What's the least LA could offer and have it make sense to take Dustin Brown?

[sabresfan65]

So you're saying thought the trade would essentially be 3 first rounders for future consideration, with that future consideration being the Knights taking Dustin Brown? Lombardi may be many things, but is not that dumb. I'm sure he's aware of how relatively weak their pipeline is, and how little top-flight talent they have outside of Kopitar, Doughty, and Quick. First rounds are cash money to flagging franchises, and for a franchise that has won 1 playoff game in 3 years, you would have to think that their window is essentially closed on this core.

No matter how bad Dustin Brown's contract is, it would make much more sense for the club to buy out his contract versus paying somebody to take it off of them for that amount.

Plus you get to keep the guy we would have taken in the draft without the trade!

 

[Primakov!]

It's 2/3 of the salary over double the term, so 1/3 of the cap hit, similar to Fleury.

Keep in mind that depending on the structure of the contract you might be leaving out an entire chunk of the buyout calculation. Because what you have would only be accurate if the player gets paid the same amount of salary as their cap hit with no front or back loading action in the contract.

Say a player has a 4-year $28 million contract and if it is front loaded it might look something like this:

1st year = $10 million
2nd year = $8 million
3rd year = $6 million
4th year = $4 million

In a case like that you have to take the difference between the cap hit and the actual salary paid to see if there's a cap saving that the team has to account for, which then adds to the buyout number per year.

1st year = $7 million - $10 million = -3 million
2nd year = $7 million - $8 million = -1 million
3rd year = $7 million - $6 million = +1 million
4th year = $7 million - $4 million = +3 million

If you bought the player out in year 2 you actually save some money, but if you wait until year 3 or 4 you have to pay more.

There are sites that will do the calculation for you so I'm not going to lay it all out, but I just wanted to point out that the buyout calculation is a little more complicated than what you're stating.

 

[Pharrell Williams]

Justin Brown is BAD AT HOCKEY and I don't want him!!!

 

[Vegas Mac]

Justin Brown is BAD AT HOCKEY and I don't want him!!!

I guarantee you that Vegas will take at least one player who is overpaid in the expansion draft. And it will almost certainly be a team that offers a high pick for them to do so and provide cap relief.

Like it or not the cap is a resource for McPhee to utilize to load this organization with more talent. So if you take a bad contract/player from a team for a high pick, maybe two depending on what your FA plans are, it is going to help us long term.

The Kings can't afford to give up what will be a high pick when they need to reload at forward with some youth. So Brown is extremely unlikely. But some team will be willing to give up draft value to make cap relief happen, we can bank that.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

It'll wouldn't be likely to happen because the market price to take on Brown's contract would be insanely high and the Kings don't really have the kind of assets that make it worth it for Vegas.

Dave Bolland who was owed 16.5M in real money over three seasons and potentially at least partially insured cost FLA a player chosen 11th overall only 1 year prior to the trade.

I am not overly familiar with the Kings prospect pool, but they don't seem like a team that is overflowing with young players who they could bundle with Brown. At the very least it seems like it'd cost two 1sts based on what Bolland cost but then when it is considered that Bolland may have had his real money salary insured and ARZ is a budget team who wasn't going to use the cap space his contract took away from them, that makes it seem like it should cost a lot more than 2 firsts for Vegas to take Brown.

Two firsts, and then a really good roster player? Tanner Pearson? Tyler Toffoli? That is where the problem lies. Brown's contract is so bad that the cost to dump him off makes no sense for LA, where as it makes no sense for a team, even one starting from complete cap flexibility like Vegas to take him on for any less than a huge amount of compensation.

 

[mouser]

Bolland's contract is 80% insured. However it's not a done deal that his career is over. The possibility remains he could return as soon as next season with $11m in actual salary remaining, likely performing at a level that's not worth that salary. So that's some additional risk for Arizona.

 

[VanIslander]

I think Foley would be happy with Brown STRAIGHT UP: he exudes the Knights' ethic.

Whether McPhee and his staff would concur is the question.

 

[Vegas Mac]

I think Foley would be happy with Brown STRAIGHT UP: he exudes the Knights' ethic.

Whether McPhee and his staff would concur is the question.

I agree Brown is a fit for what they're looking for in team leaders. As I mentioned earlier in this thread the guy captained the Kings to two cups. He's overpaid, sure. But he plays his butt off every shift and when they stripped him of his C you didn't hear one thing out of him. Big time team-first kind of guy.

At his height he was a 20+ goal scorer who also brought grit. Now he's a teens goal guy who brings grit (14g last year). Only problem with him is he is being paid first line salary when he's a third line player now. But yeah he's a real strong locker room type.

