UFAs Available as of July 1, 2010
by abramsdoug on Sep 2, 2010 9:11 AM EDT
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PrintHaving looked at the UFA
s available one month after
the the 2010 UFAs became available, let's look at the team an NHL
GM could have built with the assumption that he was able to sign any of the available choices. This exercise is quite
specific: hypothetically if an NHL GM were allowed to select from all the available players who were UFAs as of July
1, 2010, could he select a competitive team. For purposes of this exercise, the salary cap is not under consideration.
Forward Lines
Kovalchuk/Mikko Koivu/ Wojtek Wolski
Alexander Frolov/ Tomas Plekanec/Ray Whitney
Alexei Ponikarovsky/ Matthew Lombardi / Lee Stempniak
Matt Cooke/ Manny Malhotra/ Colby Armstrong
Goalies
Antti Niemi
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Comments
Yes, on paper that’s a pretty good team. I’d contend that top to bottom that’s a pretty deep team. Wolski’s an RFA. What’s the point of this excercise? It’s September, I believe everyone on that list has a home.
The Point of UFAs List
Now if you examine which players returned to their teams versus players who started 2009-2010 with one team and when signed July 1, 2010, were on another team, it demonstrates teams were losing players to UFA signings, but did not dissemble. What is further demonstrates is that if the NHL decided to expand to 32 teams, with some temporary modifications to salary cap and with expansion drafts (not to mention the other sources of talent), the two new teams would not be doormats.
We haven’t examined, for example, players and teams such as Savard and Boston where talented players are being shopped. The expansion draft is clearly not going to be the primary source for super-star players. On the other hand, the UFA market provides additional sources of first line players. The NHL is going to expand in number. The only issue is when and on what terms.
It’s quite simple to see that the teams that result, if properly planned in advance, will be able to draw upper tier talent from UFAs, the Entry Draft, and the trades. There is a phletora of talent available to fill 32 roster spots. PackPride17 raised the consideration of whether the first line, upper tier talent, is as prevalent as second line, third line, and fourth line talent. I think the UFA market demonstrates that the upper tier talent is available either through the UFA market or trades; although some GMs are using retirement deals to retain some players for the rest of their careers.
Potential new NHL expansion cities such as Winnipeg and Quebec don’t seem to be struggling to get fan support. I suspect they would wonder what psychological issues a person had who tried to compare the potential NHL support at Winnipeg and Quebec to the AHL support found in Albany, NY. One might as well say, it’s colder in Quebec than Miami, so Quebec shouldn’t get an NHL franchise.
Are you going to keep creating new threads to avoid my economic analysis? Really? The person who accused me of evading is doing this?
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
I’ve been reading blogs on canescountry for years, never seen someone create the same post because they were unhappy with the responses in the first – WOW!
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 2, 2010 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think that’s what it is at all. I don’t think Doug can see my responses. That’s the only logical thing I can conclude. See, Doug accused me of evading his questions. He used this supposed evasion to discredit my opinion. If Doug were to now evade my comments and evidence he would have to be discrediting his own opinion using his logic. Since I don’t think that Doug has any psychological issues and since he keeps backing up his position I can only conclude that he can’t see my posts.
Maybe we should ask the admins if there are any technical problems with the site over the last couple of days. If we even need to, that is. I think Doug’s failure to respond is clear evidence that there are technical issues with the site. Him evading evidence and citations is certainly not possible.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
Excellent point – as an expert at blogging on canescountry, that makes the most sense. Maybe he can’t see his own posts either – hence the repost here.
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 2, 2010 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Potential new NHL expansion cities such as Winnipeg and Quebec don’t seem to be struggling to get fan support. I suspect they would wonder what psychological issues a person had who tried to compare the potential NHL support at Winnipeg and Quebec to the AHL support found in Albany, NY. One might as well say, it’s colder in Quebec than Miami, so Quebec shouldn’t get an NHL franchise.
1) Read the Globe and Mail/TSN study.
2) This is the last time you insult me. You do it again and I’m going to ask that you be blocked or removed. Personal attacks are forbidden under rule 1 of the community guidelines. I’ve not insulted you personally and you need to do the same.
3) I have never compared the support for an NHL franchise in Quebec and Winnipeg to the AHL. I took my comments about support for Quebec and Winnipeg from the study done by TSN and the Globe and Mail. I compared NHL attendance to AHL attendance to support my contention that paying customers desire to see top talent. I’ve said this clearly numerous times.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
by C-Leaguer on Sep 2, 2010 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
2) This is the last time you insult me. You do it again and I’m going to ask that you be blocked or removed. Personal attacks are forbidden under rule 1 of the community guidelines. I’ve not insulted you personally and you need to do the same.
