Thread: Kyle Turris vs Phoenix Coyotes - News and Rumors

Kyle Turris wants out as Coyotes GM shoots down trade talk - Puck Daddy - NHL*Blog - Yahoo! Sports


Kyle Turris asks Phoenix Coyotes for trade - ESPN


Those pesky Kyle Turris trade rumors just won’t go away | ProHockeyTalk


Flames targeting Turris | Hockey | Sports | London Free Press


CapGeek.com :: It's a numbers game :: NHL Player Contract Salary History :: Kyle Turris

Originally Posted by Fisticuffs82

Kyle Turris asks Phoenix Coyotes for trade - ESPN

I'm not a fan of KT's asking price--or his disgruntled approach to restricted free agency--but supposedly he's willing to take less in salary to get out of Phoenix. There are reportedly six of seven teams that have offered "significant returns" for him with Calgary and Ottawa among them. I hope Lombardi is part of the interested parties.

In the video cited above, Pierre LeBrun considers Turris to be a "bonafide no. 1 center" despite Scott Burnside's criticism that he has not accomplished as much compared to his draft classmates. While that is true, people forget that Turris came from a lower developmental league in the BCHL. In fact, he was far and away the highest-drafted player ever from Canadian Junior “A”. This kid may be starting to live up to his promise and it'd be a good gamble to add him to our Pipeline. Personally, I'd rather seem him on the wing than at his listed pivot position but a skilled center could provide us with our version of "Jordan Staal" in a trio of young talented centers to go up against Pittsburgh.

Phoenix GM Don Maloney is steadfast in saying that he won't trade Turris until after the December 1st deadline that would make him ineligible for NHL play this season and because he's waiver eligible he's unlikely to be sent down to the AHL even after the deadline. I'm reluctant to give up some of our more notable prospects for him but hopeful that a package of Alec Martinez, Scott Parse, prospects and/or draft pick(s) would be enticing enough for the Coyotes to deal with us even if we're in the same division.

Originally Posted by Ranma

I hope Lombardi is part of the interested parties.

I sure hope not. He may have skillz, but he's already shown himself to have an ego bigger than his skillz and with his trade demand shown that he has no loyalty. You really want to stick a locker room cancer like this on our team? Maybe we can get Sean Avery back to be his winger?

Originally Posted by Blueline

I sure hope not. He may have skillz, but he's already shown himself to have an ego bigger than his skillz and with his trade demand shown that he has no loyalty. You really want to stick a locker room cancer like this on our team? Maybe we can get Sean Avery back to be his winger?

I'm a bit conflicted about this given the concerns you cited, however, I've got a bit of a blindspot for Turris given my enthusiasm at the possibility of him being a possible Kings draftee the 2 years leading up to the 2007 NHL Draft. I remembered him as having good character so it's hard for me to reconcile that with his disgruntled "holdout".

Sarcasm or not, it's a reach to compare him to Avery. He's doing what Doughty did just this past month and exercising his right as an RFA. Is he asking for too much? Yes. Am I happy that he's basically trying to force his way out of Phoenix? No. The latter of which Ryan Smyth pulled on us this offseason, so it'd be nice for us to be the beneficiary of such circumstances for a change. He's much closer to Doughty or Smyth with regards to locker room presence for their current respective clubs than Avery so it's a stretch to label him as a cancer right now.

Originally Posted by Ranma

Sarcasm or not, it's a reach to compare him to Avery. He's doing what Doughty did just this past month and exercising his right as an RFA. Is he asking for too much? Yes. Am I happy that he's basically trying to force his way out of Phoenix? No. The latter of which Ryan Smyth pulled on us this offseason, so it'd be nice for us to be the beneficiary of such circumstances for a change. He's much closer to Doughty or Smyth with regards to locker room presence than Avery so it's a stretch to label him as a cancer right now.

Only comparrison to Avery is the "attitude is bad for the team" part. And he's hardly doing what Doughty did. Doughty was/is worth every penny he was asking for and in fact several other teams would have been more than happy to fork over what he was asking for if they could. Doughty did not once try to get traded, in fact he always said, I'm an LA King and I'm going to stay an LA King.

You'd have to quadruple his points for Turris to even be close to what he is asking for and the trade me part just ensures that this is not someone we want on this team. I'm curious as to how you know about Turris's locker room presense being better than Avery (although the devil himself probably has a better demenor) when the outrageous salary demands and trade me issues certainly paint him as not being a team player.

Unless they want David Meckler and/or Cliche in return, no thanks. We have Loktionov waiting for his chance.

Originally Posted by Blueline

You'd have to quadruple his points for Turris to even be close to what he is asking for and the trade me part just ensures that this is not someone we want on this team. I'm curious as to how you know about Turris's locker room presense being better than Avery (although the devil himself probably has a better demenor) when the outrageous salary demands and trade me issues certainly paint him as not being a team player.

