Posts Tagged ‘Breaking News’

Ian White Signs With Calgary Flames, but Are Cap Problems Looming?

30, Jul 2010

The Calgary Flames are reporting that Ian White has signed a one-year contract that will see the former Toronto Maple Leaf make close to $3 million.

Originally taken in the sixth round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, White spent portions of five seasons with the Maple Leafs before being dealt to the Calgary Flames on January 31, 2010 as part of the deal that sent Dion Phaneuf to Toronto.

White, 26, scored four goals and registered 12 points through 27 games with the Flames last season. Adding that to his nine goals and 26 points with the Leafs last season, and White emerged with a career high 13 goals and 38 points through 83 games in 2009-10.

White’s 38 points was 12 points better than his previous career high of 26 points, something he accomplished twice (2006-07, 2008-09) as a member of the Leafs.

According to capgeek.com the addition of White’s contract now puts the Flames in the unenviable position of being $2,349,995 over the $59.4 million salary cap.

As such, the Flames will have to trim some fat off their roster, which may lead them to trade the likes of defensemen Cory Sarich ($3.6 million) or Steve Staios ($2.7 million) or a combination of players for prospects or draft choices.

While most agree that White’s contract is very much in line with what he brings to the Flames, one wonders if the signing was the most intelligent thing for the Flames to do—especially in light of the team now being over the cap.

The Flames have limited flexibility when it comes to trades as 10 players have some sort of no-movement/no-trade clauses, including seven forwards (Jarome Iginla, Daymond Langkow, Matt Stajan, Rene Bourque, Olli Jokinen, Alex Tanguay) and two defensemen (Jay Bouwmeeter, Robin Regehr) and, of course, goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.

How the Flames get under the cap is anyone’s guess.

One thing is for sure: While I can’t really disagree with the White signing, it sure as heck complicates things going forward for the Flames—something this team doesn’t need.

Until next time,

Peace!

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

NHL Trade Update: Capitals Swap Left Wingers With Blues

28, Jul 2010

The Washington Capitals have traded Stefan Della Rovere for veteran tough guy D.J. King. Della Rovere is a young Capitals forward who has yet to play in the NHL.

Della Rovere was the Capitals’ 7th round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He has spent the large majority of his career in the Ontario Hockey League, scoring 65 goals. He was called up by the Hershey Bears and played two playoff games.

King was a 6th round pick by the Blues in 2002, and has played for the Blues almost exclusively as an enforcer. With a career total of four goals and nine points, King has spent his career using his fists more often than his hockey stick

King has a total of 185 penalty minutes, 100 of those coming in the 2007-8 season. Needless to say, the Caps were looking to add some muscle to the team, something they lacked this past season.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

The Los Angeles Kings Acquire Alexei Ponikarovsky

27, Jul 2010

The Los Angeles Kings wasted no time after they lost out on the Alexander Frolov sweepstakes. They have signed Alexei Ponikarovsky to a one-year $3.2 million contract. Ponikarovsky has spent 9 of his 10 NHL seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was dealt at this year’s trade deadline to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ponikarovsky has averaged roughly 20 goals for the last six seasons with around 20-30 assists and a plus five rating.

He has been solid and is worth around the $3.2 million he is slated to get. His one-year contract seems to be following the path of other burgeoning stars in order to prove his worth.

Ponikarovsky is built like a Greek God. Absolutely huge and very powerful. The problem is that he does not use his size a lot and is not a pure goal scorer. As such, Ponikarovsky fell out of favour with Brian Burke and was thus traded to Pittsburgh for Luca Caputi.

He is however a very solid skater. While he does not use his big body and strength as much as he should, the potential for growth is there. He has the tools and the coaching staff needs to motivate him to advance his game. His strength lies in the corners and in front of the net.

Ponikarovsky must now improve otherwise the youngsters on the Kings may regress, making this a huge problem for Dean Lombardi. To be fair, he is only signed on for one year and this is well worth the risk.

Despite the fact he played with Mats Sundin, he was never anything special. He is at best a second line winger on an average team. He has not shown that he can become a true leader for a championship team.

