennett told reporters while attending Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final that Ottawa's captain (for now) reached out to him when news broke that the upcoming first-round pick couldn't do a single pull-up at the NHL combine. The two work out at the same gym. So what was said? "I don't really know Sam, but he is around the gym. So I called him because I felt bad for him," Spezza wrote by email. "I know the pressure he must be under before the draft."

A few thoughts on Bennett not being able to do a pull-up:

Sam Bennett will be able to do a pull-up. If he can already be considered one of the world’s best 18-year-olds at hockey and can’t, you know you’re getting a player who will be stronger and better in the future. That’s a good thing, and a testament to his hockey ability. Hurray for that.

Second, it’s pretty bizarre that he couldn’t do at least one. I mean, you know what tests are at the combine, you’d think you’d be working your tail off to at least be able to rip one off.

Finally, the one concern would be that, while yes, he is going to be able to do pull-ups and be stronger in the future, some people just aren’t built like Yetis, and won’t ever be. I’m not. I couldn’t do more than a couple pull-ups at 18, but by the end of college I could bang out 15 or so. But I was still never going to be in the physical man-class as guys like Shea Weber. I had to work at it, and get stronger. If you’re considering pure genes, you may consider that while Bennett will get stronger, he probably won’t ever be a beast.

23. Peters impressed every team who interviewed him with his preparation. Apparently, the binders he brought were really something. And he made sure to have enough for everyone talking to him, meaning he researched how many people would be in the interview. As someone who is occasionally brutal on details, I enjoy hearing about this stuff.

I love coaches who take their job seriously. It’s way too easy to just roll a bunch of lines over the boards and hope, as so many do. But you can grind out extra wins with a guy who goes deeper, so if I’m hiring a coach, that’s a top priority of mine.

28. Penguins fans are looking at this and saying, "What the heck? Does no one want to coach Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin?" It's a great question and one we are all asking. The number one answer: It hasn't been a lot of fun there. Ownership and the team's CEO, David Morehouse, are taking most of the heat, but that's not a true picture, because it extended onto the bench and in the dressing room. The demands, the pressure and the disappointment took its toll on a lot of people. No one likes to lose, but things used to be joyous there. That must be re-discovered. It also reveals what a great job Ray Shero did preventing all of this from going public while he was in charge.

I’d think the weight of expectations in Pitt would be a huge negative. Crosby has the general public thinking the Penguins should win every year, and performing below expectations leads to a negative environment. So with sky-high goals, you’re probably working in downer-mode most days. As great as coaching those two stars would be, the opportunity to be somewhere with more realistic goals would be appealing.