2010 NHL Offseason chatter

[epper]

Good on the NHL for trying to put an end to the mess. But really, it's their own fault.

This is reminding me of the Ally Bank series of commercials that are currently running: "Even kids know it's wrong to make up the rules as you go along."

This isn't going to end well.

[Corvus]

Remember after the lockout, when everyone was talking about the players getting screwed? Whoops.

[The_Admiral]

(a) No Club or Club Actor, directly or indirectly, may: (i) enter into any agreements, promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent, or understandings of any kind, whether express, implied, oral or written, including without limitation, any SPC, Qualifying Offer, Offer Sheet or other transaction, or (ii) take or fail to take any action whatsoever, if either (i) or (ii) is intended to or has the effect of defeating or Circumventing the provisions of this Agreement or the intention of the parties as reflected by the provisions of this Agreement, including without limitation, provisions with respect to the financial and other reporting obligations of the Clubs and the League, Team Payroll Range, Player Compensation Cost Redistribution System, the Entry Level System and/or Free Agency.

it pretty obviously violates this

It doesn't obviously do anything. That's some of the most vacuous legalese I've ever parsed. "Don't be bad." What fluff. This league exists despite itself.

[rams80]

I hate Gary Bettman

Why? Blocking the contract is in the better interests of the league.

EDIT-ok, maybe not the league, but damn, I wish Commissioners shot down retarded contracts more often.

[jkrdevil]

No way the league wins this. They have already let these type deals through with Hossa, Zetterberg, Frazen, Keith, Luongo and lesser extent Pronger (I say lesser extent because that is an over-35 deal). How the contract is loaded is within the specific laws of the CBA. The contract takes the player to 44, which isn't unheard of for a player (Recchi will be 43 this season and Chelios played last year at age 48). Unless the NHL can find or produce something specific of an agreed upon retirement date during the contract I don't see how they can win this. They aren't going to find that.

I don't think the NHL thinks it will win, but this is the first shot in the next labor negotiations and personally I don't know if the league knows what it is getting into. If the PA wins this, it may give them some resolve to fight harder in the CBA as they would have just beaten the league on a major issue in this CBA. That could spell trouble down the road.

Someone of the Devils HF board made a good analogy. This could be the bleeding Kansas of the next NHL Civil War.

[The_Admiral]

Blocking the contract is in the better interests of the league.

You can't complain about getting pantsed when you're an exhibitionist.

[Corvus]

Just remember folks, we lost a year of hockey for this CBA. If this was the best the league could come up with a whole season scrapped, imagine how crappy it would have been if they'd had to rush it.

[NEW.ERA]

I find this funny.

[ElwoodCuse]

Someone of the Devils HF board made a good analogy. This could be the bleeding Kansas of the next NHL Civil War.

hahaha cry about it some more

Do you really not see the difference between this contract and every other long term deal? Player's age at end? Salary over the last couple years?

They have not "already let deals like this through".

You whiners sound like someone telling a cop writing them a ticket for going 20 over "but why didn't you write up the people doing 10 over?"

[Sodboy13]

Someone of the Devils HF board made a good analogy. This could be the bleeding Kansas of the next NHL Civil War.

hahaha cry about it some more

Do you really not see the difference between this contract and every other long term deal? Player's age at end? Salary over the last couple years?

They have not "already let deals like this through".

You whiners sound like someone telling a cop writing them a ticket for going 20 over "but why didn't you write up the people doing 10 over?"

Luongo will be 43 when his contract is up. Hossa will be 42. What makes 44 the magical, farcical, rejectable number? We had a 48-year-old take the ice in the NHL last season.

Also, please point out the whining here, because damned if I've seen any.

[The_Admiral]

Luongo made $10 million last year and makes $1 million in 2022. Why is that contract okay and Kovalchuk's isn't?

[WJMorris3]

So let's see. The Red Wings can do this, but the Devils can't.

I'm no Devils fan, but I have to wonder just how Gary Bettman looks in an Arizona gymnastics outfit.

[LMU]

So let's see. The Red Wings can do this, but the Devils can't.

I'm no Devils fan, but I have to wonder just how Gary Bettman looks in an Arizona gymnastics outfit.

About as good as the 100 mph fastball he throws.

[oddball]

I just listened to a Dean Lombardi interview, and he said that it is all above board and there is nothing wrong with the contract as it is all legal. There is nothing wrong with this contract and unfortunately for the league they are going to look like complete dopes when an arbitrator rules it to be legal. So what that he gets less money at the back end of the contract? He won't play until he's 44? Well, try telling that to Chris Chelios who played at 42. The fact of the matter is, the league has no grounds whatsoever to stand on. If they want to prevent this type of deal, then in the next contract limit the years you can sign a contract for or put in a clause that a player's salary can not be less than the highest amount of money for a given year after that given year. So for example a player makes 10 million in year 5, well if it's an 8 year contract, he has to make 10 million for year 6, 7, and 8. The fact of the matter is that this is a legal contract, and it's an intelligently structured contract to keep the average at 6 million.

[The_Admiral]

FUN WITH CONSPIRACY THEORIES

Lamoriello is understood to be a loyal foot soldier for Bettman. These sorts of frontloaded blockbusters run counter to how the low-key Devils traditionally do business, the Devils held their press conference after the league office confirmed it was an illegal contract (so they say), and Lamoriello made a production of hemming and hawing about how he shouldn't have been able to sign a contract like this but it really seems to be the hot new style these days. If it really were to turn out that this was a concerted effort by ownership to fire a shot against lifetime frontloads (pursuant to the cap they took a year to devise!) and jerked Kovalchuk around to get it done, the NHL would be in even bigger trouble than they would seem to be just for arbitrarily rejecting this contract.

[goalieboy82]

dont know if it has been said, but there will be a press conference at Heinz Field on tuesday (july 27th) at 12pm to talk about the winter classic. hope there will be one for the heritage classic at McMahon Stadium sometime soon too.

[NEW.ERA]

dont know if it has been said, but there will be a press conference at Heinz Field on tuesday (july 27th) at 12pm to talk about the winter classic. hope there will be one for the heritage classic at McMahon Stadium sometime soon too.

I've heard nothing about the Heritage Classic presser but I'm sure it will be closer to training camp.

[Jigga]

Has it seriously been 3 days since a post in this thread? THREE DAYS?!? What the hell is wrong with you puckheads?

Anyway...NHLPA files Kovalchuk grievance.

Although there is language in the CBA suggesting the grievance should be heard by an independent arbitrator within 48 hours of the grievance being filed, that's unlikely to happen.

First, the union and the league will have to agree on an arbitrator that will hear the case and that may take several days. Then there is the case itself, which is likely to take more than a day to hear, with both sides expected to present documents and witnesses to support their case. So it's unknown when the actual decision might be rendered.

The arbitrator will then provide a written decision.

[JQK]

Just based on precedence, i don't think the NHL can win this. Not only that, if no CBA rules were broken, then you can't simply say "Well, we don't like it" and throw the contract out. Fix the loophole during the next CBA negotiations...

[OMMF]

Just based on precedence, i don't think the NHL can win this. Not only that, if no CBA rules were broken, then you can't simply say "Well, we don't like it" and throw the contract out. Fix the loophole during the next CBA negotiations...

Precedence? Who else has a 17-year deal? Who else signed a contract at 27 that takes them to 44? Who else has a contract that actually goes up by 5 million after two seasons before dropping to just above the league minimum for the final five?