The Kings are hoping that will change.

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Chicago Blackhawks Sign Top Prospect Nick Leddy

27, Jul 2010

According to sources in Minnesota, the Blackhawks will soon announce that they have agreed to an entry-level deal with defenseman Nick Leddy.

Leddy was one of the most impressive players at the prospect camp earlier this summer, and will reportedly begin the year in Rockford, leaving the University of Minnesota.

A source indicated that Minnesota coach Don Lucia told an alumni function on Tuesday that Leddy would leave the Gophers to go pro with the Hawks.

Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune is reporting the deal is for three years and $2.7M.

Leddy, the 16th overall selection in the 2009 Draft, was acquired with Kim Johnsson for Cam Barker early last year. He is rated as the No. 1 prospect in the Blackhawks’ organization by CommittedIndians. He missed a good part of his freshman season at Minnesota after breaking his jaw on Oct. 30, but looked exceptional while skating with Shawn Lalonde at the prospect camp in Chicago.

For more great coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks, check out CommittedIndians.com!

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New York Rangers Sign Alexander Frolov

27, Jul 2010

The New York Rangers officially signed Alexander Frolov to a one year $3 million contract.

It is a good contract as Frolov was seeking upwards of $5 million per year for a multi-year contract. He definitely got at least that much from the KHL but he decided to stay in the NHL.

Frolov was a somewhat inconsistent goal scorer, scoring 20 something goals one year and 30 goals the next. He is supposed to be a two-way player, but is as inconsistent on the defensive end as he is in scoring goals. He is quite tall but is underweight and so has a hard time using his body.

The contract is a very low risk contract for both sides. $3 million is about what a 20 goal scorer gets and since he scored 19 last year it seems fair were it not for the flashes of brilliance he shows every other year that lets him score 30.

Also, as it is only a one year contract, it is like the Afinogenov contract in that now he can prove himself to get that bigger contract. Although Afinogenov proved himself and still is not able to get that contract, Frolov hopes for a better situation.

With John Tortorella coaching, the Rangers don’t expect him to take any crap from Frolov. He knows he needs to get his players to perform better and compete for the Stanley Cup. Ever since the Rangers had players like Gretzky, Leetch, and Messier, they have only thought of winning the cup. There is no consolation prize for them.

Personally, I think this is a great signing for both the club and the organization. I don’t know why the Rangers did not make it a multi-year deal for this amount, as it is dirt cheap.

I guess they don’t know which Frolov they are getting, the one that scores 30 goals, or the one who does not care and scores only 19.

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NHL Rumors and Rumblings: Buds Turn Up The Heat, Avs Talking With Oilers

27, Jul 2010

It’s been a busy week in the NHL, with the re-signings of Cody Parent, David Perron, Ondrej Pavelec and Mason Raymond, Spezza setting the record straight and Gange getting traded to Tampa Bay.

Unfortunately, all of that was over shadowed by Ilya Kovalchuk.

Kovalchuk signed, and even had an official press conference for, his new 17-year, $102 million contract on July 19th. However that deal was rejected by the NHL for salary cap circumvention. On Monday, the NHLPA filed a grievance on behalf of Ilya Kovalchuk, sending the case to an arbitrator, which leads us into this week’s NHL rumors and rumblings.

 

Will the NHL fine the Devils?

Mark Everson of the New York Post says that the National Hockey League is not threatening to fine the New Jersey Devils for salary cap circumvention, but have not ruled out that option.

If the NHL does decide to fine the team, it could be anywhere from $1 million to $5 million. Kovalchuk, meanwhile, could face a fine as low as $250 thousand and as high as $1 million. That is, of course, if an arbiter rules in favour of the NHL.

 

Maple Leafs turning up the heat

TSN.ca is reporting that the Maple Leafs will be “turning up the heat” when it comes to Tomas Kaberle sometime around August 1st.

They will begin telling teams that already have offers on the table for Kaberle to improve them, or he will be taken off the market.

 

Bruins, Wheeler going to arbitration?

James Murphy of ESPN.com is reporting that the Boston Bruins and forward Blake Wheeler have reached an impasse in contract talks and are expected to go to arbitration today (Tuesday).

