Bettman Lays "The Smacketh Down" on the Devils
by Kevin Sellathamby on Sep 13, 2010 8:07 PM EDT
in Devils Issues, Views & Analysis
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PrintAccording to Tom Gulitti, the Devils have just received punishment for their actions for the Ilya Kovalchuk deal Cap circumvention in the First contract with Ilya Kovalchuk. The Devils will be fined upwards of $3 million, and will be stripped of a 1st round draft pick, as well as a 3rd round draft pick from the 2011 draft (the upcoming draft).
The Fine of $3 million dollars will not affect the Devils cap space at all, which is huge because dumping nearly $6 million of salary would be really tough. All the fined money goes to charity, so it's not like this money was going somewhere bad. As for the First rounder, it will be one in the next four years, and the Devils can choose which 1st rounder they're going to surrender. I think this might be in the favour of the Devils, as if they were to be stripped of the 2011 1st rounder, they would have no draft picks until the fourth round, as the 3rd rounder is being stripped and the Devils and the Devils traded their 2nd rounder to Nashville in the Jason Arnott trade. Also, because they can choose which first rounder will be stripped, they can sacrifice a really late 1st rounder (like 26-30th overall) instead of sacrificing a higher pick if things don't go well this year. So basically for 15 (and a quarter) years of Kovy's service, the Devils gave up 2 first rounders, a 3rd rounder, Niclas Bergfors, Johnny Oduya, Patrice Cormier and possibly more for Ilya Kovalchuk.
Various fallout from the hockey blogosphere (on Twitter) after the Jump
"OK Kovalchuk is settled finally. Meanwhile Rick James.... I'm seeing Cake tonight"
Joe Yerdon from Pro Hockey Talk
"Lou LamorielLOL? RT @Real_ESPNLeBru Devils lose first-round pick over next 4 yrs plus $3 M in cash plus 3rd round pick"
Chris Burton from On the Forecheck
Laura Astorian from SBNation Atlanta/Thrashing the Blues/A bunch of other sites
Wow. I'm legitimately shocked at the severity of the punishment the NHL doled out to Loophole Lou.
PPP from Pension Plan Puppets
In other words, the Devils have been fined about 800,000 jars of jam.
Don't Trade Vinny from Don't Trade Vinny
Ryan Classic from Silver Seven Sens
James Mirtle from the Globe and Mail, and former head of SBNation hockey
Popular Leafs Vlogger Steve Dangle
And Last but not least, from the big man himself (Via Tom Gulitti)
And Finally, your thoughts. Vote in the Poll below and express your dismay without breaking any of the rules, like no swearing.
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The money is not a problem, it’s the loss of trade ammunition.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Sep 13, 2010 8:13 PM EDT reply actions
Hopefully we can win a cup in the next 4 years and give up the 30th pick.
by zach parise9 on Sep 13, 2010 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions
This is my main concern. The Devils could really use a first round pick as a trade asset instead of trading an actual player.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Sep 13, 2010 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I have one comment on all of the reactions. And that’s to Lou’s:
While they may have acted in good faith (it is impossible to prove the truth of that statement), it is false that they did nothing wrong, as far as the NHL is concerned. They may have thought that they did nothing wrong, but the league and arbitrator disagree. Just because you didn’t mean to break a rule doesn’t mean you didn’t break a rule.
The guy is Peter Schumpmaker. Lord knows what a schump is, but you can bet your bippy his ancestors made them. What he's doing is far worse than crafting fine schumps.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Sep 13, 2010 8:19 PM EDT reply actions
Then why did they wait until after they held both the NHLPA and Devils hostage to get the concessions they wanted and then accepted the second similar deal before levying the fines?
It’s a proverbial shot across the bow to warn all of the teams, nothing more.
Playing Devils' advocate since 1982.
the NHL wanted those concessions? could have fooled me. the NHLPA got a win on those new guidelines.
Apparently.
We may never know what was discussed behind closed doors, but they wanted change and they got change. It stands to reason they got what they wanted.
