Couple of days late with this one, but school has been starting, you guys understand. Anywho, our favorite Russian diva has been back in the news after the arbitration hearing for Ilya Kovalchuk sided with the NHL on Monday. Now, I know that there are a lot of people upset about this whole thing, most of them are probably Devils fans, but I am personally dancing about this decision! I mean, come on, when the GM of the team says that he doesn't believe that contracts like this should even exist during a press conference to celebrate the contract like that, then you know that this thing shouldn't really be able to hold up to any kind of smell test.
Here is the main reason that I think that this is a good thing. As most hockey fans know, the current collective bargaining agreement will end after the 2011-2012 NHL season. Many people have already feared that there will be another lockout, something that players have not helped along with all the rumors of Donald Fehr being tapped by the players to lead the player's union into negotiations. Money is always the issue in these, not that anybody involved in the negotiations really need more money, and you know that these types of mega-long term, front loaded contracts were going to be a huge issue. The league now has a precedent on their side that these sorts of things won't fly. They can come to the bargaining table already knowing that they have won that argument. If the players try to push too hard for that, they will lose badly. If this had gone the other way around, the players could just argue that it was allowed in the last CBA, and they wanted to make sure that it stayed that way. Now, all that will really happen is some kind of clarification.
This will pave the way, in my opinion, for an NBA-like maximum contract. If you aren't sure of what those are, just look at Lebron James' current contract with the Heat, and you will see what I mean. It would be a fantastic thing for the NHL to put in a Max contract that says the most years that you can have on a contract is 7 years, (6 in the NBA). Then, a good compromise as far as the whole front loading of contracts, could that the league says a player may only front load their contract a certain amount, not how nutty the whole thing was with Kovy, so that there can be a slight manipulation of the salary cap, instead of the attempt to completely avoid it as it happened with Kovy. A possible restriction on salaries based off of a player's age could be a good idea as well, also something that happens in the NBA. Bettman SHOULD know about all that, as he did come from the NBA, but of course, he remains absolutely incompetent.
All in all, a big win for the NHL and its fans. This is something that may help to prevent a work stoppage in a couple of years. One last word to Mr. Kovy. I know you really, really wanted to be the highest paid player in the NHL after this. Well, then the last thing that you would really need to do before being the highest paid player is to actually be better than the current highest paid players, which you are not.
Showing posts with label Ilya Kovalchuk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ilya Kovalchuk. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Ilya Kovalchuk, Again....
Well, we are now into August with what has been a pretty stinking ridiculous summer in regards to Ilya Kovalchuk. I have written a number of posts regarding Ilya and his quest to be the highest paid player in the league. The latest being his filing a grievance after the NHL denied his insane contract. All of it starting because he wouldn't back down from the number that he absolutely positively knew that he was worth. I'll say again, I didn't think that there was a guy that could come off looking worse in free agency than LeBron did, but Kovy has definitely done it.
Well, the grievance hearing has been heard by an arbitrator, and we have learned that it looks like everything is going to be said and done on Monday. Apparently, most experts seem to think that this is pretty much an unwinnable case for the NHL, since there really isn't anything in the CBA that says this type of contract is illegal. The only thing that the CBA says is that a team cannot build a salary that circumvents the salary cap, which is hard to prove. But come on!! Look at Kovy's contract! You cannot honestly look at this, especially knowing little space the Devils have in their salary cap, and not conclude that they did this so his absurd number don't fully bite them in the rear end. I mean, I still don't understand how it works, which is why I don't work for capgeek, that a player can be being paid 11.5 million dollars in a season, yet his cap hit is still only 6 million. That just doesn't make sense to me. I, personally, can't even begin to think of it in any other terms than circumventing the salary cap, and can't really see how any impartial, logical person could either.