 

Oilers, Avalanche talking about Cogliano?

The Edmonton Journal is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche have called the Edmonton Oilers about the availability of Andrew Cogliano.

 

Savard trade talks are still ongoing

TheFourthPeriod.com is reporting that 33-year-old centre Marc Savard is still being shopped around by the Boston Bruins. The report also says that other various reports have linked the talks to the Leafs, Kings and Oilers.

 

Selanne returning to the Ducks?

Temmu Selanne is still in talks with the Anaheim Ducks about making a return, says the Orange County Register. Ducks GM Bob Murray also told the Register that he met with Selanne and his agent this week, and that he is expecting to meet with them again next week.

Be sure to check out Buds In Blue by going to www.budsinblue.wordpress.com for  more in depth analysis and opinion. You can also follow Buds in Blue on Twitter @lukas_bib for even more up-to-date information on your Toronto Maple Leafs!

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Chicago Blackhawks Prospects Will Compete In Rookie Tournament

26, Jul 2010

For those unwilling to wait for the regular season puck to drop, the young prospects will be headed to Toronto for a rookie-only tournament.

The tournament will include the host, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Players officially announced on the Blackhawks’ roster are Kyle Beach, Shawn LaLonde, Jeremy Morin, Chris DiDomenico, and Phillipe Paradis.

All players announced will be possibly competing for a spot on the Blackhawks’ opening day roster.

Notably, Paradis and DiDomenico will be returning to play the same team that traded them a few weeks back.

On June 30, the Maple Leafs shipped the pair to Chicago in return for a highly sought-after forward, Kris Versteeg. The same trade also brought Viktor Stalberg to the organization.

Other key Blackhawks’ prospects that will appear will be announced at a later time.

Notable players the Hawks will face:

-Nazem Kadri (Tor), 7th overall pick in the 2009 Entry Draft.

-Eric Tangradi (Pit), Acquired via 2009 trade with Anaheim and is ranked as the #1 overall prospect in the organization.

-Robert Bortuzzo (Pit), A four year prospect, Bortuzzo is looking to continue building his stock within the organization.

-Erik Karlsson (Ott), In a talent pool of defenseman, Karlsson will try and solidify the expectancy to make the Senators in October.

2010 Toronto Maple Leafs Rookie Tournament Schedule
Date Game Time Venue
Sat., Sept. 11 Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa 1:00 pm John Labatt Centre
Sat., Sept. 11 CHICAGO vs. Toronto 6:00 pm John Labatt Centre
Sun., Sept. 12 CHICAGO vs. Ottawa 1:00 pm John Labatt Centre
Sun., Sept. 12 Toronto vs. Pittsburgh 6:00 pm John Labatt Centre
Mon., Sept. 13 Practice (All Teams) TBA John Labatt Centre
Tues., Sept. 14 CHICAGO vs. Pittsburgh 1:00 pm John Labatt Centre
Tues., Sept. 14 Toronto vs. Ottawa 6:00 pm John Labatt Centre

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Vancouver Canucks Sign Restricted Free Agent Mason Raymond

26, Jul 2010

It was announced today that the Canucks have re-signed forward Mason Raymond to a two-year deal thus avoiding arbitration. In keeping with club policy, terms were not disclosed.

However NHL.com stated that several media reports (including local radio station TEAM 1040) that Raymond will make $2.5 million this season and $2.6 million in 2011-12.

That seems like a reasonable amount when you compare Alex Burrows $2 million and Mikael Samuelsson’s $2.5 million contracts.

Well now that the easy part is out of the way, time to get down to the hard part which is the salary cap issue.

This now puts the ‘Nucks $2,658,333 million OVER the cap limit and even with the LITR break they will get with Sami Salo’s injury of $3.5 million (will make it $800,000 approx. under the cap), they will still have a problem if (a big IF here) Salo returns to the lineup.

There is another LITR break that may surface if Burrows is not ready due to his offseason shoulder surgery which was to repair a torn labrum.

In all of this lies the problem.