Playing Devils' advocate since 1982.
the NHLPA got a win on those new guidelines
I also feel this way. It almost encourages contracts like Kovalchuk’s 1st and 2nd. The cap difference isn’t that significant between the new and old calculation.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Sep 13, 2010 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions
See, I didn’t think anyone really ‘won’. The NHL realized the loophole the Devils were exploiting with really building up the back end of the contract, realized that they could lose in arbitration and these contracts would become standard, and bullied the NHLPA into concessions two years before the CBA expired. I know that the NHLPA talked about getting ‘clarity’ on these deals, but really this affects what, less than 2 or 3 percent of the contracts out there.
by Tom Stivali on Sep 13, 2010 11:57 PM EDT up reply actions
the concessions were absurdly minor. a deal can still end with 4 $1M years if both sides want it to – just that the contract has to end before a player turns 41.
1. While players and clubs can continue to negotiate long-term contracts (five years or longer) that include contract years in a player’s 40s, for purposes of salary-cap calculation the contract will effectively be cut off in the year of the contract in which the player turns 41.
The contract doesn’t have to end technically. That age limit is for calculating the salary cap hit. You can sign the player for longer then.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Sep 14, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions
The NHL waited because the front office is horribly run, from poorly worded rules to inconsistent enforcement on those rules.
The guy is Peter Schumpmaker. Lord knows what a schump is, but you can bet your bippy his ancestors made them. What he's doing is far worse than crafting fine schumps.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Sep 13, 2010 9:22 PM EDT up reply actions
The arbitrator ruled that the contract circumvented the salary cap. Just because there was no ill intent (as far as Bloch was concerned) doesn’t mean nothing wrong was done.
The guy is Peter Schumpmaker. Lord knows what a schump is, but you can bet your bippy his ancestors made them. What he's doing is far worse than crafting fine schumps.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Sep 13, 2010 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions
The arbitrator ruled that the contract as a whole had the function of circumventing the cap, even though there was no individual rule being broken. He went on to say that the team operated under the rules as written and according to what had previously been done and so had no reason believe they were doing anything wrong.
That’s different than accidentally breaking a rule, intent or not. One can’t be given a ticket for speeding two weeks ago if you just put up the sign yesterday.
Regardless, if they didn’t like it and they wanted to put an end to it, they could/would/should have levied the fines before the next contract was submitted.
Playing Devils' advocate since 1982.
and not only that, I believe Bloch had said that the Devils should not be punished for the contract submitted, and later rejected…
by Marty'sBetter30 on Sep 13, 2010 9:06 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not disagreeing with whether or not there was intent. That is completely irrelevant to my point. Lamiorello can say that they didn’t knowingly do anything wrong (though that’s a claim I find dubious, and is also irrelevant). But the fact of the matter is that the NHL and Bloch decided that the Devils did something wrong (though Bloch noted that there was no ill intent, and there should be no further punishment as a punishment.
The guy is Peter Schumpmaker. Lord knows what a schump is, but you can bet your bippy his ancestors made them. What he's doing is far worse than crafting fine schumps.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Sep 13, 2010 9:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Technically, all Bloch decided was that the NHL’s rejection was valid and so sustained it. That he went out of his way to say the Devils didn’t act in bad faith certainly suggests that Bloch didn’t think the Devils did anything wrong. But now I’m splitting hairs.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Sep 13, 2010 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Qualifying - I am a Leafs fan
I would not really have a problem with this – except for the fact that the league was talking out of its ass when saying it was not an intentional attempt at cap circumvention.
The NHL should have came out and said that it was intentional and then this would all make sense.
To go and negotiate some new clauses to the CBA to prevent future deals similar to this – and then approve a 15 year 100 million contract where 86 million is in paid the first 9 years – THEN slap a fine and take away draft picks?
The optics are pretty bad in this situation. The Commissioners office is a joke and all of these shady dealings tarnish the League.
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
Albert Einstein
by Say *plan the parade one more time*... on Sep 13, 2010 8:21 PM EDT reply actions
If the NHL cared about optics, this would have been resolved back in July.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Sep 13, 2010 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Just to make it clear,
you know the devils aren’t close to the only ones making contracts like this in the nhl? But yeah, something has to change with the system. The way the kovalchuk contract is set-up, if you did a contract like this with brodeur(in his prime now) or lundqvist or luongo(who’s is similar to kovy’s now), then you can have the best goalie, or players for that matter, getting paid like they should and having cap hits worth 50-70% of their actual paid salary in their prime years. Kind of rediculous. If any team actually thought of doing this with many of their superstar and better players, they would have a clear advantage among every other team in the nhl cap wise and players/ wise. Thus creating monster teams and contracts that make a joke and major problems for the whole league.
