Eric Staal's contract would never have been signed if GM's at the time understood how much players should be making in the salary cap era. You've seen cap hits come way down as the cap era has gone on. Before the cap tons of guys were making 10+ million per year and if you look at that, it makes sense that a guy would only go down to 7-9million per season. Probably is that in the new NHL you find that you're not going to win with a team when you have 3-4 guys eating up 40% of your cap.
- Pomegrant

Eric Staal is also a forward that can carry the offense (something Parise has never done), had a 100 point season under his belt when he signed, and was much younger. Carolina saw that as locking up there franchise player. While parise is an elite player, he's on pace for 70 points. That got Patrick Sharp 5.9 million last year. The sedin's got 6.1 for 82 points. Mikko Koivu got 6.8 and had a near identical amount of points. They are both the leaders of their team and play complete games. That is a more reasonable comparison.

Your like talking to a wall. I am not sure if I have to post the dictionary definition of a raise, but you can't seem to grasp that I am not saying we shouldn't resign Sykora or Carter or try to find someone cheaper, just they do not deserve a raise. Getting a contract of the same amount would literally have no effect on their budget or cap from this year to next. And yes, I think we can find a couple of fourth liners for under a mill.

If you don't remember the gomez situation, many fans were disappointed we didn't offer Gomez enough. At the time he was considered integral to the team, maybe not at parise's level but a key player nonetheless. The rangers overpaid, and we got Zubrus, who wasn't much of a consolation prize at all. Now, Zubrus is a key performer on our team while Gomez is one bad season from being in the AHL.

You obviously did not understand my Rolston comparison, but that doesn't surprise me. Apparently Parise is worth a top 5 most expensive contract in your eyes.

I ask you again, who is an INTEGRAL player (UFA) who also needs a RAISE. Parise? Ok, he gets 1 million more. Anyone else? Nope. None of Salvador, Carter, Sykora, Bernier, Janssen, Poni deserve a raise. All these players can be replaced by free agents that make what they make now. Therefore, the Zidlicky contract really should't have too much effect on our cap moving forward. Maybe it effects how we spend on the UFA market, but that can be such a trap I'm fine with that.
- rmdevil313

I don't think you understand, a lot of these guys you're trying to low-ball like poni or carter can make more money elsewhere. Therefore they wouldn't just take their same old contract from the devils and we'd have to take a chance on bringing in lesser quality replacements. We got lucky that guys like Sykora and bernier could play. Usually guys at $550,000 are terrible.

And I remember you. The moron with the larrson picture. I remember you coming after me on here a couple months ago when I said the devs should trade Tedenby (who was on the 3rd line at the time) to pick up some role players to help out our bottom six (which was abysmal at the time). You called me the same childish names and said tedenby would soon be s top 6 guy. And where are we now, months later?

Tedenby has been struggling to make the 2nd line for the Albany devils, and I'd putting up terrible numbers. the NHL bottom six has been flourishing after adding role guys like poni and bernier to the mix. So you have quite the keen eye for players

Eric Staal is also a forward that can carry the offense (something Parise has never done), had a 100 point season under his belt when he signed, and was much younger. Carolina saw that as locking up there franchise player. While parise is an elite player, he's on pace for 70 points. That got Patrick Sharp 5.9 million last year. The sedin's got 6.1 for 82 points. Mikko Koivu got 6.8 and had a near identical amount of points. They are both the leaders of their team and play complete games. That is a more reasonable comparison.
- rmdevil313

Last years large cap increase in addition to weak free agency class is a reason why guys got so much money. Players that are good, and don't get me wrong Patrick Sharp and Mikko Koivu are very good players, got more money than they probably should have.

I think if Eric Staal would be a free agent next year he would be getting high 6-low 7 million. Teams are figuring out you just can't pay one guy all that money.

I agree with you about Parise not being able to carry the offense. In my opinion 6.25 million per 5 years is a good deal for both sides but I wouldn't be surprised if it was 6.5 million. He is definitely the leader of this club.

I don't think you understand, a lot of these guys you're trying to low-ball like poni or carter can make more money elsewhere. Therefore they wouldn't just take their same old contract from the devils and we'd have to take a chance on bringing in lesser quality replacements. We got lucky that guys like Sykora and bernier could play. Usually guys at $550,000 are terrible.

And I remember you. The moron with the larrson picture. I remember you coming after me on here a couple months ago when I said the devs should trade Tedenby (who was on the 3rd line at the time) to pick up some role players to help out our bottom six (which was abysmal at the time). You called me the same childish names and said tedenby would soon be s top 6 guy. And where are we now, months later?

Tedenby has been struggling to make the 2nd line for the Albany devils, and I'd putting up terrible numbers. the NHL bottom six has been flourishing after adding role guys like poni and bernier to the mix. So you have quite the keen eye for players
- TheJerseyDevil1

This is my last response because you just don't get it.

On Sykora- The guy was out of the league last year and is only producing because he's playing with elias. If we lose him he's easily replaceable. No team will really take a risk on him at a huge upgrade. If they do, they can have him. Easily replaceable means we should not overpay a cent. Josefson can easily take his top 9 minutes net year.

On Bernier- The guy was in the minors to start the season and got a call up due to injury. If this guy gets a raise its minimal, as in 100k or so, as I've admitted with all these players. But these 100k raises really arent that significant with a 60 million + salary cap.

On Carter- There are going to be a million players we can replace him with. He was on waivers early this year. If he thinks he's going to be getting a big pay raise we move on.

