Player Discussion Filip Hronek - Pt. 2

[VanJack]

You have to cut Hronek some slack here. I mean like a lot of Canucks, this was his taste of playoff action. He spent his entire career with the Wings, who've basically sucked for years.

I think every guy who played in these 13 playoff games will benefit greatly from the experience. Point-producing d-men who play the right side are almost impossible to find. So I hope they can extend Hronek for at least three more years on some sort of bridge deal.

 

[LordBacon]

Now that Ive cooled down a bit I think its the perfect opportunity to lowball him into signing somewhat cheaper and longer term deal.

 

[F A N]

Now that Ive cooled down a bit I think its the perfect opportunity to lowball him into signing somewhat cheaper and longer term deal.

I think it would be difficult to offer him less than the offer that was rejected. I think management should stick with what they offered with perhaps a small increase so Hronek can save face.

 

[biturbo19]

This contract situation is clearly the absolute biggest pivot point of the entire offseason. What Hronek ends up costing looms as an absolutely enormous defining factor in what else they can get done over the summer.


It's a tricky situation because on the one hand, he's been a surprisingly tremendous partner for Hughes. Helped allow Hughes to take his game to a completely different level. But there's a definite element of "coattail riding" going on there as well, which you hate to pay a premium for. His playoffs were also...pretty lackluster. Even just down the regular season stretch...he seemed to regress as the year wore on. Hard to completely extricate from the team as a whole cooling off a ton during that period post All Star break as well though.



Intuitively, he feels like a $6M defenceman who would probably be worth up to $7M on the "open market" with that RHD premium. But if he's asking for closer to $8M as rumored...that's a heck of a lot to pay for a complementary copilot to Hughes. To me, that has to kind of cap his salary ceiling at something around the Devon Toews deal. $7.25M. Different ages, very different ~style~ of defenceman...but for me, that's the real "high end" comp that brackets in what seems even remotely reasonable to offer him. I think Severson is probably the "lower range" bracket at $6.25M. Both contracts also being UFA rather than RFA...but with players in Hronek's situation one year out from UFA if they force the issue...we've seen that it functionally doesn't matter much anymore.

So much of their flexibility this offseason is contingent on what they can get done with Hronek though. He's the biggest ticket item and it's a tricky one.

 

[Cancuks]

After seeing him wear down as the season progressed it's clear they need to deal him if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs. His expectations for salary are just too high. Could see a lot of teams interested.

 

[mriswith]

Yzerman was right all along. He's a #3 that wants to get paid like a #1.

Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of having a Seider and absolutely cannot afford to lose Hronek without having someone at least as good ready to slide into the top pairing RD role so we're probably going to end up overpaying him to keep him.

Ideally he'd sign for something that starts with a 6, play on the second pairing and we'd find someone as good or better for Hughes but I'm not going to hold my breath on any of that.

 

[Flik]

-500k/yr for his responses during the end of season presser today lol

 

[Hit the post]

Yzerman was right all along. He's a #3 that wants to get paid like a #1.

Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of having a Seider and absolutely cannot afford to lose Hronek without having someone at least as good ready to slide into the top pairing RD role so we're probably going to end up overpaying him to keep him.

Ideally he'd sign for something that starts with a 6, play on the second pairing and we'd find someone as good or better for Hughes but I'm not going to hold my breath on any of that.

We might not have the cap space to pay him like a 2nd pairing D (forget #1) & re-sign "Z".

 

[iFan]

I mean if we can sign Tanev, we could afford to move Hronek for help up front. I just don't see a 8 million dollar player with Hronek

 

[PuckMunchkin]

So he says he wasn't injured.

 

[Nucker101]

So he says he wasn't injured.

Dan Murphy says he was lying. Murphy travels with the team and even golfs with some of the players so I’d take his word for it

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Dan Murphy says he was lying. Murphy travels with the team and even golfs with some of the players so I’d take his word for it

Okay...

 

[JAK]

-500k/yr for his responses during the end of season presser today lol

I think he would rather play in a market where the press doesn't ask questions.

 

[Nopefully]

I think he would rather play in a market where the press doesn't ask questions.

I hear Carolina is fairly anonymous

 

[oba]

He got seriously banged through two series. Like a target. Playoffs is a different animal.

Respect for his blowing off the hacks.