Kovy seems so dead set on this 17 year thing, and the KHL has even offered him a 17 year deal WITH THE TEAM OF HIS CHOICE, for crying out loud! This sort of thing is kind of why I figured Kovy would end up in Russia for the next few seasons, but I guess it will all hinge on this decision. I would not be surprised at all, if Kovy loses this arbitration hearing, to see him go to Russia because he knows that they will kiss his rear end until the borscht comes home. And at this point, I'm happy to see him go. A loss in this arbitration for the NHL basically sets up the fighting point for the next CBA. In my eyes, it almost assures a lockout, and that would be absolutely deadly to the NHL. So, once again, Kovy, just go to Russia. They'll be more than happy to tell you whatever it is you want to hear. We would miss your talent in the NHL, but not your attitude.
Well, the grievance hearing has been heard by an arbitrator, and we have learned that it looks like everything is going to be said and done on Monday. Apparently, most experts seem to think that this is pretty much an unwinnable case for the NHL, since there really isn't anything in the CBA that says this type of contract is illegal. The only thing that the CBA says is that a team cannot build a salary that circumvents the salary cap, which is hard to prove. But come on!! Look at Kovy's contract! You cannot honestly look at this, especially knowing little space the Devils have in their salary cap, and not conclude that they did this so his absurd number don't fully bite them in the rear end. I mean, I still don't understand how it works, which is why I don't work for capgeek, that a player can be being paid 11.5 million dollars in a season, yet his cap hit is still only 6 million. That just doesn't make sense to me. I, personally, can't even begin to think of it in any other terms than circumventing the salary cap, and can't really see how any impartial, logical person could either.
Kovy seems so dead set on this 17 year thing, and the KHL has even offered him a 17 year deal WITH THE TEAM OF HIS CHOICE, for crying out loud! This sort of thing is kind of why I figured Kovy would end up in Russia for the next few seasons, but I guess it will all hinge on this decision. I would not be surprised at all, if Kovy loses this arbitration hearing, to see him go to Russia because he knows that they will kiss his rear end until the borscht comes home. And at this point, I'm happy to see him go. A loss in this arbitration for the NHL basically sets up the fighting point for the next CBA. In my eyes, it almost assures a lockout, and that would be absolutely deadly to the NHL. So, once again, Kovy, just go to Russia. They'll be more than happy to tell you whatever it is you want to hear. We would miss your talent in the NHL, but not your attitude.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Kovalchuk Files a Grievance
In an act that most people figured was going to come along, the NHLPA has filed a grievance against the NHL after it rejected Ilya Kovalchuk's 17 year, $102 million contract because the NHL said that it violated the CBA. In this Puck Daddy article, from Yahoo Sports, he outlines the process of how this will get to arbitration. The way that this sounds, it doesn't sound like there is going to be a resolution to this any time soon.
The issue that the NHL has with this contract is not the amount of money, or even so much the length of time, it's the way that the contract was structured. I will, again, reference you to CapGeek.com to see how Kovy's contract was to be paid out. What the NHL is saying is a violation essentially comes down to the last 8-10 years of Kovy's contract, when he would move from making $11.5 million a year, going down to the league minimum of $550,000 a year by the time he's 40 and no longer scoring 40 goals every year. The Devils did this to manage their cap hit from Kovy so that, even when he was making the $11.5 million a year, their cap hit would still only be $6 million. Basically, the NHL thinks that it is a dishonest contract because, even though the cap hit would still be at $6 million, they don't believe that he would still be playing by the time he was to be making the $550,000 per year. And that is a somewhat realistic assumption. Who is the last power forward that we have seen play well into their 40s? I honestly don't know.
What is going to be the result of all of this? I really don't know. I feel like the NHL will probably win this one, which would be a very good thing, all around. That would set a precedent for the next CBA, and really wouldn't give the NHLPA a leg to stand on when it comes to these insanely long contracts. The whole concept of front loading the contracts has really hurt some teams because they just don't have enough money, and then they become the Atlanta Thrashers and can't keep any stars because they have too much money tied up in 1 so they never really win, and then that one star leaves because he wants to win. Should the NHLPA win this one, and should Kovy get to keep this contract, and should the NHLPA then hire Donald Fehr to lead them into the next CBA "negotiations", I can almost guarantee you that there will be another lockout, or strike, the next time around.