Just so everyone knows, it isn’t unheard of for a member to be banned from his “hometown” blog. It happened somewhat recently over at Broad Street Hockey with their most frequently-commenting non-author MarioD.
by red army line on Sep 2, 2010 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, there would be enough players to suit up another 2 teams, but what you’re never going to overcome is the fact that with an additional 2 teams you’re going to further dilute the on-ice product and we currently have between 4-6 franchise’s that are having significant financial problems/feasability issues. As it is every team has between 2-4 players that should probably be the in the AHL, the talent pool simply isn’t that good, if that were the case AHL teams should be able to beat NHL teams.
2 to 4 players on every team that are AHL
I disagree totally with the statement that every team (30 teams) have 2 to 4 players who really ought to be in the NHL. One reason for showing the players available as of August 1st as UFAs was to show that GMs felt that they had sufficient talent (or lack of cap space) such that they were willing to leave as unsigned UFAs quite a number of NHL veterans. I don’t see 60 to 130 marginal NHL players who really ought not to be on an NHL team.
Typo fixed
I disagree totally with the statement that every team (30 teams) have 2 to 4 players who really ought to be in the AHL: and not in the NHL. One reason for showing the players available as of August 1st as UFAs was to show that GMs felt that they had sufficient talent (or lack of cap space) such that they were willing to leave as unsigned UFAs quite a number of NHL veterans. I don’t see 60 to 130 marginal NHL players who really ought not to be on an NHL team. If teams were so talent deprived, why didn’t their GMs realize that fact and sign up some of the unsigned UFAs from July 1, 2010, or for more of a bargain waited until August 1, 2010?
If teams were so talent deprived, why didn’t their GMs realize that fact and sign up some of the unsigned UFAs from July 1, 2010, or for more of a bargain waited until August 1, 2010?
Are you implying that teams that let free agents go didn’t sign any other free agents?
One reason for showing the players available as of August 1st as UFAs was to show that GMs felt that they had sufficient talent (or lack of cap space) such that they were willing to leave as unsigned UFAs quite a number of NHL veterans.
You do realize that it takes two to tango? It’s not just GM’s that let players test the free market. Players can chose to test the market as well. Pittsburgh attempted to re-sign Gonchar, but he chose not to sign there and instead test the market. Nashville tried to sign Hamhuis before sending him to Philly who tried to sign him before sending him to Pitt who tried to sign him. It was Dan Hamhuis who decided he wanted to play in Vancouver which was the reason for him becoming a UFA and not some choice by a GM to not sign him.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
Also, care to respond to my posts on the TSN/Globe and Mail piece which shows that NHL teams in Winnipeg and Quebec City will likely not be economically viable even with an assumed sell out for every home game? It also shows that Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area are less viable than Quebec City and Winnipeg.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
One reason for showing the players available as of August 1st as UFAs was to show that GMs felt that they had sufficient talent (or lack of cap space) such that they were willing to leave as unsigned UFAs quite a number of NHL veterans
Care to respond how your inclusion of players that weren’t UFAs as of July 1 impacts your assessment?
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
There’s no way you can say AHLers should be NHLers if every guy occupying an NHL roster spot is already an NHLer.
by red army line on Sep 2, 2010 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I love how you put lack of cap space in parenthesis because that’s the main reason why most of those guys were available. This shouldn’t be surprising but most teams are either against the cap and can’t do anything or have their hands tied like JR. If JR had the cash he would have improved he would have grabbed someone, the prospect of offering 4 roster spots to players that have little to no NHL experience can’t sit well with him and is rolling the dice.
The NHL is going to expand in number. The only issue is when and on what terms.
Later rather than sooner, in all likelyhood. People will have to populate the middle of the country eventually. Right?
by red army line on Sep 2, 2010 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Check out this wrap up from the TSN and Globe and Mail joint series titled "Why Not Canada?" which examined the viability of new teams in Canada.
Below is a direct quote from the article:
The NHL Salary Cap will be $58.5 million during the 2010-11 season. So could smaller markets such as Quebec City and Winnipeg afford to compete at the cap, along side the NHL’s other six franchises. Probably not.