Go isles or Go home.
The league should have made a stand at Hossa, not wait and see if the 30 GMs would police themselves.
Totally mishandled by the league from the get go.
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
Albert Einstein
by Say *plan the parade one more time*... on Sep 14, 2010 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Gotto look at the possitives...
The money goes to a good cause atleast.
absolutely
double the fine and restore the draft picks and I’m pissed, but ok with it.
the draft picks are nothing but petulance on the part of the NHL.
I will never spend a penny on anything NHL-related for as long as Gary Bettman is commissioner. I don’t even give a damn if it hurts the Devils financially. Once that little weasel is gone, then I will think about dropping cash on this league.
Poison Midget.
Gary Bettman is the Poison Midget.
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WWTTD?
Since it is the Devils organization that has the penalty, I don’t see how they can.
Maybe the Devils can file a grievance, though.
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
Albert Einstein
by Say *plan the parade one more time*... on Sep 13, 2010 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I doubt it – wouldn’t be surprised if that was part of the BS back-room deals done to certify contract 2.0.
Lawsuit, anyone?
Also, who would you grieve to? the League? I don’t think an independent arbitrator can be called in to rule in a League VS Organization dispute.
Basically, the NHL can say ‘Nope’
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
Albert Einstein
by Say *plan the parade one more time*... on Sep 13, 2010 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions
that’s why I think if Lou does anything, it’s bring the NHL to court. That’s basically the only recourse at this point.
I personally think it stops here.
Lou knows a court case would only result in bad press and Legal costs.
The last thing he wants is to create more animosity between the Devils and the NHL.
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
Albert Einstein
by Say *plan the parade one more time*... on Sep 13, 2010 8:36 PM EDT up reply actions
The last thing he wants is to create more animosity between the Devils and the NHL.
why not? it can’t get much worse from here.
Bad press is for the League, not the Devils, and as stupid as Bettman is he’s smart enough to know he’ll need Lou in his corner when the next lockout rolls around.
I don’t know if the Devils have a case because we don’t know what happened in the private dining room at Applebee’s back in August, but if they do I’m sure he’ll take it to court. Wouldn’t be the first time…
I don’t think so. The punishment is against the Devils organization and not Kovalchuk.
In Lou We Trust: Freshly signed to the last 15 year deal in the history of SBNation
If the quality of my posts begin to get better, it's because i'm doing steroids.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Sep 13, 2010 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions
They better appeal
After getting so royally screwed by Bloch’s decision the first time around, now we can finally use it to our advantage and fight the NHL’s completely and utterly unfair punishment. No matter what the situation, the Devils always seem to be alone fighting these battles.
Again I feel I must ask: Would Bettman have come down this hard on Washington, Pittsburgh, or Chicago? I think not, and that infuriates me to no end.
"Everything is status quo." - Lou Lamoriello
"*Heavy groan*" - The Entirety of Devils Nation
I cant handle these hypotheticals. If Washington signed Ovechkin to a 17 year front-loaded deal would it have gone through? If Pittsburgh gave Crosby/ Malkin 26 year deals, would Bettman have given the thumbs up? Honestly, who knows… but frankly, at this point, who really cares?
We are dealing with our own situation now and thats the only thing that I am concerned about. Its time to stop the accusations and start getting our act together for the season and the future of OUR franchise.
by Marty'sBetter30 on Sep 13, 2010 9:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I care
Hypocrisy is a pet peeve of mine, and the clear favoritism of other franchises should not be allowed. Don’t tell me you think the League would have come down as hard on those other teams, you know they wouldn’t have. Of all the front-loaded deals, the NHL waited until a team they didn’t like made one, then came down hard to try and crush their ability to put together a good team, whether it be today or in the future.
