Impossible Contracts Lie Ahead For NHL GMs

Teams have already begun the process of evaluating their rosters to determine what changes need to be made by the time the puck drops on the 2010-11 season. The time for upgrading talent will come at the end of June via the draft and at the start of free agency on July 1. But the most immediate part of the process for NHL general managers is to determine what dead weight should be shed from their respective organizations. Who needs to be let go, and how should they be discarded?

The most difficult situations for general managers to deal with when it comes to needing roster and cap relief is when the particular player they are looking to unload comes along with an inconvenient contract. Players who haven’t performed up to expectations and have large contracts will likely go unclaimed through the waiver process and are going to be tough sells to other general managers through the trade route. Though the latter is not impossible – just as Glen Sather about Scott Gomez.

The buyout process is another option for general managers, and the two-week window where that is allowable began today. According to TSN, the Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens are each expected to explore that avenue with one or more of their players. But for players with a lot of money still owed, and several years accompanying it, buyouts can become a bigger burden to an organization. Teams will still owe a player two-thirds of the remaining money left on his contract (or one-third for those 26 years of age and younger) over double the amount of time left on the deal. And that’s not ideal for teams who want to spend as much as possible on players that will actually suit up for the team.

Then there’s this new revelation that hasn’t really been put into practice about simply demoting a player to the minors so that they don’t play for the NHL club and their salary doesn’t count against the cap. In theory, that sounds tremendous. But I don’t really think that method has been adopted by many teams thus far. And that’s probably out of respect for the player.

A few players around the league carry with them impossible contracts. They cannot be easily waived or traded, nor does it make financial sense overall or for the cap to pursue a buyout. Instead, teams seem stuck with these deals unless the general manager can get really creative or find a sucker somewhere amongst the other 29 squads.

Dion Phaneuf Named 18th Captain of Toronto Maple Leafs

Two years have gone by since Mats Sundin ended his 13-year tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs and took the team’s captaincy with him. Since then, no player in the organization has been given the role and only the alternate captaincy has been passed around between players. On Monday, general manager Brian Burke and head coach Ron Wilson felt it was time to bring back the “C” and stitch it onto the sweater of the 18th captain in team history. And that honor goes to Dion Phaneuf, who was formally introduced Monday in a press conference also intended to showcase Maple Leafs’ new sweaters for the 2010-11 season:

It might seem a bit awkward to hand over this highly-regarded status to a player who fell out of favor with the squad that originally drafted him and has only suited up for a total of 26 games with Toronto. But the 25-year old Phaneuf, who was acquired from the Calgary Flames as part of a seven-player trade in January, has proven to be a physical and vocal leader. He logs plenty of ice time, is capable of getting on the score sheet and defends his end of the ice with size and strength. In his short time in Toronto, he has gained the respect of his teammates, Wilson and Burke, who he apparently doesn’t have any issue standing up to:

"He thought we got pushed around in a game and came right out of the dressing room and barked at me on the way to the weight room: ‘We need some bigger forwards in here,’ and kept walking,” Burke said. “I haven’t had too many guys bark at me like that. I didn’t mind it and he’s right. We do need some bigger forwards.”

There weren’t too many options of the Toronto roster outside Phaneuf for the captaincy anyway. Tomas Kaberle would be the most logical, but he’s believed to be on his way out of Toronto sometime between the NHL Entry Draft on June 25 and the end of July when his no-trade clause will temporarily be lifted. Phil Kessel might eventually be captain material and should probably don an “A” come next season. But he’s still a budding star that isn’t as vocal and lacks the personality of Phaneuf. Everybody else is either too young or lacks the high status Phaneuf possesses. He is, at the very least, the right guy at the right time.

Phaneuf has goals for his new position on the team. He doesn’t just want to be any captain – he wants to be one of the best. He hopes to live up to the hefty standards set by the likes of Mark Messier, Wendel Clark and his former teammate with the Flames, Jarome Iginla.

“You look at how they play the game and how they lead,” Phaneuf said. “I think the best way to lead is you don’t have to be the loudest guy but you definitely want to be the guy who’s working the hardest day in and day out … That’s what I’m going to bring to our team. I want to be known as the guy who works the hardest.”

