Kings News: Four Kings Elect Arbitration

[Basilisk]

They should be sentenced to Edmonton without possibility of parole......

 

[Face Wash]

I believe it also means no offer sheets for these four. Lombardi needs to lockup Clifford soon. With space at a premium and 4 players values in the hands of a 3rd party, he needs to control what he can control in relation to the cap.

keep in mind. this isn't baseball arbitration I dont believe. unless it changed in this CBA an arbitrator isn't obliged to selectthe team's figure or the player's. He/she can pick their own number somewhere in between. Players have nothing to lose by pushing their number up a little if they think they can justify it.

 

[Choralone]

Players have very few opportunities to negotiate contracts during their careers. It makes sense they will explore all avenues to get the best deals possible for themselves. We fans seem to have unrealistic expectations, and take it a bit too personally.

How many of you would welcome a pay cut just so the company could afford to pay for another guy in your department? Screw that other guy.

 

[HYORI 1963]

Players have very few opportunities to negotiate contracts during their careers. It makes sense they will explore all avenues to get the best deals possible for themselves. We fans seem to have unrealistic expectations, and take it a bit too personally.

How many of you would welcome a pay cut just so the company could afford to pay for another guy in your department? Screw that other guy.

Thank you. Pretty much sums up my thoughts.

 

[tigermask48]

Players have very few opportunities to negotiate contracts during their careers. It makes sense they will explore all avenues to get the best deals possible for themselves. We fans seem to have unrealistic expectations, and take it a bit too personally.

How many of you would welcome a pay cut just so the company could afford to pay for another guy in your department? Screw that other guy.

Well none of them got a pay cut. In fact all of them got at the very least a 10% raise over what they were making before. That was the requirement for them being qualified as RFAs....

Yes players have this avenue to get some leverage in a negotion thatis typically pretty cut and dry but don't make it sound like the kings are somehow giving them less money... that just isn't the case.

 

[kings11]

Ill give Amart a pass this season due to being injured in Europe with a facial fracture then getting injured here never allowed him to get going, if Muzzin is so highly thought of I say trade him! He doesn't have hockey sense but people overlook that because of his slapshot and were here to win now no more inexperience Dmen needed.

 

[Winger23]

Players have very few opportunities to negotiate contracts during their careers. It makes sense they will explore all avenues to get the best deals possible for themselves. We fans seem to have unrealistic expectations, and take it a bit too personally.

How many of you would welcome a pay cut just so the company could afford to pay for another guy in your department? Screw that other guy.

Not trying to be an ass but these guys are all getting at least 10% raise as already mentioned. What they are saying is they are not happy with the 10%, and want more. As far as another guy in your department example, you better believe in the "real world" you ask for 20% and there's a guy that can do the job for less you can kiss your job goodbye, but these guys think they deserve a raise for sitting in the pressbox most of the year (mainly directed at Martinez and Nolan).

Muzzin has had 1 good month. He is terrible on defense and the only saving grace right now is on the PP and his shot.

Lewis is the tricky one. He's put his time in, played in most games, kills PK. Solid player, just with stone hands. I'm not upset about him going to arbitration as the other 3....

 

[BringTheReign]

It pisses me off that we signed Schultz and Ellerby instead of Muzzin. He should have been a priority over either of them. Martinez I think will likely be let go sooner rather than later.

 

[Live in the Now]

Arbitration is binding, no?

Unless they trade the player or the arbitrator awards them 3.5m, yes. The rules have changed.

This will probably happen a lot now that teams can no longer simply walk away from a small arbitration award.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

It pisses me off that we signed Schultz and Ellerby instead of Muzzin. He should have been a priority over either of them. Martinez I think will likely be let go sooner rather than later.

Those were easy signings. There's probably more give and take in Muzzin's case, although I agree with whoever said that he hasn't really earned the right to ask for much. Least not yet.

 

[KingsFirstCup]

The arbitration rules are their for a reason, and the owners signed off on them. I don't blame any player on any team for using every resource they have to get the biggest raise they can, deserving or not. Plus, I'll bet 99% of the decision was their agents, who the players pay to get them the best possible deal. It's a business, like it or not.

 

[damacles1156]

It's the players right to file for arbitration. I don't fault any of them for doing it.

 

[KingsCorona]

Players have very few opportunities to negotiate contracts during their careers. It makes sense they will explore all avenues to get the best deals possible for themselves. We fans seem to have unrealistic expectations, and take it a bit too personally.

How many of you would welcome a pay cut just so the company could afford to pay for another guy in your department? Screw that other guy.

Agreed.
It sucks for us because we want to have cap room to sign good players, but I don't begrudge them for wanting to get their cut. It is the players that we go to watch, after all, and the players who are putting their bodies on the line. They deserve all the money they can squeeze out of the owners.

 

[Winger23]

Agreed.
It sucks for us because we want to have cap room to sign good players, but I don't begrudge them for wanting to get their cut. It is the players that we go to watch, after all, and the players who are putting their bodies on the line. They deserve all the money they can squeeze out of the owners.

I'm in the mindset they earn their pay. Outside of Lewis, what have they done to warrent more than a 10 percent raise?

