Kovalchuk Signs Finally !

[Malibook]

Good move by the NHL.

The salary at the end is so out of whack that it is obvious they just want to pay him an average of $9.5 million for 10 years or so and only take a cap hit of $6 million per year.

 

[Lapper]

contract lengths need to be addressed or the salary cap is gonna be a farce.

my suggestion is contracts can not extend beyond the age of say 35. above age 35, teams can only sign players for up to 3 years.

here's a starting lineup a gm could put together for years to come and still have lots of cap space............

luongo cap hit 5.5 mil 12 year contract
ovechkin cap hit 5.5 mil over 12
crosby cap hit 5.5 over 12
pronger 4.5 over 10
doughty 5.5 over 12

 

[justmike]

Explain how the Kovalchuk contract is set up differently from the following contracts (besides exact number of years, and exact dollars involved).

Hossa, Luongo, Lecavalier, Pronger, Zetterberg, Franzen, Keith, and Savard.

The fact that the NHL has approved the other contracts gives Kovie and New Jersey a terrific chance to succeed with an appeal to an arbitrator.

 

[shack]

Explain how the Kovalchuk contract is set up differently from the following contracts (besides exact number of years, and exact dollars involved).

Hossa, Luongo, Lecavalier, Pronger, Zetterberg, Franzen, Keith, and Savard.

How about the age at which they are signed until? (Not sure about Pronger but his is nowhere close to 17 years.)

Nobody believes Kovalchuk will play out his contract. The others are all much more likely, and that is the NHL's position.

 

[justmike]

You might want to check the labour agreement between the NHL & the NHLPA, there are no restrictions on contract length in the league.

Kovalchuk mentioned at his press conference yesterday, that he plans on playing the entire length of the contract.

There has already been a 20 year (21 actually) contract in the NHL.

 

[Malibook]

Allowing teams to average out a salary is based on a reasonable reduction due to projected lower performance and a good faith realistic expectation that the contract will likely be fulfilled to the end.

Going from an average of $9.5 million over 10 years to a 90%+ reduction in the final 6 years is ridiculous.

 

[futurelegend]

Chris Chelios played until he was 107...okay...maybe he's a bit younger than that. Kovi will never play that. I agree, however, that creating these ridiculous contracts just to get around the salary cap is stupid. I think that the NHL is blocking this one because they are trying to put a stop to these contracts. Plus, they can blow up in your face pretty quickly. Look at the DiPietro deal - he has only played a handful of games since he signed his deal and, although while in the long term IR, he doesn't affect the salary cap hit, they are still on the hook to pay him until either he retires or they buy him out.

 

[justmike]

The NHL cannot unilaterally change the rules of the C.B.A.

What the Devils/Kovalchuck have done does not break any rules in the C.B.A.
It may be against the spirit of the C.B.A., but so what ? No more than the other contracts I listed above.

As a hockey (Leaf) fan, I don't like the contract, I feel it's convoluted. However, it appears to be totally legal.

 

[Malibook]

The league isn't stopping this contract cause they don't want Kovalchuk not to get his money cause they are find with the amount it's the term which they are not happy with and it's team salary cap issue ... Cause if the Devils paid him 110 for 11 years life of the contract then they would have been okay with it ... The league doesn't want to punish the player but the team .... The cap hit for this player is being questioned ...

That is my point.
You are preaching to the choir.

Good move by the NHL.

The salary at the end is so out of whack that it is obvious they just want to pay him an average of $9.5 million for 10 years or so and only take a cap hit of $6 million per year.

 

[Malibook]

The problem with the rule is allowing teams to get out of the cap hit when the player retires.
It should be that either you take the cap hit for every year as they come or you are committed to the average for the full length that the numbers are amortized.

If a player has a career ending injury, then any cap space savings that were realized should have to be made up.
In the case of Kovalchuk, that is equal to $3.5 million per year.

 

[Ironhead]

I am really surprised at the NHL. I never thought they would void this contract based on their track record.
I think the current Chicago situation has opened their(the NHL) eyes. It is about time.

 

[Ironhead]

contract lengths need to be addressed or the salary cap is gonna be a farce.

my suggestion is contracts can not extend beyond the age of say 35. above age 35, teams can only sign players for up to 3 years.

here's a starting lineup a gm could put together for years to come and still have lots of cap space............

luongo cap hit 5.5 mil 12 year contract
ovechkin cap hit 5.5 mil over 12
crosby cap hit 5.5 over 12
pronger 4.5 over 10
doughty 5.5 over 12

Crosby is a $8.7 hit for three more seasons, then he is potentially a free agent.
Ovechkin is a $9.5 hit every year, for 11 more years. 36 at end.
Doughty is a RFA at the end of next season.

 

[Lapper]

Crosby is a $8.7 hit for three more seasons, then he is potentially a free agent.
Ovechkin is a $9.5 hit every year, for 11 more years. 36 at end.
Doughty is a RFA at the end of next season.

lol. i got those numbers from some guy on canucks.com. it didn't even occur to me to double check to see if they were accurate. who'd have thiunk something posted on the net was wrong???

 

[Ironhead]

I wish Kovalchuk would go sign in the KHL and be done with it. One suggestion though, have an out clause that he may exercise at any time during the contract.

 

[Ironhead]

NHLPA filed the grievance yesterday. I think everyone knew this was coming.
An arbitration date will be set.