230 replies to this topic

[JeremyStrain]

Looks like hockey is being played again soon. It's not a done deal, but people are pretty certain that things will get finalized. Just waiting for approval.

I guess because it was the most recent one, I just assumed that this lockout was the longest one to date, but I didn't realize that the 2004-2005 lockout was longer. Always happy to see that things were able to get done.

http://espn.go.com/n...ative-agreement

Its done.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Its done.

HELL YEAH!!!! This is great. Finally!

[tennOsfan]

Thank God. I have something do between football and baseball.

Go Preds!

[BSLMikeLowe]

http://www.freep.com...l|text|Sports|s

• Players will receive $300 million in transition payments over three years to account for existing contracts, pushing their revenue share over 50% at the start of the deal.

• Players gained a defined benefit pension plan for the first time.

• The salary cap for this season will be $70.2 million before prorating to adjust for the shortened season, and the cap will drop to $64.3 million in 2013-14 -- the same amount as 2011-12. There will be a salary floor of $44 million in those years.

• Free agents will be limited to contracts of seven years (eight for those re-signed with their former club).

• Salaries within a contract may not vary by more than 35% year to year, and the lowest year must be at least 50% of the highest year.

• There were no changes to eligibility for free agency and salary arbitration.

• The threshold for teams to release players in salary arbitration will increase from $1.75 million to $3 million.

• Each team may use two buyouts to terminate contracts before the 2013-14 or 2014-15 seasons for two-thirds of the remaining guaranteed income. The buyout will be included in the players' revenue share but not the salary cap.

• The minimum salary will remain at $525,000 this season and will rise to $750,000 by 2021-22.

• Either side may terminate the deal after the 2019-20 season.

• Revenue sharing will increase to $200 million annually and rise with revenue.

• An industry growth fund of $60 million will be funded by the sides over three years and replenished as needed.

• Participation of NHL players in the 2014 Olympics will be determined later in discussions also involving the IOC and the IIHF.

[You Play to Win the Game]

• Each team may use two buyouts to terminate contracts before the 2013-14 or 2014-15 seasons for two-thirds of the remaining guaranteed income. The buyout will be included in the players' revenue share but not the salary cap.

What exactly does this mean?

[DuffMan]

What exactly does this mean?

It means say good bye to Joel Ward!

[JeremyStrain]

What exactly does this mean?

Each team has two amnesty provisions (like NBA) to pay 2/3 of the guaranteed money and get out of a contract. So we could get out from under the rest of Joel Ward's contract (HAPPY DANCE).

Players like Scott Gomez, Campbell in BUF, and some others can get bought out now and save smaller revenue teams some money.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Each team has two amnesty provisions (like NBA) to pay 2/3 of the guaranteed money and get out of a contract. So we could get out from under the rest of Joel Ward's contract (HAPPY DANCE).

Players like Scott Gomez, Campbell in BUF, and some others can get bought out now and save smaller revenue teams some money.

OK, so this is that whole "make whole" deal they were fighting over for so long? Makes sense.

And yes, definitely Happy Dance RE: Ward.

[JeremyStrain]

OK, so this is that whole "make whole" deal they were fighting over for so long? Makes sense.

And yes, definitely Happy Dance RE: Ward.

Nah the make whole thing kind of dissolved. They wanted and fought for a league wide rollback of salary like they had last time, where every contract lost 20% of total value. The players weren't having it, so the compromise ended up being letting owners save 1/3 on 2 contracts, so some owners will still save 20% of payroll It was really driven by a couple owners of smaller market teams who had buyers remorse.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Nah the make whole thing kind of dissolved. They wanted and fought for a league wide rollback of salary like they had last time, where every contract lost 20% of total value. The players weren't having it, so the compromise ended up being letting owners save 1/3 on 2 contracts, so some owners will still save 20% of payroll It was really driven by a couple owners of smaller market teams who had buyers remorse.

Yeah, this is a good compromise, I think. I'm glad the players didn't go there again. As you said in the past, that already happened one time too many.

[DuffMan]

Each team has two amnesty provisions (like NBA) to pay 2/3 of the guaranteed money and get out of a contract. So we could get out from under the rest of Joel Ward's contract (HAPPY DANCE).

Players like Scott Gomez, Campbell in BUF, and some others can get bought out now and save smaller revenue teams some money.

You think the Caps use both buyouts or just the one for Ward? Poti is in the final year of his deal but I'm guessing they just IR him. Hamrlik is due a big chunk of change as well but he's only got one year left as well so is it worth it to use on him, I don't think it is. O man how great is it to be talking Hockey again and not labor negotiations!?