"Everything is status quo." - Lou Lamoriello
"*Heavy groan*" - The Entirety of Devils Nation
We were going 70MPH in a 55 zone
Lou went all out with this contract and really pushed the envelope. I see where this hatred and animosity for Bettman and the NHL is coming from, and its all very understandable. But my point is that what’s done is done. This is certainly not ideal, but ifs, ands, and buts do absolutely nothing. Ever.
by Marty'sBetter30 on Sep 13, 2010 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions
No
They did 55 in a 55, 45 in a 45, and 35 in a 35 and the arbitrator added it all up and said 135 is too fast.
Go Devils
Go Jets
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What is the charity?
It would be nice if it was Hockey in Newark or just generally the NHL’s Hockey is for Everyone program . . . that would be great.
If those don’t count because they’re affiliated with the league, then I would like the money to go to all of the New Jersey HS ice hockey programs that were cut because of budgetary constraints in many NJ schools, including my old HS ice hockey team.
I know there are more important charities outside of sports, but would be nice.
I have respect for most sports fans with 2 exceptions: NY Ranger fans who grew up in New Jersey, and Dallas Cowboy fans who can't name the capital of Texas.
There’s only one form of justice now:
Win the Stanley Cup at home and make Bettman face the crowd . . .
I have respect for most sports fans with 2 exceptions: NY Ranger fans who grew up in New Jersey, and Dallas Cowboy fans who can't name the capital of Texas.
by Cherno77 on Sep 13, 2010 8:44 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I would rather Marty get one, then Zach but to be in bettman’s face about it – I’m all for Kovy getting the Conn Smythe
by devilsfan2662 on Sep 13, 2010 8:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Can we just make Gary Bettman walk in the Ironbound instead? On a really dark and gloomy night? Wearing an outfit that screams “I’m a moron, but I’m loaded with cash for the taking?”
If not the Ironbound, how about Irvington? Or Camden? Or some other location where the odds would favor a schlub like Gary Bettman waking up in some dark alley somewhere, in a pool of something vile, wearing nothing but Elmo boxer shorts (and on his head to boot)?
No. That’s terrible.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Sep 13, 2010 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
No that's perfect.
Except for the part where he’s naked.
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WWTTD?
I would spend rediculous ammounts of money just to sit close enough to throw a full (over-priced) beer at gary bettman.
Devil for Life
by st.pattysdaymassacre26 on Sep 13, 2010 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Well . . .
I can say that I wrote Bettman a letter this time last year about what I think should be done with the All-Star game and a couple months later, the VP of Marketing responded (in length) to my letter. (Gary’s actually got a lot of presence in the Garden State).
I also first met Gary on the Ocean City, NJ Boardwalk a month after the Devils won in 2000. I was carrying a case of snapple to the pizza shop I worked at and he signed my shirt and said, “You must have had a great year.”
Now, there are the rule changes and the lockouts (though I don’t think he wanted the Devils to leave New Jersey) and for these things, it is tough to have a sympathetic heart for the man.
I’m wondering if fans can give it to him harder than he got it in 1995?
So, while I’m furious at the guy right now and think his decisions have hurt the NHL especially for the future outlook on contract negotiations, I think he is an OK person.
But if you disagree with me, I’ll have a lot of fun reading the comments.
I have respect for most sports fans with 2 exceptions: NY Ranger fans who grew up in New Jersey, and Dallas Cowboy fans who can't name the capital of Texas.
He may very well be an OK person
But he’s crap as a commissioner.
Go Devils
Go Jets
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Now the Devils MUST win a Cup
They need to win a Cup before this CBA expires and there’s another lockout, because otherwise they’ll most likely lose Brodeur to retirement and their drafting will be dead/nonexistent from all the other picks the Devils will have to trade to clear cap space.
"Everything is status quo." - Lou Lamoriello
"*Heavy groan*" - The Entirety of Devils Nation
By the way
Now the NHLPA screwing up the first arbitration hearing by letting Bloch be the arbitrator in the first place has had a physical impact on the Devils. Thanks a lot.
