Confirmed with Link: Avs Re-Sign JT Compher 4 Years 3.5M AAV

[RoyIsALegend]

Very good deal.

Congrats to Joe and to JTC.

Mikko, over to you.

 

[forsbergavs32]

Nice deal, I expected around 2 years but this is much better

 

[tucker3434]

Almost exactly the money I expected but I’m a bit surprised on the term. Seems like the type of guy that’s on 2 year deals for eternity.

I’m fine with it.

 

[Raucherhusten]

Good deal for both sides. When healthy he should hit 20/20 with ease. Also pretty good on the PK plus some underrated swagger. No complains here. Welcome back ...

 

[AvalancheFan19]

This guy stepped up BIG time in the playoffs. That game where he crushed Karlsson and scored a goal was unbelievable. Happy with the term and cap hit - great deal.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

Great deal, glad he avoided arbitration

 

[AvsFanInMichigan]

The main board thread is being invaded by the offseason Stanley cup champs who don’t know shit

 

[arun]

Nice deal. I feel JTC is going to be très bien for us the coming season(s)!

 

[Ivan13]

The main board thread is being invaded by the offseason Stanley cup champs who don’t know ****

That guy is a clown.

 

[Richard88]

This feels a slightly higher than expected with that term, but I'm happy with it.

For the sake of discussion, here's what I posted 11 days ago regarding what I expected Compher to get:

He's been a 0.5 point-per-game player since the 2018 playoffs, so his comparables this year are probably:

• Compher: 16 + 16 (66 games)
• Kerfoot: 15 + 27 (78 games) - $3.5m / 4 years (RFA)
• Johnsson: 20 +23 (73 games) - $3.4m / 4 years (RFA)
• Kapanen: 20 + 24 (78 games) - $3.2m / 3 years (RFA)
• Donskoi: 14 + 23 (80 games) - $3.9m / 4 years (UFA)
• Connelly: 22 + 24 (81 games) - $3.5m / 4 years (UFA)

Compher has only one season of 0.5 ppg pace (which wasn't even a full 82 game season), which could hurt his position. However, he has also paced exactly 0.5ppg in two postseasons (4+5 = 9 points in 18 playoff games) so I think it's reasonable to expect 0.5ppg pace going forwards, making $3.5m a possible number as compared to the contracts above.

That said, as an RFA with only one regular season at 0.5ppg pace, I think Sakic would be reluctant to give him term at a cap hit of $3.5m.

I'd say something around one of these will probably be what he gets:

• $3.0m / 4 years
• $3.2m / 3 years
• $3.4m / 2 years
• $3.5m / 1 year

Note that since he's only 24 he would still be an RFA after a 1 or 2 year deal. A 3 year contract takes him to UFA at 27.

Since the post above we've seen the following signings which are in the same ballpark as Compher's AAV. I've ordered them by AAV and separated them in what looks like tiers.

• Johansson: 13 + 17 (58 games) - $4.5m / 2 years (RFA + NMC)
  
• Ferland: 17 + 23 (71 games) - $3.5m / 4 years (UFA)
  
• Dzingel: 26 + 30 (78 games) - $3.375 / 2 years (UFA)
• Vrana: 24 + 23 (82 games) - $3.35 / 2 years (RFA)
• Burakovsky: 12 + 13 (76 games) - $3.25m / 1 year (RFA QO)

• Heinen: 11 + 23 (77 games) - $2.8m / 2 years (RFA)
• Armia: 13 + 10 (57 games) - $2.6m / 2 years (RFA)
• Iafallo: 15 + 18 (82 games) - $2.425m / 2 years (RFA)
• Lekhonen: 11 + 20 (82 games) - $2.4m / 2 years (RFA)

• Labanc: 17 + 39 (82 games) - $1m / 1 year (RFA)

The most notable comparable here is Ferland who got the exact same contract. Ferland had 0.65 points-per-game compared to Compher at 0.48ppg. Given that Ferland has injury issues though it feels unfair to say that Compher's deal is an overpayment in comparison to Ferland's, as I think it's more a case of Ferland getting underpaid due to his health risks.

