Comments on: Richards sweepstakes over before it starts http://www.boltsmag.com/2006/05/22/richards-sweepstakes-over-before-it-starts/ Tampa Bay Lightning Weblog Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:26:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Kel http://www.boltsmag.com/2006/05/22/richards-sweepstakes-over-before-it-starts/comment-page-1/#comment-4756 Kel Fri, 26 May 2006 01:26:44 +0000 http://www.boltsmag.com/2006/05/22/richards-sweepstakes-over-before-it-starts/#comment-4756 NHL player contracts are guaranteed and remain effective during its life. The only option a team has in terms of avoiding the cap space hit from a signing mistake is to send the player to the minors, but the team is still on the hook to pay his salary. Even the money used to buy out a contract has to be counted towards the cap. Because the cap was set at $39M assuming revenue of $1.8B, the cap should be at around $48M when revenue returns to the 2003-04 level. On the other hand, it won't be $48M next season and GMs are not allowed to distribute cap hits unevenly over the life of the contract. Even if you sign a contract that pays a player $1M this season and $9M next season, the cap hit is still $5M each season. NHL player contracts are guaranteed and remain effective during its life. The only option a team has in terms of avoiding the cap space hit from a signing mistake is to send the player to the minors, but the team is still on the hook to pay his salary. Even the money used to buy out a contract has to be counted towards the cap. Because the cap was set at $39M assuming revenue of $1.8B, the cap should be at around $48M when revenue returns to the 2003-04 level. On the other hand, it won’t be $48M next season and GMs are not allowed to distribute cap hits unevenly over the life of the contract. Even if you sign a contract that pays a player $1M this season and $9M next season, the cap hit is still $5M each season.

]]> By: ski http://www.boltsmag.com/2006/05/22/richards-sweepstakes-over-before-it-starts/comment-page-1/#comment-4731 ski Wed, 24 May 2006 15:02:00 +0000 http://www.boltsmag.com/2006/05/22/richards-sweepstakes-over-before-it-starts/#comment-4731 I understand your point on the big contracts but are NHL contracts guaranteed like in the NBA or MLB, or can players be cut like in the NFL? it would seem that a big contract handicaps a team only as much as the salary cap rules permit. the 'Skins have done an excellant job of salary cap management (despite all published reports) since they can hand out big free agents contracts and still keep veteran players. if your GM knows the salary cap rules well enough big contracts such as these should never be a problem. I understand your point on the big contracts but are NHL contracts guaranteed like in the NBA or MLB, or can players be cut like in the NFL?

it would seem that a big contract handicaps a team only as much as the salary cap rules permit. the ‘Skins have done an excellant job of salary cap management (despite all published reports) since they can hand out big free agents contracts and still keep veteran players. if your GM knows the salary cap rules well enough big contracts such as these should never be a problem.

]]> By: eL Jeffe http://www.boltsmag.com/2006/05/22/richards-sweepstakes-over-before-it-starts/comment-page-1/#comment-4728 eL Jeffe Tue, 23 May 2006 22:44:37 +0000 http://www.boltsmag.com/2006/05/22/richards-sweepstakes-over-before-it-starts/#comment-4728 Oops. This contract reminds me of the handcuffing the NYI did to themselves with Yashin a few years ago. We can argue all we want to about the merits of any given player, but that point becomes mute when the team that they play for financially has no room to act as a flexible party. You begin to stand still, as others around you adapt to the changing landscape, and slowly slide towards the bottom with no resources to improve. Oops. This contract reminds me of the handcuffing the NYI did to themselves with Yashin a few years ago.

We can argue all we want to about the merits of any given player, but that point becomes mute when the team that they play for financially has no room to act as a flexible party. You begin to stand still, as others around you adapt to the changing landscape, and slowly slide towards the bottom with no resources to improve.

