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NHL Offseason 2010 discussion

As much as I am against giving multi billionaires even more money, the NHL really needs to look at the entertainment value of it's product in this case. Sure you can take out the red-line and have shootouts, but will the average or potential fan care when they have to go see a Kyle Wellwood or a Clarke McArthur instead of a bonafide talent like Kovalchuk.

Now I'm not saying hand the keys of the vault to Kovalchuk. But there has to be a way for both parties to get what they want and keep that entertainment piece in the league.
 
^ The NHL has plenty of talent. And, from my anecdotal experience, I find that most hockey fans don't even like Kovalchuk that much, talent be damned.

The league has to take a stand on something that so flagrantly trounces the CBA, and I applaud them for playing hardball. If Kovalchuk goes to the KHL, so what? It is pretty bush league compared to the NHL (just look at some of the arenas that smaller teams play in if you need any proof), and like Timby said, I doubt he would last there. The league needs to show that it has a spine here, period.
 
Well Kovalchuk aside, if they try and show a spine by not going to the Olympics, they can kiss Ovechkin and Malkin good bye.
 
I have the same thought about Lashoff. What was the point of the deal?

MacArthur will be a good pickup. He's not a top six, but he solidifies the bottom six.
 
^ Yeah, I mean, we have enough guys duking it out for those 5th and 6th defenceman slots. Hell, we're already paying Finger $3.5 million a year to be a depth blueliner. Thanks for saddling us with that one, Cliff Fletcher. :rolleyes:

MacArthur I definitely like, though. He's a solid third-liner who plays with some grit and can bring an occasional scoring threat to those bottom lines.
 
I don't know what's worse: Finger signed through the end of 2011-2012 or the fact that we'll be paying Tucker off longer than that.
 
The Leafs have loaded up on enough bottom six players. We really need a legit top six to work with Kessel.

Saw an interesting comment from Burke about his latest D-man acquisition. He says you can never have enough, one can always get hurt. Yes, that's true but having eight NHL experienced D-men, plus however many you have on your farm team, some of which are NHL ready as it is...
 
^ I think that two of the big keys for the Leafs offensively this year could be Bozak and Kadri. Bozak has certainly shown that he can become a solid playmaking centre, and Kadri definitely has similar potential. If Bozak had played a full season last year, he would probably have clocked in at between 15-20 goals, and 40-45 assists, based on his numbers across 37 games with the Leafs—not shabby at all for a guy passed over in the draft. If he continues to mature this season, that's a big upside for the top six.

As for Kadri, I'd say he's got maybe a 50\50 shot of the opening day roster. And if he does make it, that'll only be because he has what it takes to play on the top lines; Burke has said that it's either the top six or the AHL for Kadri. I think right now the Leafs are relatively strong along the right side, potentially decent, if inexperienced, at centre, but very weak along the left side. I mean, MacArthur and Kulemin are probably our two best left wingers. Eep.
 
It's all definitely contingent on where Grabovski either plays or is traded to. If you have Kadri centering the second line, Grabovski could either center the third or play on the wing of the second.
 
News:
The New York Post reports: Blackhawks winger Marian Hossa's contract could be voided in the wake of an ultimatum the NHL gave the NHL Players Association on Wednesday night regarding front-loaded, long-term contracts.

The league told the NHLPA that the contracts of Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk and Roberto Luongo would be grandfathered into the collective bargaining agreement, provided the union agreed to certain conditions regarding the salary cap. If the conditions aren't accepted, the NHL will reject Kovalchuk's contract, de-register Luongo's and open a formal investigation into Hossa's 12-year, $63.3 million deal.
Click to expand...

Edit: The conditions are as follows:

1. That the cap hit on future multi-year contracts will not count any seasons that end with the player over 40 years of age. The cap hit would be calculated on the average of the salary up through age 40 only.
2. That the cap hit on future contracts longer than five years will be calculated under a formula granting additional weight to the five years with the highest salary.
The league has given the PA, which is being directed by Donald Fehr, until Friday at 5 pm to accept these conditions.

