Trade Rumors and Free Agent TalkTrade rumors, transactions, and free agent talk. Rumors must contain the word RUMOR in post title. Proposals must contain the word PROPOSAL in post title.
I don't get how it is seen as anything but a good move. You have a goaltender who just won the Vezina an you sign him for 4 years with the 4th year his NTC expires so you can trade him if you want. 2 years after he signs the contract he wins anoter Vezina, the team wins the Stanley Cup and he is the Conn Smythe winner, sounds like a deal every single GM in the league would line up to make unless you have Quick, Rinne, or Lundqvist already.
Or you could look at the Lidstrom model. He wins a Norris, you sign him to a short term deal, he wins another Norris, a Stanley Cup, you sign him to more short term deals, he wins another Norris...
They could have offered him a series of one year (or at most, two year) deals. The 35+ rule doesn't apply in the first year of a contract.
In Lidstrom's last 6 years in the NHL, he was always under contracts that started after he turned 35. But he was only under the "35+ rule" (unburyable salary) for 2 of them. 2 2-year deals followed by 2 1-year deals. The Wings never committed themselves to the long-term contract risk.
Takes two to make a deal. This isn't NHL12. One year deals if possible would carry a much higher caphit and the Bruins knew they would be a contender the whole way.
They could have offered him a series of one year (or at most, two year) deals. The 35+ rule doesn't apply in the first year of a contract.
In Lidstrom's last 6 years in the NHL, he was always under contracts that started after he turned 35. But he was only under the "35+ rule" (unburyable salary) for 2 of them. 2 2-year deals followed by 2 1-year deals. The Wings never committed themselves to the long-term contract risk.
And he could have walked away and the Bruins may never have won the Cup in 2011. Believe me when I say that almost every Bruin fan is pretty happy that Thomas was a Bruin. Some of us don't like his politics or the way he is going about his status for next year, but we wouldn't trade what Thomas gave us for anything and we hate that the Bruins may have a $5 million cap hit and nobody to show for it, but we are happy as hell that Thomas signed that contract when he did and didn't sign with another team.
I agree. I don't like what he has done this offseason either but the guy did win the Conn Smyth and was the single biggest reason we ever won the cup. If there is one guy you cut some slack it would be him.
He's an outspoken conservative that plays in Boston...of course the hate will go his way. Look at the Curt Schilling debacle.
If chia can move the 5m cap hit then that would open a lot of doors in the UFA market, probably to make a play for a few of the good but not parise/suter good players on the market.
adios timmy!
I'm surprised by some of the negative comments made about Thomas, seeing he helped the Bruins win a Stanley Cup championship. Boston fans should be respecting his wishes rather than wanting to drive him to the airport and kicking him to the curb.
Or you could look at the Lidstrom model. He wins a Norris, you sign him to a short term deal, he wins another Norris, a Stanley Cup, you sign him to more short term deals, he wins another Norris...
Same basic results - different risk exposure.
Thomas isn't Lidstrom and he definitely marches to his own drum, what works for one player isn't always going to work for another player. Maybe Thomas signs with some one else if the Bruins went about it how you suggest. It was worth it for the Bruins and us Bruins fans. You can't argue with the Stanley Cup, you aren't going to convince us of your views.
I'm surprised by some of the negative comments made about Thomas, seeing he helped the Bruins win a Stanley Cup championship. Boston fans should be respecting his wishes rather than wanting to drive him to the airport and kicking him to the curb.
I think most of us are just happy for what he did with the Bruins and are holding no grudges on his personal choices. There are always going to be exceptions I suppose.
Wait... did Boston indicate they didn't intend to pay him this coming season? I missed that.
not that I know of. its just easier for then to trade off his cap hit because if they hold on to him they either have a cap hit of 5 mill this year and pay him, or the suspend him without pay and have two years with a 5mill cap hit. So if they can trade him, they will without a doubt.
Give him a 1 year deal. If he wants to play next year, give him another one year deal. Etc, etc. It's not rocket science.
As people have very clearly, and simply stated, this isn't a video game. Maybe Thomas didn't want that. He was a UFA coming off a Vezina and on his way to another Vezina and Conn Smythe, sure the Bruins are just going to force him away and reject his fair demands....
Give him a 1 year deal. If he wants to play next year, give him another one year deal. Etc, etc. It's not rocket science.
Why on Earth would a player at that age agree to a one year deal coming of a Vezina trophy victory? You cash in and cash in big.
It takes two to tango...
not that I know of. its just easier for then to trade off his cap hit because if they hold on to him they either have a cap hit of 5 mill this year and pay him, or the suspend him without pay and have two years with a 5mill cap hit. So if they can trade him, they will without a doubt.
I agree, I'm just totally confused by the post that says, "It's a contract that he will play hockey for money. It's not a contract that he will play hockey no matter what."
Give him a 1 year deal. If he wants to play next year, give him another one year deal. Etc, etc. It's not rocket science.
It isn't rocket science to know that you don't give an offer of one year to a guy who just won the Vezina, does not have a long history with the team like a Lidstrom, has never made big money and has shown that he was in the prime of his career. That wouldn't be very smart especially when you look at what happened 2 years after he signed the contract.