Most teams will have gotten to their operating cap by the time the season starts so waiting until around the Christmas point in the season (Salo’s expected return) is a gamble to try and shed that $2.6 million and still have a bit left over to operate (at least $1 to 1.5 million).

Of the total numbers of forwards that the Canucks have signed, 12 are roster players and eight non-roster.

Some of these non-roster types like Cody Hodgson, Victor Oreskovich, Sergei Shirokov, Jordan Schroeder, and Anton Rodin just to name a few, would bump up the cap some more if they were to make the team.

Let’s say any two of the three names like Hodgson ($1.7 million – rounded up), Oreskovich ($575,000), or Alex Bolduc ($500,000) make the team.

That would mean the Canucks would have to shed about $2.2 million plus another $1 to 1.5 million buffer to operate.

This leads the Canucks back to someone or a combination of players that total about $4.1 million.

So with that being said, will the Canucks still try to trade or shed outright Kevin Bieksa and his $3.75 million contract?

The other question that begs to be answered is, should the ‘Nucks risk playing with just seven defensemen—Dan Hamhuis, Keith Ballard, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Shane O’Brien, Aaron Rome, and Andrew Alberts?

What I don’t see is anyone that is ready in Manitoba that could come up in an emergency situation and play many minutes for an extended period of time if needed.

If today’s NHL has shown us anything, it’s that you need nine defensemen to not only get through the regular season but the playoffs as well.

I still do not feel that the ‘Nucks have that tough scoring third line that they were trying to rebuild. Nor do they have the cap space to go out and sign some of those UFA players still on the market.

So that means they are trying to make do with what they have.

And except for Manny Malhotra, please don’t tell me that Cody Hodgson and Jannik Hansen will be the other portions to the line.

Hodgson has no NHL experience and Hansen has 16 goals in 109 games. These are not the type of players nor numbers the Canucks need for a productive third line.

Oh to be a capologist in today’s NHL!

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Ilya Kovalchuk: NHLPA Files Grievance on Behalf of Hockey Star

26, Jul 2010

The mess that is Ilya Kovalchuk’s contract situation has gone a step further. The NHL Players Association has filed a grievance on behalf Kovalchuk.

“The NHLPA has filed a grievance disputing the NHL’s rejection of the Standard Player Contract between the New Jersey Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk . Under the terms of the CBA, the NHLPA and Mr. Kovalchuk are entitled to an expedited resolution of this matter. The NHLPA will have no further comment until this matter has been resolved by an Arbitrator.”

Two scenarios can play out for Kovy: The Arbitrator feels that the contract is good and he will be a Devil, or they follow the ruling of Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and reject the contract, making Kovalchuk a unrestricted free agent.

If he becomes an unrestricted free agent, the LA Kings and NY Islanders have shown interest in the 27-year-old Russian. SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League has also expressed interest. To begin this madness, Kovalchuk turned town a 12-year extension worth $101 million from the Atlanta Thrashers before he was traded last season to the Devils.

It will be interesting to see how this process plays out since the League approved numerous front-loaded contracts over the past few years. Marian Hossa , Chris Pronger , Henrik Zetterberg and Roberto Luongo all received long term, front-loaded contracts that were not rejected by the League office.

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Mike Van Ryn Retires, Joins Niagara Ice Dogs As Assistant Coach

26, Jul 2010

According to radio show host Jeff Marek from Hockey Night in Canada , Toronto Maple Leafs oft-injured defenseman Mike Van Ryn has decided to retire from pro hockey.

Van Ryn, having undergone multiple surgeries on his knee, was expected to be out of the lineup for the foreseeable future and it was unlikely he would ever return.

He decided to join the Niagara Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League as an assistant coach.

Van Ryn, 31, played a total of 353 games in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored 30 goals and had 99 assists—good for 129 career points.

Drafted 26th overall by the New Jersey Devils in 1998, Van Ryn’s career was short due to the injuries.

He was acquired by the Leafs on September 2nd, 2008 when the Leafs shipped defenceman Bryan McCabe and a fourth round pick in 2010 to the Florida Panthers for his services.

