Hard Salary Cap and the end of NHL trades

[Trottier]

Note to Tom Benjamin: stop making sense!

When reading your post #113 last night, just knew the responses (if there were any) were going to be rich.

One hasn't been disappointed.

 

[PecaFan]

even in last years CBA, those players dont have any where they can demand an 8m salary.

scare tactic from the cap side.

Um no, you can't talk about the old CBA, and just tack on the 24% reduction as if it exists. It doesn't. And almost surely never will, it was a bribe to keep feeding from the gravy train.

It's not scare tactics at all. Khabby *already* makes 6.5 million, *before* being a UFA next year. A million or so raise is easily within sight. St. Louis is an RFA, and can very easily demand to make what Iginla made *last year*. His credentials easily match Jarome's, in fact exceed them.

And that's *now*. And we were talking about a couple of years down the road. Lecavalier is speculation, I grant you, but he *already* makes $4.4 million, and who knows what he'll demand, or get in arbitration. He's likely $5.5 to $6 million minimum, and if he has a great year?

 

[mudcrutch79]

Yup, he's one of the few active goalies with Cup winning experience. So he's going to be highly sought after. Especially with Belfour and Hasek not long of this world.

But you make a good point. The sound financial decision is to break up the team by letting him walk. And it's almost surely going to happen, whether there's a cap or not.

But when the cap is in place, and he leaves, I'm sure some here will immediately point to Khabby and say "SEE! Told ya! The cap broke up your team!"

You're missing my point. Cap or no, deleting Khabby does not constitute "breaking up the team". He's not an essential part of that club-you can get average NHL goalies for less money than is being paid to Khabby. TB is overpaying this year for him-they're paying for the "Stanley Cup Winner" TM themselves. I figure over the course of a season, John Grahame would be, at worst, 5-10 goals worse than Khabby. You only have to pay him $1.28 MM though, as compared to $6.5 MM for Khabby. They don't need to spend what they're spending on him. It's dumb business.

 

[Hockeyfan02]

You're missing my point. Cap or no, deleting Khabby does not constitute "breaking up the team". He's not an essential part of that club-you can get average NHL goalies for less money than is being paid to Khabby. TB is overpaying this year for him-they're paying for the "Stanley Cup Winner" TM themselves. I figure over the course of a season, John Grahame would be, at worst, 5-10 goals worse than Khabby. You only have to pay him $1.28 MM though, as compared to $6.5 MM for Khabby. They don't need to spend what they're spending on him. It's dumb business.

John Grahme is not as good a goalie as Khabibulin is. If Grahme is in net they dont win the cup. He's a very important part of the team. Richards, St. Louis, and Lecavalier are the core of this club, but Khabi is up there with Kubina and Boyle as essential parts of the team. He's not an "average" goalie like youre making him out to be. 6.5 million is overpaying him (4-5 million would be right), but hes not a guy they can just cut loose and expect to win a cup with a guy like John Grahme.

 

[mudcrutch79]

John Grahme is not as good a goalie as Khabibulin is. If Grahme is in net they dont win the cup. He's a very important part of the team. Richards, St. Louis, and Lecavalier are the core of this club, but Khabi is up there with Kubina and Boyle as essential parts of the team. He's not an "average" goalie like youre making him out to be. 6.5 million is overpaying him (4-5 million would be right), but hes not a guy they can just cut loose and expect to win a cup with a guy like John Grahme.

They have essentially the same save percentage over the past two years, and Grahame has played a significant number of games, which leads me to doubt that he's being sheltered. Khabibulin is older. There's no evidence that the Lightning couldn't have won the Cup with Grahame in net.

 

[Hockeyfan02]

There's no evidence that the Lightning couldn't have won the Cup with Grahame in net.

There is plenty of evidence to those of us who followed the Lightning during their run in the playoffs. They most likely get by New York and Montreal, but theres no way they get by Philly or beat Calgary with Grahme in net. I doubt Grahme could have raised his game to the level Khabi did during the playoffs. Grahme is a good backup and could be a decent starter for a few teams, but he isnt a goalie who is going to win a cup. Khabi made some big saves I dont think Grahme could have made in key games (see: Game 7 of the finals with 5 minutes left).

 

[mudcrutch79]

There is plenty of evidence to those of us who followed the Lightning during their run in the playoffs. They most likely get by New York and Montreal, but theres no way they get by Philly or beat Calgary with Grahme in net. I doubt Grahme could have raised his game to the level Khabi did during the playoffs. Grahme is a good backup and could be a decent starter for a few teams, but he isnt a goalie who is going to win a cup. Khabi made some big saves I dont think Grahme could have made in key games (see: Game 7 of the finals with 5 minutes left).

I don't really believe in people raising their level of play, particularly goalies, so I guess there isn't really much point in having this discussion.