Patrick Hoffman from Red Light District wrote this gem and its true to the core asking the simple question about these long contracts. Read after the jump for my quick take.
One would think that NHL GM’s would learn from the Isles mistakes of signing guys like Alexei Yashin and Rick DiPietro to contracts 10 years or longer.
Well, it appears that a GM across the way from Garth is ready to sign Kovalchuk to a 17-year deal worth $102 million. Surprisingly, it’s not New York Rangers GM Glen Sather that made this signing.
No, it was New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello. For people who know Lou and have followed him since he started with the Devils, I’m sure this comes as a surprise as Lou is normally very economical.
Obviously, Kovalchuk is a very skilled player and I’ve said that before on this blog. He can put the puck in the net, he can setup plays, he can contribute on the power play and can excite fans with a quick wrister or a nifty move.
Is that worth 17 years, though? What is the team going to do when it comes to re-sign players such as Zach Parise or Travis Zajac?
Parise, along with Martin Brodeur, is one of the faces of the franchise. He can score goals, he works hard, he’s a leader on the ice and is someone who is going to be worth a lot of money on the open market.
Zajac, though not as skilled as Parise, also brings a lot to the Devils. He can put up points, he’s a responsible defensive players and he’s not afraid to go into the corners to dig pucks out.
These are the kind of players to build a team around and guys you want to keep. I’m not saying that Kovalchuk is not worth keeping, but is he really worth keeping for that long?
Photo credit: Getty Images
Now for my take:
People are not going to like this view but Lou Lamoriello definitely was not the only one from the Devils in the negotiation process, you better believe Jeff Vanderbeek was in this as well. If you do not believe it, I have a plot of land to sell you on the other side of the Hudson River. Seriously, this thing mushroomed overnight and yet weirdly I was not surprised by it. Yes Lou Lamoriello put his foot in his mouth. Everyone knows that. It was not a smart move but I actually understand that.
These long contracts came from a beginning. They came from outrageous signing bonuses and deferrments. Then there was an evolution to longer terms, more creative ways to work the money around. My question to every SINGLE hockey fan is this. Why didn’t the league attack this sooner like right after the CBA? Oh wait, they were busy.
This is no sour grapes. This is an indictment on the NHL as a whole. This CBA was clearly flawed and actually we are supposed to applaud when GM’s get creative. The problem for me is this went too far. Paying a guy below the league minimum in salary for the last few years of his deal does not sit well with me AT ALL!
What are your thoiughts on these long term deals and what can be done about it in the next CBA? We look forward to your thoughts TONIGHT and I wanted to send my deepest condolences to Ryan Porth and his family on his loss.
