Brooks Zibanejad Seeking 7-8 Years, $10M AAV on Next Contract

I'm betting on Zibanejad here. I'm reading some of the options being thrown out in this thread and I'm disturbed by the alternatives people are coming up with. Assuming Eichel to the Rangers isn't going to happen, which feels more likely by the day, why are the Rangers just moving on from the best center they've had in two decades? I get that cost and term are prohibitive, but some of the options being thrown around wish they were as good as Zibanejad. I'd rather go with the devil I know. There aren't many centers that I think are better or that I'd move Zib for. He'll get something close to $9M and that's what he's earned.

The bigger question is, if you don't pay him, who the hell is playing first-line center for you? Especially if you don't trade for Eichel.

I'm a devil you know guy. Zibanejad gets the bag. If it goes sour, it goes sour, and we cross that bridge when we get to it.

The bigger question is, if you don't pay him, who the hell is playing first-line center for you? Especially if you don't trade for Eichel.

 

I'm a devil you know guy. Zibanejad gets the bag. If it goes sour, it goes sour, and we cross that bridge when we get to it.

Right. Strome is already a question mark himself. He's a strong top-six center next to Panarin, but he's not capable of being the guy. Any free agent option is either going to be worse than Zibanejad or paid more. Options that I would consider via trade like Pettersson, as a younger option, or Scheifele, as a lateral but tougher move, would just get declined by Zib waiving his NMC. Most of the players who are on Zibanejad's level aren't going to get moved.

Just stick with Zibanejad and trust that he'll rebound from this past season.

Right. Strome is already a question mark himself. He's a strong top-six center next to Panarin, but he's not capable of being the guy. Any free agent option is either going to be worse than Zibanejad or paid more. Options that I would consider via trade like Pettersson, as a younger option, or Scheifele, as a lateral but tougher move, would just get declined by Zib waiving his NMC. Most of the players who are on Zibanejad's level aren't going to get moved.

 

Just stick with Zibanejad and trust that he'll rebound from this past season.

They'll also cost you more in assets instead of just keeping the guy you know works.

The thing is trying to predict what the cap ceiling will be for the start of the 23/24 season will be. By that time Kakko, Fox, and Kravtsov will be on their second contracts and ALF will be up for his. If ALF has blossomed by then to a superstar status and we have paid Ziby his money, we are really tight cap wise.

Panarin 11.6

Zibanejad 9 (if you assume he comes down slightly)

Fox 9 (assuming Makar set the bar and we lock him up long term)

Trouba 8

Kreider 6.5

Shesty 4

Goodrow 3.6

Kakko 3.5 (just guessing but it seems realistic if not low to me)

Kravtsov 3

Lindgren 3

That’s 61 million on 10 players and that’s without a 2C, ALF in the top 6 if you are assuming Kreider is a third liner, a potential raise for K’Andre, 2 other D, backup goalie, and about 4 of your bottom six. Cap is what, 82 million or so now with a possibility of covid shutting down fans at any time, at best a small bump for the 22/23 season and who knows for 23/24? It’s doable but it’s tight. Very tight. We either have to assume we leap bounds forward and our window is in these next two years or we pray guys don’t develop too fast (Kakko/Kravy) with increased ice time and production to anything elite next season or we have even worse decisions to make. That 8m for Trouba and 6.5 for Kreider are killers on a team with high potential draftees.

The thing is trying to predict what the cap ceiling will be for the start of the 23/24 season will be. By that time Kakko, Fox, and Kravtsov will be on their second contracts and ALF will be up for his. If ALF has blossomed by then to a superstar status and we have paid Ziby his money, we are really tight cap wise.

Panarin 11.6

Zibanejad 9 (if you assume he comes down slightly)

Fox 9 (assuming Makar set the bar and we lock him up long term)

Trouba 8

Kreider 6.5

Shesty 4

Goodrow 3.6

Kakko 3.5 (just guessing but it seems realistic if not low to me)

Kravtsov 3

Lindgren 3

 

That’s 61 million on 10 players and that’s without a 2C, ALF in the top 6 if you are assuming Kreider is a third liner, a potential raise for K’Andre, 2 other D, backup goalie, and about 4 of your bottom six. Cap is what, 82 million or so now with a possibility of covid shutting down fans at any time, at best a small bump for the 22/23 season and who knows for 23/24? It’s doable but it’s tight. Very tight. We either have to assume we leap bounds forward and our window is in these next two years or we pray guys don’t develop too fast (Kakko/Kravy) with increased ice time and production to anything elite next season or we have even worse decisions to make. That 8m for Trouba and 6.5 for Kreider are killers on a team with high potential draftees.