Van Ryn was never the flashiest defender, but he was steady and his game will be missed by the Maple Leafs or any other team that wanted his services. 

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Washington Capitals Draft Pick Josh Robertson Arrested

26, Jul 2010

In 2003 the Washington Capitals used the 155th pick in the NHL entry draft on Josh Robertson. The 18-year-old Robertson was coming off a season where he scored 37 goals in 34 games for Proctor Academy in Andover, NH.  

Robertson attended Northeastern University in Boston on a scholarship. His plan was to play hockey for the school, while pursuing a degree in business administration. A concussion derailed his second season with the Huskies. In the end, he played two years for the team, scoring five goals in 43 games.

Robertson was preparing to leave the U.S. to play hockey in Europe when he lost a finger on his left hand during an accident while working for his family’s excavation business. A friend of the family believed that he became addicted to his prescribed painkillers at the time.  

The now 25-year-old was arrested in his home in Whitman, MA.  He was charged with breaking into four homes and stealing jewelry and other household items. Upon his arrest, he relayed to an officer that he was breaking into the houses in order to pay for a heroin addiction.

At this time Robertson’s stats remain on the Washington Capitals website. However, on Friday, he was described by a Capital spokesman as “a former draft pick who is no longer property of the Capitals.” 

 

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New York Rangers in Talks With Alexander Frolov

25, Jul 2010

According to a tweet by Genadi Boguslavski, a Russian hockey writer for the Sovetsky Sport, the New York Rangers are in talks with left winger Alexander Frolov.

The 28-year-old registered 19 goals and 51 points last season for the Los Angeles Kings.

Frolov would help the Rangers’ scoring upfront, something they lacked greatly last season.

Paired with Marian Gaborik on the top line, the signing would make the team a playoff contender, something they potentially aren’t right now.

In order to fit Frolov under the cap, the Rangers would have no choice but to demote defenseman Wade Redden to Hartford of the AHL, something that has been thrown around since the end of the regular season.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Bryan Bickell To Three Year Deal

23, Jul 2010

The Chicago Blackhawks continued to make news as they signed restricted free agent forward Bryan Bickell to a three year deal worth and estimated $1.625 million, a cap hit of about $542,000.

Bickell spent the majority of the 2009-2010 season in the AHL with the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate Rockford Ice Hogs, where he appeared in 65 games and recorded 16 goals and 15 assists.

However Bickell did spend some time with the Blackhawks last season, recording three goals and an assist in 16 games.

In those 16 games with the Blackhawks, Bickell spent some time on the top line with the likes of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, seeing success with them and provided them with a big body to drive the net.

Although Bickell only has six career points in 23 NHL games, he provides the ‘Hawks with added size that they desperately need, and could potentially replace the point production of Dustin Byfuglien, although that might be a bit of a stretch.

With Bickell showing he has the ability to play at the NHL level, it is not to far fetched to think he is almost guaranteed a slot somewhere on the ‘Hawks roster, likely on the ‘Hawks third or fourth line.

With the signing of Bickell, the ‘Hawks lineup is slowly beginning to fill up as it looks like the ‘Hawks have only one more forward position to fill. They will likely fill it in house with Igor Makarov, Jeff Taffe, Evan Brophey and Rob Klinkhammer as possible candidates.

The Bickell signing gives the ‘Hawks yet another quality, low price option to help fill out this revamped Blackhawk lineup and could turn out to be a real bargain just one year from now.

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Sami Salo: The NHL’s Most Fragile Player

23, Jul 2010

Sami Salo just can’t catch a break, or at least a good one that is. Salo suffered an Achilles tear during training today and is out indefinitely. News out of Finland says he suffered the injury playing floor hockey.

I actually am starting to feel sorry for Salo. The guy has been in the NHL for 11 seasons and he hasn’t played a full 82 games in any of them. He has now suffered roughly 35 injuries.

