Antti Niemi files for arbitration

[Din758 371]

i would imagine macarthur is more valuable to his team though, especially in atl where they dont have much. niemi seems like hes easily replacable though. every goalie can get hot for a 20 game stretch. gotta remember he split time last year as well.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Kopecky actually looked pretty decent at times this season for them, it's a shame he didn't translate that into his play here in Detroit.

[chrisdetroit 189]

just found this one. from what the article says the hawks are probably gonna have to make a tough decision come thursday.

niemi or kopeck-erhead. whose your pick?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/425185-to-keep-kopecky-or-not-to-keep-kopecky

This says it all

With a portion of the Blackhawks team gone, Kopecky is a vital piece.

hahahah

It has come to this for the Hawks. Kopecky is a vital piece....

[chrisdetroit 189]

I think Bowman said there would be no more deals right before the Ladd trade but I might be off on that one. Also I probably would have agreed on the price of Niemi but personally I think the signing of Halak for between $3 and $4 mill a year (not sure of the exact price) is probably going to drive Niemi's price up also. Again I might be off on that but I think that will play into the arbitrators ruling.

Actually he said that there were no more trades NEEDED which is an even dumber thing to say. There were 29 other GM's that knew he was blowing smoke up their asses. I agree with your assement. The arbitrator will award Niemi between $3-4M and Chicago will walk away. Huet will be the starter next year, Sharp will be gone and it wouldn't surprise me if they traded one of their "core" guys to get below the cap.

[vladdy16 2,154]

There's a rumor on the Chicago boards that Huet is looking at going to Europe this season. Would that entail a buyout of his contract, thus no cap hit?

[toby91_ca 620]

There's a rumor on the Chicago boards that Huet is looking at going to Europe this season. Would that entail a buyout of his contract, thus no cap hit?

When you buyout a contract, you do not eliminate the cap hit, only reduce it.

[Din758 371]

There's a rumor on the Chicago boards that Huet is looking at going to Europe this season. Would that entail a buyout of his contract, thus no cap hit?

or couldnt they just trade huet if he doesnt go to europe?

[StevieY9802 6]

When you buyout a contract, you do not eliminate the cap hit, only reduce it.

I read somewhere that if they loan him to a team in Europe his cap number comes off. Not sure if they still pay him or not. But they'll get nothing for him.

or couldnt they just trade huet if he doesnt go to europe?

No one is going to pick up his 2 years at $5.6mil per. At worse he's going to be sent to the minors so his cap # comes off the books but they'll still be paying him $5.6mil per season to play minor league hockey.

Edited July 27, 2010 by StevieY9802

[toby91_ca 620]

or couldnt they just trade huet if he doesnt go to europe?

You can try, but who's going to want to take his $5.6M cap hit?

[wingsfaninMA 3]

Actually he said that there were no more trades NEEDED which is an even dumber thing to say. There were 29 other GM's that knew he was blowing smoke up their asses. I agree with your assement. The arbitrator will award Niemi between $3-4M and Chicago will walk away. Huet will be the starter next year, Sharp will be gone and it wouldn't surprise me if they traded one of their "core" guys to get below the cap.

So youre saying theyll choose to play a worse goalie that has an extra $2m caphit. Thats retarded.

The only way huet will be on their books next season is if neimi is awarded $7m+

[StevieY9802 6]

So youre saying theyll choose to play a worse goalie that has an extra $2m caphit. Thats retarded.

The only way huet will be on their books next season is if neimi is awarded $7m+

Yeah. Huet isn't on the team either way. They are $400k over the cap with 17 players. So there is no way Huet is there. My guess is they've already talked to guys like Turco or maybe even Theodore to see what it would cost to get them and if Niemi is over that they don't keep him. I wonder though do they just walk from it, or take it and try to trade him?

[Original-Six 254]

Yeah. Huet isn't on the team either way. They are $400k over the cap with 17 players. So there is no way Huet is there. My guess is they've already talked to guys like Turco or maybe even Theodore to see what it would cost to get them and if Niemi is over that they don't keep him. I wonder though do they just walk from it, or take it and try to trade him?

If i recall correctly you cannot trade a player for a period of one year after they go through arbitration. Chicago either accepts the arbitrators contract and Niemi is unmovable for 1 year or they decline it and Niemi becomes a UFA.