[You Play to Win the Game]

You think the Caps use both buyouts or just the one for Ward? Poti is in the final year of his deal but I'm guessing they just IR him. Hamrlik is due a big chunk of change as well but he's only got one year left as well so is it worth it to use on him, I don't think it is. O man how great is it to be talking Hockey again and not labor negotiations!?

I'm still on cloud nine about this finally being resolved... especially since we'll only have to wait about 2 weeks'ish to see hockey. Backstrom was on his way back from Moscow last night, so the players were obviously told to gather quickly.

Regarding salaries and such, is there a tool out there that compiles player salaries team-by-team? Sort of like COTs contracts for MLB teams?

[You Play to Win the Game]

Some are speculating a Canes/Caps tilt at Verizon Center next Saturday to get this thing started. That would be exciting. Both Staal's and Sasha's return to D.C.

[JeremyStrain]

You think the Caps use both buyouts or just the one for Ward? Poti is in the final year of his deal but I'm guessing they just IR him. Hamrlik is due a big chunk of change as well but he's only got one year left as well so is it worth it to use on him, I don't think it is. O man how great is it to be talking Hockey again and not labor negotiations!?

I would use the one on Ward since there are 3 years left, but the shorter term deals I would just ride this season and save the 2nd buyout for next year if they find themselves in trouble. Gotta take care of the RFA first and see what is left over.

[JeremyStrain]

I'm still on cloud nine about this finally being resolved... especially since we'll only have to wait about 2 weeks'ish to see hockey. Backstrom was on his way back from Moscow last night, so the players were obviously told to gather quickly.

Regarding salaries and such, is there a tool out there that compiles player salaries team-by-team? Sort of like COTs contracts for MLB teams?

http://www.capgeek.com/

[You Play to Win the Game]

http://www.capgeek.com/

Very nice, thanks!

[You Play to Win the Game]

Excuse my ignorance, but if we used one of the options on Ward entering next season, We'd still pay him $4M of the $6M he's owed over the next two seasons ('13-'14 & '14-'15). Would he then be released and able to sign with another team (immediately), or do we retain Ward, and just pay him 1/3 less?

[JeremyStrain]

Excuse my ignorance, but if we used one of the options on Ward entering next season, We'd still pay him $4M of the $6M he's owed over the next two seasons ('13-'14 & '14-'15). Would he then be released and able to sign with another team (immediately), or do we retain Ward, and just pay him 1/3 less?

He's owed for the next 3 seasons, so we would pay him a lump of $6m instead of $9m and he would be gone.

The gist is that none of it would count against the cap. So that would be $3m of cap room for each of the next 3 seasons we'd gain. We really don't NEED cap space right now, we've got like 6m left this year, then we have a bunch coming off the books next year with Hamrlik and Poti which should cover Alzner's new deal and give us another 3m to spend or so. So that 3m could be saved and used to sign another player, or to resign Holtby or Neuvy who both need new deals next year. $5m also comes off the books next year for Ribeiro, which will probably have to go right back into a replacement for him, and some needs to be spent on extending MJ90.

All of this and keep in mind that Kuznetsov will be over next year and NHL ready. He would have come over this year if the lockout wasn't going to happen...everyone saw that coming.

Then you have P. Forsberg who is another one of the top prospects in the game, so they are getting back to drafting well after a couple off years.

[You Play to Win the Game]

He's owed for the next 3 seasons, so we would pay him a lump of $6m instead of $9m and he would be gone.

The gist is that none of it would count against the cap. So that would be $3m of cap room for each of the next 3 seasons we'd gain. We really don't NEED cap space right now, we've got like 6m left this year, then we have a bunch coming off the books next year with Hamrlik and Poti which should cover Alzner's new deal and give us another 3m to spend or so. So that 3m could be saved and used to sign another player, or to resign Holtby or Neuvy who both need new deals next year. $5m also comes off the books next year for Ribeiro, which will probably have to go right back into a replacement for him, and some needs to be spent on extending MJ90.

All of this and keep in mind that Kuznetsov will be over next year and NHL ready. He would have come over this year if the lockout wasn't going to happen...everyone saw that coming.

Then you have P. Forsberg who is another one of the top prospects in the game, so they are getting back to drafting well after a couple off years.

Good stuff, thanks. I didn't realize that the opt-out wouldn't cost us against the cap. Now, the way I read it was that each team has two options which they can use beginning in the '13-'14 seasons and '14-'15 seasons... so we wouldn't be able to move on Ward until NEXT off-season, correct?

[You Play to Win the Game]

The Neuvy/Holtby situation could be an interesting storyline to follow this season. We can't really pay them both, so it'll be interesting to see if one rises up and grabs the spot of goalie of the future. I personally really like Holtby, I always have... but Neuvy isn't incapable of turning it on.