]]> By: ken http://www.boltsmag.com/2006/05/22/richards-sweepstakes-over-before-it-starts/comment-page-1/#comment-4722 ken Tue, 23 May 2006 03:42:39 +0000 http://www.boltsmag.com/2006/05/22/richards-sweepstakes-over-before-it-starts/#comment-4722 From the outside, a Sens fan, Tampa fans better sure hope that this is part of some bigger plan which involves shedding payroll, ie. St. Louis. Got to see the Bolts play in Ottawa 3 times in the playoff and while they weren't horrible, they also didn't look like serious Cup contenders. This move has used up the expected cap bump, and the team isn't any better. Not going to get much help with the defence or goaltending unless some money is spent in those areas, and it isn't at all clear where that is going to come from. At least we know that the Bolts are out of the Chara/Redden sweepstakes! From the outside, a Sens fan, Tampa fans better sure hope that this is part of some bigger plan which involves shedding payroll, ie. St. Louis. Got to see the Bolts play in Ottawa 3 times in the playoff and while they weren’t horrible, they also didn’t look like serious Cup contenders. This move has used up the expected cap bump, and the team isn’t any better. Not going to get much help with the defence or goaltending unless some money is spent in those areas, and it isn’t at all clear where that is going to come from. At least we know that the Bolts are out of the Chara/Redden sweepstakes!

]]> By: Lyle Richardson http://www.boltsmag.com/2006/05/22/richards-sweepstakes-over-before-it-starts/comment-page-1/#comment-4720 Lyle Richardson Mon, 22 May 2006 21:57:10 +0000 http://www.boltsmag.com/2006/05/22/richards-sweepstakes-over-before-it-starts/#comment-4720 Few players will accept less to ensure the competitiveness of their club, particularly those in their prime like Richards. Don't be too harsh on him, however. The Bolts were willing to fork out that money to him, as well as last year's flinch big-money contracts to Lecavalier and St. Louis. I've long said that at the end of the day it's what the team is willing to pay and not what the player is asking for that determines the market. If he didn't get that money from the Lightning, he would've gotten it from somebody else. Count on it. Feaster was gonna retain Richards, of that there was no question. You just don't deal away a Smythe and Byng winner who's also been your most consistent performer over the past five years. The problem, of course, was Feaster was scared of another team with lots of cap space and with a reputation for free spending (hello, there, Toronto Maple Leafs) sending Richards a mindblowing offer sheet worth between $8-$9 million per season. That would either force Feaster into paying more than he wanted to retain Richards or letting him walk and collecting five first round picks as compensation. The new CBA was "supposed" to force teams into controlling their spending, but in the immortal words of Ron White, "you can't fix stupid". Most teams will always overpay to retain their best players but then get whalloped elsewhere on their roster when they're forced to sacrifice depth for talent. Few players will accept less to ensure the competitiveness of their club, particularly those in their prime like Richards.

Don’t be too harsh on him, however. The Bolts were willing to fork out that money to him, as well as last year’s flinch big-money contracts to Lecavalier and St. Louis. I’ve long said that at the end of the day it’s what the team is willing to pay and not what the player is asking for that determines the market.

If he didn’t get that money from the Lightning, he would’ve gotten it from somebody else. Count on it.

Feaster was gonna retain Richards, of that there was no question. You just don’t deal away a Smythe and Byng winner who’s also been your most consistent performer over the past five years.

The problem, of course, was Feaster was scared of another team with lots of cap space and with a reputation for free spending (hello, there, Toronto Maple Leafs) sending Richards a mindblowing offer sheet worth between $8-$9 million per season. That would either force Feaster into paying more than he wanted to retain Richards or letting him walk and collecting five first round picks as compensation.

The new CBA was “supposed” to force teams into controlling their spending, but in the immortal words of Ron White, “you can’t fix stupid”. Most teams will always overpay to retain their best players but then get whalloped elsewhere on their roster when they’re forced to sacrifice depth for talent.

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