Why doesnt Burke go for Kovalchuk???

[Ironhead]

Geek is correct, it is a hard cap.
That said there is a way for teams to go over. I am not even sure I am correct, but this may get someone in the know to brake it down if I am incorrect.

A team can go over the cap through bonuses. If a team offers bonuses and players meet the required numbers, the bonuses are added to the the team salary and if they go over the cap the team is penalized a la the Black Hawks.
The NHL cap for 2010/11 is $59.4 while Chicago's cap is $55.+. They are penalized $4.+ for going over which is why they had to get rid of so many players.

 

[enyceman]

Here is what NHL blogger EKLUND has to say about Kovalchuk & the possibility he'll wind up with the Leafs:


But seriously how can the team that makes the most money and happens to have the cap space due to the team being down for a few years really pass up the most potent UFA we have ever or will ever see? And Kovalchuk is 27. I don't see the Leafs turning away from this kind of opportunity. Today they could potentially sign a player who finishes his career with them as one of the top 10 or even top 5 scorers in NHL history.

Kind of how i look at the situation...

 

[Ironhead]

Kovalchuk wants average about $10 per. Leafs only have $7 in space, yes they could trade Kaberle and move Finger to AHL and that would give them the room, but they would still be where they are now ... no number one center.

IF Kovalchuk were willing give the Leafs a break and settle for less or make it so that he is a hit of $7 or so, then maybe they have something to talk about. Until then ... Kovalchuk can wait until an offer comes along or go to the KHL.

 

[mexican]

I just don't know how interested Burke is in Kovie. He clearly has a ton of talent and can score - but I don't think he fits the image of a team guy like Burkie would want. Certainly the Leafs have the dough and it would not shock me but I just don't see him putting that kind of money into a Russian.

I think Burkie's target for free agency is Brad Richards. He is available next year and likely will be out of Dallas. This is the stud centre the Leafs would want. He is still relatively young, has won a Stanley Cup, is a great team guy and makes everyone around him better. I would not be surprised if he becomes a Leaf at the trade deadline is Dallas sucks next year. Just a theory!

 

[The Oracle]

I think Burkie's target for free agency is Brad Richards. He is available next year and likely will be out of Dallas. This is the stud centre the Leafs would want. He is still relatively young, has won a Stanley Cup, is a great team guy and makes everyone around him better. I would not be surprised if he becomes a Leaf at the trade deadline is Dallas sucks next year. Just a theory!

Richards is too small by Burke's standards is he not.

 

[Ironhead]

Richards is 6'1" / 200lbs, making almost $8.mil per. He will be 31 if/when he becomes a free agent next summer.
I am not too sure about this. It would be a lock if he takes a pay cut, but at $8mil or more ... maybe if he only wants at the most two years or does one of those 1mil for two more years to make the cap hit less.

 

[kirmit129]

Geek is correct, it is a hard cap.
That said there is a way for teams to go over. I am not even sure I am correct, but this may get someone in the know to brake it down if I am incorrect.

A team can go over the cap through bonuses. If a team offers bonuses and players meet the required numbers, the bonuses are added to the the team salary and if they go over the cap the team is penalized a la the Black Hawks.
The NHL cap for 2010/11 is $59.4 while Chicago's cap is $55.+. They are penalized $4.+ for going over which is why they had to get rid of so many players.

Am I missing something here? If the cap is $59.4 and Chicago's cap is $55, why would they be penalized? $55 is less than $59.4 .

Anyway, to answer the question about "is there any way to go over the cap in a season?" The answer is yes. A team can sign a player for 20 years knowing that the player will retire after 10 years. First 10 years, the player gets 12 million per season. Last 10 years, the player gets 300 000$. Total value of the contract: 123 million. Salary cap hit per season: 123 million / 20 season = 6.15 million.

Of course, such a contract will most likely be voided by the League. The league recently investigated the Marian Hossa contract but decided to let it slide.

 

[Big Spender]

I know this is somewhat off topic, but I just popped in here to let everyone know that I think hockey is boring and lacking in skill.

 

[pencilneckgeek2]

Thanks, troll.

 

[Ironhead]

I know this is somewhat off topic, but I just popped in here to let everyone know that I think hockey is boring and lacking in skill.

Thanks for playing.

Soccer is the game you are talking about. The game with the nets the size of a bungalow and they still miss the net a lot. lol

 

[ohmygod89]

Am I missing something here? If the cap is $59.4 and Chicago's cap is $55, why would they be penalized? $55 is less than $59.4 .

