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.
Showing posts with label free agency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free agency. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
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.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Avs out, Sharks move on.
Well, after 4 games in the playoffs that nobody expected to go the way they did, the Avs finally succumbed to the attack of the Sharks in games 5 & 6. The Sharks win, Avs go home, but all is not so bad. Sure, the sting of losing in the playoffs is never very fun, but there is so much positive for the Avalanche as they look into the up-coming offseason.
Firstly, the Avs should be congratulated, and should feel very good about their season. Most people picked the Avs to, once again, be the bottom-dwellers of the Western Conference, have no shot at the playoffs, and barely be a blip on anybody's radar. Well, they definitely overcame that, and while the whole team is obviously to be given credit, there are 3 people, in my opinion, that did more than their share. 1. You can't turn things around without a coach that people believe in, and the players clearly believe in Joe Sacco. Many people were thinking that Patrick Roy may make a return to Colorado to coach the lowly Avs team, mostly as a ploy to get people back in the stands, but they went with Sacco, who had been the coach of their AHL affiliate in Lake Erie. Great move. Makes total sense, especially for a young team. Bring up the coach that most of them have already played for, know what to expect of him, and know what is expected of them. Sacco could be considered for the Jack Adams trophy with the huge turn-around the Avs had this year, but probably won't be given all the credit he deserves.
Second, Matt Duchene. There were some who thought it would be a mistake for Duchene to come right up to the league so quickly, and thought that he might need some more time with his junior team to develop. Well, a season later, Duchene led all rookies in points, in the top 2 for rookies in goals scored. In my estimation, he WILL win the Calder, for rookie of the year. He provided energy, tenacity, and amazing maturity from a kid, yes, a kid, who is only recently 19 years old. If I'm the Avs, the second this kid's third year comes up, you sign him to a HUGE contract extension and keep him around until he's 80, just to be safe. The Avs will continue to get great things from him.
Third, and most obviously, the signing of Craig Anderson. Nobody knew who this guy was, as he was an underused back-up in Florida, though last year he was third in the league in save %. Again, I know he won't win this award, but you look at things, and what player has been more valuable to his team than Anderson has been to the Avs? He played 71 of 82 games, faced the most shots of any goalie in the NHL, had 7 shutouts this year, and still kept a very respectable .917 save %. Without Andy in net, the Avs would have been those bottom dwellers. It seems there is finally some stability in the Colorado net again. Though I don't know if playing him another 71 games would be wise. Yes, he's young, but that many games and that many shots will wear down anybody.
So what's next? Well, for a while the Avs must watch the playoffs with everybody else, but I think there will be a very active free agent market this year for the Avs. Mueller will be an obvious person they will want to re-sign, as he came alive the second he step foot on the ice in Colorado. I think we'll have a decent amount of cap space to play with as well. By my guess, I doubt we will see the following people back in an Avs jersey next year, at least not at the price they currently have. Darcy Tucker, Marek Svatos, David Koci (a rather stupid signing in the first place), Brett Clark, Ruslan Salei, maybe Adam Foote (depending on whether or not he decides to retire). Svatos made 2.35 mil this year. Clark made 3.5 mil. We've already got 7.7 mil in space before letting those guys go, add in their salaries to that, and the others that are going, then there could be room for a run at a serious D-man, which may be a HUGE help to the Avs. Never know, because there are also some big offensive names coming up for free agency as well. Ilya Kovalchuck, Patrick Marleau (will depend a lot on how the Sharks do the rest of the way in the playoffs), our old buddy Wojtek Wolski is a free agent again. The Avs could add some serious fire power on to what is a very talented squad.
In the end, the Avs are in good hands. I look forward to free agency, and to the next season for the Avs. Who knows, in a couple years, my wife may even let me get season tickets! **crosses fingers!!** I'll be writing another big on the Sharks very soon, probably tomorrow.
Firstly, the Avs should be congratulated, and should feel very good about their season. Most people picked the Avs to, once again, be the bottom-dwellers of the Western Conference, have no shot at the playoffs, and barely be a blip on anybody's radar. Well, they definitely overcame that, and while the whole team is obviously to be given credit, there are 3 people, in my opinion, that did more than their share. 1. You can't turn things around without a coach that people believe in, and the players clearly believe in Joe Sacco. Many people were thinking that Patrick Roy may make a return to Colorado to coach the lowly Avs team, mostly as a ploy to get people back in the stands, but they went with Sacco, who had been the coach of their AHL affiliate in Lake Erie. Great move. Makes total sense, especially for a young team. Bring up the coach that most of them have already played for, know what to expect of him, and know what is expected of them. Sacco could be considered for the Jack Adams trophy with the huge turn-around the Avs had this year, but probably won't be given all the credit he deserves.
Second, Matt Duchene. There were some who thought it would be a mistake for Duchene to come right up to the league so quickly, and thought that he might need some more time with his junior team to develop. Well, a season later, Duchene led all rookies in points, in the top 2 for rookies in goals scored. In my estimation, he WILL win the Calder, for rookie of the year. He provided energy, tenacity, and amazing maturity from a kid, yes, a kid, who is only recently 19 years old. If I'm the Avs, the second this kid's third year comes up, you sign him to a HUGE contract extension and keep him around until he's 80, just to be safe. The Avs will continue to get great things from him.