 

[Choralone]

I'm in the mindset they earn their pay. Outside of Lewis, what have they done to warrent more than a 10 percent raise?

You could argue that the CBA kept their salaries arbitrarily low - who's to say they were being paid the "right" amount of money as rookies. The CBA and the salary cap distort the market.

 

[Winger23]

You could argue that the CBA kept their salaries arbitrarily low - who's to say they were being paid the "right" amount of money as rookies. The CBA and the salary cap distort the market.

Because they accepted their previous deals. No one forced them to accept their previous deals, and getting an automatic 10% raise to me is more than generous.

Again if these guys actually deserved a bigger increase more power to them. As I've said, outside of Lewis these guys don't deserve any more, imo.

 

[Basilisk]

Wasn't Nolan a healthy scratch for a few playoff games?

 

[TrevorK]

Because they accepted their previous deals. No one forced them to accept their previous deals, and getting an automatic 10% raise to me is more than generous.

Again if these guys actually deserved a bigger increase more power to them. As I've said, outside of Lewis these guys don't deserve any more, imo.

Their pay is related to what others in their field are receiving, just like you or I. Whether that is more or less that is what they deserve, just like you or I.

If there was suddenly a shortage of people in your field and everyone of your skill level was making 20% more than you would you accept a 10% raise?

Hockey players make more money but that does not make them any different. They should not be content getting paid less than their peers , which is what you propose.

 

[tigermask48]

Wasn't Nolan a healthy scratch for a few playoff games?

I didn't think he was, but looking it up, yeah only played in 7 playoff games this past season out of the 18 the Kings played...

I don't get how people can get mad at the players for filing, the system is in place for both players AND owners to ensure that they aren't underpaying/overpaying players. This just means that these guys are asking for more than the 10% that they were given in the start of the off-season. It's not like any of them is going to get some crazy award through this (hopefully...) but yeah nothing wrong with them asking for more than a 10% raise and trying to get the most they can.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I'm in the mindset they earn their pay. Outside of Lewis, what have they done to warrent more than a 10 percent raise?

Muzzin did lead the team in +/-. Not a great stat, but it does exist. He also had more goals than Doughty or Voynov, in fewer games, and playing fewer minutes.

What was that stat for Martinez in the 2012 playoffs? He wasn't on the ice for an ES goal against or something like that? It was something weird like that. Then he, or his agent, look at what a guy like Ellerby is making, and probably think what has been done should be rewarded.

Nolan, I don't know. He was a contributing member of a Cup team, so maybe the thought is that he should get a little more than just a little more than the minimum.

They all have their reasons for filing for arbitration, whatever they may be. In all likelihood, things will be taken care of before they get to a hearing, because nobody wants to go through it, except maybe the agent. Plus it can't be that big of a difference in money in any of these cases. It's just that on the lower end of the pay scale, hundreds of thousands of dollars have more meaning. Both ways.

 

[Reaper45]

Lewis and Nolan will be cheap and easy to retain. Looking at Ziggy's compatibles, Martinez is set to be overpaid and so is Muzzin. Personally I'd deal both dmen if there was a quantity for quality type trade to be made, and with the way some teams are making deals I'd bet there is at least one out there.

 

[kingsfan]

Of note, a change in the new 2013 CBA is that teams are NOT allowed to walk away from arbitration settlements that are less than ~3.5 million. Since none of these 4 players will get that amount, them electing arbitration merely guarantees them a contract. I really doubt that anybody other than maybe Martinez actually goes to arbitration though.

Good point.

Frankly filing for arbitration is just a step in the process. For whatever reason Clifford's camp didn't feel like it was a step they wanted to take, and not all players do, but filing keeps your options open. You can still sign before your hearing.

This could force Dean's hand on a deal though since players can't walk away from the decision and A-Mart will likely be due a raise into the $1.2 million range, possibly more depending on the arbitrator.

I don't see a big raise for any of the others.

Holden, what are the rules as far as the contracts being one-way or two-way via arbitration? Are these players guaranteed a one-way deal?

A-Mart for a 3rd could easily be a reality. Good trade for whoever gets him IMO.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I'm not his biggest fan, but at least it is encouraging to see that Muzzin is determined to be a better player.

https://twitter.com/THNRyanKennedy/status/355377038649077764

Caught up with #Kings Jake Muzzin, who is power skating in Toronto: "I want to be a top-4 D-man."

 

[Model62]

I'm in the mindset they earn their pay. Outside of Lewis, what have they done to warrent more than a 10 percent raise?

This is the process -- negotiation, arbitration -- by which how much the player has "earned" is determined. There's no chart for the GM to refer to that says X number of hits = 3%, Y Corsi = 2%, and Z Goals = 5%. They negotiate.

Okay. Lombardi probably actually does have a chart like that. But he's still gotta negotiate!

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Holden, what are the rules as far as the contracts being one-way or two-way via arbitration? Are these players guaranteed a one-way deal?

Did a quick review and I cannot find anything about that. I am 90% sure that all arbitration awards are one-way deals, but I'll see if I can dig anything up later today.