Chicago went over the cap last season because some of their players had bonus laded contracts. So for the 2009-2010 season they went over the "Hard" cap. Thus in 2010-2011 season they can only spend around 55 million. They were given a penalty of $4,157,753, which is taken away from the cap space this season.

The Maple Leafs also received a penalty, of $1.4 million. A lot of those college players and contracts Burke took on kinda can back to kick them.

 

[eleven]

Kovalchuk wants average about $10 per. Leafs only have $7 in space, yes they could trade Kaberle and move Finger to AHL and that would give them the room, but they would still be where they are now ... no number one center.

IF Kovalchuk were willing give the Leafs a break and settle for less or make it so that he is a hit of $7 or so, then maybe they have something to talk about. Until then ... Kovalchuk can wait until an offer comes along or go to the KHL.

Excellent assessment and I agree 100%. Until that blog piece, I too would never think of Kovalchuk as a Burke type player. Take a look at all of the skill guys he's employed in the past... They all play TOGETHER within a team concept... and don't bite into other teammate's shifts. Atlanta made him captain, in part, because they thought that might hasten his maturity.

Kovalchuk can skate... hit... score... and the odd time, pass... but something about team is missing from his make-up. The comparisons by someone on the board to Grabovski and Kovalev... are not good ones, if you were trying to help his case. And Ovechkin... he does everything Kovalchuk does, but at a harder working rate. Ovie does bite into other player's shifts but his compete level is so much more obvious. And... you can see and sense the bond he shares with his team.

But, Kovalchuk is durable and he will get you the stats, year in, year out... even though he's never hit the 100 point mark. I'm sure that you can look through the history of the game and find examples of players who could collect the points when it didn't matter. Some are probably in the Hall of Fame. But as a GM, it might stir questions as to whether that is the full extent of an individual's intensity level. As a fan, is that what you really want from a player if he's tying up all that cap and term? Yzerman was another generation's Kovalchuk... and it took having to score less and doing more to finally lead his team to a Cup.

A rebuilding piece... a leader...? I don't think so. A good piece? Yes. But... just a piece. Quite likely, the LAST piece. (I think we already have a lesser version in Kessel) And for the Leafs... definitely not worth 10 mill over 10 years. Besides, I thought the Leafs were still trying to build something. They're still far from adding that last piece, yet... don't you think?

#11

 

[Dawgger]

Has Kovalchuk's value gone up or down since July 1?

 

[mexican]

I saw this rumour on another board but it does make some sense - Gagne and Coburn to Toronto for Kaberle and Finnish goalie prospect Rynnas

 

[Doc Holliday]

Any team who signs Kovalchuk will be a slave to his contract for a decade. This type of contract isn't good for any organization. It also reduces your chances of signing the next big-name free agent. Imagine if Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin or Overchkin become unrestricted free agents in a few years, and the team with Kovalchuk would dearly love signing those guys. It'd be next to impossible to do it with a contract like Kovalchuk's on board. Which is why i believe some teams, like the Leafs, are staying away from him. Who knows, there may be a day when Rick Nash becomes available & the Leafs would love having him in Toronto. He could ask for a trade, or the team might want to dump his salary, etc. There are a lot of possibilities....and granting a player a large 10-year contract isn't the way to go, rebuilding or not. They're salary cap killers.

 

[ohmygod89]

Any team who signs Kovalchuk will be a slave to his contract for a decade. This type of contract isn't good for any organization. It also reduces your chances of signing the next big-name free agent. Imagine if Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin or Overchkin become unrestricted free agents in a few years, and the team with Kovalchuk would dearly love signing those guys. It'd be next to impossible to do it with a contract like Kovalchuk's on board. Which is why i believe some teams, like the Leafs, are staying away from him. Who knows, there may be a day when Rick Nash becomes available & the Leafs would love having him in Toronto. He could ask for a trade, or the team might want to dump his salary, etc. There are a lot of possibilities....and granting a player a large 10-year contract isn't the way to go, rebuilding or not. They're salary cap killers.

Have to remember a few of the guys you listed have been locked up for a LONG time:
Ovechkin isn't a free agent until 2021, Backstrom 2020, Nash 2018, Hossa 2021, Keith 2023, Franzen 2020, Zetterberg 2021, Lecavalier 2020 ...
I understand the long term contracts especially with the reduced amounts in the later years when potentially the players will be bought out or retire. But the league has to step in on the next CBA and change it up.