Any one of these guys could walk and we'll have a replacement by the end of the day. This is why there is NO reason to overpay for them.

My argument wasn't that we shouldn't improve our bottom 6, but rather we shouldn't pick up some dime a dozen fourth liner for our 2nd best forward prospect. Once again, comprehension needs improvement. We added bernier for free and Poni for a fourth rounder. These were fabulous move by Lou. If lou traded Tedenby for Poni I would still call for his head, because it would have been an incredibly short sighted move. Instead, he fixed our bottom 6 by only giving up a 4th rounder. That is how you manage a team, not wildly throwing away prosepcts.

And yeah Teddy's struggling this year. Look up Del Zotto. The guy had an impressive first season (like tedenby), struggled at all levels next year (like teddy), and now is a key player on a top team. Just because teddy is struggling now is not reason to give up on him, especially since Albany's offense itself sucks, so he doesn't get much help.

Last years large cap increase in addition to weak free agency class is a reason why guys got so much money. Players that are good, and don't get me wrong Patrick Sharp and Mikko Koivu are very good players, got more money than they probably should have.

I think if Eric Staal would be a free agent next year he would be getting high 6-low 7 million. Teams are figuring out you just can't pay one guy all that money.

I agree with you about Parise not being able to carry the offense. In my opinion 6.25 million per 5 years is a good deal for both sides but I wouldn't be surprised if it was 6.5 million. He is definitely the leader of this club.
- Pomegrant

I think both contracts were fairly reasonable. Sharp has a similar stat line to Parise, and although he plays with loads of talent, so does parise. Both have leadership skills, two-way play etc. The same could be said about Koivu, although he really has had no one to help him. Koivu's numbers dipped this year (and an injury shortened his season), but I do not think these contracts are unreasonable. Koivu's in hindsight, yes. These are top 30 offensive players and I think 6 million is about right. Granted, this is if we are talking about a regular contract, not front loaded. If the cap drops after the CBA these could look pretty bad too. Parise should definitely get more than Sharp, but only by 500k or so.

As for Eric Staal, I agree. If he were a free agent I think some team would offer him an insane amount, but his worth is right in that area.

gionta didnt go with the devils to detroit, heading back to albany according to TG
- dmarsden2988

Thank god he is horrible.

A. With Zidlicky, our PP is 10x better, maybe not cashing in, but Zidlicky is 10x the player Foster was.

B. Palmieri will be a third liner, maybe a second liner. He'll probably wind up like Bernier, and at best, Ponikarovsky. Those guys are easily replaceable, and if we keep one of Poni or Bernier, Palmieri is essentially replaced.

C. The Devils aren't on a "budget," if you've read anything, we have no trouble spending up to the cap, it's just that we have this debt in the background that we don't have the money to pay back, yet we can pay interest on it. Therefore, everything you said past that budget point is irrelevant.

If we didn't get Zidlicky, then I'm sure you and others would be female doging about the lack of a top-end puck-mover. Zidlicky is just that, whether you are too blind to realize it or not...

( Couldn't find a way to fit it some Ole English words Shvingy. )
- _Zippy_

Source(s):

http://www.yardbarker.com...gning_zach_parise/9740722

http://www.nypost.com/p/s...ne_3CcYDanh7Q6mJPnD2ALccN

http://sports.yahoo.com/b...in-monster-203343407.html

http://www.nhl.com/index....evils_financial_problems/

http://content.usatoday.c...al-trouble/1#.T30VdL9AZLc
- TheJerseyDevil1

You're a dope

I don't think you understand, a lot of these guys you're trying to low-ball like poni or carter can make more money elsewhere. Therefore they wouldn't just take their same old contract from the devils and we'd have to take a chance on bringing in lesser quality replacements. We got lucky that guys like Sykora and bernier could play. Usually guys at $550,000 are terrible.

And I remember you. The moron with the larrson picture. I remember you coming after me on here a couple months ago when I said the devs should trade Tedenby (who was on the 3rd line at the time) to pick up some role players to help out our bottom six (which was abysmal at the time). You called me the same childish names and said tedenby would soon be s top 6 guy. And where are we now, months later?

Tedenby has been struggling to make the 2nd line for the Albany devils, and I'd putting up terrible numbers. the NHL bottom six has been flourishing after adding role guys like poni and bernier to the mix. So you have quite the keen eye for players
- TheJerseyDevil1

CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR ROSTER
My Custom Lineup
FORWARDS
Zach Parise ($7.000m) / Travis Zajac ($3.888m) / Ilya Kovalchuk ($6.667m)
Patrik Elias ($6.000m) / Adam Henrique ($0.854m) / Dainius Zubrus ($3.400m)
Alexei Ponikarovsky ($2.000m) / Jacob Josefson ($0.900m) / David Clarkson ($2.667m)
Eric Boulton ($0.663m) / Ryan Carter ($0.900m) / Vladimir Zharkov ($0.600m)
Cam Janssen ($0.550m)
DEFENSEMEN
Anton Volchenkov ($4.250m) / Marek Zidlicky ($4.000m)
Henrik Tallinder ($3.375m) / Andy Greene ($3.000m)
Adam Larsson ($0.925m) / Mark Fayne ($2.500m)
Matthew Taormina ($0.800m) /
GOALTENDERS
Martin Brodeur ($4.500m)
Keith Kinkaid ($0.900m)
BUYOUTS
Colin White ($1.000m) / Trent Hunter ($0.667m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $62,004,166; BONUSES: $497,500
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $2,295,834

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