Rarely will I ever pull for Gary Bettman, especially since I've rated him the worst commissioner in professional sports, but in this case, I have to put myself in Bettman's corner and cheer my guts out, because this is one batter that he can't afford to lose.
The issue that the NHL has with this contract is not the amount of money, or even so much the length of time, it's the way that the contract was structured. I will, again, reference you to CapGeek.com to see how Kovy's contract was to be paid out. What the NHL is saying is a violation essentially comes down to the last 8-10 years of Kovy's contract, when he would move from making $11.5 million a year, going down to the league minimum of $550,000 a year by the time he's 40 and no longer scoring 40 goals every year. The Devils did this to manage their cap hit from Kovy so that, even when he was making the $11.5 million a year, their cap hit would still only be $6 million. Basically, the NHL thinks that it is a dishonest contract because, even though the cap hit would still be at $6 million, they don't believe that he would still be playing by the time he was to be making the $550,000 per year. And that is a somewhat realistic assumption. Who is the last power forward that we have seen play well into their 40s? I honestly don't know.
What is going to be the result of all of this? I really don't know. I feel like the NHL will probably win this one, which would be a very good thing, all around. That would set a precedent for the next CBA, and really wouldn't give the NHLPA a leg to stand on when it comes to these insanely long contracts. The whole concept of front loading the contracts has really hurt some teams because they just don't have enough money, and then they become the Atlanta Thrashers and can't keep any stars because they have too much money tied up in 1 so they never really win, and then that one star leaves because he wants to win. Should the NHLPA win this one, and should Kovy get to keep this contract, and should the NHLPA then hire Donald Fehr to lead them into the next CBA "negotiations", I can almost guarantee you that there will be another lockout, or strike, the next time around.
Rarely will I ever pull for Gary Bettman, especially since I've rated him the worst commissioner in professional sports, but in this case, I have to put myself in Bettman's corner and cheer my guts out, because this is one batter that he can't afford to lose.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Ilya Kovalchuk, the Final Chapter!!....or is it?
Well, the drama was played out, the teams made all of their pitches, and we finally know that Ilya Kovalcuk, the prize of this year's NHL Free Agent group, has signed with the New Jersey Devils for a record contract. Now, if you thought that Marian Hossa's deal was crazy, then you'll pretty much go nuts yourself when you hear what Kovy's deal ended up being. Kovy signed a 17, yes 17, year deal, worth $102 million.
Now, in my humble opinion, this is probably the dumbest contract ever offered in the history of contracts. Obviously, the Devils are happy with it because they get their man, and don't really have to go to any lengths to familiarize him with the team as he played there from the trade deadline to the end of the season. So that makes a bit of sense. The big problem with this is two-fold. One, do you honestly expect this guy to play out the entirety of this contract? He's 27 now, which means he'll be well out of his prime by the time that he still has 9 years LEFT on his contract. At that point, you'll be paying a 35 + year old man 11.5 million dollars! Secondly, this sets a very unhealthy precedent for the rest of the upcoming superstar free agents. Professional athletes are a lot like 5 year old boys. They see that Tommy across the street has a super awesome new bike, and they want one, too. So now that Ilya across the street has a ridiculously long and lucrative deal, every single other player is going to want this, too. The players have gone from wanting insane amount of money and being locked out during a CBA year, to wanting still pretty large sums of money, but for an insane time period on a contract. I do not look forward to the next CBA year, because I don't want another lockout canceled season! CapGeek has a great run down of Kovy's salary and how it is broken down. Take a look!