"Everything is status quo." - Lou Lamoriello
"*Heavy groan*" - The Entirety of Devils Nation
There's no doomsday here
One first in the next 4 drafts, of the team’s choice, and a third in 2011. The Devils will certainly have picks elsewhere.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Sep 13, 2010 10:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Thats what I was thinking
I wouldn’t panic about losing two more draft picks in the next four years just yet… we have a long way to go before we know just what the next edition of this team will be.
by JUNE24TH1995 on Sep 14, 2010 1:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Paging Oliver Stone....
…. but my opinion is that the forfeiture of draft picks was done expressly to force the Devils to part with additional players rather than picks or other “future considerations” to get under the cap. Sort of a “parting shot” from the League, if you will, to make the Devils pay as much as possible for what the league sees as shenanigans.
To me, the fine doesn’t even matter, since it doesn’t come coupled with a salary cap penalty. If the Devils were one of those teams with a tight budget that wasn’t going to spend anywhere near the Upper Limit, it might hurt…. but if the Devils were that club, we probably wouldn’t be on “The Kovalchuk Saga, Day 76” now, would we.
Harsh and..
Just confirms yet again that Bettman is a power obsessed douche. Sorry for the off color language but this is getting ridiculous. A maximum fine? Maximum?
The arbitrator said the Devils acted in good faith. After the adjustments to the CBA everyone indicated the new deal was beneficial to all involved for the clarity it created. So the Devils actually did the other teams a favor here, particularly Vancouver, Chicago, Boston.
Isn’t one of the principals of civil law supposed to be that there needs to be some kind of “damage” that was caused. Exactly who was harmed to require this penalty?
by Devilssection21fan on Sep 13, 2010 9:54 PM EDT reply actions
Isn’t one of the principals of civil law supposed to be that there needs to be some kind of "damage" that was caused. Exactly who was harmed to require this penalty?
Certainly not the 28 teams who didn’t seriously make an offer to Ilya Kovalchuk. And I don’t see how LA is harmed so make it 29 total.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Sep 13, 2010 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions
right on...
I’m very surprised at the heftiness of this penalty. Given that the NHL already got the rule change it wanted and all. I know they wanted to make an example out of the Devils for pushing it, but come on. I think they’ve already done more than enough to embarrass the organization.
by JUNE24TH1995 on Sep 14, 2010 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions
My favorite take on this comes from Wyshynski
Wyshynski sums up the absurdity.
Yes, case closed. Case closed for the Blackhawks and Marian Hossa, who will make $55.3 million in the first seven years of his contract and $8 million in his last five. Case closed for Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks, who’ll not only be under contract at 43 years old but make $56,998,000 in his first eight years and $7 million in the last four. No fines for you. Enjoy those draft picks.
Case closed for all the contracts the NHL looked the other way on until Lou Lamoriello, the Devils and Kovalchuk decided to dabble in absurdity with a contract that allowed the League to take a stand, goad the NHLPA to the bargaining table and close a loophole two years before the next CBA negotiation.
Truth be told, I’m not really moved into anger by this.
I’m sure a popular refrain for criticism will be that Kovalchuk isn’t worth the contract, giving up Bergfors, Oduya, Cormier, a 2010 1st, a first round pick to be named later, and a 2011 third. Gulitti’s already brought it up in this post. The answer to that, I think, is to ask whether those three players plus the draft picks would equal Kovalchuk’s current scoring totals. Expect some silence after that comeback, though.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
I can’t stand when people make that asinine analogy. It’s like the jerk in Fantasy sports who trys to trade you 5 mediocre players for one superstar somehow thing it’s “fair.”Quantity never trumps quality.
by Zelepukin on Sep 14, 2010 12:38 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
From a Thrashers fan
I actually wish the Devils and Kovy all the best. I was not happy to read about the punishment. From my point of view, while you guys do have legitimate gripes about your organization, in general you have EXACTLY the kind of team and organization we need to build in Atlanta if we are ever going to stop being a joke.
Most of you fans here get that it’s not like you gave up any future Hall of Famers in the trade. You might miss Bergfors the most, but I see him topping out at about 30 goals. He may just simply be a solid 20-25 goal a year guy and no more. Oduya is my pick along with Sopel for the defenseman on the Thrashers most likely to be the most disappointing in the upcoming season. Cormier? Don’t get me started. EVERYBODY in Atlanta has bought Dudley’s bs about how Cormier is a top 6 player. I am just not seeing it. I expect him to be a very marginal NHL player at best. He may actually make the Thrashers, which would be terrific for you guys as I think that would be disastrous for his development as a player to go to the NHL right now. I have a feeling that after the dust has settled in a few years the Kovy trade is going to be just like the Hossa trade was for us and Thrashers fans will say “I can’t believe that is all we got for Kovy”.