Now, TSN and the Globe and Mail are in Canada. At the very least they are objective and in all actually are probably somewhat support the idea of having more teams in Canada. Inspite of all this and using the best analysis available to them they found that smaller Canadian markets are likely not able to support an NHL franchise at current salary cap levels. On top of this their analysis assumed a sell out for all 41 regular season home games. While that is not out of the question it’s certainly not assured.
So even under the best of circumstances two new teams in Canada are likely to need revenue sharing to be viable. If those two teams are to get revenue sharing then that will eat in to the pie of revenue sharing funds thereby reducing the funds available to Phoenix, Nashville, Atlanta and Florida. This will put these teams in an even deeper hole when it comes to trying to compete which could further reduce the ability of those teams to compete which could increase the need for revenue sharing funds which would then ripple throughout the NHL as a whole.
Financially the NHL cannot afford to expand. The NHL would be better off from a financial perspective in relocating the most struggling franchises (Phoenix and Atlanta) to markets where they will at the least struggle less, and potentially be economically viable. If the NHL could move two teams this would reduce the number of locations that could support expansion teams also further limiting the leagues ability to expand.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
I got the same feeling after reading “why not Canada”. You can’t really expand until everyone is making money or at least the majority of the league.
I agree against expansion, however teams like Florida, Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, even the Canes to a smaller degree can’t afford to “compete” at the current Cap. I can’t make myself believe that barren desert markets like Phoenix (literally) would make more money than any number of potential cities in Canada, even if they are smaller markets. Maybe not an expansion, but a move may be a good thing.
Hamhuis was going to sign only in Vancouver. He had the ability to sign in Nashville, Philly, and Pitt and turned them all down. Why would he sign with this team?
Niemi was not a free agent on July 1. He was an unsigned RFA at the time. He cannot be included on this list.
As per TSN Halak was an RFA. He cannot be included on this team.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
Salary cap not under consideration?
Why not? You have that kind of control over the CBA?
Also, how exactly does this prove that there is sufficient talent to support two additional teams? If these players are all signed by one team, who will be signed by the second expansion team? How will the teams that actually did sign these players fill these holes?
You’ve made a team of UFAs. That’s awesome. ESPN does that every year. How does this prove that the NHL has the talent to expand? How does it address the financial situation of the league as a whole?
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
Cap ramifications
Looking at the list and taking who you have up there, even the players who weren’t UFAs the total cap hit for that squad is in excess of $75,000,000 assuming Kovalchuk’s cap hit of $6.66 million per year and Niemi’s of $2 million per year. Those number reflect the latest reports of the contracts signed or to be signed by those players. All other players are under signed and excepted contracts.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the NHL salary cap under $75 million?
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
You know, AD, it really helps when you’re not making elementary factual mistakes in your supporting arguments.
Antti Niemi and Jaroslav Halak—RFA, not UFA
Koivu, Plekanec, Cooke—re-signed before July 1 (at least, I think—not sure about Cooke, certain about Koivu and Plekanec). Else, I’m missing something and it’s a clear oversight to leave off Marleau, Pavelski, and Backstrom, all re-signed after their seasons ended.
1) A team will never sign every single good free agent in one offseason
2) Salary cap?
3) This disrupts the flow. Pittsburgh doesn’t have their replacement for Gonchar, etc.
4) I know I can make a better team than this. Turco instead of Niemi, Volchenkov instead of Morris.
You're right on Cooke
Per TSN he was re-signed 6/22/2010. That brings it up to 5 total players on here who weren’t available on July 1. It’s surprising that there are 5 players on Doug’s list that weren’t in anyway available as UFAs when there is supposedly so much talent available.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
Another Draft of Lines
Here are another set of lines a GM could have created from the 2010 UFAs:
Kovalchuk/Patrick Marleau / Ray Whitney
Alexander Frolov/ Olli Jokinen/ Alexei Ponikarovsky
Tomas Holmstrom / Matthew Lombardi / Lee Stempniak
Bill Guerin/ Manny Malhotra/ Colby Armstrong
Defensive Lines
Paul Martin/Zbynek Michalek
Sutton, Andy/Sergei Gonchar
Willie Mitchell/Anton Volchenkov
Goalies
Marty Turco
Chris Mason
Here is the source of information about the players being UFAs:
http://www.nhlnumbers.com/freeagents.php?team=none&pos=none&summer=none&status=ufa&type=salary
Marleau was never a free agent. As per TSN he signed on 6/24.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
The Cap hit, including Marleau who was never a free agent, for this team is $67,566,666.67 assuming a 15 year/$100 million dollar deal for Kovalchuk and a $1.5 million dollar deal for Guerin. Guerin is more of a wild card as he may even retire.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that $67.566 million is above the salary cap.