 

[D0ctorCool]

Yzerman was right all along. He's a #3 that wants to get paid like a #1.

Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of having a Seider and absolutely cannot afford to lose Hronek without having someone at least as good ready to slide into the top pairing RD role so we're probably going to end up overpaying him to keep him.

Ideally he'd sign for something that starts with a 6, play on the second pairing and we'd find someone as good or better for Hughes but I'm not going to hold my breath on any of that.

yeah, I was always worried that Yzerman knew something we didn't when he traded Hronek. It just seemed like a very random player playing a very coveted position (having Seider or not) to ship out. Now it's our turn.

 

[Diversification]

7M x 8years might get it done. That's a fair deal for both sides and probably prices out Zadorov and Lindholm. Sign Myers at 3M x 2 and run with Juulsen as your 6D. RH 8 D will be found at league min. Could see Bluegar coming back on a 2 year deal at 2.25M. Those are the types of tough choices that are coming this offseason if we want to reallocate to top 6 wing.

If they find a way to dump Mik, that's a different story, but I don't see it happening.

The really interesting questions are who sticks internally in the bottom 6 and in who is the next Dakota Joshua that management identifies.

 

[Tobi1Kenobi]

7M x 8years might get it done. That's a fair deal for both sides and probably prices out Zadorov and Lindholm. Sign Myers at 3M x 2 and run with Juulsen as your 6D. RH 8 D will be found at league min. Could see Bluegar coming back on a 2 year deal at 2.25M. Those are the types of tough choices that are coming this offseason if we want to reallocate to top 6 wing.

If they find a way to dump Mik, that's a different story, but I don't see it happening.

The really interesting questions are who sticks internally in the bottom 6 and in who is the next Dakota Joshua that management identifies.

They need the cap hit lower. I'd try and oush for 6.25 x 3 years. He gets another contract at 29 when the cap will be higher and can get ufa

 

[Jovofan]

If Hronek was a left hand shot would the kind of numbers being thrown about still apply to him? Are these massive cap hits based solely on the way he holds his stick?

 

[Diversification]

If Hronek was a left hand shot would the kind of numbers being thrown about still apply to him? Are these massive cap hits based solely on the way he holds his stick?

Yes. Market scarcity. RHD is something coaches prize.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

If Hronek was a left hand shot would the kind of numbers being thrown about still apply to him? Are these massive cap hits based solely on the way he holds his stick?

Its a big part of it for sure.

 

[Regal]

I’m still kind of torn on Hronek. He was too good the first half of the season to completely dismiss it and write him off as it seems a lot have done, but it’s hard to sign him long term if you don’t know which version of him you’re getting. A short term deal would be interesting but I’m not sure a Walsh client would go for it.

 

[DFAC]

7M x 8years might get it done. That's a fair deal for both sides and probably prices out Zadorov and Lindholm. Sign Myers at 3M x 2 and run with Juulsen as your 6D. RH 8 D will be found at league min. Could see Bluegar coming back on a 2 year deal at 2.25M. Those are the types of tough choices that are coming this offseason if we want to reallocate to top 6 wing.

If they find a way to dump Mik, that's a different story, but I don't see it happening.

The really interesting questions are who sticks internally in the bottom 6 and in who is the next Dakota Joshua that management identifies.

7M x 8 is a crazy deal for a player who had a terrible second half + postseason AND who we still haven't seen play away from Hughes.

Are people seriously wanting to sign Hronek for this much?

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

They need the cap hit lower. I'd try and oush for 6.25 x 3 years. He gets another contract at 29 when the cap will be higher and can get ufa

Hronek already refused a 6.5M offer and knows his position is coveted. There's no point trying an offer like that because it will get immediately rejected. And I wouldn't blame him either. If I'm Hronek, any offer that doesn't begin with 7M, I just go to arbitration and see what happens.

7M x 8 is a crazy deal for a player who had a terrible second half + postseason AND who we still haven't seen play away from Hughes.

Are people seriously wanting to sign Hronek for this much?

He plays arguably the hardest position to fill in the league and is only 26. Despite cratering in the second half of the season, 7M is still a very reasonable demand. He's almost guaranteed to get it in arbitration just not the term.

If the choices are between trying to find a replacement or gambling an eight year contract, I'd take the latter without much hesitation. 26 is very young for a defenseman and finding a comparably good replacement will be extremely difficult.