His games played over his career:

1998-99- 61 GP   1999-00- 37 GP   2000-01- 31 GP   2001-02- 66 GP  

2002-03- 79 GP   2003-04- 74 GP   2005-06- 59 GP   2006-07- 67 GP

2007-08- 63 GP   2008-09- 60 GP   2009-10- 68 GP

That means out of a possible 902 games over the past 11 years, Salo has only played in 665. Salo has broken his ribs and his nose, he’s had various knee, ankle and shoulder injuries, he has strained his a**(how do you do that?), and not to mention that ruptured testicle rumour last year.

Vancouver is lucky they have such depth on its back end, because if it didn’t the team would have been completely screwed over the past few years, and possibly this year as well. This might also slow down any rumours of Kevin Bieksa getting traded away from the Canucks.

Sami, no offense, but I think it’s about time you start thinking of other job possibilities.

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Chicago Blackhawks Cut Payroll, Trade Marty Reasoner to Florida

22, Jul 2010

The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Thursday afternoon that they had dealt veteran forward Marty Reasoner, acquired from Atlanta in the deal that sent Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and Dustin Byfuglien to the Thrashers, to the Florida Panthers for center Jeff Taffe.

Taffe (pronounced TAYF) is 29 years old, and was originally the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2000 NHL Draft, selected by the St. Louis Blues. He spent most of last season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, where he accumulated 56 points (28G, 28A) in 61 regular season games, and added seven points (G, 6A) in seven postseason games.

He is listed at 6′3″ and 215 pounds, and has 44 points (21 G, 23 A) and 40 PIM in 174 career NHL games with the Phoenix Coyotes, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Florida Panthers.

Most importantly, Taffe has a $550k cap number, saving the Blackhawks $600k against the cap in 2010-11.

For more great coverage of the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, check out CommittedIndians.com!

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NHL Releases Statement on Ilya Kovalchuk’s Rejected Contract

20, Jul 2010

The NHL has rejected Ilya Kovalchuk’s contract with the New Jersey Devils.

Kovalchuk signed a contract Monday for 17 years, paying him $102 million.

A report states that the contract would pay out only $550,000 over the last five years of the contract, even though both sides don’t believe Kovy will be playing out the entire length of the contract.

The reasoning for the low amount of money towards the end of the contract was so that the Devils would stay under the salary cap imposed by the League.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly released a statement today regarding Kovalchuk’s contract: “The contract has been rejected by the League as a circumvention of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Under the CBA, the contract rejection triggers a number of possible next steps that may be elected by any or each of the NHLPA, the Player and/or the Club. In the interim, the player is not entitled to play under the contract, nor is he entitled to any of the rights and benefits that are provided for thereunder. The League will have no further comment on this matter pending further developments.”

The contract would have broke down as such:

Kovalchuk was to earn $6 million each of the next two seasons.

$11.5 million for the following five seasons.

$10.5 million in the 2017-18 season.

$8.5 million for the 2018-19 season.

$6.5 million in 2019-20.

$3.5 million in 2020-21.

$750,000 the following season.

$550,000 for the final five years of the unprecedented deal.

The Devils would have absorbed an annual salary-cap hit of $6 million – the average amount per season. That number was brought down because of the extended years at low salary at the end.

 

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NHL Rejects Contract for Ilya Kovalchuk and New Jersey Devils

20, Jul 2010

In what we thought was a saga that was finally over, the NHL added another wrinkle, when it is reported that the $102 million, 17-year contract of Ilya Kovalchuk was rejected by the National Hockey League.  

So, the obvious question that jumps out is, “What happens from here?”  The process calls for two possibilities at this point:

1 – the NHLPA could file a grievance to dispute the rejection.  Ultimately, it would likely be resolved via an arbitrator, or

2 – Kovalchuk and the Devils can attempt to rework the contract.

It seems a bit odd that the NHL would take a stance on this contract, when it appears unlikely it could hold up in court.  After all, the Devils have in their history gone the legal route to attempt to overturn a ruling that appeared unjust that was given out by the NHL. Back in 1988, GM Lou Lamoriello took the NHL to court to give a temporary restraining order to prevent the suspension of Head Coach (at the time) Jim Schoenfeld without a proper hearing.  It was a definite black eye for the league, and something you would think would be avoided at all possible costs, so we will have to stay tuned to see how this plays out for sure.