Before you do this again you’ll need to factor in what the ramifications are for Ottawa and Pittsburgh if you have this team sign Gonchar, Michalek and Martin. Those teams would not sit idly by and allow that to happen.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
Just heard on the Pittsburgh radio yesterday that Guerin is actually in Philly skating http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/rumors/post/Bill-Guerin-joining-Philadelphia-Flyers-?urn=nhl-266819
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 2, 2010 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Most of these players were absorbed into the existing 30 teams.
So how does using a snapshot-in-time list of free agents that was compiled before offseason signings are even conducted help whatsoever in supporting your contention that there’s an excess of talent available for any additional expansion teams?
I fail to see the point of this exercise.
Here we are now...entertain us.
It looks like all of them have been:
http://www.capgeek.com/free_agents.php
The UFA list as of today looks pretty pathetic, Kariya’s done for the year, some have gone to Europe, some will retire, and the rest can’t find home because they cost too much.
Only two players are still not signed by one of the existing 30 NHL teams, AD.
Kolvachuk, who will probably be announced as signed by the Devils tomorrow, and Bill Guerin, who, at age 39, I believe is the type of player you usually rail about occupying a slot that could be given to your favorite AHL-player-who-has-yet-to-prove-anything.
Again, I fail to see the point of this exercise…other than perhaps laying down a smokescreen, of course.
Here we are now...entertain us.
Also, care to respond to the economic analysis completed by TSN and The Globe and Mail that shows that new teams in Canada are not economically viable?
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
Clearly, that one person will be following you on Twitter and completely ignoring whatever AD says from now on.
by red army line on Sep 2, 2010 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions
One commenter in the original “Who should the Canes protect” thread said “whoever wins this argument, I will follow on twitter and ignore the other completely, even if what he says is genius,” or something to that extent. You won, clearly.
by red army line on Sep 2, 2010 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Salary Cap Issues
Here’s the most recent numbers from CapGeek. Note the number of teams that are in Salary Cap hell. New Jersey is in salary cap trouble even without Kovalchuk’s signing.
Some GMs seem to be positioning themselves for a possible work stoppage as well as the possible impact of lowering the salary cap. If the salary cap is lowered to $50 million, the case becomes stronger for expansion as fewer teams will be able to hoard high end talent.
It also makes teams in Canada more viable. In the analysis TSN/Globe and Mail did they anticipated that a team in Quebec City could generate about $85 million dollars of revenue per year assuming full sell outs every game. Given that the Average NHL team spends about $35 to $40 on top of player salaries to operate the team that would leave $45 to $50 million available for player salaries, right at this new cap limit.
I still think there will be problems with filling sufficient top end talent for two new teams, but reducing the cap would go a long way to making teams more viable. That said, lowering the cap is a big if and opens up an entirely new can of worms.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
If the salary cap is lowered to $50 million, the case becomes stronger for expansion as fewer teams will be able to hoard high end talent.
That assumes that players desire is for X amount of money per year (i.e. every player has a value irrelevant of the cap) or if they are looking to be paid Y% of the cap (i.e. are paid relative to other players and the cap). I’m not sure how one would make an argument that a players value wasn’t on some level based on the cap. Salaries are based on what someone is willing to pay for the labor, and a salary cap puts a limit on what someone is willing to pay for labor.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
I personally think player salaries for the alleged top-end talent are way out of scale for value returned.
It already bothers me to be sending $7.5M Eric Staal’s way for around 20 minutes of ice time every second or third day during the season.
Now imagine your ticket money going to Jason Spezza to float around for $8.0M in ‘10-’11.
There is an incredible divide when some players are literally making 16 times what other players on the team are making.
I can handle $500,000 as a minimum salary. $8 million a year? Not so much.
Here we are now...entertain us.
You don’t have a team without top end talent. All the depth in the world won’t be that helpful, at least in my opinion. There are very few top end guys. Sure it sucks when guys who looked like top end players and are paid like top end players don’t end up producing like top end players (I’m looking at Olli Jokinen most of all here), but that is what it is.
Personally I look at salaries as a measure of how replacable a player is. Is Eric Staal replacable? Sure, but by only about ten players. Add in how many would be willing to stick around here long term and the number of replacement players drops some more.
As for Pat Dwyer, well, he’s easily replacable. Personally, for my money, I’d rather have Keith Aucoin.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
I just think the range is all wrong.