We need to keep our picks, and stockpile more, so we can fill the lineup with ELCs. There's no question Kreider and/or Trouba are out the second that NMC becomes a limited NTC.

We need to keep our picks, and stockpile more, so we can fill the lineup with ELCs. There's no question Kreider and/or Trouba are out the second that NMC becomes a limited NTC.

Right, the problem with that is they both don’t have that happen until the year after in 24/25.

Right, the problem with that is they both don’t have that happen until the year after in 24/25.

Yup. It's a year off when needed. Might convince one or the other to waive. And you hadn't even mentioned Miller's number either. If they continue giving him top 4 minutes, and he doesn't fall on his face, he'll be due a substantial raise too.

Yup. It's a year off when needed. Might convince one or the other to waive. And you hadn't even mentioned Miller's number either. If they continue giving him top 4 minutes, and he doesn't fall on his face, he'll be due a substantial raise too.

He’s not really slated to be a PP type and probably won’t be much of a producer. You’re probably looking at a bridge akin to Lindgren’s.

The thing is trying to predict what the cap ceiling will be for the start of the 23/24 season will be. By that time Kakko, Fox, and Kravtsov will be on their second contracts and ALF will be up for his. If ALF has blossomed by then to a superstar status and we have paid Ziby his money, we are really tight cap wise.

Panarin 11.6

Zibanejad 9 (if you assume he comes down slightly)

Fox 9 (assuming Makar set the bar and we lock him up long term)

Trouba 8

Kreider 6.5

Shesty 4

Goodrow 3.6

Kakko 3.5 (just guessing but it seems realistic if not low to me)

Kravtsov 3

Lindgren 3

 

That’s 61 million on 10 players and that’s without a 2C, ALF in the top 6 if you are assuming Kreider is a third liner, a potential raise for K’Andre, 2 other D, backup goalie, and about 4 of your bottom six. Cap is what, 82 million or so now with a possibility of covid shutting down fans at any time, at best a small bump for the 22/23 season and who knows for 23/24? It’s doable but it’s tight. Very tight. We either have to assume we leap bounds forward and our window is in these next two years or we pray guys don’t develop too fast (Kakko/Kravy) with increased ice time and production to anything elite next season or we have even worse decisions to make. That 8m for Trouba and 6.5 for Kreider are killers on a team with high potential draftees.

Thing is that 20 million for 10 players, only one of which is in your top 6 or top 4? That actually works.

Spitballing?

Cuylle and Othmann fill out your left side on ELCs. Barron and whomever on the right. A 4c - figure 1.5 there. 3m-ish 2c - let's say Chytil for shits and giggles.

We've filled the forwards aside from ALF and we're at 69.

You'll still have Nils and Schneider on ELCs here - let's assume we bring in McCabe for 2.5 as well. We're now full on D and at 75.

Backup goalie - let's say Garand.

6M for ALF remaining before trading Kreider or Trouba.

Thing is that 20 million for 10 players, only one of which is in your top 6 or top 4? That actually works.

 

Spitballing?

 

Cuylle and Othmann fill out your left side on ELCs. Barron and whomever on the right. A 4c - figure 1.5 there. 3m-ish 2c - let's say Chytil for shits and giggles.

 

We've filled the forwards aside from ALF and we're at 69.

 

You'll still have Nils and Schneider on ELCs here - let's assume we bring in McCabe for 2.5 as well. We're now full on D and at 75.

 

Backup goalie - let's say Garand.

 

6M for ALF remaining before trading Kreider or Trouba.

Chytil is rfa now so you assume he signs for a 2 year deal or so right? It works much better if he goes 3 years at a reasonable rate and blows up a bit where we luck out on a good rate. I’m not sold on Chytil though. ALF at 6m works amazing if he is who he’s touted to be. That doesn’t buy term though I guess but is a nice bridge.

Another idea (and also just spitballing) though would be to look at our teams strengths for the future and see how it’s on the wings and D. We could look to try and get two 2cs instead of a top flight 1c and lesser 2c. If we managed to pull a Lindholm out of Calgary and kept a Strome, it might not be the worst having 1c/2c combined be 6.5/4.85 in Strome/Lindholm instead of 9/3 in Ziby and Chytil when it’s painfully obvious to me that Chytil just isn’t a center. Or if you want the Galant connection, try to get Marchessault? Same good term and money contract at 30 I believe and has been to a cup final so there is the twist of experience too.

