Luongo's deal under investigation

[mattola]

Don't think the Pronger one really needs to be investigated though. He's over 35 as of the contract extension taking effect, so if he retires, it stays on the books. I guess you could argue that 5 million per year for 7 years is better than 6.5 million per for 5 years (it allows you to stack the team a bit more in the first five years), but I'd rather not have an empty seat on the bench suck up a tenth of my cap space those last two years.

Also, there's a long history of defensemen playing to the age of 42, so it's really possible that Pronger could still be playing for us at that point. I really don't think the Flyers would have a problem restructuring the contract so that some of the money ends up at the back end, either.

with the way pronger plays I really could see him play to 42. he is tough in a pronger way but hes cheap and dirty and it lasts. Im saying this as a complement not an insult. I do hate pronger but Id love to have that on my favorite team.

pronger playing to 42 is realistic
luongo playing to 44 is not really but I can see him playing to 38-39
Kovie no way he gets past 37

 

[puckhead]

Don't think the Pronger one really needs to be investigated though. He's over 35 as of the contract extension taking effect, so if he retires, it stays on the books. I guess you could argue that 5 million per year for 7 years is better than 6.5 million per for 5 years (it allows you to stack the team a bit more in the first five years), but I'd rather not have an empty seat on the bench suck up a tenth of my cap space those last two years.

Also, there's a long history of defensemen playing to the age of 42, so it's really possible that Pronger could still be playing for us at that point. I really don't think the Flyers would have a problem restructuring the contract so that some of the money ends up at the back end, either.

I agree with that. for better or worse, the Flyers are going to be paying that contract out (in cap terms). I don't think they meant the deal as that, but that's what it is.

I think there is a pretty decent argument for Luongo's numbers, too (though I do fully admit homer glasses may play a part).
He averages $7 million for the first 9 years, which seems reasonable for what we expect to be an elite goalie.
the last three years, he will be a (40,41,42) year old goalie. If he sticks around, its possibly as a 1/2 timer, or back-up / mentor (see Sean Burke, Bob Essensa). And his pay over the last 3 years averages $1.2 million. Which again, seems reasonable for the role that he is likely to play.

 

[HonusWagner66]

Don't think the Pronger one really needs to be investigated though. He's over 35 as of the contract extension taking effect, so if he retires, it stays on the books. I guess you could argue that 5 million per year for 7 years is better than 6.5 million per for 5 years (it allows you to stack the team a bit more in the first five years), but I'd rather not have an empty seat on the bench suck up a tenth of my cap space those last two years.

Also, there's a long history of defensemen playing to the age of 42, so it's really possible that Pronger could still be playing for us at that point. I really don't think the Flyers would have a problem restructuring the contract so that some of the money ends up at the back end, either.

Pronger is set to earn just $525,000 in the final two years of his deal, after averaging $6.68 million over his first 5 years and $7.35 million over his first four years. That's a big drop off. It looks like the Flyers blatantly added two minimum salary years on the deal to lower his overall cap hit.

That, according to Richard Bloch, is circumventing Team Payroll Range System expressed in the CBA, and puts the ability of the league to ensure competitive balance among clubs at risk.

I really doubt the league will do anything about it, but the precedent has been set with the Kovalchuk case. The league could bitch about it.

 

[dash]

Courtesy of CapGeek, here are the top 20 active NHL contracts with the largest deltas between max and min salary:

1. Lecavalier, $9m;
2. Luongo, $9m;
3. Briere, $8m;
4. Pronger, $7.075m;
5. Kiprusoff, $7m;
6. Hossa, $6.9m;
7. Zetterberg, 6.75m;
8. Keith, $6.5m;
9. Savard, $6.475m;
10. Alfredsson, $6m;
11. Gomez, $5.5m;
12. Richards, $5.4m;
13. Timonen, $5m;
14. Heatley, $5m;
15. Ohlund, $4.5m;
16. Franzen, $4.5m;
17. Visnovsky, $4m;
18. Spezza, $4m;
19. Horcoff, $4m;
20. Rozsival, $4m.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

PR Move/Bluff by the NHL. Nothing will come of this.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

PR Move/Bluff by the NHL. Nothing will come of this.