Edited July 27, 2010 by Original-Six

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

or couldnt they just trade huet if he doesnt go to europe?

Good luck trying to get someone to take that massive contract.

[StevieY9802 6]

If i recall correctly you cannot trade a player for a period of one year after they go through arbitration. Chicago either accepts the arbitrators contract and Niemi is unmovable for 1 year or they decline it and Niemi becomes a UFA.

You might be right about the trading thing. It sounds familiar.

[Original-Six 254]

Good luck trying to get someone to take that massive contract.

That would be like trying to convince someone to buy some nuclear waste.

[Rufio 29]

If i recall correctly you cannot trade a player for a period of one year after they go through arbitration. Chicago either accepts the arbitrators contract and Niemi is unmovable for 1 year or they decline it and Niemi becomes a UFA.

Where did you hear this?? I've never heard of anything like this. See below. This guy knows. Niemi can absolutely be traded.

Arbitration is just a way of settling contract disputes for RFA's. It's not a special type of contract. A player whose contract was agreed to after arbitration is no different to any other player whose contract was not. Arbitration just gives the two sides a number.

So unless they agree to a contract with a NTC, yes they can trade him.

The only thing I can think of that may have confused you is offer sheets. A player signed on a matched offer sheet can't be traded for a year I think.

[Original-Six 254]

Where did you hear this?? I've never heard of anything like this. See below. This guy knows. Niemi can absolutely be traded.

I think i got it mixed up with Offer-sheets. If a team matches a offer sheet that player cannot be traded for 1 year.

[Doggy 130]

I think i got it mixed up with Offer-sheets. If a team matches a offer sheet that player cannot be traded for 1 year.

Probably. Just to put this to bed -- Milan Jurcina went to arbitration last off-season and Washington agreed to the award. Then he was traded to Columbus and then back to Washington during the season.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

That would be like trying to convince someone to buy some nuclear waste.

That might actually be a little easier.

[Din758 371]

here you go guys, this was a pretty well explained article about arbitration.

http://proicehockey.about.com/od/nhlfreeagents/a/arbitration.htm

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Thanks.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

From Nightmare on Helm Street -

From the Bleacher Report:

All types of Chicago Blackhawk fans are ready to abandon Tomas Kopecky’s salary in order to re-sign Antti Niemi.

Oh dear lord...didn't they throw a parade when they took this guy away from Detroit? Oh..that's right - Marian Hossa was there too. Are you trying to tell me that Chicago was more excited about Hossa than Kopecky? That they are already willing to give up on him?

Shocking.

Tomas Kopecky has established himself over the years, and even more so after his first season with the Blackhawks. Kopecky played from 2005-2009 on the Detroit Redwings. An injury from former Chicago Blackhawk Jim Vandermeer in the 2006-2007 season limited his ability to shine his true talent.

Ahem...established? This year was his FIRST year breaking the 20 point barrier...and he did it by one stinking point. He played in 74 out of 82 games and got time on the power play...you cannot tell me that his true talent wasn't shown this year - it was just easy to miss.

With a portion of the Blackhawks team gone, Kopecky is a vital piece. Even though he is not as big as Dustin Byfuglien, Kopecky is known for his aggressive approach all over the ice. If Kopecky is given the chance he can focus his energy in front of the net. He may not have the size, but he has the motivation and the talent. This is now Tomas Kopecky’s time to shine and prove he is here to stay as a Chicago Blackhawk.

Well if you can't keep Marty Reasoner around for just over a million, what chance does a guy like Kopecky have? Maybe somone else will broker a deal for Tomas and his boyfriend Marian...again.

Still - this makes me laugh because people kept throwing Kopecky's name in their with Hossa, Samuelsson, and Hudler for key contributors lost in the '09 off-season. Yeah, we were really hard pressed to find those extra 6 goals.

And now Chicago fans are already giving up on the guy...much like Detroit did when Chicago "stole him away".

Nice.

[ChitownWingsfan 54]

Not sure if this has already been asked/answered but how soon after the hearing tomorrow does the arbitrator have to decide the case?

[jollymania 162]

bleacher report is the epitome of retard chicago media

[Doggy 130]

Not sure if this has already been asked/answered but how soon after the hearing tomorrow does the arbitrator have to decide the case?

48 hours. It's all in that link a few posts above.