Nothing personal bro but the KHL doesn't exactly have a whole lot of credibility yet. Take a look at the HBO piece from Real Sports tonight.
The one thing Kuznetsov has going for him is that he's a budding, homegrown star for that club. He's significantly less likely to get jerked around than most players would. Then it just becomes a question of betting on the financial health of his team over the course of the contract.
The one thing Kuznetsov has going for him is that he's a budding, homegrown star for that club. He's significantly less likely to get jerked around than most players would. Then it just becomes a question of betting on the financial health of his team over the course of the contract.
Hockey is not a business for Russia. It's social programm, kind of. While you can cut some non-profit parts you can't cut one of the best pieces, the faces of the sport.
It will come down to whether or not he's a true competitor.
True competitors strive to face the best, become the best they can be, and succeed at the highest possible.
When you look at top Russian players, guys like Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk, Yakupov, Grigorenko, Semin, etc. all are competitors because they've chosen to put money aside and play the game against the best competition in the world.
Radulov on the other hand, thus far he hasn't been a real competitor. Times got tough for him, he was called out, and instead of facing the competiton and challenge like a true competitor he fled to an inferior league where the caliber of players is way less, and he's the best guy there. A big fish in a small pond as the say.
The decision to come to the NHL or stay in the KHL will come down to what kind of competitor Kuzya is. Personally, I feel this guy has the heart of a lion, and is driven to beat the best at the highest level possible. This is the NHL.
I'm praying and hoping the dude is just holding up the good PR side of things.
As has been said, in Russia Hockey is a part of life and its not as if he can just go out and say "I'm boltin' as soon as I can for greener pastures, guys!"
Regardless...I'll be quite sad if he doesn't come over. I was very much looking forward to his arrival.
I've posted this before...he's coming over. He's a competitive guy. The KHL will always be there. He'll want to give it a shot in the best hockey league in the world.
I'm praying and hoping the dude is just holding up the good PR side of things.
As has been said, in Russia Hockey is a part of life and its not as if he can just go out and say "I'm boltin' as soon as I can for greener pastures, guys!"
Regardless...I'll be quite sad if he doesn't come over. I was very much looking forward to his arrival.
Yeah, that's the most reassuring thing for me. That answer he's repeatedly given, that he's made up his mind but won't announce his decision yet, really makes it sound like he's coming over. If he had decided to stay there, there's no reason for him not to say so when asked by Russian reporters.
What kind of total cap hit (including bonuses) are we looking at for thus guy? He's going to be on the high side just to get him here from the KHL.
What can we give him?
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George McPhee....The Teflon GM. 15 years of failure and counting....
6 - Number of playoff series the Capitals have won since George McPhee took over as General Manager in 1997 (which makes him the third-longest-tenured GM in the League), three of which came in McPhee's first season on the job.
I do think contract and playing time expectations will be a major factor. There's not much wiggle with the entry deal, but no Hershey and probable 2nd line time would be expected
I've posted this before...he's coming over. He's a competitive guy. The KHL will always be there. He'll want to give it a shot in the best hockey league in the world.
/IMHO
I'm not sure it's that simple. If a KHL team offers him 10 years at a respectable rate (maybe $6 or $7m?) I think he's going to take it. Hell, he said he would.
IRT both usiel and CCF
Isn't the rookie cap, with all performance bonuses, just under $4m? Of course, the kid has to win everything to actually earn that much money.
What kind of total cap hit (including bonuses) are we looking at for thus guy? He's going to be on the high side just to get him here from the KHL.
What can we give him?
I think it's still in the neighborhood of a $875K base salary and an additional schedule A and schedule B set of personal and team bonuses that can reach a total base and bonus salary of ~$3.9M/yr, pre tax. That's the maximum permitted. To get all of it, you basically need to go deep in the playoffs, I think.
That's a mandatory three-year entry level deal, based on age, and that is subject to the US tax structure.
So conceivably, he could be giving up a good bit of cash, if Ufa, for example offered him $7M/yr, post taxes, for at least three years.
Dmitry Chesnokov @dchesnokov
#Caps' prospect Kuznetsov got seriously injured today in the #KHL; was carried off the ice on a stretcher (via SovSport).
Hopefully nothing permenant and maybe the guaranteed NHL money may make him think. (ass u me that khl contracts aren't guaranteed... Don't want to pull a txpd!)