Chytil is rfa now so you assume he signs for a 2 year deal or so right? It works much better if he goes 3 years at a reasonable rate and blows up a bit where we luck out on a good rate. I’m not sold on Chytil though. ALF at 6m works amazing if he is who he’s touted to be. That doesn’t buy term though I guess but is a nice bridge.

 

Another idea (and also just spitballing) though would be to look at our teams strengths for the future and see how it’s on the wings and D. We could look to try and get two 2cs instead of a top flight 1c and lesser 2c. If we managed to pull a Lindholm out of Calgary and kept a Strome, it might not be the worst having 1c/2c combined be 6.5/4.85 in Strome/Lindholm instead of 9/3 in Ziby and Chytil when it’s painfully obvious to me that Chytil just isn’t a center. Or if you want the Galant connection, try to get Marchessault? Same good term and money contract at 30 I believe and has been to a cup final so there is the twist of experience too.

You start with an offer of 8.5 for 5 years and hope you can get around 9 for 6 years. Besides being the top goal scorer on the team he’s also their best penalty killer.

 

 

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Yea... This is how negotiations work. If he's asking for $10M they always start high.

 

More I think about it... Eichels injury makes me not want to have anything to do with him anyway.

He's not even coming in high - that is literally his fair value based on his output. He's just coming in as unrealistic for like the last 4 years of the deal

 

Charge him for the no move and charge him for the 8th year. Should do the trick and be perfectly fair.

It's also a negotiation tactic. If you want a deal in the range of say $8.5 million to $9 million, you don't ask for $8.5 million to $9 million — you ask for $10 million. Because the other side is going to make an offer near $7.5 to $8 million. This has been a principle of NHL free agency since, forever.

 

So, too, are these reports a form of negotiation. Players/agents, or even GMs, will routinely make public aspects of negotiation as leverage. Remember the fuckin' heel promo Slats cut on Stepan from Banff talking about how if he wanted max money he's not getting it, but if he wants to be part of the team moving forward he was happy to negotiate a fair value extension (I'm paraphrasing). Negotiation tactics.

I'm actually not surprised at this request from Zibby. I think you guys have this correct. It's Basic Negotiation: 101...They'll settle on something fair. I'm not even worried. 6 years/$9 million sounds pretty much in the ball park to me. Let's see how it goes this season, first!

I only worry because the rangers have been notoriously bad at negotiating contracts … like always. Let’s hope drury can do better there.

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I guess there's no way Mika gets 10m if Point signs for 9.5m, right?

[someone insert Friedman's tweet here(

I guess there's no way Mika gets 10m if Point signs for 9.5m, right?

 

[someone insert Friedman's tweet here(

)]

Wow… ouch

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He's going to be 29 with 28 concussions. Fuck That.

(although this is where we've been predicting him to be for the last few seasons)

I guess there's no way Mika gets 10m if Point signs for 9.5m, right?

 

[someone insert Friedman's tweet here(

)]

tweet no work

tweet no work

Looks like he deleted the tweet. Strange.

He just said that TBL might do with Point what they did with Kuch and Hedman(?), by signing him a year before the current contract is up. He mentioned 8x9.5m.

I’d argue Buch and Kreider benefit from playing with Mika more than he benefits from playing with them. Neither of those players are a 1st liner on a decent team.

 

Mikas not worth 10. Not at 29 years old and not for 8 years. But he’s the best player on the team and probably could get 10 on the open market from a desperate team. This is part of the issue of not having any center depth. We either have to ante up for Mika or go get someone equally as expensive because behind him we have Strome and Chytl and that’s it.

I'd argue that Panarin is the best player on the team. However, I agree, no way I'm giving a 29 year old $10M X 8. $8.5M X 5 is more realistic.

He's too inconsistent for $10m.

He can still get there with a good upcoming season.

I'd argue that Panarin is the best player on the team. However, I agree, no way I'm giving a 29 year old $10M X 8. $8.5M X 5 is more realistic.

I do that in a heart beat. I think Mika has earned it, its fair, and I like him so get it done.

With that said I think were closer to 9.5 at the end of the day.