Now, the rest of the problems here lie with the Devils. If you take a look at the Devil's salary for this coming season, you will probably notice a pretty big problem. The Devils are currently 2.52 million dollars over the league salary cap. Which means they need to do something to get under it. So, they have to either trade somebody, or hope that some of their players are able to clear waivers and send them down to the AHL. It seems that most people believe that the Devils are going to try and trade Zach Parise, as he has basically been told that he will never be the teams #1 left wing. That would do it, as his cap hit, this year, is 5 million bucks. The next problem with the Devils is going to lie in the long term. Yeah, sure you, have Kovy now, and let's pretend that, by some miracle, they actually manage to make sure that Parise stays through this year. By the time they have anybody else as a free agent that they want to keep, they pretty much won't be able to, because Kovy's salary is going to jump up to 11.5 million bucks each year after year #2 of his contract. They have, pretty much, mortgaged the team's future. Their future is going to be Ilya Kovalchuk. No, we're not talking a Miami Heat situation, they have 3 superstars that they managed to keep under the cap, not just 1. The Devils will then, essentially, turn into the Atlanta Thrashers who did the exact same thing. Threw a ton of money at Kovy, and then weren't able to keep any of their other stars because Kovy ate up too much money.
But what does Kovy care? He wanted a record contract to beat Ovechkin's, and he got it. What he'll be measured by is pretty simple. Once Ovechkin signed his big deal, he went out and lead the league in goals, scoring 65 by the end of the 2008 season. Will Kovy do something similar, or will he fall into the trap that a lot of players do, and relax? Ahh, the get paid and then take the season off syndrome can strike hard, but I suppose we'll see. Regardless, this is a deal that is bad for all hockey fans but 1, Ilya Kovalchuk. I guess we'll see what types of insane deals come up next offseason as well, because this could get seriously ugly.
Now, I know that A-Mac has some opinions on this as well, and I want to hear them! Post your Kovy stuff A-Mac!!
**Update: Yesterday, the NHL rejected Kovalchuk's deal! Meaning that he is now a free agent again! We will try and keep tabs on what things are happening and where Kovy lands.....again.
Now, in my humble opinion, this is probably the dumbest contract ever offered in the history of contracts. Obviously, the Devils are happy with it because they get their man, and don't really have to go to any lengths to familiarize him with the team as he played there from the trade deadline to the end of the season. So that makes a bit of sense. The big problem with this is two-fold. One, do you honestly expect this guy to play out the entirety of this contract? He's 27 now, which means he'll be well out of his prime by the time that he still has 9 years LEFT on his contract. At that point, you'll be paying a 35 + year old man 11.5 million dollars! Secondly, this sets a very unhealthy precedent for the rest of the upcoming superstar free agents. Professional athletes are a lot like 5 year old boys. They see that Tommy across the street has a super awesome new bike, and they want one, too. So now that Ilya across the street has a ridiculously long and lucrative deal, every single other player is going to want this, too. The players have gone from wanting insane amount of money and being locked out during a CBA year, to wanting still pretty large sums of money, but for an insane time period on a contract. I do not look forward to the next CBA year, because I don't want another lockout canceled season! CapGeek has a great run down of Kovy's salary and how it is broken down. Take a look!
Now, the rest of the problems here lie with the Devils. If you take a look at the Devil's salary for this coming season, you will probably notice a pretty big problem. The Devils are currently 2.52 million dollars over the league salary cap. Which means they need to do something to get under it. So, they have to either trade somebody, or hope that some of their players are able to clear waivers and send them down to the AHL. It seems that most people believe that the Devils are going to try and trade Zach Parise, as he has basically been told that he will never be the teams #1 left wing. That would do it, as his cap hit, this year, is 5 million bucks. The next problem with the Devils is going to lie in the long term. Yeah, sure you, have Kovy now, and let's pretend that, by some miracle, they actually manage to make sure that Parise stays through this year. By the time they have anybody else as a free agent that they want to keep, they pretty much won't be able to, because Kovy's salary is going to jump up to 11.5 million bucks each year after year #2 of his contract. They have, pretty much, mortgaged the team's future. Their future is going to be Ilya Kovalchuk. No, we're not talking a Miami Heat situation, they have 3 superstars that they managed to keep under the cap, not just 1. The Devils will then, essentially, turn into the Atlanta Thrashers who did the exact same thing. Threw a ton of money at Kovy, and then weren't able to keep any of their other stars because Kovy ate up too much money.