Dzingel (0.72 ppg) and Vrana (0.57 ppg) put up more points than Compher, but got only 2 year deals. Those comparables make Compher's $3.5m/4 years look like a slight overpayment.

That said, Johansson is also roughly a 0.5 ppg player and got $1m more, so in that light Compher's contract seems good.

Looking back at the list in the quoted post above, Compher also got the exact same contract as Kerfoot and Connelly, which seems reasonable given their respective production. He also got slightly higher AAV than Johnsson and Kapanen at the same term, but the difference is small.

The most relevant of all the players from above are listed below for reference.

• Compher: 16 + 16 (66 games) - $3.5m / 4 years (RFA)
• Kerfoot: 15 + 27 (78 games) - $3.5m / 4 years (RFA)
• Connelly: 22 + 24 (81 games) - $3.5m / 4 years (UFA)
  
• Johnsson: 20 +23 (73 games) - $3.4m / 4 years (RFA)
• Vrana: 24 + 23 (82 games) - $3.35 / 2 years (RFA)
  
• Kapanen: 20 + 24 (78 games) - $3.2m / 3 years (RFA)

Looking at that list I think Compher's contract was at the higher end of what he should have gotten, but still within the range that is acceptable. Anything between $3.0m and $3.5m was what I predicted above (depending on the term), and it looks like Kapanen's $3.2m basically set the floor, and Connolly/Kerfoot set the ceiling, of what Compher could get. He got the ceiling at $3.5m, but still within the acceptable range.

With that in mind I'd say it's a fair deal, even though he got slightly overpaid compared to Kapanen/Vrana/Johnsson.

Another thing to note is that Compher's contract takes him to UFA at age 28. It also expires in 2023 which makes it a good length to maximise flexibility with Mackinnon's 2023 renewal in mind.

All-in-all it's a really solid deal.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

This is about as perfect a contract as you can get for JT. Wow I am so, so pleased with this.

 

[Pokecheque]

Works for me.

 

[Pokecheque]

Just Rantanen left now?

Well...Dries has his day in court coming up.

And so does Greer, but in a far more literal sense.

 

[AvsWraith]

JTC!!!

 

[Pokecheque]

Now do Jost to the same deal as Compher and Kerfoot next summer.

Ehhhhhhhh I hope he at least makes it a little harder than that. They need Jost to be more productive than those other two this upcoming season.

 

[Foppa2118]

Good deal for a player like Compher who still has room to round out his defensive game, and become even more impactful. Especially in the latter couple years of the contract.

Unfortunately, this might end up being a good deal for Seattle.

 

[dahrougem2]

Well...Dries has his day in court coming up.

And so does Greer, but in a far more literal sense.

I laughed

 

[Richard88]

Really smart move to set up Donskoi and Compher's contracts to expire at the same time as Mackinnon. Maximises flexibility at a crucial junction.

 

[El Travo]

Yay, love me some JTC.

 

[Raucherhusten]

Good deal for a player like Compher who still has room to round out his defensive game, and become even more impactful. Especially in the latter couple years of the contract.

Unfortunately, this might end up being a good deal for Seattle.

Nah, they'll take Zad. Which is also a huge bummer.

 

[madman]

I'll take any excuse I can get to post Boulding's JG Wentworth meme:

 

[Pokecheque]

Again, all this fretting about a third line forward or 4/5 defenseman getting picked when there's a pretty good chance, if the Avs do as well as expected, that one of their goalies will be targeted...

 

[Foppa2118]

Again, all this fretting about a third line forward or 4/5 defenseman getting picked when there's a pretty good chance, if the Avs do as well as expected, that one of their goalies will be targeted...

Grubauer will be a UFA the year of expansion. If he plays well enough to lock down the starter spot, then Francouz likely won't re-sign next year anyway.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Solid contract. That’s not a bad AAV for what he’s going to give the Avs. He’ll probably move between the 2nd and 3rd line and be a 35 to 45 points guy.

And just like Donskoi, this contract comes off the books when MacKinnon needs to be resigned.

I like Compher. Happy to have him locked up for 4 more years.

 

[cgf]

Nah, they'll take Zad. Which is also a huge bummer.

That assumes Zads is still here at that point...