I don't think so. The Luongo & Pronger contracts were extensions. They haven't begun yet. Like the arbitrator said the NHL has two months to decide whether or not to void them.

The league can take away as much as 1.5 million in cap space from the Devils. I hope they do so. It will make it that much harder for them to sign Kovalchuk. I still hope he ends up in the KHL but, I doubt it.

 

[pixburgher66]

a NHL PR guy said that they are "looking at them" not "investigating" persay. funny NHL...i thought when you approved them you'd LOOK AT THEM.

 

[Vadered]

a NHL PR guy said that they are "looking at them" not "investigating" persay. funny NHL...i thought when you approved them you'd LOOK AT THEM.

See, there's your issue right there. The NHL and rational thought do not necessarily go together.

 

[TOX1]

PR Move/Bluff by the NHL. Nothing will come of this.

Co-signed


...and I hope Kovy ends up like your avatar in the first game of the season/contract.

 

[awaz]

Courtesy of CapGeek, here are the top 20 active NHL contracts with the largest deltas between max and min salary:

1. Lecavalier, $9m;
2. Luongo, $9m;
3. Briere, $8m;
4. Pronger, $7.075m;
5. Kiprusoff, $7m;
6. Hossa, $6.9m;
7. Zetterberg, 6.75m;
8. Keith, $6.5m;
9. Savard, $6.475m;
10. Alfredsson, $6m;
11. Gomez, $5.5m;
12. Richards, $5.4m;
13. Timonen, $5m;
14. Heatley, $5m;
15. Ohlund, $4.5m;
16. Franzen, $4.5m;
17. Visnovsky, $4m;
18. Spezza, $4m;
19. Horcoff, $4m;
20. Rozsival, $4m.

couple guys that aren't being mentioned.. i didnt know these guys had extreme front-loaded contracts too.. this 'problem' is bigger than i thought

 

[juliansteed]

Is the league trying to get Kovalchuk to sign with a KHL team? First they reject his deal and now they are going back and investigting other deals immediately after? Who do you think everyone is going to blame if the NHL voids these deals? It could get pretty awkward at the All-Star Game if Kovie is there.

That being said, I don't think anything will or should come of this. I think the NHL is just trying to make a statement that they will not be so lenient in the future. Maybe they will point out where they messed up. Unless they have a time machine, I don't see how they can void contracts after it has been approved and a player has suited up for that team let alone have 1 of those players win a Stanley Cup with that team.

 

[dash]

That being said, I don't think anything will or should come of this. I think the NHL is just trying to make a statement that they will not be so lenient in the future. Maybe they will point out where they messed up. Unless they have a time machine, I don't see how they can void contracts after it has been approved and a player has suited up for that team let alone have 1 of those players win a Stanley Cup with that team.

I think you're right, julian, especially in the Hossa case. The Hawks have made player-personnel decisions this off-season based on the fact that the Hossa contract was approved a year ago and he's played a full season under this contract. Now the league is saying that they are going to investigate (sorry "look into this contract and other contracts") and determine if the contract should be de-registered. That really smells.

 

[h X c Chris]

Co-signed


...and I hope Kovy ends up like your avatar in the first game of the season/contract.

How about Kovy AND Parise? How lucky are ya feeling? >=]

 

[davnlaguna]

I don't think so. The Luongo & Pronger contracts were extensions. They haven't begun yet. Like the arbitrator said the NHL has two months to decide whether or not to void them.

The league can take away as much as 1.5 million in cap space from the Devils. I hope they do so. It will make it that much harder for them to sign Kovalchuk. I still hope he ends up in the KHL but, I doubt it.

