You still are paying him below $1mil in Year 9, when he's 40, and Year 10, when he's older than 40. That directly violates the agreement discussed in the below link. No team is going to be foolish enough to even flirt with cap circumvention this year. The climate has changed. The league is emboldened because it knows the arbitrator will likely find in its favor.
Also, the league has never said the Hossa, Savard, and Luongo contracts do not circumvent the cap. Rather, they agreed to suspend their investigation of those contracts as consideration for the agreement encapsulated in the below link. Big difference.
The thing that worries me is that Richards will be 31yo when he hits UFA.
If he commands a 7 or 8 year deal, that's going to be $7 to 8M against the cap for a guy that is closer to 40 than 30 for 2 or 3 years.
That would be hard for me to envision Regier even thinking about.
And I don't know that it isn't the right way to think.
Now if they could swing a crazy deal like Roy for Schenn and then you have Richards as a mentor, that might work.....
It's going to be interesting to see if Regier sticks around. And if not, it will be really interesting to see if the next GM blows things up and starts moving the big "core" guys (Roy, Vanek, and Miller).
They have to find some somewhere and for this team, carrying cap vs. real salary under BTG hasn't been an issue, so that may still be the case going forward.
Carter might be another target, via trade, for a pivot to carry the offensive load but they still need a pair of good, no, very good centers to go forward.
I still fear the possibility that they panic *again* and retain Connolly *again*.
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It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle
They have to find some somewhere and for this team, carrying cap vs. real salary under BTG hasn't been an issue, so that may still be the case going forward.
Carter might be another target, via trade, for a pivot to carry the offensive load but they still need a pair of good, no, very good centers to go forward.
I still fear the possibility that they panic *again* and retain Connolly *again*.
I think the most intriguing question will be whether Pegula is willing to make a push for the big UFA's by front-loading deals and thereby carry real salary far greater than the players' cap numbers. For instance, I wonder if he'd offer Richards and 8yr, $60 mil deal ($7.5 cap hit), and make the final three years be for a total of $5 mil and the first five years for $55 mil. Even if Richards doesn't agree to it, I bet it'd get him (and his agent) thinking.
They have to find some somewhere and for this team, carrying cap vs. real salary under BTG hasn't been an issue, so that may still be the case going forward.
Carter might be another target, via trade, for a pivot to carry the offensive load but they still need a pair of good, no, very good centers to go forward.
I still fear the possibility that they panic *again* and retain Connolly *again*.
Would Connolly be such a bad option for 1 more year if Richards, Stoll, Ribiero, etc. are too expensive/unavailable.
Personally Connolly as our second center is significantly better than Adam, Hecht or Byron at 2C for me.
As for Richards if Pegula were willing to spend the dough he'd instantly make the team a power in the East.
Another interesting question. Does Regier's history really tell us anything about his future if he remains the Sabre's GM? He has always been hamstrung by spending caps, would he operate differently with a larger budget?
Another interesting question. Does Regier's history really tell us anything about his future if he remains the Sabre's GM? He has always been hamstrung by spending caps, would he operate differently with a larger budget?
Really?
They've been, at worst, a middle of the road salary team post-lockout.
And there was a season or two that they spent right up to the cap.
Regier hasn't been able to stash overpaid guys in the AHL and the only contract they have bought out is TK, but I don't believe the budget was as big an issue as the bad contracts Regier gave out.
They have to find some somewhere and for this team, carrying cap vs. real salary under BTG hasn't been an issue, so that may still be the case going forward.
Carter might be another target, via trade, for a pivot to carry the offensive load but they still need a pair of good, no, very good centers to go forward.
I still fear the possibility that they panic *again* and retain Connolly *again*.
If they do opt to break up the core, I wouldn't mind trying to see if they could pry Hodgson & Schneider out of Vancouver, Carter would be good, Schenn of course, and a few other younger guys that they could potentially try and get if they offer up guys like Roy & Miller.
Or if the Blackhawks are done in by their goaltending, could Miller to Chicago for a package of forwards (I won't even throw out the South Buffalo wet dream) work?
Or the old Miller to Detroit stuff if they let Howard walk.
This could be a good summer to move Miller and get a UFA goalie or two and a new Owner/GM honeymoon period might be the best time to make that move.
Brad Richards is exactly what a lot of teams need. There is a reason he will get the highest payout of all the UFA's this summer.
QFT - not to mention his playoff MVP performance standing out as proof he's able to excel under pressure as well.
With a player like him that's clearly going to be coveted by so many teams, it really comes down to who and where he wants to play for. Buffalo could outbid every other suitor and still not land him if he wants to play elsewhere.
Would Connolly be such a bad option for 1 more year if Richards, Stoll, Ribiero, etc. are too expensive/unavailable.
Personally Connolly as our second center is significantly better than Adam, Hecht or Byron at 2C for me.
As a card carrying fan of "The Connolly that could have been", It's time to cut ties and move on.
If it means regressing to Byron or Adam, so be it.
I would rather have Ellis centering our 2nd line than Connolly in 2011/2012.
If they do opt to break up the core, I wouldn't mind trying to see if they could pry Hodgson & Schneider out of Vancouver, Carter would be good, Schenn of course, and a few other younger guys that they could potentially try and get if they offer up guys like Roy & Miller.
Or if the Blackhawks are done in by their goaltending, could Miller to Chicago for a package of forwards (I won't even throw out the South Buffalo wet dream) work?
Or the old Miller to Detroit stuff if they let Howard walk.