Third, and most obviously, the signing of Craig Anderson. Nobody knew who this guy was, as he was an underused back-up in Florida, though last year he was third in the league in save %. Again, I know he won't win this award, but you look at things, and what player has been more valuable to his team than Anderson has been to the Avs? He played 71 of 82 games, faced the most shots of any goalie in the NHL, had 7 shutouts this year, and still kept a very respectable .917 save %. Without Andy in net, the Avs would have been those bottom dwellers. It seems there is finally some stability in the Colorado net again. Though I don't know if playing him another 71 games would be wise. Yes, he's young, but that many games and that many shots will wear down anybody.
So what's next? Well, for a while the Avs must watch the playoffs with everybody else, but I think there will be a very active free agent market this year for the Avs. Mueller will be an obvious person they will want to re-sign, as he came alive the second he step foot on the ice in Colorado. I think we'll have a decent amount of cap space to play with as well. By my guess, I doubt we will see the following people back in an Avs jersey next year, at least not at the price they currently have. Darcy Tucker, Marek Svatos, David Koci (a rather stupid signing in the first place), Brett Clark, Ruslan Salei, maybe Adam Foote (depending on whether or not he decides to retire). Svatos made 2.35 mil this year. Clark made 3.5 mil. We've already got 7.7 mil in space before letting those guys go, add in their salaries to that, and the others that are going, then there could be room for a run at a serious D-man, which may be a HUGE help to the Avs. Never know, because there are also some big offensive names coming up for free agency as well. Ilya Kovalchuck, Patrick Marleau (will depend a lot on how the Sharks do the rest of the way in the playoffs), our old buddy Wojtek Wolski is a free agent again. The Avs could add some serious fire power on to what is a very talented squad.
In the end, the Avs are in good hands. I look forward to free agency, and to the next season for the Avs. Who knows, in a couple years, my wife may even let me get season tickets! **crosses fingers!!** I'll be writing another big on the Sharks very soon, probably tomorrow.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Free Agency!
Day or so late, I realize, but it's all good. It is free agency time in the NFL, with a special new twist to go along with it! There isn't going to be a salary cap to stop teams from trying to buy everybody they possibly can! This could be interesting.
Now, we have seen from a few teams, most recently the Washington Redskins, the danger in spending too much on free agency. Yeah, you get Albert Haynesworth, thought to be the most dominant DT and that he would remain this dominant for about another 8-10 years, but then he gets a smoking hot 100 million dollar contract. It's weird, but look at his production the next year, way down. Yes, injury didn't help him, but still. What is it with NFL players not putting out their best effort once they get paid?
Anywho, we'll get to see how Julius Peppers handles this now that he has landed with Da Bears! That is a great get for the Bears, though I don't anticipate that Peppers will be playing all 6 years of that contract that he got.
The Lions seem to have gone nutty over another wide receiver, but not because they drafted this one. They gave Nate Burleson, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks a 5 year, $25 Million contract, with $11 Million in guaranteed money, to a guy who had 63 catches last year. That seem excessive to anybody else? I mean, yeah, he was on the lowly Seahawks, but who's to say that the lowly Lions will get him any more catches than that?
The Ravens nailed down Anquan Boldin in an amazing trade. They got Boldin and a 5th round pick in exchange for a 3rd and 4th round draft pick this year. I bet Flacco had to change his pants after he heard that news. Now the Ravens definitely have a legit passing threat.
Questions still remaining. Where will Brandon Marshall land? What over aged player will take a pay cut to try and go to the Pats? Will the Saints really let their ball hawk Sharper get away? Will Brett Favre retire, force the Vikes to find another solution, and then try and unretire again? Who's going to decide that they can make TO a team player this time? All these questions, AND MORE, still to be decided!
Now, we have seen from a few teams, most recently the Washington Redskins, the danger in spending too much on free agency. Yeah, you get Albert Haynesworth, thought to be the most dominant DT and that he would remain this dominant for about another 8-10 years, but then he gets a smoking hot 100 million dollar contract. It's weird, but look at his production the next year, way down. Yes, injury didn't help him, but still. What is it with NFL players not putting out their best effort once they get paid?
Anywho, we'll get to see how Julius Peppers handles this now that he has landed with Da Bears! That is a great get for the Bears, though I don't anticipate that Peppers will be playing all 6 years of that contract that he got.
The Lions seem to have gone nutty over another wide receiver, but not because they drafted this one. They gave Nate Burleson, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks a 5 year, $25 Million contract, with $11 Million in guaranteed money, to a guy who had 63 catches last year. That seem excessive to anybody else? I mean, yeah, he was on the lowly Seahawks, but who's to say that the lowly Lions will get him any more catches than that?
The Ravens nailed down Anquan Boldin in an amazing trade. They got Boldin and a 5th round pick in exchange for a 3rd and 4th round draft pick this year. I bet Flacco had to change his pants after he heard that news. Now the Ravens definitely have a legit passing threat.
Questions still remaining. Where will Brandon Marshall land? What over aged player will take a pay cut to try and go to the Pats? Will the Saints really let their ball hawk Sharper get away? Will Brett Favre retire, force the Vikes to find another solution, and then try and unretire again? Who's going to decide that they can make TO a team player this time? All these questions, AND MORE, still to be decided!
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