223 replies to this topic

[titanium2]

Hossa and Pronger's deals were already investigated earlier this year. Who's next?

Right. And I remember reading somewhere that Kenny presented the Z and Mule deals to the league to show that they were designed within "the spirit of the cap" or whatever. All I know is after I read that one article that I felt secure enough back then that the league was not going to come after them.

[Doc Holliday]

Likes this.

I find this hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. Lou must be fuming.

Moreso his owner, since Lou cannot stand long term contracts and was apparently told by the Devil's owner to take the contract.

[Grim]

Moreso his owner, since Lou cannot stand long term contracts and was apparently told by the Devil's owner to take the contract.

this keeps getting better and better... i just read something similar to what you wrote, Doc. Lamorello just may have extended this offer with the intent to have it rejected. Nice. have fun in the KHL Kovalchuk

[ComradeWasabi]

Good! This was an obvious example of cap circumvention and I'm glad the league had the gumption to stand up and shoot this thing down.

[Manoir]

All these front-loaded contracts are dumb, including the contracts of Franzen and Zetterberg. They really go against what the salary cap was intended for. The cap hit should be what you pay a player in any particular year.

[xtrememachine1]

All these front-loaded contracts are dumb, including the contracts of Franzen and Zetterberg. They really go against what the salary cap was intended for. The cap hit should be what you pay a player in any particular year.

The problem is the players salaries are rising faster than the salary cap. Teams are being forced to come up with ideas like this to get around it. If these mega deals get rejected and things stay the way they are, you're eventually going to have a situation where every team in the league has just two stars and a bunch of AHLers or a team of mediocre players.

Edited by xtrememachine1, 21 July 2010 - 05:23 AM.

[Heroes of Hockeytown]

And this all could of been avoided if the league would of acted on the DiPietro deal. Stop contracts like this from ever happening in the first place and there is no issue and clear understanding between the NHL and NHLPA on what is a realistic expectation on players finishing out their contracts.

The DiPietro contract was kind of stunning at the time, but it's not comparable to Kovalchuk's or even Zetterberg's/Hossa's. DiPietro makes $4.5M every year for 15 years. The Isles don't benefit from any junk years at the end that he's unlikely to play bringing the cap hit down. And the deal ends when he's 41, which is reasonable.

Even though DiPietro has been injured nearly the entire time, that doesn't really have any bearing on anything. The Isles get cap relief for their missing player just like any other team does for having anyone on IR, but DiPietro is still going to get paid every year until he retires.

[mindfly]

Didn't think I would say this but... Thanks Gary!

[stevkrause]

Zetterberg and Franzen's contracts take them up to age 40 (look at Lidstrom, Yzerman, Chelios, Hasek, etc...)

The Wings have a history of utilizing older players later in their careers than most teams, so these deals are not at ALL out of the realm of possibility of being completed...

Hossa's deal is sketchy, as it takes him to 42/43 and he has had a few injuries with the way he plays - much less likely to get completed, but also only a 12 year deal... not 17

Pronger's deal - after 35, so if they want to sign him to 100 years, let them - it's on the cap regardless and it's their own choice if they want to eat future cap after he retires...

This deal there wasn't even a grey area, it was flat out designed to circumvent the cap and there is NO way he will complete this contract, or at bare minimum (if you REALLY want to stretch) complete this contract at the value it is for.

Keep things in perspective...

[cusimano_brothers]

What would have been his agent's percentage of this deal? The blame is shared between the agent and the deal he made with the Devils.

[edicius]

I also find it funny that the Devils had a press conference announcing the contract...and then they got smacked down by the league. That's just embarrassing.

[mindfly]

I also find it funny that the Devils had a press conference announcing the contract...and then they got smacked down by the league. That's just embarrassing.

Just few hours after, haha...

[toby91_ca]

The only contract you can really compare to this is the Hossa deal, which didn't exactly pass through with flying colours. If I was investigating the Hossa contract, I'm not sure I would have approved it, but going to the Kovalchuk contract, not approving is easy. Hossa's contract ends when he is 42 (too old if you ask me, but not 44 like Kovalchuk's). It's 12 years vs. Kovalchuk's 17 years. This is an issue, but not as big of an issue for me. The next issue is that Kovalchuk gets a larger % of the money in the deal earlier than the Hossa deal.

So, in summary, I think the NHL could have easily nixed the Hossa deal, but approving that deal shouldn't not give rise to consistency questions by not approving the Kovalchuk contract, there are enough significant differences.

[Ram]

I'm also one to be a little surprised at the NHL for taking some initiative for once with something like this. Interesting to see how it pans out. KHL for Ilya? I think he wants a Cup.

[zombi]

Ha! Eat it Kovie!

[dragonballgtz]

The DiPietro contract was kind of stunning at the time, but it's not comparable to Kovalchuk's or even Zetterberg's/Hossa's. DiPietro makes $4.5M every year for 15 years. The Isles don't benefit from any junk years at the end that he's unlikely to play bringing the cap hit down. And the deal ends when he's 41, which is reasonable.

Even though DiPietro has been injured nearly the entire time, that doesn't really have any bearing on anything. The Isles get cap relief for their missing player just like any other team does for having anyone on IR, but DiPietro is still going to get paid every year until he retires.

What do you mean it's not comparable? All of these deal's have the same objective at the end of the day which is to lower the cap hit of a player by adding maybe years into a contract. Every team does benefit to a degree from those junk years as you put it as they now have a lower cap hit player so they have more "cap money" to play around with. Again all of this could of been avoided if the NHL would of stopped it at the DiPietro deal and set the expectation of what a real contract should be.

You bring up a even better point. What if a player sign's a contract like this then gets a career threatening injury during the beginning of the contract life? Players can just try to get better and still collect money from possible playing a handful of games every year. I admit the owner is dumb for signing a contract like this in the first place but that is why I would think the NHL had a lockout season so the league can manage stuff like this from happening. They failed to do that with the contract that started all of this.

[Original-Six]

DiPietros contract isnt really a fair comparison. The money he makes never drops a cent in any year of the contract so their is no "garbage years".

[stevkrause]

DiPietros contract isnt really a fair comparison. The money he makes never drops a cent in any year of the contract so their is no "garbage years".

With DiPietro, and his injuries, every year is a junk year, OH!

[dragonballgtz]

With DiPietro, and his injuries, every year is a junk year, OH!

[edicius]

I'm also one to be a little surprised at the NHL for taking some initiative for once with something like this. Interesting to see how it pans out. KHL for Ilya? I think he wants a Cup.

Then he made a mistake by choosing the Devils.

DiPietros contract isnt really a fair comparison. The money he makes never drops a cent in any year of the contract so their is no "garbage years".

Correct. It's $4.5M throughout.

http://capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=1101