Friedman expects Cam Fowler to get PAID!

[Axeman33]

https://twitter.com/NicholsOnHockey/...96730702118912

Friedman: Couple of GMs told me "if Fowler hits the market, he?s probably a $56 million guy ? 8 X 7." #NHLDucks

Full story here:

https://www.fanragsports.com/news/fr...riables-ducks/

The Anaheim Ducks could become one of the key players in what could be a fairly momentous off-season of activity around the league.

The franchise?s pillar of strength ? its defensive reserves ? stands to be a central storyline thanks in large part to next month?s expansion draft with the incoming Vegas Golden Knights. Throw in the desperate need many other teams have in acquiring a quality blueliner, and the Ducks are set to play a pivotal role in what?s to come.

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman appeared on NHL Network on Tuesday afternoon, and followed a segment on the Ducks? expansion draft dilemma and the options available to the team.

?I thought you guys hit on all of the key points,? began Friedman. ?If there?s one thing I could add it would be this variable: Cam Fowler is an unrestricted free agent in a year. I think a lot of the decision-making here will come down to do the Anaheim Ducks think they can sign Cam Fowler long term. If they can, I think that makes their decision different and means that they go and move somebody else or expose somebody else. But if they don?t feel that they can sign Fowler long term, I?m wondering if he?s the guy they move in order to solve the problem.

?It?s going to take a big number. I was talking with a couple of other GMs last week and they said that if Fowler hits the market, he?s probably a $56 million guy ? 8 X 7.

?So Anaheim has to decide a) are we going to do that, or b) would he take a little bit less to stay.

?But I think you guys hit on all of the key points. I don?t think there?s any desire to leave Manson unprotected. I think they really love what they have coming in both Theodore and Montour. And I wonder if Vatanen ends up being the guy if it?s not Fowler ? if Vatanen ends up being the guy that a lot of teams look at and say, ?He?s the guy we?re interested in.?

?And hey, if you were Dallas and Anaheim, would you do Vatanen for the third overall pick??

Friedman?s mention of Dallas here alluded to an earlier discussion on the Stars during this same appearance.

Fowler is headed into the final season of his five-year, $20 million contract and does not have any trade protection.

Vatanen carries a $4.875 million cap hit on his four-year contract, the first season of which he?s just wrapped up. His modified no-trade clause kicks in for the third and fourth years of his deal, according to CapFriendly.

[Eskimo Brother]

Ooof. That would be pricy! He's a good defenceman, but the open market sure does drive prices up.

[lucafen4]

Shattenkirk is going to expect similar numbers... man.

[als_revenge]

I'm just trying to imagine which team would pay Fowler 8 x 7. I just don't see it.

[ericdaoust]

Isn't this always how it starts with AAV figures? Start off at 7, ends up around 5.5

[Jouko-Pouko]

Is that $8M for 7 years? I guess it has to be because other teams cannot offer him 8 years.

Fowler has been playing great hockey this season. In my opinion, he could get $7M on the open market but I think the Ducks can re-sign him at $6M or $6.5M for 8 years. He'd be 34 when that contract would end.

[RizzeeDizzee]

So the way things are going, Karlsson will get $37M per season on his next deal in 2020?

[STONE.]

So the way things are going, Karlsson will get $37M per season on his next deal in 2020?

Haha! Yup. Worth every penny.
To be honest, after these playoffs, they could spend $45 million on him, $5 million on Anderson, surround them with million dollar AHLers and probably still go a round or two.

[ericdaoust]

Karlsson will get his 37 million but it will be dependent on ticket sales. So, more like 17 million.

[Pengwin7]

Fowler has really blossomed over the last 3 years, and especially in the 2nd half/playoffs of this past year. (like ENORMOUS leaps)
I remember really disliking him through his first 4 seasons... but mercy, he IS very, very solid defender these days.
So much so, that I truly think that Vatanen might hit the expansion block, even though Vatanen has many years left and Fowler only has one.
I think the ANA D4 situation is as intriguing as "what will PIT do with Fleury?"

The looming question... is does ANA have enough to pay him?
I say no.
But even if not, what is the value of holding him as a tradeable asset?
And I think that's quite high.
High enough where ANA rolls the dice on keeping him... and making a decision on WHAT do to with him later.

[stimperi]

That is crazy. A good player, but still. Crazy.

[hockeymanG23]

I get that he's had a good season but at this time last year he was seen as obvious expansion draft fodder. I don't see how his value could change THAT much, it would make less sense than Reddens last contract.

Redden 2.0

[Rodgort]

Hearing that as Bob Murray I would talk to him, see what he expects, and if he says those numbers I'd move him this off-season so they can keep Vats, Lindholm, and Manson (assuming they convince Bieksa so waive the NMC so he can be exposed or buy him out).

[Pengwin7]

I get that he's had a good season but at this time last year he was seen as obvious expansion draft fodder. I don't see how his value could change THAT much, it would make less sense than Reddens last contract.

Redden 2.0

Growing up playing defense, I learned that a lot of my forward teammates (and a lot of hockey fans) have really little understanding of what defensemen go through in development/on-ice chemistry/decision-making.
Any given D-man could rush the ice up at any given time, could pinch at any given time, could opt to just play the body any given time, could opt to be agressive, super aggresive, or skillful in corners.
At D, a guy is often thinking about how they're going to play the game... that day... this year... against this line... tonight... for this team, for another team... with this forward line out there, with the checking line, with the scoring line...

Defensemen are all over the map with trying to put together this overall 200' game.
Some mature gradually, some actually do sort of "pop" and mature quickly in a given season.
That was Fowler this year. He's so different from how he was a year ago even, yes.
It can often take a long time to figure out exactly how much.
I don't know how or what Fowler decided to do.. and often there aren't words to describe it...
Might even be a bit like becoming a good "bar dancer".
Some guys take forever to just realize they do just fine keeping it as simple as Will Smith in Hitch.



It's no entirely uncommon that it takes a guy awhile... several years... to find his best game.

Zdeno Chara "popped" in his 6th NHL season (2nd in OTT).
He added 2min/gp in ice-time and his shot total jumped 60 shots from previous year, with 13 extra PPA.
http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/stats...45/zdeno-chara

Victor Hedman broke-out in year #5:
http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/stats.../victor-hedman

Seth Jones also in year #5:
http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/stats...992/seth-jones

For Rasmus Ristolainen, it was just year #3:
http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/stats...us-ristolainen

And for Cam Fowler, it was year #7:
http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/stats...495/cam-fowler
(and it isn't just offensively, he found his 200' game and back-end decision making, and in D-zone game. He's the real deal now)


Fowler is definitely... definitely not... a "Wade Redden".

[Axeman33]

New coach, new system, regained confidence. A lot changed for Fowler once Randy Carlyle came back into the fold.