In trying to figure out whether or not the contract should be legal, let’s take a quick peek at what the CBA indicates:

It explains circumvention in section 26.3 of the document which reads:

“(a) No Club or Club Actor, directly or indirectly, may: (i) enter into any agreements, promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent, or understandings of any kind, whether express, implied, oral or written, including without limitation, any SPC, Qualifying Offer, Offer Sheet or other transaction, or (ii) take or fail to take any action whatsoever, if either (i) or (ii) is intended to or has the effect of defeating or Circumventing the provisions of this Agreement or the intention of the parties as reflected by the provisions of this Agreement, including without limitation, provisions with respect to the financial and other reporting obligations of the Clubs and the League, Team Payroll Range, Player Compensation Cost Redistribution System, the Entry Level System and/or Free Agency.”

Confused yet?  Let’s dig a little deeper shall we and take a look at some precedent around the league.  One main issue of the Kovalchuk contract is whether or not the player would be expected to remain playing until age 44.  Mark Recchi just signed a 1-year contract at age 42 to play with the Boston Bruins.  Chris Chelios signed a contract with the Atlanta Thrashers earlier this year, finishing the year as a 48-year old.  So, it is not out of the question to think there is a possibility Kovalchuk could make it to age 44.  He certainly could have the intent to do so at this time and I’m not sure how this could be disputed either.

There is a track record of other players signing contracts with “phantom years” attached to the end of them.  According to Capgeek.com, Marian Hossa has four years of $1 million salary at the end of his 12-year, $63.3 million contract that takes Hossa to age 42, lowering his cap hit to a more friendly $5.75 million per year.

Roberto Luongo signed a 12-year contract valued at $64 million, with three “phantom years” at the end of his contract, which also goes to age 43 for Luongo.

Henrik Zetterberg signed a 12-year $73 million contract with Detroit, which has two “phantom years” valued at $1 million, allowing the cap hit to shrink to $6,083,333.

There are other players you can look at as well, like Chris Pronger, or Johan Franzen, but in the interest of time and space, I will keep the three mentioned above as the primary argument. 

So, does the NHL have a true problem with the Kovalchuk deal because of the seven years under $1 million in annual salary?  Stay tuned everyone, one more point risen in Tom Gulitti’s Fire & Ice blog points out the Devils had hired Steve Pellegrini, formerly the NHL’s Cap Regulator to be their “Cap Guru.”  If anyone should know the ins and outs of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, it is Pellegrini.  

On top of that, GM Lou Lamoriello was intimately involved in the preparation of the CBA as well, so between the two of them, you would think they would have a lot of ammunition to use against the NHL in court if it were to get that far, or previous to that in front of an arbitrator. So, this situation has the ability to get VERY ugly, so stay tuned to see what unfolds.

Want to follow me on TWITTER and discuss Kovalchuk, the Devils or hockey in general?  Look me up @ LEVINAKL

 

 

 

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17 Years Too Many?: NHL Erases History Rejects Kovalchuk’s Devil Deal

20, Jul 2010

The New Jersey Devils recently signed superstar Ilya Kovalchuk to a whopping 17-year deal, making history as the longest deal in the NHL.

At least they thought they did.

After reviewing the contract, the NHL decided to reject it, claiming that the deal “circumvents the NHL’s salary cap.”

The NHL thinks that neither party in this deal expect Kovalchuk to play out the last seven years of his contract. They assume this because of the large drop in money he will earn after 10 years.

The deal would have seen Kovalchuk play with the Devils through the 2027-28 season, earning $95 million through the first 10 years, and $7 million during the last seven.

A deal offered by the Atlanta Thrashers earlier this summer would have seen him play only until the 2022-23 season.

Kovalchuk scored 41 goals and 44 assists last season. He has tallied 338 goals and 642 points in 621 career NHL games.  He has been one of the most productive goal scorers in the NHL since the lockout, second to only Alexander Ovechkin.

This deal rejection brings up a controversial issue.

Might the NHL be considering imposing length and money restrictions in contracts? 

It would stop wild contracts like this from being filed.

