Globe Hockey @globehockey
Why the NHL’s push for a variance limit matters http://t.co/qr3X3yEf #hockey
Great link.
Quote:
But whether the ultimate solution allows the Pronger-type contracts will be the most interesting thing to keep an eye on. As we’ve seen in the past, if there are loopholes, they’ll be exploited to their fullest extent, and variance is tricky enough that they could leave a few options open.
Letang is expected to sign with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League, a team whose lineup includes Ilya Kovalchuk, Petr Prucha, Maxim Afinogenov and Sergei Bobrovsky.
SKA St. Petersburg also has Tarasenko on their roster, so they have quite a few guys who've been in the NHL / will be in the NHL soon (if there is an NHL to go back to).
So is he not expecting a deal then? This seems like an odd time to sign
Indeed. Although, if he's pessimistic that a deal will be worked out in the soon, the fact that "soon" is the only time the season can be saved, maybe he figures he'll try to pick the overseas situation he likes best before the talks fall apart and other NHLers rush overseas.
I'd say that's the most likely reason for the timing. He doesn't believe a deal will get done in time and is beating the rush before some other non-native gets an offer from SKA. Most of the top teams already have their quota of NHLers I think. Not many slots left.
I don't think it has anything to do with Letang believing or not believing a deal will get done. I don't think he knows. He just sees the drop dead date (January 11) rapidly approaching and wants to beat the rush just in case that drop dead date comes with no deal and no season happens.
Letang: I could sign with SKA earlier, there was delay because of birth of my child. I had offers from other KHL teams but I wanted to play only in SKA
I won't be surprised if some of his star Pittsburgh teammates will follow him to Saint-Petersburgh. All three slots for NHLers in SKA now are loaded, but KHL can increase limit
Can someone explain to me why players want buy-out clauses? That just seems weird to me. I get that owners would want it instead of hiding salary, but I just don't get why players would want it.
I know why I want one...
DP GONE!
I respect his will to want to play, but that ship has sailed and sunk. Time to move on from this mistake of a contract.
I don't think it has anything to do with Letang believing or not believing a deal will get done. I don't think he knows. He just sees the drop dead date (January 11) rapidly approaching and wants to beat the rush just in case that drop dead date comes with no deal and no season happens.
Of course he doesn't know for sure. The point is, he's not confident enough that a deal will get done to wait any longer.
Letang: I could sign with SKA earlier, there was delay because of birth of my child. I had offers from other KHL teams but I wanted to play only in SKA
I won't be surprised if some of his star Pittsburgh teammates will follow him to Saint-Petersburgh. All three slots for NHLers in SKA now are loaded, but KHL can increase limit
They're not going to increase the limit mid-season IMO, but anything's possible I guess.
I like one of the conditions for signing the 10 year CBA on the behalf of the NHLPA is the minimum salary to grow to 800k during the later parts of it.
How can the NHLPA even have the balls to ask for a minimum salary much, much higher than that of sports that are wildly profitable? Just compare the NHL's tv deal to that of legit sports leagues that have actual seasons and laugh at the notion of NHL players even making close to what the other big sports do, let alone more. That's over 50% increase in minimum wage. For comparison, in the past 7 seasons, the minimum wage has increased 16% in the NHL.
The other big one being the option to opt out of it after 7 years.
I still have a lot of doubt in there being a season when you're at t-minus a week until the season is cancelled and one of the things you want is a fully guaranteed 800k minimum salary 7-8 years from now.
also lol at the players voting again for the right to file the disclaimer. Didn't they just do that and not pursue it a day or two ago when their deadline came and went, yet now they're doing it again already. this **** is hilarious
It was already told by KHL chiefs they could increase the limit if lockout would last till January 2013.
I suspect that signing Letang is a part of fight for Crosby between SKA and MMg. If lockout ends, SKA loses nothing: Letang's salary a week is nothing to them. But they have now a valueable argument for Sid to make up his mind.
Bret Hedican @BretHedican
I'm hearing that the #NHL #Lockout is over! Let's get back 2 watching the greatest gm on earth! & let's not allow this to ever happen again!
Letang's contract with the Penguins / his future here is not involved WRT his KHL adventures. His contract expires end of next season I believe. Unless the NHL disappears entirely, Shero will sign him to a long term deal sometime during the next season, long before FA arrives.
I love social media. I didn't think it was possible for the internet to make people dumberer than they already are in some cases, then Facebook and Twitter came along.