They can take 1 mil to 5 mil in cap space as well as draft picks.
If there is one thing I have learned watching how the NHL punishes teams is that they won't do anything. They will hold out making it official until Kovy signs and then if the next contract measures up to what the NHL wants this will all go away. If the Devils try to pull a fast one then penalties will be given out.

 

[Destroydacre]

I don't think so. The Luongo & Pronger contracts were extensions. They haven't begun yet. Like the arbitrator said the NHL has two months to decide whether or not to void them.

The league can take away as much as 1.5 million in cap space from the Devils. I hope they do so. It will make it that much harder for them to sign Kovalchuk. I still hope he ends up in the KHL but, I doubt it.

How is it good for the NHL to have one of the best snipers in the game go to a rival league?

 

[CatScrap]

They will not cancel any contracts that have already been approved.

IF anything, the NHL will hit the offending teams who signed salary cap circumventing contract with a cap penalty.

 

[awaz]

They will not cancel any contracts that have already been approved.

IF anything, the NHL will hit the offending teams who signed salary cap circumventing contract with a cap penalty.

i even think its too late for that.. most of the teams that have contracts like this, built their teams around that number.. for example, the flyers have like 1 mil in cap space, they cant take a cap hit without getting rid of someone.. the only way they could impose penalties for contracts they already approved, would be cap penalties for next season..

IMO if they try to punish teams for contracts they approved, they will get taken to court and they will lose, whether its an actual lawsuit, or just arbitration like it was with kovalchuk.. i also think punishing the devils would be overkill.. not allowing a contract thats very similar to contracts that have been allowed is enough.. only leg they have to stand on is they apparently (or so i've read) told the devils they wouldn't allow the contract, and they did it anyway

 

[dash]

Interesting update by Jason Botchford regarding Bobby Lou's contract:

The NHL made it clear to Vancouver it had serious issues with a term that takes Luongo to 43 years old. The NHL's concern being that Luongo may not have any intention of playing the final few years of the deal.
The NHL countered by advising the Canucks to take two years off of the term, making the deal a decade long. Do it and the league would give its blessing, the Canucks were told, revealing where the NHL has drawn its imaginary line. Forty-one-year old players — OK. Forty-three-year-old players — not so much.

But seeing that lopping off two years would take Luongo's annual cap hit from $5.3 million to $6.4 million, Vancouver GM Mike Gillis flatly rejected the NHL's "offer." What followed last fall was an invasive probe in which the NHL shined its flashlight into every nook of the negotiation. With Vancouver in complete compliance, the league wanted to see all emails, any paperwork, any text messages, and voice mail. Separately, the NHL questioned both Gillis and assistant GM Laurence Gilman, the team's salary cap expert. It's believed both interviews lasted several hours.

Why the NHL won't void Roberto Luongo's contract - The White Towel

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Interesting update by Jason Botchford regarding Bobby Lou's contract:

But seeing that lopping off two years would take Luongo's annual cap hit from $5.3 million to $6.4 million, Vancouver GM Mike Gillis flatly rejected the NHL's "offer." What followed last fall was an invasive probe in which the NHL shined its flashlight into every nook of the negotiation. With Vancouver in complete compliance, the league wanted to see all emails, any paperwork, any text messages, and voice mail. Separately, the NHL questioned both Gillis and assistant GM Laurence Gilman, the team's salary cap expert. It's believed both interviews lasted several hours.[/I]

Why the NHL won't void Roberto Luongo's contract - The White Towel

wow that sounds like an actual nhl investigation ... i wonder if they went to those extremes in investigating the claim that Brian Burke, Ron Wilson and the Leafs tampered with the negotiation of the Sedins or does Bettmans pool boy Burkie get more leeway on these types of matters

 

[jstewismybastardson]

what i havent heard much of about the Kovy contract was the fact that the final couple of years salary were under the current NHL league minimum ... couldnt it have been voided for that reason alone