It would also keep teams from doing something they will regret later, such as the Islanders deal with Rick DiPietro. DiPi’s contract is a 15 year, $67.5 million deal that Islander management have probably regretted since the day he suffered a season ending concussion in 2007.

That was only the beginning of a long string of injuries for the unlucky goaltender.

Of course, when Isles management inked him to that deal, they thought they were signing the goalie of their future.

In Kovalchuk’s case, Devils GM Lou Lamoriello might have thought he signed the next face of the franchise, seeing as Martin Brodeur is sure to retire soon.

That contract has since been denied. 

That may seem like a bad thing now, but what if Kovalchuk gets hurt? What if he can’t adjust well enough to a relatively new environment?

After all, his point production dropped after he was traded to the Devils.

Should Lamoriello offer another enormous contract, maybe he should ponder this.

Could Kovalchuk be the next DiPietro?

 

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The NHL Finally Gets It Right: Ilya Kovalchuk Contract Rejected

20, Jul 2010

It seemed that the 15 year contract signed by Rick Dipietro on September 12, 2006 had set a trend, as more and more teams started signing their star players to long term contracts for over a decade. It seemed like a good idea, as teams would get to keep their star players for the length of their careers with no worries of losing them to free agency. It seemed like an even better idea to some GM’s, who realized the potential these long term contracts had at lowering a cap hit for a player.

General managers began handing out extremely front loaded contracts, so that after the first 6 or 7 years, when a player would still be at his best, he made most of the money from the contract. Then, if he wished, he could retire and have lost very little of his money. The league began investigating these contracts last year, particularly the contracts signed by Marian Hossa and Chris Pronger. They determined those contracts to be legitimate, however, and let them stand.

Yesterday, the New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello tried the same thing with Ilya Kovalchuk, signing him to an astounding 17 year contract worth $102 million. This would mean Kovalchuk could potentially be playing for the Devils at age 45 with a $6 million dollar cap hit. But it is very unlikely, as Kovalchuk will receive about $95 million of that contract in the first 10 seasons, taking him to the age of 37, where most would assume he would probably retire (unless he is really cheap and desperately wants that final $7 million). It looked good for the Devils as they got the top free agent at a major discount.

But wait. The NHL, after its investigation, finally had the stones to say no and rejected the contract, saying it is clear salary cap circumvention. This could be huge, as it seemed like there would be no end to these contracts and eventually we would get someone being signed to a 50 year contract at a cap hit of $500,000 and it would be ok.

Now Devils fans will complain, comparing this contract to the Dipietro contract and ask what’s the difference? Well the differences are plenty. Dipietro signed his contract at the age of 25, meaning it would take him until he is 40. As has been seen recently, many goalies have played until the age of 40, including Dwayne Roloson and Dominik Hasek. Kovalchuk’s takes him until 45 and no one, besides Chris Chelios, has played that long since Gordie Howe. The second reason is Dipietro get’s paid $4.5 million each season for the entire 15 years, meaning if he retires early, he loses a significant amount of his paycheck. Kovalchuk, as mentioned above, makes most of the money in the first half of the contract, meaning he can retire with almost no consequences.

Now, however, because the NHL put its foot down, teams might start to be more sensible and stop handing out these ridiculous long term contracts.

Or at least, we hope.

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Ilya Kovalchuk Deal Rejected By The NHL

20, Jul 2010

In a move that can only be called shocking, numerous reports (including a report from TSN) are circulating online that suggest the NHL appears to be set on rejecting Ilya Kovalchuk’s 17-year, $102 million deal that he signed with the New Jersey Devils earlier this week on the grounds that it violates the NHL’s salary cap.

In simple terms, the NHL is rejecting the Kovalchuk deal on the basis that the deal itself makes a mockery of the NHL’s salary cap—a move the NHL should have done much earlier and more often.

I for one am happy that Gary Bettman and Company have stepped in and rejected the Kovalchuk deal. Signing any player to a 17-year deal is ridiculous, especially when we all darn well know that said player is likely to retire, never honoring the entire contract.

Details are sketchy at this point; check back later this evening where I will be updating the situation as information flows in.

Until next time,

Peace!

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