This could be a good summer to move Miller and get a UFA goalie or two and a new Owner/GM honeymoon period might be the best time to make that move.
Columbus has 4 centers that all interest me at some level if we go the trade avenue (Brassard, Vermette, Umburger or Johansen). The cost may be high but getting some center depth on this team is a must.
Columbus has 4 centers that all interest me at some level if we go the trade avenue (Brassard, Vermette, Umburger or Johansen). The cost may be high but getting some center depth on this team is a must.
I like all of those players, but I don't see who the Jackets would trade in that group. Vermette is a really solid 2C, a great faceoff guy, and he's inked to an affordable deal. Brassard and Johansen are young, talented, and cheap--which is important to a budget team like the Jackets. Umberger is playing wing this year, but has been a center for the last few seasons, so he could play center here. The problem is that he's a major piece of their leadership core. If Howson sees the ways of the league, which I'm sure he does, he should hold onto all four and develop his center corps around Brassard, Johansen, and Vermette. And if any one of them gets hurt, you can just slot Umberger in there and not really lose anything.
I'd love to work a deal with Columbus, but I'm not sure they'd trade any of those players.
I still fear the possibility that they panic *again* and retain Connolly *again*.
Had Quinn stuck around or if Pegula comes out in open support of keeping Regier next year, then I'll share your fear, CS. Afterall, he's the one who keeps trumping Connolly as a top 20 center.
However, my gut feeling is that the love affair with Connolly will leave when Regier is let go. I think Ruff is tired of trying to squeeze blood from the stone that Connolly is - if Pegula retains Ruff, I'd lay money down that Connolly walks this summer.
Obviously, we'd all like to sign Richards or trade for Stoll, etc. But let's say we can't land Richards (likely) and there truly isn't anything close to a reasonable trade for another center, but we can re-sign Connolly for 1 year for $3.5M. In that scenario (which is a sucky, but likely scenario), we probaly wind up with another year of Tim.
Question: if we let Timmy walk, what kind of deal will he get on the open market, and who will sign him?
Would Connolly be such a bad option for 1 more year if Richards, Stoll, Ribiero, etc. are too expensive/unavailable.
Personally Connolly as our second center is significantly better than Adam, Hecht or Byron at 2C for me.
As for Richards if Pegula were willing to spend the dough he'd instantly make the team a power in the East.
Another interesting question. Does Regier's history really tell us anything about his future if he remains the Sabre's GM? He has always been hamstrung by spending caps, would he operate differently with a larger budget?
I think it's about time we give up on Connolly, even if he is the "best" option on paper.
It seems unlikely the Dallas Stars' ownership situation will sort itself out anytime soon. That uncertainty makes it almost impossible for Brad Richards to negotiate an extension with the Stars.
Richards and his agent Pat Morris have an excellent relationship with Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk and will continue to listen to updates on ownership possibilities, while also allowing Dallas to dictate the pace and direction the organization wants to go with the star centre.
An in-season trade is highly unlikely. However, if presented, Richards would consider his options provided enough time was given to weigh the possibilities of making the move - especially if the proposal were to include a contract extension.
Another scenario could see Richards turn down such an opportunity and finish the season in Dallas hopeful that ownership solidifies in time for him to comfortably re-sign with the Stars.
This would have to happen before the NHL Entry Draft in June, the next logical hot-spot for trade prior to Richards cruising into unrestricted free agency on July 1.
There is no doubt Stars management wants to keep their top scorer and they have expressed this desire, but negotiating the term and dollars is very difficult to do while ownership remains in question.
What would you guys offer for Richards? Maybe Pominville + Sekera + a prospect + our 2011 1st? Dallas needs RWs and D-men from what I can tell.
We would be stupid to give up that much for a rental, which is all Richards is until he signs a contract this summer. Star players who are about to be UFAs never go for that much, because it is highly unlikely that they'll re-sign with the team they're traded to. I'd probably offer Sekera and our 1st at most, similar to what Campbell went for (Bernier and a 1st).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kassian
The list of UFA centers other than Richards and Connolly who make more than $2M:
Michael Nylander
Jason Arnott
Michal Handzus
Todd White
Brooks Laich
other than Laich
I can't see Washington letting Laich go. They're in almost as much trouble down the middle as we are. After Backstrom they don't have much of anything.
All the others listed there just aren't good enough.
TJ Oshie is an RFA this summer. With St. Louis being at the bottom of the West yet again, they might be looking to shake up their roster for next season. I doubt Oshie is the one they're looking to move, but I think for the right offer they'd be willing to move him. They already have MacDonald, Backes, Berglund, Steen, and McClement down the middle. Maybe they'd be looking to upgrade the wings, and we could sign Oshie for 3-3.5 a year/3 year deal over the summer.
That's basically the return Atlanta got for Kovalchuk.
Pominville = Bergfors (Poms is probably better/more proven but his salary cancels that out somewhat)
Sekera = Oduya (you may disagree with this, I'm not sure)
Prospect = Cormier
And then the 1st.
Trading for Richards would be the best way to get him to re-sign in Buffalo. Going back to Kovalchuk, he probably wouldn't have signed with NJ if they hadn't traded for him. But we might be better off trading for another center (Weiss) and hoping that Richards signs with us anyway.
Columbus has 4 centers that all interest me at some level if we go the trade avenue (Brassard, Vermette, Umburger or Johansen). The cost may be high but getting some center depth on this team is a must.
other than Laich
