The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

I don't see how Nashville doesn't match. 4 late 1sts is a paltry return for Weber. They need to get to the floor somehow anyways and I imagine that they will be able to afford him, with revenue sharing and the like. As Weber ages, his cap hit becomes greater than his actual salary, which is gold for the Preds. So they just have to weather a year or two and then they are set. I'd almost say that this plays into the Preds hands.

I believe it is 27 M. A 13 M signing bonus, a 1 M salary and then another 13 M bonus once the next year begins. So in 12 months, they will have to dish out that kind of money.

That's what makes me hopeful that they won't match...cap wise they can obviously afford his hit, but actual dollar wise? Their net worth as of 2010 was $148 million. Are they willing to pony up 18% of what their entire franchise is worth in one year for one player?

[jyoung]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

From what's been reported so far, here is what the Flyers' offer sheet looks like:



Number values are given in millions.

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

From what's been reported so far, here is what the Flyers' offer sheet looks like:



Number values are given in millions.

I feel like the Predators can and should match that, but I've been out of the hockey loop for a few years.

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

I can see why trade talks broke down...Predators wanted Couturier, B. Schenn, and something else for Weber says Darren Dreger.

[jyoung]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

I feel like the Predators can and should match that, but I've been out of the hockey loop for a few years.

For comparison, here are the Predators' current highest-paid players:

(Number values in millions per year)

Pekka Rinne - $7.0
Martin Erat - $4.5
David Legwand - $4.5
Mike Fisher - $4.2
Paul Gaustad - $3.3
Patric Hornqvist - $3.1
Hal Gill - $2.0

Everyone else on the team is making $1 million or less per season.

So Weber at $14 million would basically cost twice as much per year as their current most-expensive contract.

[rdnk]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

I can see why trade talks broke down...Predators wanted Couturier, B. Schenn, and something else for Weber says Darren Dreger.

I dunno, I think Weber is worth it. How many bonafide number 1 D's are out there?

I think, with revenue sharing and other measures the Preds will be able to afford this contract, especially if there are beneficial changes in the new CBA.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

This offer should lay to rest any concern there won't be a 2012-2013 season.
Craig Leipold and Ed Snyder are two high-ranking owners among the 30 NHL clubs.

If those two guys are approving deals like Suter/Parise and Weber, then the NHL will probably be happy with a similar CBA but with minor tweaks (53/47 split - in favor of the players, and less revenue sharing with weaker clubs).

I don't know how Bettman goes into negotiations with a straight face after these deals were made.
And Leipold, who is supposed to be sitting in on the meetings, sure doesn't have much of a leg to stand on.

I have a feeling the next CBA will be signed and delivered well before October 1st.

You're severely underestimating the power of doublethink.

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

For comparison, here are the Predators' current highest-paid players:

(Number values in millions per year)

Pekka Rinne - $7.0
Martin Erat - $4.5
David Legwand - $4.5
Mike Fisher - $4.2
Paul Gaustad - $3.3
Patric Hornqvist - $3.1
Hal Gill - $2.0

Everyone else on the team is making $1 million or less per season.

So Weber at $14 million would basically cost twice as much per year as their current most-expensive contract.

So they probably have more than enough cap space to afford him, right?

[Money99]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

I dunno, I think Weber is worth it. How many bonafide number 1 D's are out there?

I think, with revenue sharing and other measures the Preds will be able to afford this contract, especially if there are beneficial changes in the new CBA.

I think so too.
But then I look at the final-4 of this years playoffs and how parity has never been more prevalent and I wonder if any player is worth that much.
Because today's NHL does everything in it's power to squash individualistic offensives kills and promotes defense, goaltending and shotblocking, I'm starting to think that nobody out there is worth more than 4 or 5 mill.

[mercalnd]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

So they probably have more than enough cap space to afford him, right?

Cap space is not the issue. The cap hit for that contract would be just under 8 million per year. The issue is cash flow to actually be able to make payroll. 27 million to one player over 365 days is massive. And it's not like it's a one year thing followed by a few cheap years. They'd have to pay him 80 million over the first 6 years.

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

I dunno, I think Weber is worth it. How many bonafide number 1 D's are out there?

I think, with revenue sharing and other measures the Preds will be able to afford this contract, especially if there are beneficial changes in the new CBA.

One of them plus Voracek and other stuff? Sure. Both of them? No chance. Off the top of my head the only two people I'd trade both of them in one package for are (vomit) Crosby and Malkin.

[IlliniM1ke]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

This actually seems like good news for Nashville. Their GM David Poile has already stated several times in the past weeks that he would match any offer sheet for Weber. Last time I checked, Nashville had around $30 million in cap space for the upcoming season, so money shouldn't be an issue for them.

And if Weber doesn't want to come back to Nashville, the team will still get a huge return for him with tons of high draft picks.

Either way, it seems like a win for the team.

Sounds like the Preds are in the drivers seat then, keep your franchise dman and weather the first couple brutal years then it will be manageable again and likely viewed as a great contract the way they keep going up or let him walk take those 4 first rounders and do what your team does build through the draft.

Better alternative than riding it out this year and letting him walk like Suter.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

I don't want Nashville to match.

Then I want the Flyers to squander more chances at the Cup since this will be seen as the move that puts them over the top. Strictly to see what JJ's posts will look like in subsequent Playoff threads.

[skydog71]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

Cap space is not the issue. The cap hit for that contract would be just under 8 million per year. The issue is cash flow to actually be able to make payroll. 27 million to one player over 365 days is massive. And it's not like it's a one year thing followed by a few cheap years. They'd have to pay him 80 million over the first 6 years.

Cash flow shouldn't be a problem considering how low interest rates are right now. Just borrow the money and pay it back when you're on the back end of the contract. The Preds were prepared to spend $100 million on Weber anyways --- they're just going to need to make a bigger down payment that they expected.

Now if the Preds can't swing this for some reason... we might as well just send the team up to Canada and bring in an AHL team so we can have a chance at winning something. If you want to be competitive, then you need to be ok with writing big checks to your elite players.

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: The Official NHL 2012 Off-Season Thread

Dreger was on an ESPN Radio affiliate earlier today...said he thinks Nashville will match, but also had this interesting fact: last year the Predators total gate revenue was right around $26 million, so basically next year they'd be committing their entire ticket revenue to one guy. That's insane.