This was my exact feeling when the trade happened. It was like, wait thats all the Devils had to give up? Bergfors is a talented forward with upside (and you’re right will likely be the prize piece for the Thrashers) but I still don’t seem him being more than a 2nd liner, which is good but ultimately replaceable. Oduya is a solid 2nd pair D-man who is a bit overpaid, again he’s good but replaceable. Cormier is a troubled prospect, his discipline has to be somewhat of a concern after his elbowing incident last season. He might turn out to be a a solid (maybe even great) player but thats the rub, he might, Kovalchuk already is a great player.
In terms of the draft picks lost in this penalty (the money is largely inconsequential since it doesn’t reduce the Devils cap space) we’re talking a third round pick and most likely a late first-rounder. At some point over the summer Behind the Net did a pretty in depth analysis of draft picks. Conclusions was that outside of a top 5 to top 10 pick its pretty much a crap shoot in terms of whether the player will be a solid NHLer or not. In terms of salary the average 3rd rounder can be expected to have a salary slightly above the league minimum, in other words a spare part. A late 1st rounder that pans out would probably be a top 6 forward or top 4 defenseman but the chances of that happening are much less compared to picks in the top 10. Furthermore the late first rounders can be a bust just as easily. Again Kovalchuk is an established star, there is no guarantee the lost picks would have turned into anything meaningful and its at leats an even bet that they actually wouldn’t. Does it hurt a little, yeah, but considering the known commodity (guaranteed 40 + goals and 80+ points for the next 5-6 years) its worth it.
agree with Wyshynski
Obviously the NHL used the Kovy contract as one they really thought they could win in arbitration, given the weakness of the PA and the specifics of the deal. Which they did. They then used that arbitration win as a hammer over the head of all the teams that still had deals “under investigation” and used that power to close the loophole so they don’t have to go through this process every summer until the CBA expires. Which they did.
They then let bygones be bygones with everyone but the NJD. And since the loophole was closed, these fines/loss of picks can’t be construed as a warning shot over the bow to other NHL teams not to try it. Therefore it looks to me like it is strictly punitive to the Devils.
This looks to me like it was at the behest of an ownership group that does not have a Pronger, Hossa, or Luongo under a front loaded contract, but which feels that they did not get the chance to structure a cap friendly deal like this, or they feel they were the “good guys” who complied with the spirit of the cap and as such wanted to extract a pound of flesh.
I do think it’s unfair the other deals under investigation got away scott free.
At the end of the day though, this is likely all part of the calculus that Lou and Jeff went though when they set on this journey, and well, they lost on this gamble. Let’s hope – as I do – that Kovy pays off.
And to Lou and Jeff – thanks for making the committment to putting an outstanding team on the ice every year. I appreciate not having to deal with never ending rebuilding years, struggling to get to the floor of the salary cap, or routinely missing the playoffs.
What we need are some sh1tty goals - Slava Fetisov
How is it circumvention?
Considering:
The contract was never in force, no games were ever played under it.
Kovalchuk would have had to retire before the end of the contract for any circumvention to occur, and even then, it couldn’t really be proven unless someone came out and said “Yeah I never intended to play that long anyway”.
Again, I can’t see how this stands up to legal scrutiny – if Kovalchuk had played out the term of the contract NO CIRCUMVENTION WOULD HAVE EVER OCCURRED. But we’ll never know, cause the league threw that contract out.
I’d fight it if I were Lou. I’d fight it all the way up the chain, including federal court.
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- Buffalo Sabres give defenceman Alexander Sulzer a one-year deal to dodge free agency
- Sabres sign defenseman Sulzer for one year
- Devils make lineup change for Game 4 vs. Rangers; Jacob Jacobson in, Petr Sykora out
- Josefson replaces Sykora in Devils' lineup Monday
