Atomic

If it was that simple he would already be signed to a new deal. He obviously is seeking more than Walters wants to pay. Which means if Walters wants to acquiesce to Willy, Lawless, Noeller, Mike, and everyone else, he has to spend more than he wanted to.

No one said good team or playoff team ever, only that Eakins made them worse. Remember this is the team that have two double digit losing streaks with only 1 win in the middle with Eakins around. They were effectively eliminated from the playoffs in November. In the lockout year facing only western teams they were in a playoff position at the trade deadline, under Todd Nelson before they traded Petry and lost their other veteran D to injuries they were basically a .500 team. That's the level that should have been expected. With Eakins they were right back to the basement. Downplaying the damage Eakins did is just ignorance of the highest level. I hope someone else hires him just so people can realize how badly he ****** things up in Edmonton. Calm down sugar plum, I never said you said they would be a playoff team or a good team. Just stating my thoughts on the matter. I agree Eakins was a bad coach but the roster still needs work as well.

I think the best situation would be to bring in some players who have won before. Easier said than done. But there needs to be a culture change and it can be hard for just a coach to do that. They need some older guys who can show the team the right way to act. Andrew Ference, Benoit Pouliot... I think that was the right idea, but they need a few more.

The money has to come from somewhere. Walters likely has a plan for where each dollar is going to go. Maybe that plan includes an extension for Willy. Maybe that planned amount of money isn't enough to get the deal done. So the amount goes up. The plan must be adjusted to reflect this. Its not like Walters sits there and spends and hopes he is under the cap at the end of the year. There has to be a plan. and if Willy's extension can't fit into that plan, you have to make room.

Eakins was obviously a bad choice but I don't think his effect was that great that it pulled a playoff team down into almost last place in the league. Maybe Edmonton would have been more competitive. I think with a good coach and a few veterans, the turnaround could be relatively quick. But it's going to take a good coach and definitely a few smart additions because the roster still has multiple holes. They need depth and experience.

You have to replace that player. If league minimum is 55k and you need 100k, you have to cut a player making 155k and replace him with a 55k player to get that. Or two players making 95k and replace them both with players making 55k. So yeah, you do. You don't cut a star player, you cut your over paid middle roster guys and replace them with rookies. Lol like that's nothing at all? The team is already young and inexperienced.

We don't know the cap situation. Look at how free agency went... They spent a lot. Every big spend requires the money to come from somewhere.

You have to replace that player. If league minimum is 55k and you need 100k, you have to cut a player making 155k and replace him with a 55k player to get that. Or two players making 105k and replace them both with players making 55k. So yeah, you do.

Is that a guess, or is there info out there somewhere that supports this? I don't agree or disagree, I just wonder if it's accurate. There have always been small defensemen. It's not a new phenomena in today's NHL. It just feels right, and you can take that to the bank.

And if we don't have the cap space? Who do you cut? If we're talking about a 100k signing bonus, we're also talking about cutting that much salary. So who do you want to get rid of? Nick Moore, Clarence Denmark? Bryant Turner, Chris Randle? It's gotta be someone making good money, or a handful of veteran guys making more than league average. Either way, you're talking about replacing a star with a rookie, or several veterans with rookies. All to accommodate a guy who is under contract and going to be here either way.

Why would Willy sign an extension right now, unless he feels like it is more than what he will get in the off-season?

I find it weird to keep reading how important size is in "the new NHL" for defencemen. Size is less important than ever. That's why you saw all the huge guys lose their jobs when the 05-06 lockout ended. Defencemen are, as a whole, much smaller now than they were before the lockout.

Well the question is, who do we have to cut to afford to pay Willy more this year? Will it really be that hard to sign him after the season? If we are already talking about 400k per year, how much higher will it go? I can't imagine it going much higher, unless he has an MOP season. Even then, what, 500k? I say take the gamble and extend him after the season if we still want to. There are 3 months between the end of the season and free agency, plenty of time to get a deal done.

I've done the shuttle from Taylor ave a few times. It is great, I agree.

Bryant is a lock but Dile isn't. He hasn't played much recently and has some injury concerns. Devin Tyler is the same way. I think they're just covering their bases. Once upon a time we would only bring in 3 or 4 American OTs to camp. That's when you end up starting Paul Swiston and Jordan Taormina in game one of the season.

#Ticats DT @LindenGaydosh expected to miss entire 2015 season with torn Achilles. #CFL http://t.co/toiyUozl39 — Drew Edwards (@scratchingpost) April 29, 2015

I'd look to have 8 defencemen under contract with the big club if possible. I don't know what's going to happen with Clitsome but I wouldn't include him in any plans right now. Then you have Enstrom, Byfuglien, Myers, Stuart, Trouba, Chiarot, Pardy, Harrison. Works for me. There are injuries every year, you need more than 6 defencemen that can play. Aside from Morrissey incoming, I'm not sure we have anyone in the AHL even worthy of considering bringing up. Maybe Ellerby but he is not under contract yet.

It's not ideal but every team does it occasionally. Even the Jets this year... and last year... and the year before. When you have one top 4 LHD and 3 top 4 RHD, it just makes sense to flip one to the other side. Again, it's not ideal... but are we better off with Enstrom-Myers, Stuart-Trouba, Chiarot-Postma than we would be with Enstrom-Myers, Trouba-Buff, Stuart-Chiarot? I don't think so.

May 1st? Are you sure? I thought it was just by the start of main training camp.

I was paraphrasing, I didn't have the exact quote. Not my intention to obscure what Walters said so I will listen again to clear it up. Take what you will from the actual quote: Walters: It seems like there's two or three guys, over the past couple weeks, that have gained their National status and they've been thrown into the draft as well, which means you have to double back and do your work. It's exciting in the sense that there's new guys in here, but it's frustrating to have gone through the process and now you've done your rankings and a new name pops up on the board and you have to essentially start all over, and see where that guy fits into the system so I think we're gonna be busy right up until we call a name on the 12th.

Walters also said that a few guys have just recently gained eligibility for the draft and that has caused them to re-think their draft rankings.

Compare building a football team to building a car. The OL is the engine. Receivers are the spoiler. This is the worst analogy in the history of the internet

Lots of question marks surrounding Harty and Richards. Far more so than Demski or Durant. In both scenarios, we are getting a second-tier player at the 11th pick, whether it is a second-tier OL or second-tier receiver is the question.

True North isn't about a corporation anymore. We are True North... the people of this city. And this city is a little small, a little out-of-the-way, so we have to be the loudest to make sure our voices are heard. Ex-Winnipeggers who couldn't take the cold and abandoned this city when it was at its lowest.... you'll never understand. You're Albertans and British Columbians and Ontarians now... if you don't like the True North chant, it's because you aren't True North, and you never were!

What good is an OL when your receivers can't get open or catch the ball? Bombers are going receiver with the 2nd overall pick. OL is the foundation of a football team.We will see on May 12. I'll eat Mike's shorts if the Bombers don't go OL with their 2nd overall. This is of course barring any trades... I think using the second overall pick on guaranteeing themselves a top OL is still a safe move, that they pretty much can't get wrong. But I also think they want someone who will contribute this year, and it seems more likely to me that a receiver like Demski has a better chance of doing so. If they pick Chungh or Groulx or whomever, I won't be disappointed because we'll be getting a stud OL. But the way I see it, the way our roster is configured now, we can have Goossen step in and probably play pretty well if one of our starting Canadian OL go down. If Kohlert or JFG go down (and is JFG even a starting-caliber receiver? I like him but he has a lot to prove), then we have Bastien or Millington coming in as a starter. Yikes. That scares me a bit, a lot more than Goossen starting.