Prospect Info: Round 7, Pick 188: Ivan Fedotov, G, Reaktor Nizhnekamsk (MHL --> KHL)| 3/29 CSKA contract terminated, may join Flyers soon, new contract 4/23 2x3.25M

[ajgoal]

Fedotov had no leverage other than potentially burying his NHL aspirations.
It's not like he would have gotten anything close to that from any other NHL franchise - in fact, he may have struggled to even get a couple of 1 year NHL contract offers.

And how come the Flyers never ever negotiate performance bonuses?

Because you can only use them in entry level contracts and over-35 contracts. Fedotov isn't eligible.

 

[Caser]

Other Russian players should take note on how much NHL GMs are valuing the army experience. Seriously though, I'm just glad that after all the stuff he has gone through he at least got some good money.

 

[Kelmitchell2]

Fedotov had no leverage other than potentially burying his NHL aspirations.
It's not like he would have gotten anything close to that from any other NHL franchise - in fact, he may have struggled to even get a couple of 1 year NHL contract offers.

And how come the Flyers never ever negotiate performance bonuses?

That's not the flyers way, you're to give 110% at all times, it's time to be a f***ing flyer baby

 

[Fight4yourRight]

Other Russian players should take note on how much NHL GMs are valuing the army experience. Seriously though, I'm just glad that after all the stuff he has gone through he at least got some good money.

I mean, sure. I’m happy for him too. But this payout isn’t a surprise. We are used to the Flyers being a charity.

 

[Rich Nixon]

Even if this is true, and they had an idea of what it would cost keep him around, don’t even bother bringing him over?

Right? What the f*** was the point?

I'm contrasting this to the Gauthier situation.

The issue there, despite the Jones/Hilferty HE DIDNT WAN BE FLYER narrative, seems to be that he wanted to burn a year of ELC early and they were unwilling to do that and the relationship fell apart.

You want to maintain as much long-term contract control as you can with the young studs, and I totally get that, but you gotta pick your battles. No, he wouldn't have "earned" it, and yes it would have cost them more money to retain the player, because inevitably you end up paying on a big extension a year earlier than you'd want to. A complicating factor there is that the previous GM may have promised that option to the player and then the new one, in his first act as GM, may have reneged that promise.

But the idea that they looked at that situation and said "f*** you, no" and then turned around and promise low-end starter money to a guy who was 30th in save percentage in a 23-team B league, and then feel beholden to that promise...

I don't think Briere knows what he's doing.

 

[pooch]

I dont get this at all.

 

[GKJ]

Then you walk away.
You don’t sign a player to a shitty contract just so you can get a deal done. They have plenty of goaltenders in the pipeline and for next season, you just go with Ersson and a journeyman vet on a 1 year deal.

It’s a bad signing.

Again, that’s simply not the realities of dealing with older Russian players, and specifically the goalies. It’s not wise to freeze yourselves out of players from an entire country based on the economics in signing them. Because of the league they played in, it is different. If you want to not deal with KHL veterans that reason, it is a choice, definitely, but I prefer to be in the game because their recent history is such that it’s usually worth it for their best players, and Fedotov was one of them. There is simply a cost to it and it will happen with Michkov, too.

The Rangers and Islanders did similar with Shesterkin and Sorokin, which as goaltenders are the most-like comparables, who also played for top KHL teams. Shesterkin maxed out his bonuses, which does not happen for any other players his age on ELC’s, even the Russians, and then got a huge deal. Sorokin burned his one-year ELC in the bubble, signed for his lone RFA year a month later (which he did play on) and then got a larger deal.

Even if this is true, and they had an idea of what it would cost keep him around, don’t even bother bringing him over?

They really made him whole missing out last season and what he would’ve had if he was here this year on a new deal. If you were willing to do it then, you were willing to do it now. Luckily, we’re not contenders competing on the salary cap, we’re still on fact-finding missions.

 

[Beef Invictus]

They made a big deal out of him being a Great Victory and after the collapse they couldn't let their sole win leave. It's probably a miracle he didn't get 4.

 

[freakydallas13]

I mean, based on his work in Russia he could live up to that contract, but woof.

 

[usahockey22flyers]

High number, but honestly - good for him.

Excited to see him around the FTC this summer

 

[GKJ]

Fedotov had no leverage other than potentially burying his NHL aspirations.
It's not like he would have gotten anything close to that from any other NHL franchise - in fact, he may have struggled to even get a couple of 1 year NHL contract offers.

And how come the Flyers never ever negotiate performance bonuses?

He was a UFA, you can’t do that unless they’re 35+ or missed time with significant injury (i.e. Connor Brown)

 

[Larry44]

They made a big deal out of him being a Great Victory and after the collapse they couldn't let their sole win leave. It's probably a miracle he didn't get 4.