There’s no need, in my opinion, to go all the way to $7M, $8M, and upward for these top-end players.
I mean, just how many millions does one individual need?
If the range was tightened up to from $500K to $5M or so, then the cap could be lowered, along with ticket prices.
Remember how Bettman spoke of ticket prices falling when lobbying for the salary cap system? :-D
Yeah, right.
Here we are now...entertain us.
The NHL just at the moment doesn’t have the gorgeous TV deals that the NFL and NBA have. The NHL is too reliant on ticket sales for revenue compared to other leagues, and so that’s how it goes. Last year actually the Capitals had their first break-even financial year since Leonsis took over (or at least since the lockout). Just goes to show, I guess.
by red army line on Sep 2, 2010 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
There’s definitely a divide as to how the offensive stars get paid versus the plugger types. I think the offensive ones get paid twice as much per GVT, roughly and on average, as the others (so top-6 forward, top-2 D twice as much).
As for the salaries: I guess you start with Staal playing about three times as much per game as that other guy, then you go with offensive production and playing tough minutes, etc etc, and while you don’t quite get to his salary (in fairness, there are only around a handful of players who have that big of an impact on their teams, like Sid/AO/Lidstrom/Keith), you get a pretty good chunk right there.
by red army line on Sep 2, 2010 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions
$9.4 mil reduction seems unlikely. However, I do think that given current market conditions NHL salaries are out of whack. I think top end salaries shouldn’t be much more than $5mil. When you have 40%-60% your budget locked into 3-5 players that doesn’t allow you to put in much depth in behind those guys and for the most part you’re not getting much out of the guys you pay less than $850K.
I think some of this is still being sorted out. The cap is new to a number of GMs and they don’t have an idea of how to really budget accordingly. I honestly hope the NHL trade market never gets to be like the NBA trade market, but it is definitely not as robust as it once was. Teams will figure it out, it will just take some time.
I also think the new level of goaltender play is changing things too. Where as it used to be you had a goalie and a few scoring forwards you now need more depth and less goaltending. It’s taking some time to price that in to the market.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
The cap is new to a number of GMs and they don’t have an idea of how to really budget accordingly.
I think they already are figuring it out. It really hurt to sign longer term deals when they didn’t really get it, like Redden and Briere and Drury and Gomez. But nowadays seems like they’re all watching the cap hit closely.
have 40%-60% your budget locked into 3-5 players
I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration on the upper bounds (I think only San Jose comes close to that 60%), but yeah, that’s why ELC players are so valuable now, and why GMs are being so stingy with their RFAs (see Sather, Glen).
by red army line on Sep 2, 2010 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Last time when they created the cap they lowered each player’s salary by a certain percentage, correct? You’d see the same thing here. The owners would never agree to lower the cap significantly without lowering player salaries too.
by red army line on Sep 2, 2010 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I believe it was 24% salary reductions if I’m not mistaken. And, yeah, I’d think that would be the case again if they lowered the cap (not 24% mind you, but something to reflect the new lower cap). Some players may fixate on a number even after that reduction, but I imagine soon after they will begin to focus on a percentage of the cap, thus negating the lowered caps effect on distributing top end talent to anything different than it is today.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
Mike Comrie Signs with Penguins
Mike Comrie signs a one year deal for $500,000 to play with the Penguins. Comrie is expected to play the first or second line for the Penguins. As of September 1st, one of the best teams in the NHL was still able to fill out its top six position with an unsigned, veteran UFA. Of course, from July 1, 2010, through September 1, 2010, various UFAs signed with teams. It is quite interesting as well that the market of talent is sufficiently over-loaded and demand for veteran players so soft that a player like Comrie would take a one year deal for $500,000.00.
A steal at league minimum… Great grab by the Pens. This is what teams are forced to do when they are paying $8.7 million a year to Malkin and Crosby. Aside from Jordan Staal, there is really no forwards even worth mentioning as far as offensive talent goes (and even then Staal is more of a defensive Player). Yet both Crosby and Malkin will both put up 90-100+ points next year, most of the time playing apart.
Salary Cap Implications
JussiJuice, you are hitting upon one of the points that underlies the data from the UFAs available on July 1, 2010, and August 1, 2010. Under the present salary cap, a GM runs out of cap room before he exhausts the availability of key players. The very nature of the salary cap is that no GM can sign all the quality players he would want if there were no cap. Teams like the Pens are an “aces and spaces” team by and large, as you point out. There is a reason why some talented veterans were not re-signed immediately. On a cost/benefit ratio their salary demands exceeded their value to their initial team. So even though a GM might in this hypothetical world be able to choose any player from an UFA list, whether July 1, 2010, July 9, 2010, or August 1, 2010, the salary cap implications are a major delimiter in who and even when a GM can sign the player.