As people have very clearly, and simply stated, this isn't a video game. Maybe Thomas didn't want that. He was a UFA coming off a Vezina and on his way to another Vezina and Conn Smythe, sure the Bruins are just going to force him away and reject his fair demands....
No, you are totally right. Wait, except that the Bruins saved almost $1mm per year for three years on their cap by structuring it this way. Sorry if it ended up burning you, but rules are rules.
No, you are totally right. Wait, except that the Bruins saved almost $1mm per year for three years on their cap by structuring it this way. Sorry if it ended up burning you, but rules are rules.
Rules are rules so don't cry about it when the Bruins trade Thomas contract to a team so they can reach the cap floor and if they don't I won't cry about it either. Heck, I can't be any happier to have had Tim Thomas as the Bruins goaltender even if they have a $5 million cap hit for one year and nothing to show for it.
This kind of helps, especially knowing that the Bruins don't win the Cup in 2011 without Thomas.
I'm surprised by some of the negative comments made about Thomas, seeing he helped the Bruins win a Stanley Cup championship. Boston fans should be respecting his wishes rather than wanting to drive him to the airport and kicking him to the curb.
It's about how you go out that people remember last.
Ray Bourque. Asked to be traded to a contender at age 39 to win a cup. Fans love him because he stayed with Boston until the almost-end of his career and only asked to be traded because Boston was in rebuilding mode with no chance of competing before he retired. He purposely brought the cup to Boston after he won, sharing his moment with the Boston fans.
If Thomas didn't have a cap hit to Boston, fans wouldn't be vilifying him. But he does. He likely would have been traded this year but now, the Bruins will be lucky just to get a decent prospect back from a cap floor team.
The White House issue was as much the teams fault as Thomas'. A few months earlier, Seguin missed a team event (breakfast) and was suspended 1 game. Thomas missed a team event (White House) but the team did not suspend him. Does that make him more important than Seguin? More important than the Team? Rhetorical questions that can't be answered but helped stir up the controversy. No one looks at Seguin poorly because he was penalized and didn't miss any more events. Thomas got off without being penalized so it rubs people the wrong way even if they don't realize why. It's about fairness and justice, and the Team and Thomas blew it.
It's about how you go out that people remember last.
Ray Bourque. Asked to be traded to a contender at age 39 to win a cup. Fans love him because he stayed with Boston until the almost-end of his career and only asked to be traded because Boston was in rebuilding mode with no chance of competing before he retired. He purposely brought the cup to Boston after he won, sharing his moment with the Boston fans.
If Thomas didn't have a cap hit to Boston, fans wouldn't be vilifying him. But he does. He likely would have been traded this year but now, the Bruins will be lucky just to get a decent prospect back from a cap floor team.
The White House issue was as much the teams fault as Thomas'. A few months earlier, Seguin missed a team event (breakfast) and was suspended 1 game. Thomas missed a team event (White House) but the team did not suspend him. Does that make him more important than Seguin? More important than the Team? Rhetorical questions that can't be answered but helped stir up the controversy. No one looks at Seguin poorly because he was penalized and didn't miss any more events. Thomas got off without being penalized so it rubs people the wrong way even if they don't realize why. It's about fairness and justice, and the Team and Thomas blew it.
Do children get penalized for opting out of an optional school field trip? I agree with the first part of your post however.
Bunch of ****ing ingrates. Thomas should have just retired and flipped off Bruins nation on the way out.... But no, he doesn't want to play (God forbid) and gives his GM 3 1/2 weeks extra to dump his contract to wherever so the Bruins can get their book keeping correct...But he's the devil incarnate.
12 months after being the Conn Smythe trophy winner and leading your team to the promised land for the first time in 39 years....Had he not had a super human play-off bruins fans this weekend are crying about the 2nd given up in the Tomas Kaberle deal..... Lame Haters gon hate I guess.
The NHL did not reverse anything with Kovy's deal, it set precedent re: cap circumvention. That other teams had been allowed to get away with it before is unfortunate, but the league had to take a stand somewhere. I really hope they address this more in the new CBA. As for Thomas, the league should take a CLOSE look at any deal, and if he doesn't play, both teams should be levied with penalties.
Do you know why the league denied kovies megadeal? If yes, then what does it have to do with thomas being traded, he is signed to a legal, authorized NHL contract? They have nothing in common, where does the cba say you can not trade a signed player?
I'm surprised by some of the negative comments made about Thomas, seeing he helped the Bruins win a Stanley Cup championship. Boston fans should be respecting his wishes rather than wanting to drive him to the airport and kicking him to the curb.
That's what happens around here...Ray Bourque won nothing here and had to move on, and is cherished...Gerry Cheevers left here in a split second after a contract from the WHL... Thomas doesn't want to play anymore....has given his blessing to be dealt to Siberia for all he cares, and it's kill him on the way out... Losers.
This kind of helps, especially knowing that the Bruins don't win the Cup in 2011 without Thomas.