That hard work is going to be critical for the still-rebuilding Maple Leafs if they hope to get back into playoff contention within the next year or two. His leadership and toughness will need to trickle down to the team’s young players. And when it doesn’t, he won’t hesitate to give his teammates a “kick in the butt,” according to 20-year old Luke Schenn.

Leighton's Future With Flyers Undecided

Although I'm sure it wasn't their intention, the Philadelphia Flyers proved this year that a team in the NHL does not necessarily need an elite-level, high-priced goaltender to take a run at the Stanley Cup. The Flyers had a rotating door of goaltenders this season and managed to make it all the way to the finals with the work of two goalies - Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton. Leighton received most of the starts and was the hot hand the Flyers rode all the way to the end once he took over for Brian Boucher, who started the postseason for Philly but relinquished the starting role upon getting injured during the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
At the price of about $183,000, Leighton was clearly a steal for Philadelphia. They were able to cought up that pro-rated portion of his salary after claiming him off re-entry waivers from Carolina in December. That's a very light price to pay a goaltender that manages to backstop a team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. With Leigton heading into the summer free-agent eligible once July 1 rolls around, one would believe that general manager Paul Holmgren would make it a priority to get him inked for 2010-11 and immediately grant him the team's No. 1 spot.
That is not necessarily the case, though. According to the Associated Press via ESPN.com, there's some hesistation. Holmgren is not ready to commit to Leighton because he's not entirely sold on Leighton as a starter to this point. When questioned about his view on Leighton as a starter, Homgren replied:

"You can't argue with his record and numbers when he had an opportunity to play."

Not quite a ringing endorsement.
Additionally, while it's difficult to not be impressed by Leighton's strong play when he was on his game, it's also hard to turn a blind eye to his poor play when he wasn't on:

"I think we've got to be careful there in how we view him," Holmgren said.

Again, not exactly a strong vote of confidence from the general manager. But really, this level of uncertainty from Holmgren is not uncalled for. Leighton might be a playable NHL goalie that got really hot at the right time this postseason, but there's a reason he's largely been a journeyman goaltender through his career - playing for four teams in a six-year NHL career where he's seen action 20 or more games just twice. Frankly, Leighton is a good option at backup. But at 29 years old, it's hard to imagine he's suddenly blossomed into a 70+-game, 35- to 40-win goalie.
It's also not as if Leighton is going to come as cheaply to the Flyers as he did last season. Not only will he earn more than the measly sum ponied up by Philly last year, but he's also going to come at a higher pricetag than the $600,000 he earned overall. It's hard to speculate exactly how much he wants or what teams are willing to pay for him. But I doubt $3 million or more is out of the question as an asking price. That's not a lot for a true starter. But for a glorified backup goalie, it might not be worth it. And Holmgren must assess if it's worth the risk to throw that money out to guy in hopes that he can continue playing like he did when he was good during the playoffs.
Leighton is not the only one on the fence here, either. He wants to remain in Philly, but will go elsewhere if necessary. To him, the ball is in Holmgren's court:

"I enjoyed my time here, I enjoyed the guys and the organization," Leighton said. "It's kind of up to the team. I've still got to talk to Homer and talk it out."

The Flyers currently have Boucher locked up for one more season at $925,000, and recently re-signed 28-year old Johan Backlund to a two-year contract. Additionally, Ray Emery might get another look by the Flyers after suiting up for 29 games with them before left hip surgery took him out for the rest of the season. Emery's injuries were the reason the Flyers ended up snagging Leighton.
Perhaps the Flyers should hold onto their cash, let Leighton walk if he demands too much and pull their efforts into acquiring whichever Montreal Canadiens netminder goes on the block, a strategy the team tried to follow during the season. There's a lot more certainly in Jaroslav Halak and plenty of time to reverse the downward spiral Carey Price succumbed to.
Giving Leighton starter money for what could easily resort to the backup play he's exhibited through most of his career is not worth the risk. It might sound harsh, but Leighton-type goalies are a dime a dozen. And an out of the ordinary showcase during the playoffs, which included several instances of bad play as well, should not cloud Holmgren's judgment in assessing the future of his most pressure position at this point.