I agree with you that Turris' asking price is too much but supposedly his salary demands would be lower if he were traded elsewhere. Where I disagree with you is that Doughty is currently worth his contract given his regression last year, but that's neither here nor there, especially since I'm not exactly upset that the Kings secured him long-term. Turris, like Doughty, is asking to be paid on potential rather than production. Is Doughty a more valuable asset than Turris? Without question. Is Turris' contract demands reasonable relative to Doughty's contract? That's debatable even if I highly disagree when you consider their different overall money and length of years, but again, supposedly he's just trying to force his way out of Phoenix by asking for a lot. Also, while Turris may not be in as much demand as Doughty, there are reportedly six or seven teams currently willing to trade for him even without a Coyotes' tattoo.

As I mentioned previously, I've read scouting reports about him for two years leading up to his draft year and every one called him a high character guy and team player. Sure, it's different on the NHL level than it is in college or juniors, but that's a big assumption that he's an Avery-level lockerroom cancer. Again, like I said before, I described that Turris was more like Doughty or Smyth as a lockerroom presence moreso than Avery. While it's an assumption, I feel pretty safe in sticking with such an opinion. I'm curious what makes you think that he's anywhere close to Sean Avery as a me-first attention whore who has no qualms in being a detriment to the team.

Outside of his exercising his rights as a restricted free agent (like Doughty did) to force his way out of town (like Ryan Smyth), I doubt you'll find any reports, rumors, or any other scuttlebutt of Turris being a lockerroom cancer. If you've heard or read differently, then by all means, cite them before comparing him to a total douche like Avery. Like I said, I'm not happy with Turris' current approach but he's not committing an egregious violation that would classify him as a cancer.

I guess you can compare him to Dany Heatley despite their different accomplishments, which again brings me to the conflict that I have about this situation since I never wanted Heatley on the Kings precisely because I resented what he did to Atlanta. Even so, Turris hasn't proven that he's a Heatley-like cancer yet either even if he's not starting out on the right foot.

Originally Posted by Ranma

I'm curious what makes you think that he's anywhere close to Sean Avery as a me-first attention whore who has no qualms in being a detriment to the team.

Ummm, I want more money than my potential and if you don't give it to me I want to go somewhere else. That sounds pretty me-first to me. You don't think this mess is a detriment to the team? To have a young player who hasn't lived up to his potential to be asking for more than his potential and then demanding a trade when he doesn't get his way?

I understand you like the guy, but look at this objectively for a min and you'll see that there is no comparrison between him and DD, not is the circumstances even close to Ryan Smith. Turris is asking to be traded because they won't give him what he wants, not because his family is homesick...big difference.

Originally Posted by Blueline

I understand you like the guy, but look at this objectively for a min and you'll see that there is no comparrison between him and DD, not is the circumstances even close to Ryan Smith. Turris is asking to be traded because they won't give him what he wants, not because his family is homesick...big difference.

I've already admitted my bias towards Kyle Turris, but believe it or not, I am trying to look at this as objectively as I can rather than just go with my normal reflex of writing the kid off as just a greedy, snot-nosed prima donna. I didn't say that Turris' situation was exactly like Doughty or Smyth's but they were a lot closer than Avery, whom you were more ready to compare him to, which is what I object to. Even my Heatley comparison doesn't really apply since the kid is exercising his right as an RFA not to sign a contract with the team that owns his rights and sit out from playing in the NHL.

First, loathe as I am to use this point to defend such tactics, it must be said that just because a player asks out of his current team doesn't necessarily make that player an automatic detriment to his next team. Patrick Roy did it to Montreal as did Chris Pronger to Edmonton and, I believe, also to Hartford.

Secondly, who's to say that the Coyotes are not to blame here? The natural assumption and reaction is to automatically label a player who will not sign an extension that his team is offering as the culprit in these affairs. In most cases, that would be true and it remains to be seen who really is at fault here, but if you couple his previous scouting reports citing his high character along with what has happened in Phoenix recently, it'd be wise to not be so quick to give the team the benefit of the doubt.

Within the past five years, the following players asked for and got their tickets out of Phoenix:

Blake Wheeler (to Boston)
Peter Mueller (to Colorado)
Wojtek Wolski (to Rangers)
Viktor Tikhonov (to KHL)
Brett MacLean (to Columbus only to return to Phoenix via waivers)

It's not like the Coyotes set a good precedence for Turris not to ask for his way out. Also, why would so many notable prospects who presumably all want to play regularly in the NHL leave an organization that can supposedly give them the best opportunity to accomplish this in such a short span? Could this be indicative of some mismanagement from a professional hockey organization? Also, why did the line have to drawn specifically with Turris? Was he the straw that "broke the camel's back" or is he really the only prospect Phoenix deemed was worth fighting to keep?

There's quite the lengthy thread over at the HFboards providing materials for both sides of the argument if you're interested.