I said this on Xhitter and I'll say it again: This contract is about half of what they were going to have to pay Voldemort, so they locked him up for a couple years to see how he does.

Total goaltending costs will be $4.7M for the next 2 years. Philadelphia Flyers Salary Cap, Draft Picks, and Player Contracts - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps
This is relatively cheap and the cost certainty is better than letting him walk, since they need to find out if he can play until we know about Kolosov et al. Way better than a 4 or 5 year deal and better than him walking UFA.

You could argue let him walk, but then we're scrambling for a #1B/2. You could argue no one else would give him a UFA contract like that, but none of us know that. I would counter that if they low balled him too badly, he could just go home and get a comparable contract in the KHL.

This is fine. If he turns into a sieve, we get a better pick next year. If he's a star, he's another asset to keep or trade.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Again, that’s simply not the realities of dealing with older Russian players, and specifically the goalies. It’s not wise to freeze yourselves out of players from an entire country based on the economics in signing them. Because of the league they played in, it is different. If you want to not deal with KHL veterans that reason, it is a choice, definitely, but I prefer to be in the game because their recent history is such that it’s usually worth it for their best players, and Fedotov was one of them. There is simply a cost to it and it will happen with Michkov, too.

At some point in this paragraph, you probably should evaluate the player. And if you disagree and think he's worth 3 x 2, that's fine. We're all throwing darts at what the actual player is. But E was talking about Fedotov, not the future situations you've invented to make an argument.

 

[landsbergfan]

This contract really isn’t that bad. Will look even more normal at the end of the offseason I think. Plenty of guys in that AAV that could be just as bad. Cal Peterson is still the most expensive goalie on the Flyers haha.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Scratching my head over this contract. Don’t get it.

 

[GKJ]

At some point in this paragraph, you probably should evaluate the player. And if you disagree and think he's worth 3 x 2, that's fine. We're all throwing darts at what the actual player is. But E was talking about Fedotov, not the future situations you've invented to make an argument.

Throwing darts or taking big swings. The risk-reward balance is still tilted in the favor of reward right now. Should 3 games having been thrown into the cauldron out of sheer desperation change what you already thought of the player?

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Throwing darts or taking big swings. The risk-reward balance is still tilted in the favor of reward right now. Should 3 games having been thrown into the cauldron out of sheer desperation change what you already thought of the player?

I said upthread that he was put in an impossible situation and those games could not have mattered to me one bit no matter how well or poorly he played. They functionally didn't happen. Couldn't agree more there.

If you think this is a big swing because you see a reasonable likelihood of meaningful outcomes, again that's of course fine. Because that's an opinion about the player. But don't tell me this is a discussion about ever being able to sign an older Russian player because they walked away from a UFA who wanted more than they wanted to spend. We can't handwave the actual player. Sorokin and Shesterkin's contracts are only relevant to Briere if he thinks they're similar prospects. I would hope no one is saying that. I may have no faith in them, but I don't think they're quite that out to lunch.

 

[Redpath]

Any chance the theory here is that the Flyers can't pay Fedotov's buyout, but they can pay Fedotov to pay his own buyout?

Otherwise, this is a strange overpay

 

[chadateit]

mehh. It's a lot of money. He has proven nothing. I don't mind it for two reasons. 1. It takes away some of the cash that would've been available for useless veteran plugs that we're all expecting. 2. It's win-win in my mind. If he is good, it's not that much money. If he flounders, we get a much better draftpick.

 

[BringBackHakstol]

Yikes

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

WAIT, WHAT?!?!

 

[GKJ]

I said upthread that he was put in an impossible situation and those games could not have mattered to me one bit no matter how well or poorly he played. They functionally didn't happen. Couldn't agree more there.

If you think this is a big swing because you see a reasonable likelihood of meaningful outcomes, again that's of course fine. Because that's an opinion about the player. But don't tell me this is a discussion about ever being able to sign an older Russian player because they walked away from a UFA who wanted more than they wanted to spend. We can't handwave the actual player. Sorokin and Shesterkin's contracts are only relevant to Briere if he thinks they're similar prospects. I would hope no one is saying that. I may have no faith in them, but I don't think they're quite that out to lunch.

I’m not comparing their numbers, just the business that was done. This was something that was already frameworked prior to him getting here.

 

[FlyerNutter]

This franchise is a soup kitchen

 

[freakydallas13]

Serious question: how many contracts has Danny signed that make you think: "Wow, that's a great deal for the Flyers"?

 

[renberg]

Fedotov is getting less salary than Hart was so it's not like the organization is plowing more revenue into the position. Based on his play in the past, he'll be at the least a decent back up.
If he were to have gone UFA, he would have netted what the Flyers gave him on the open market. There are several clubs that are that desperate for goalies this summer.