But what does Kovy care? He wanted a record contract to beat Ovechkin's, and he got it. What he'll be measured by is pretty simple. Once Ovechkin signed his big deal, he went out and lead the league in goals, scoring 65 by the end of the 2008 season. Will Kovy do something similar, or will he fall into the trap that a lot of players do, and relax? Ahh, the get paid and then take the season off syndrome can strike hard, but I suppose we'll see. Regardless, this is a deal that is bad for all hockey fans but 1, Ilya Kovalchuk. I guess we'll see what types of insane deals come up next offseason as well, because this could get seriously ugly.
Now, I know that A-Mac has some opinions on this as well, and I want to hear them! Post your Kovy stuff A-Mac!!
**Update: Yesterday, the NHL rejected Kovalchuk's deal! Meaning that he is now a free agent again! We will try and keep tabs on what things are happening and where Kovy lands.....again.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Ilya Kovalchuk
Okay, NHL Free Agency has been going on for about 2 weeks now, and the big question going in was where was Ilya Kovalchuk, the prize of this year's free agency class, going to end up. Pretty much everybody (Puck Daddy, ESPN, Barry Melrose, etc...) figured that he was going to end up on the L.A. Kings. People figured that the Devils would definitely make an effort to keep him, but after the first day, with all the moves they made, it seemed like it was going to be impossible for him to stay. But Kovy didn't sign on the first day, or the second day, or the third day. No, he's drawn all of us out for 2 long weeks.
Now, The Kings were out, then back in, then out again, then Kovy went to visit them, but they weren't really back in quite yet, and now they may be out for good. The Devils have said that they would make space to keep Kovy, but it doesn't appear as if there has been any meaningful movement on that front. I had heard that the Devils had made him a 10 million a year offer for 17 years, but I, of course, have no references of that. Still, even if that was there, the Devils don't have anywhere near enough cap space to fit him in there, so, to me, that sort of report is clearly full of it.
What this has all boiled down to is money. Kovy wants 10 million a year for 10 years, which, in the salary cap era, basically means that you are blowing any chance of keeping any future talent because you've got all of your money tied up in one guy. Now, Kovy is naturally not concerned about that, he just wants to get paid. He is also the only one in this free agency class that would garner this type of money, but he has absolutely over-played his hand. He really needs to think of this like buying a house, or in his case, selling a house. When you're selling a house, you aren't the one that decides how much it goes for, the market is. If you want to sell your house for 500,000 dollars, but the market says it is only worth 450,000, there isn't any way that you're going to get it, no matter how much you say that it's worth that. Kovy is, unfortunately for him, our 500,000 dollar house. He believes that he is worth this much, yet the market has spoken. As far as we know, 3 teams have told him that he isn't getting what he wants, 4 if you include the KHL. Yet, he keeps saying that he is worth this. Well, I'm sorry Kovy, you are not going to get what you keep demanding, no matter how much you keep saying that you're worth it.
It's strange, I didn't really think there was a guy that could come out looking worse than LeBron in all of this free agency stuff. I mean, LeBron came off looking like a narcissistic primma donna who was more interested in being rich than working hard to make his home town team take the next step. But Kovy comes off as a stubborn narcissistic jerk who doesn't care that you don't believe he hasn't earned the money that he wants, you're going to pay it to him no matter what. Well, he's managed to do it!
At any rate, I don't think that Kovy is going to end up playing in the NHL next year. It is well known that the KHL wants him back in Russia and will do pretty much anything to get him back as he is a super talented player who is actually under 35 and is still pretty much in his prime. They will pay him more and kiss his butt to make sure that he comes there. In my opinion, don't count on Kovy playing in the NHL next year.
