Notes at Noon: What is Market Value For Erik Cole?

Giving Cole any contract over 2 years is a mistake, and anything over 3 is just insane. He has proven time and time again that he shows up in contract years.

As far as cash goes, keep it around the 3M mark and I won’t panic too much.

We tend to over-reward these guys who’ve been around for awhile though (i.e Cole, LaRose, etc), so I fully expect a Ruutu-esque contract and I’m going to throw things.

3.7 M + make him the powerskating coach, and give him an “A”!!!!

3.25 to 3.5 for 2 seasons. The Jim Rutherford loyalty long-term contract has come back to haunt the team more often.

Jokinen is interesting, and may be the clue in which direction the team will move forward in regards to younger, developed talent. If you really want to start bringing up the Charlotte kids, then he’s expendable. A Finn-fanatic cult hero is gone, but younger players with arguably the same – or at least longer term potential – takes his place.

Great compilation, Bob.

Cole was excellent this season and I hope the Canes re-sign him, but there are risks as you indicate. Cole is extremely valuable, plays in all situations and, very importantly, he’s shown he can play extremely well on a line with either Staal or Skinner. The Canes’ system has talented forwards but not big, fast scoring wings—there’s no apparent internal replacement for Cole. There’s not another free agent forward like Cole to plug in either.

Laich and Zherdev are different but interesting. They have size and speed and are considerably younger. If nothing else, Laich and Zherdev provide reference points for the Canes in deciding what kind of contract to offer Cole. All three of the players have scored 20+ goals multiple times, but there are lots of differences otherwise.

Laich is good at faceoffs and plays a lot on both the PP and PK. He’s the kind of hard-nosed player that Mo would probably like. Zherdev is highly skilled, a big, fast right wing with a right shot. He doesn’t play on the PK. He seems to have great hands and to be more of a playmaker than Cole, though he’s not the same kind of physical presence as Cole or constant threat to drive to the net. It’s unclear whether Zherdev would fit in Mo’s system- he certainly doesn’t come over as hard-nosed, but he does have good size and shouldn’t be easy to push around. With Boychuk and Staal, Zherdev would make an interesting, highly skilled scoring line that’s tough to defend. There’d be a lot of playmaking ability and scoring to take pressure off of Staal and speed to keep up with him.

Interestingly, over Cole’s career he has averaged 0.63 PPG. Zherdev has averaged 0.62. Zherdev is 6 years younger. Cole scores a hair more goals, Zherdev get a hair more assists. Zherdev only played 720 minutes this season and got 22 points, including 16 goals. Cole played 1514 minutes, more than twice as much TOI, to get his 52 points.

Cole is more valuable than Zherdev, but by how much? How much better can Zherdev get? If Cole, who turns 33 in November, is looking for a 3-year contract at $4 M +, the Canes would probably be wise to consider a more affordable alternative. If they could sign both Laich and Zherdev for around $5 M combined, that would represent better value than Cole alone at $4 M. But Cole for two years at $3 M would make more sense for the Canes. I just doubt the Canes can get Cole for that. I have a feeling that the Sabres with new ownership will make Cole an offer that the Canes’ can’t match. They play fast and need another goal scorer. Cole was born in upstate NY and went to college there. He’d be a hometown favorite.

Just saw him today at Maggie Moos in Brier Creek. Seems to be growing his playoff beard regardless of how we finished :)

Forslund calls Cole “the ignition switch”. We can’t get anyone to fill his role, despite the typical “grass-is-greener on the other side of the hill” attitude of many fans. He should have been an “A” this year and should be next year. He behaves like an assistant captain, certainly.

He is not a great player, though he’d have been better if not for the neck injury, but he is one of our best players. We have a history of letting good players go because they’re too expensive (Cullen and Ward after we won the cup) and we suffered severely for it (did not make playoffs)

I think sittler27 would tell you that the idea an athlete plays harder in a contract year is ridiculous bullpucky. I think Cole finally recovered (perhaps with a better exercise regime) from the neck injury. So expecting him to deteriorate in non-contract years is more insulting than realistic.

Certainly he’ll deteriorate because he’s on the downhill side of 30.

Front-weighted 3 years for $10.5M would be good for us; unfortunately someone else will offer more, and then it’s up to Cole (and JR and PK).

He played his ass off this year, and has had a great impact on the younger players. He has always been there for the fans and the team (other than injuries). 3.5 for 3 years and a NTC. Management should be ashamed of not allowing him to wear the “A”. He has shown he earned it, time and time again…..he showed up a lot more that one of the other guys with the “A”.
     Give him the “A” tell him you’re sorry and make his wallet fat…………

If an NTC for someone who has “always” (but for when we ditched him to Canada) been a Canes player will also save us $1.5M or more, it’s worth it. Budgets require sacrifices, no?

I think someone referred to a team, maybe even the Canes, where some guys alternate the “A”, or one was “A” at home and one away, something like that. I confess I don’t know why Sutter is an A, but no you don’t want to take it away from him.