I doubt they take Brown, still. Because taking him is doing the Kings an enormous favor in their cap outlook and they are a rival. And again the Kings have slid due to trading away top picks to sustain their cup window; they need picks now to reload.

 

[Ollie Weeks]

Brown? Spending assets on moving him, and then spending cap to replace him, is more trouble than its worth at this point. He's overpaid by like 1.5 million. Meh. And he's a useful hockey player when not scoring.

Gaborik is the one Kings fans will be begging Vegas to take.

 

[VanIslander]

Brown? Spending assets on moving him, and then spending cap to replace him, is more trouble than its worth at this point. He's overpaid by like 1.5 million. Meh. And he's a useful hockey player when not scoring.

Chump change for a billionaire with a vision of a team that's HARD WORKING, HITTING, with LEADERSHIP and CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE and never give up WORK ETHIC.

Gaborik is the one Kings fans will be begging Vegas to take.

Uh,... no. He's the near anti-Knight.

 

[Donzo]

I doubt they take Brown, still. Because taking him is doing the Kings an enormous favor in their cap outlook and they are a rival. And again the Kings have slid due to trading away top picks to sustain their cup window; they need picks now to reload.

Vegas is in a great position to take on bad contracts, but Brown is in a whole other category of bad contract. Leadership and grit and all that is great, but not at almost $6M/year for 5 more years. If I'm Vegas, I'm looking to take on bad contracts for 1-2 years, 3 years absolute max, e.g. Orpik, Fayne, and mayyyyybe MacDonald (that one would require a serious sweetener from Philly). No need to make the same mistake the Kings did and limit your options for 5 years.

 

[Vegas Mac]

Vegas is in a great position to take on bad contracts, but Brown is in a whole other category of bad contract. Leadership and grit and all that is great, but not at almost $6M/year for 5 more years. If I'm Vegas, I'm looking to take on bad contracts for 1-2 years, 3 years absolute max, e.g. Orpik, Fayne, and mayyyyybe MacDonald (that one would require a serious sweetener from Philly). No need to make the same mistake the Kings did and limit your options for 5 years.

It's all about compensation. Brown would be a guy Vegas could demand significant compensation for. We all seem to agree it is unlikely, too, given the Kings' cupboard being bare and what that compensation would be.

But he's not the only bad contract out there. We're gonna take on at least one of them, and hopefully in return will get strong compensation to help get this thing rolling quickly.

Phaneuf is a great example of how a bad contract can turn around. He's still overpaid, but now that he's in a place where they have him in a second defensive pairing (and non-Captain role) he is helping that team win games and making a difference. That plus not being nuked by the Toronto media helps lol.

 

[Puckrobber]

I love Brownie, and love the fact he Captained the team I've followed for so many years to 2 Stanley Cups. I think he would be a great mentor and leader for the Knights.

However, I agree that not only is his contract a little too long (at 5 years & 5.8 million per), but, the Kings have absolutely nothing to offer L.V. as a sweetener for taking him. Lombardi gambled, with high draft picks being traded for immediate help over the last couple of years, and it backfired. Now, they need to reset and re-stock the farm as much as possible.

 

[LAKings88]

I actually think he would be a good add to Vegas.

Won't happen tho, contract is a little too long.

 

[Blue Goose]

a team that's HARD WORKING, HITTING, with LEADERSHIP and CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE and never give up WORK ETHIC.

This would also apply to Trevor Lewis, who would be my selection from the Kings. His work ethic would make him a fan favorite in Vegas (and the fact that he's from nearby Salt Lake City could be an interesting PR move).

PS. I think the Kings will just expose Brown and dare Vegas to take him without a sweetener, in which case McPhee should pass, and he'll return to the Kings with a chance to turn things around (he wasn't THAT bad last season).

 

[The Tikkanen]

I think a lot of King players blame their poor offensive numbers on Sutter.

 

[LAKings88]

This would also apply to Trevor Lewis, who would be my selection from the Kings. His work ethic would make him a fan favorite in Vegas (and the fact that he's from nearby Salt Lake City could be an interesting PR move).

PS. I think the Kings will just expose Brown and dare Vegas to take him without a sweetener, in which case McPhee should pass, and he'll return to the Kings with a chance to turn things around (he wasn't THAT bad last season).

My gut says it will be Lewis as well with Shore and Dowd as possibles too.

 

[Blue Goose]

My gut says it will be Lewis as well with Shore and Dowd as possibles too.

Shore and Dowd are good, but I really want Lewis in Vegas - I'm just worried the Kings might end up protecting him. I go to a few Kings games every year (thanks to free tickets through work), and he's my favorite player to watch - he works hard every shift and I think he'd be the exact kind of player that Gallant would want.