Now, The Kings were out, then back in, then out again, then Kovy went to visit them, but they weren't really back in quite yet, and now they may be out for good. The Devils have said that they would make space to keep Kovy, but it doesn't appear as if there has been any meaningful movement on that front. I had heard that the Devils had made him a 10 million a year offer for 17 years, but I, of course, have no references of that. Still, even if that was there, the Devils don't have anywhere near enough cap space to fit him in there, so, to me, that sort of report is clearly full of it.
What this has all boiled down to is money. Kovy wants 10 million a year for 10 years, which, in the salary cap era, basically means that you are blowing any chance of keeping any future talent because you've got all of your money tied up in one guy. Now, Kovy is naturally not concerned about that, he just wants to get paid. He is also the only one in this free agency class that would garner this type of money, but he has absolutely over-played his hand. He really needs to think of this like buying a house, or in his case, selling a house. When you're selling a house, you aren't the one that decides how much it goes for, the market is. If you want to sell your house for 500,000 dollars, but the market says it is only worth 450,000, there isn't any way that you're going to get it, no matter how much you say that it's worth that. Kovy is, unfortunately for him, our 500,000 dollar house. He believes that he is worth this much, yet the market has spoken. As far as we know, 3 teams have told him that he isn't getting what he wants, 4 if you include the KHL. Yet, he keeps saying that he is worth this. Well, I'm sorry Kovy, you are not going to get what you keep demanding, no matter how much you keep saying that you're worth it.
It's strange, I didn't really think there was a guy that could come out looking worse than LeBron in all of this free agency stuff. I mean, LeBron came off looking like a narcissistic primma donna who was more interested in being rich than working hard to make his home town team take the next step. But Kovy comes off as a stubborn narcissistic jerk who doesn't care that you don't believe he hasn't earned the money that he wants, you're going to pay it to him no matter what. Well, he's managed to do it!
At any rate, I don't think that Kovy is going to end up playing in the NHL next year. It is well known that the KHL wants him back in Russia and will do pretty much anything to get him back as he is a super talented player who is actually under 35 and is still pretty much in his prime. They will pay him more and kiss his butt to make sure that he comes there. In my opinion, don't count on Kovy playing in the NHL next year.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Free Agency: NHL Style
I am definitely well aware of the fact that I am late on starting this, but that is not a problem. I must also apologize for not writing in quite a while. My wife and I have been quite busy moving. I got a new job up in Colorado, HOME STATE BABY!, and we have been quite busy packing and such. So that is why I have taken quite a while in updating this. So again, my apologies.
Now, I'm going to focus my attention on my hometown boys, the Colorado Avalanche, for the vast majority of this. Now, Greg Sherman, Avalanche GM, has made it abundantly clear that they are committed to a "build from within" style of management. Looking to "not take any shortcuts through trades or free agency." In general, I'm a fan of this idea, but there are some negatives. The good about it being that you are going to put your faith in your players, and allow them to prove themselves. You keep a core of guys together that you know work, and that ensures some great chemistry, and a pretty low payroll. We saw that promoting Joe Sacco was a great success for the Avs, as were many of the players that he brought up with him from Lake Eerie, the Avs AHL affiliate. The problem with this being that they are absolutely refusing to even consider making any signings out of free agency.
Don't get me wrong here, I understand the concept of not really wanting to shell out insane amounts of dollars to players that don't really deserve the contract, and I understand that the Avs have been guilty of that before (i.e. Ryan Smyth, Scott Hannan), but there were/are 2 players that I desperately wish the Avs had pursued during this time period. First, and most obviously, Ilya Kovalchuk. The Avs have slightly more than 30 million dollars worth of cap space this offseason, and could totally use a legit, all-star, sniper left wing that everybody has to pay attention to. Yes, his contract demands (10 million per year for 10-12 years) are pretty ridiculous, but the Avs are one of the teams out there that could actually afford this and still have some space left. I'd be happier with the whole 8 million a year for 8 years, but Kovy, and apparently the Avs, seem to have different plans. The other guy I really wanted, and is a totally moot point so I won't go too deep into it, was Anton Volchenkov. Just a beast of a shot blocking defensemen who is far more physical than any of the D-men we currently have on our roster. Oh well, I suppose that even though both of these guys are good LONG TERM options who are still quite young, Sherman believes that this is shortcutting, and would hurt the team in the long run. I call BS on that.