Views: Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck, the union is not going to like this.
 
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No, no they're not.

Here's another take on it from Inside Hockey.

A well placed source reports that the league has informed the Players’ Assn. that the league will grandfather the recently submitted Kovalchuk 15-year, $100M contract, Luongo’s 12-year, $64M deal that is entering its second season and Hossa’s 12-year, $63.3M deal that also is entering its second season into the CBA under the following conditions:
1. That the cap hit on future multi-year contracts will not count any seasons that end with the player over 40 years of age. The cap hit would be calculated on the average of the salary up through age 40 only.
2. That the cap hit on future contracts longer than five years will be calculated under a formula granting additional weight to the five years with the highest salary.
The league has given the PA, which is being directed by Donald Fehr, until Friday at 5 pm to accept these conditions. If the PA refuses, or if negotiations fail to yeild a common ground, the league has informed the PA that:
1. It will reject the Kovalchuk contract.
2. It will move to immediately devoid the Luongo contract.
3. It will move to immediately open proceedings for a formal investigation into the Hossa contract.
The NHL owns sweeping punitive powers against teams and players judged guilty of circumvention under Article 26 of the CBA.
​
Click to expand...

In other news, Niemi goes to the Sharks for one year/ $2M
 
It's really quite amazing how enabling Bloch's decision is proving to be. I wouldn't be surprised if it's something as simple as the NHL didn't expect anyone to be ballsy enough to try and make a deal that was completely ridiculous, like the 17-year one was. So the league was just holding its breath until the next CBA negotiation, but once Lou Lamoriello came in wearing his "Fuck You" T-shirt and proceeded to drop trou and shit on the desk in full view of everyone, it was on like Donkey Kong.

It's also worth noting that if the league does void the contracts of Luongo and Hossa and then imposed fines, both teams would be fucked right up the ass, as a fine levied by the league against a team counts against that team's salary cap.

Edit: Oh, God, Carey Price's contract. $2.75 million per year for a goalie who was 31st in GAA / 21st in save percentage in 2009 / 10 and 31st in the NHL in both stats in 08 / 09.
emot-laugh.gif


(Antti Niemi must be pissed.)
 
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Multiple sources are reporting that the NHL and NHLPA have reached an agreement on a CBA amendment regarding long-term contracts, and all existing deals (Pronger, Luongo, Hossa, notably) will be grandfathered in, and Kovalchuk's 15-year / $100 million deal will be registered.
 
Yeah, the silly contract went through though it, and Luongo's, Hossa's, etc, are loudly proclaimed to be the last of their kind.

On the subject of Price, I'm not a Habs fan but wow. Price at that price? Over Halak?!?
 
So Luongo is no longer the Canucks' captain. Honestly, I'm not surprised. I actually think this should improve his game because I think it was getting to him.

No successor has been announced yet, though Henrik Sedin seems to be the most... prudent choice.
 
I think Luongo has enough pressure upon him, given his massive contract -- and he's a bit of a head case, as it is. Giving the captaincy to someone else really seems like a solid choice. Of course, he'll still have the same media pressure no matter what. They'll still shit all over him when the team's losing.

The pressure is mounting upon Luongo, as well, as he's 31 and he employs the butterfly style. Pure butterfly goalies break down pretty quickly, with a few notable exceptions, so I'm sure that between his deal and his health, he's really feeling the pressure to bring the Cup to Vancouver.

In any event, giving Henrik Sedin the captaincy seems patently unfair to his brother. The most prudent choice is Kesler.

But it doesn't matter, anyway. Vancouver won't be happy until there's another Linden.
 
Is Kesler really captain material? I don't think you can name anyone at that team that you could readily identify as well known Captain material.
 
BigFoot said:
^ Agreed on all counts. And hey, most great goalies are head cases. ;)
Click to expand...

Don't you mean all? ;)

I think there's a certain bit of insanity required if you're going to get hard rubber pucks flung at you at 90 mph on a regular basis.
 
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