The nature of the salary cap makes players who are RFAs very, very valuable to any GM. Each season GMs on some of the very successful teams have to play a game of chicken to be able to sign veterans because they have to wait to see if they can get a great deal. Comrie at $500,000.00 is a great deal for the Pens.
It is quite interesting as well that the market of talent is sufficiently over-loaded and demand for veteran players so soft that a player like Comrie would take a one year deal for $500,000.00.
This is clearly more about the realities of a salary cap world than it is indecision on the Pens org because the talent field was so rich they just could not decide who they wanted.
Instead the approach is, well, only $500K is available. So, who’s the best player for our needed role that will accept that salary?
The fact that they chose 39-year-old Comrie over an AHL player is more of a statement about Comrie’s skill level (10-17-27 and 13-8-21 over the last two seasons) at this point than it is the depth of the talent field.
Here we are now...entertain us.
You know he isn’t signing so cheap if it isn’t in Pittsburgh, where he gets an elite center.
by red army line on Sep 3, 2010 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Exactly, and the reason the pens wanted him is his speed, they think he can hang with the faster centers
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 4, 2010 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions
It is quite interesting as well that the market of talent is sufficiently over-loaded and demand for veteran players so soft that a player like Comrie would take a one year deal for $500,000.00.
You could make that claim if Comrie signed with a team that wasn’t a top contender. Given that Pittsburgh is a top contender it’s at least possible if not likely that Comrie took less money to play in Pittsburgh and compete for a championship.
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
I just hope he brings his wife to Pittsburgh! And yes, the pens are fantastic at getting players to take pay cuts.
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 4, 2010 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions
A cup ring is about the only thing Comrie could really want. I mean, he’s made decent money, not great, but decent. He’s played on some good teams and had some leadership on bad teams. He’s now married to Hillary Duff. It’s good to be Mike Comrie.
So do you think the signing of Comrie means Malkin plays wing all season and Jordan Staal becomes the second line center?
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
A lot of people on Pensburgh think that’s pretty much a foregone conclusion. Malkin sucks on faceoffs as it is and has actually gotten worse, if that’s possible.
by red army line on Sep 4, 2010 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I used to think Malkin was almost better than Crosby until last season. I want to see what he does this year. If the cap drops, and he doesnt turn up big numbers, I can see him being massive trade bait. Hard to live on a top heavy cap team if you dont get heavy results.
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 7, 2010 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Although Comrie has made some decent money in the NHL, his salary is chump change compared to what his family is worth. Odds are, he wanted a pre-nup more than Hillary did. I am not sure what they will do with him, but I bet the Pens shift him and Malkin around into a couple different packages early in the season to see what works.
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 7, 2010 12:09 AM EDT up reply actions
I’ve already seen the fan speculation that this frees up moving Jordan to second line center and Malkin to wing.
Makes sense from a faceoff standpoint.
And, young Jordan’s capable of second line minutes and role.
Here we are now...entertain us.
Yeah, that really does make a lot of sense…the pens fans have been complaining about the need to snag a high scoring wing since the day I first tuned into their radio stations…..I absolutely agree with you.
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 7, 2010 12:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Which I now see C-Leaguer also mentioning.
Comrie as third line center sure makes more sense to me than seeing him paired as a winger on a top line.
Here we are now...entertain us.
Definitely, I didnt look at it this way earlier. Before, granted my source is the local radio, they were happy that Comrie was fast enough to maybe hold up with Crosby. They were wondering if he would be turned into a wing. But, whos better than that….Malkin. This idea does make the most sense.
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 7, 2010 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions
and for the record, again….I HATE THE PENS!
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 7, 2010 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions
And, you’re right. Comrie sure doesn’t need the coin.
He’s just living the dream.
Here we are now...entertain us.
He was a multi-millionaire before he played 1 NHL game. This doesn’t prove AD’s point. You couldn’t make 1 competitve team let alone 2 off of todays UFA list:
http://www.capgeek.com/ufa_finder.php
NHL.COM's FREE AGENT TRACKER
Here’s the UFA free agent tracker showing signings of UFAs:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=63235
Here’s the UFA free agent tracker showing available UFA’s as of July 1, 2010, according to www.nhl.com.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=63234
I assume these lists are accurate.
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