Kaberle An Option For The Devils?

Once again ousted in the first round of the playoffs and sitting just a few years away from the retirement of Martin Brodeur, the New Jersey Devils look primed to exhibit a win-all philosophy heading into next season. From their current head coach search to filling out the roster of players, general manager Lou Lamoriello is believed to be pulling all punches in trying to make the final years of Brodeur's career as successful as possible.

A key area that the Devils would love to improve is offense provided by their defensemen. According to The New York Post, Tomas Kaberle might be on New Jersey's radar.

Per an e-mail sent out to general managers throughout the NHL by Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, Kaberle's current no-trade clause will be lifted for a limited amount of time between the NHL Draft (which starts on June 25) through the end of July. Burke would like a young player capable of stepping into the Leafs lineup right away, as well as a high draft pick in a few weeks.

The former of those requests shouldn't be too big a problem for the Devils, depending on who Lamoriello is willing to part with. David Clarkson or maybe even Travis Zajac, who unbelievably didn't have to be a part of the package sent to Atlanta for Ilya Kovalchuk, would probably be enough to please Burke. The draft pick part might not be as easy. As a result of the Phil Kessel trade last summer, Burke is left without a first round pick at this year's draft and remains very interested in getting back into the top 30. New Jersey dealt its first round pick to the Thrashers in that same Kovalchuk trade, leaving the team without a selection in the first. However, there might be some hope for the Devils in that department. As The Post points out, there was a swap of second rounds pick. And that gives the Devils the 38th overall pick in the draft. If the Devils package Clarkson (since Zajac is probably unlikely), the second round pick from Atlanta (38th overall) and a player from the minors, Lamoriello might just be in business. I doubt the market is going to be that much better for Kaberle.

Before Lamoriello goes and pulls the trigger, he needs to decide whether he's interested in bringing back Paul Martin, who currently stands as the Devils' top offensive option from the blue line. He played just 22 games last season courtesy of a broken left arm, but he still posted 11 points - nine of which came during the final 13 games of the season he played since returning on March 13. At a price of $4.5 million last season and heading into unrestricted free agency on July 1, Martin is going to cost a pretty penny. And it will likely be more than the $3.833 annual cap hit from his current contract.

It will, therefore, be very difficult for the Devils to retain Martin and trade for Kaberle, who is scheduled to make $4.25 million - with a similar cap hit - next season in the final year of his contract. The Devils have some cap flexibility, as right now they have $41.1 million already committed to their 2010-11 payroll between 15 players. That's not including Ilya Kovalchuk, though, who will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and is likely to command at least $8 million a season. He alone could kill any cap space they have if Lamoriello is intent on retaining his services. Plus, New Jersey better start worrying about Zach Parise, who is in the final year of his current deal before becoming a restricted free agent next summer. You can bet he'll demand a mighty raise from the $5 million ($3.125 million cap hit) he's set to earn in 2010-11.

So, it could boil down to one or the other if New Jersey wants to avoid eating up too much cap space for other areas. Kaberle is the older of the two at 32, but only by three years. And he is a much better option offensively. Kaberle has the ability to post 50+ points a season, a lot more than the 30 or so Martin will hover around during a healthy campaign. And he will be a major upgrade on the power play, where the Devils haven't had a really reliable quarterback in a number of years.

If money is going to be relatively similar between the two, Kaberle has to be the obvious choice for the Devils. New Jersey could sorely use a player with his skills, which will be necessary if it seriously intends on getting past the hurdle of the opening round of the playoffs to make a serious push for the Cup.

Kane's Sudden Score Clinches Blackhawks First Cup In 49 Years

Patrick Kane knew that 49 years had gone by since the last time the Chicago Blackhawks hoisted the Stanley Cup. He also might have been the only one that knew that streak was over. After taking a pass from Brian Campbell and moving the puck down the boards, Kane snapped a bad angle shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle and then skated around the net in celebration. There was no red light. No arena noise. No epic victory call from play-by-play voice Mike “Doc” Emrick. There was no reaction – except from the man responsible for bringing Mullet Mania to the Chicago. Kane’s shot went right through the legs of Philadelphia Flyers starter Michael Leighton and then disappeared underneath the bottom portion of the goal just four minutes and six seconds into the overtime session. A quick review by the officials and numerous replays for the fans made everybody realize what Kane knew right away – the Chicago Blackhawks were Stanley Cup Champions for the first time since 1961.