I'm very curious to see if the Kings expose both Brown and Gaborik, knowing that Vegas won't likely take them. That'll leave them protecting:

Kopitar
Carter
Toffoli
Pearson

Three spots remaining for: Clifford, Lewis, Shore, Dowd - I think Vegas should take whichever one is exposed. They could also go 4F/4D and protect Forbort in addition to Doughty/Martinez/Muzzin - in which case, I'd still take Lewis.

 

[Reaper45]

Shore and Dowd are good, but I really want Lewis in Vegas - I'm just worried the Kings might end up protecting him. I go to a few Kings games every year (thanks to free tickets through work), and he's my favorite player to watch - he works hard every shift and I think he'd be the exact kind of player that Gallant would want.

I'm very curious to see if the Kings expose both Brown and Gaborik, knowing that Vegas won't likely take them. That'll leave them protecting:

Kopitar
Carter
Toffoli
Pearson

Three spots remaining for: Clifford, Brown, Shore, Dowd - I think Vegas should take whichever one is exposed. They could also go 4F/4D and protect Forbort in addition to Doughty/Martinez/Muzzin - in which case, I'd still take Lewis.

The only way the Kings go 7-3-1 is if they trade Muzzin or Martinez beforehand. And if they did that, Lewis gets protected. Kopitar, Carter, Pearson, Toffoli, Lewis, forward acquired for Muzzin/Martinez, and say maybe Shore. Then they'd protect Doughty, Muzzin/Martinez and Forbort. If they don't trade a defenseman, they're going 4-4-1. Which would unfortunately leave Trevor Hustle exposed. Both Brown and Gaborik will be exposed in either scenario unless they opt to protect Brown as the 7th forward over Shore in the initial scenario.

 

[Blue Goose]

The only way the Kings go 7-3-1 is if they trade Muzzin or Martinez beforehand. And if they did that, Lewis gets protected. Kopitar, Carter, Pearson, Toffoli, Lewis, forward acquired for Muzzin/Martinez, and say maybe Shore. Then they'd protect Doughty, Muzzin/Martinez and Forbort. If they don't trade a defenseman, they're going 4-4-1. Which would unfortunately leave Trevor Hustle exposed. Both Brown and Gaborik will be exposed in either scenario unless they opt to protect Brown as the 7th forward over Shore in the initial scenario.

Good to know - I guess I didn't realize Forbort was that important to their future. I was actually at the 2010 Draft when the Kings picked him - he's coming along slowly, but I guess they're happy with where he's at now?

 

[CorgisPer60]

It's not Vegas' fault that he's signed to a dumb dead weight contract that even a new team wouldn't want.

If you want Vegas to absolve LA's expensive waste of space it will require a significant return.

Of course it would require a significant Investment to get rid of that contract. It's also not Lombardi's problem anymore. All I'm saying is the price would be too high for LA to consider making that move, and Vegas wouldn't make that move unless they were getting a significant value. That's why I said the best option would be to buy him out.

 

[WesMcCauley]

I guarantee you that Vegas will take at least one player who is overpaid in the expansion draft. And it will almost certainly be a team that offers a high pick for them to do so and provide cap relief.

Like it or not the cap is a resource for McPhee to utilize to load this organization with more talent. So if you take a bad contract/player from a team for a high pick, maybe two depending on what your FA plans are, it is going to help us long term.

The Kings can't afford to give up what will be a high pick when they need to reload at forward with some youth. So Brown is extremely unlikely. But some team will be willing to give up draft value to make cap relief happen, we can bank that.

Problem is the lenght of Brown's contract. They can easily take it on for 2 years but no team takes that contract without retention and a big add. They can easily find players with less cap hit and term to play in the top 9 and do a better job than Brown would do.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Gaborik's contract isn't great, but if you need offense and a top 6 forward I'd take him. He does score goals, it's a shame he was made of glass because man was he something back in the day.

 

[Puckrobber]

Gaborik still has very good skills, even at his age. I just think being in the system that the Kings employed over the last few years stifled any offense he has. He still has decent wheels and good hands, so, he could be a nice pick-up for the Knights. However, his contract may turn GMGM off, even with a sweetener added.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Gaborik still has very good skills, even at his age. I just think being in the system that the Kings employed over the last few years stifled any offense he has. He still has decent wheels and good hands, so, he could be a nice pick-up for the Knights. However, his contract may turn GMGM off, even with a sweetener added.

4 years at slightly under 5, worst case maybe IR him ?

I think he can still score 20, maybe even 25 and he can handle the minutes too.