So far, 3 days into free agency, I'm most surprised at how crazily busy the Vancouver Cannucks have been. They have signed all kinds of folks, including coveted d-man Dan Hamhuis. This is a team that has won the NW division the last 2 seasons, and 3 out of the last 4 years. The NW is usually one of the most competitive in the NHL, and the Cannucks are showing that they realize this. I honestly think that they are the most likely to win it again, and have shown their fans that they are committed to getting better. What are the Avs showing? I'm not entirely certain yet. I'll let the year play out before I decide that this build from within strategy is bogus or not. But I can't imagine that the exact same guys are going to be THAT much better from one year to the next. Especially since we gave up so many shots last year, and Andy can't be as amazing as he was all the time. Eventually, he'll get tired of being peppered every single night.
So far, I give the Avs a D- for their performance during free agency.
Now, I'm going to focus my attention on my hometown boys, the Colorado Avalanche, for the vast majority of this. Now, Greg Sherman, Avalanche GM, has made it abundantly clear that they are committed to a "build from within" style of management. Looking to "not take any shortcuts through trades or free agency." In general, I'm a fan of this idea, but there are some negatives. The good about it being that you are going to put your faith in your players, and allow them to prove themselves. You keep a core of guys together that you know work, and that ensures some great chemistry, and a pretty low payroll. We saw that promoting Joe Sacco was a great success for the Avs, as were many of the players that he brought up with him from Lake Eerie, the Avs AHL affiliate. The problem with this being that they are absolutely refusing to even consider making any signings out of free agency.
Don't get me wrong here, I understand the concept of not really wanting to shell out insane amounts of dollars to players that don't really deserve the contract, and I understand that the Avs have been guilty of that before (i.e. Ryan Smyth, Scott Hannan), but there were/are 2 players that I desperately wish the Avs had pursued during this time period. First, and most obviously, Ilya Kovalchuk. The Avs have slightly more than 30 million dollars worth of cap space this offseason, and could totally use a legit, all-star, sniper left wing that everybody has to pay attention to. Yes, his contract demands (10 million per year for 10-12 years) are pretty ridiculous, but the Avs are one of the teams out there that could actually afford this and still have some space left. I'd be happier with the whole 8 million a year for 8 years, but Kovy, and apparently the Avs, seem to have different plans. The other guy I really wanted, and is a totally moot point so I won't go too deep into it, was Anton Volchenkov. Just a beast of a shot blocking defensemen who is far more physical than any of the D-men we currently have on our roster. Oh well, I suppose that even though both of these guys are good LONG TERM options who are still quite young, Sherman believes that this is shortcutting, and would hurt the team in the long run. I call BS on that.
So far, 3 days into free agency, I'm most surprised at how crazily busy the Vancouver Cannucks have been. They have signed all kinds of folks, including coveted d-man Dan Hamhuis. This is a team that has won the NW division the last 2 seasons, and 3 out of the last 4 years. The NW is usually one of the most competitive in the NHL, and the Cannucks are showing that they realize this. I honestly think that they are the most likely to win it again, and have shown their fans that they are committed to getting better. What are the Avs showing? I'm not entirely certain yet. I'll let the year play out before I decide that this build from within strategy is bogus or not. But I can't imagine that the exact same guys are going to be THAT much better from one year to the next. Especially since we gave up so many shots last year, and Andy can't be as amazing as he was all the time. Eventually, he'll get tired of being peppered every single night.
So far, I give the Avs a D- for their performance during free agency.
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