“I knew it went in right away,” Kane said. “What a feeling. I can’t believe it. We just won the Stanley Cup.”

Kane’s less-than-dramatic finish to the Stanley Cup Finals almost wasn’t necessary. For much of the third period, the Blackhawks carried a 3-2 lead acquired during the second stanza. But a late goal with 3:59 remaining in regulation by Scott Hartnell, who directed a deflection from Marian Hossa’s stick past Antti Niemi for his second score of the game, enabled to Flyers to prolong their improbable run into an overtime session.

But that’s where the resilience of these comeback Flyers ended. Kane made sure there would be no Game 7. He made sure there wouldn’t be another comeback. He made sure that Chicago would live up their hype and secure a championship the city and its fans sorely needed.

And it makes sense that Kane would be the guy to clinch the Stanley Cup for the Blackhawks. Sure, it could have been Hossa, who was just the third athlete in any of the four major American sports to appear in the finals in three consecutive years for three different teams. It also could have been Dustin Byfuglien, who was such a dominating force for most of the first three series and the final two games of the finals. But Kane, along with Conn Smythe Trophy recipient Jonathan Toews, were tasked with being the new blood of the organization.

Selected third (Toews) and first (Kane) overall in consecutive NHL Entry Drafts back in 2006 and 2007, respectively, these two young kids were the building blocks for a new generation in Chicago Blackhawks hockey. Long gone were the days of missing the playoffs and disappointing fans with high ticket prices and lacking home game broadcasts. This was a new era for Blackhawks hockey – one geared toward including the fans and making them proud to root for an organization poised for success. With Toews and Kane leading the way, this organization would be become a champion … eventually. Little did they know eventually would come this soon.

This was truly a team effort, though. Toews and Kane were integral pieces and there’s little doubt that Chicago would be heading toward 50 years without Lord Stanley had it not been for those two. But so many other players were key in this championship victory.

Niemi stepped into that unenviable role of rookie goalie in the NHL playoffs, and he shined. He wasn’t unbeatable, but he kept his team in games and made the big save when necessary. Byfuglien was a big, physical presence for the Blackhawks and netted a playoff-leading five game-winners. Hossa didn’t put up huge numbers, but he provided the invaluable experience of having played in the Stanley Cup Finals before. Patrick Sharp did contribute big in the stats department with 22 points, which ranks fifth among playoffs leaders. On defense, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook combined for a strong defensive pairing, while Niklas Hjalmarsson got himself noticed with a plus-9 rating and solid shot-blocking prowess.

Then there’s behind the bench, where Joel Quenneville guided his team efficiently through six-game series victories over Nashville and Vancouver, a four-game sweep past the No. 1 ranked San Jose Sharks, and then a six-game win over the Flyers. His decision to switch up lines in Game 5 by putting Kane, Toews and Byfuglien on separate units opened up the game and allowed Byfuglien specifically to get back on track and almost single-handedly pull his team within one win of the Cup.

For their efforts, the Flyers definitely deserve recognition here. They weren’t the Broad Street Bullies, but they had plenty of grit and spirit to their game. Entering the postseason as the No. 7 should have been a huge disadvantage. But they were not a typical seven seed and outplayed their ranking. The Flyers overpowered the New Jersey Devils, came back in miraculous fashion from a 3-0 deficit against the Boston Bruins and pretty much dismantled the No. 8 Montreal Canadiens without any problem. For a seventh seed to even get to the Stanley Cup Finals is impressive. To keep it as close as the Flyers did with the Blackhawks was even more so. But it all ended for them at home on one of the oddest Cup-clinching goals in league history.

I’m sure no Blackhawks fan will actually mind the anticlimactic way in which Game 6 ended. Nor will they mind that the championship soon to be paraded around their city in a few short days was actually captured by their beloved team on the road, in Philadelphia. After 49 years, you take it any way you can get it. And that abrupt goal might actually be a fitting conclusion to an entire postseason that provided plenty of surprises along the way.