Bob Duff: Zetterberg heading home sooner than later makes perfect sense Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg told a Swedish newspaper that it's unlikely he'll fulfill the final two years of his contract with the team.

All these front loaded contracts that were so brilliant when they were designed sure are (frank)ing these teams in the ass nowadays. Lockout here we come!

“It is quite obvious that you try to fool the system.

We all knew this was the situation when the contract was signed but Zetterberg should of kept his mouth shut. Just fake a long term injury / allergy / whatever and let the wings put you on LTIR (or trade you to a team that needs to reach the cap floor).
If he retires, the wings are stuck with cap recapture penalties.

Now that he's opened his mouth about his intentions, I'm not sure the NHL won't intervene if the wings try to put him on LTIR.

Anybody know what would be the cap recapture penalties if he retired after the season?

Anybody know what would be the cap recapture penalties if he retired after the season?
- porkchops1977

Around $4.3m per year for 3 years if he retires next summer. Around $5.1m per year if he retires 2019 or 2020.

Around $4.3m per year for 3 years if he retires next summer. Around $5.1m per year if he retires 2019 or 2020.
- Sven22

wow, even more than I expected. Maybe that would be a good thing, it will prevent Holland from signing bad free agents, we don't need to sign anymore players in the next couple of years anyways. Build through the draft.

All these front loaded contracts that were so brilliant when they were designed sure are (frank)ing these teams in the ass nowadays. Lockout here we come!
- Larsson_fan

How exactly is it (frank)ing them?

How exactly is it (frank)ing them?
- YuenglingJagr

I guess by paying his cap hit while the player is retired.

I expect nothing less than an Hossaesque rash on the way.

If I had to chose between Detroit and Sweden I think I know where I'd go as well...

I guess by paying his cap hit while the player is retired.

I expect nothing less than an Hossaesque rash on the way.
- Scabeh

He didn't say he was going to retire (especially when he commented that he wouldn't play until the contract was up)

He didn't say he was going to retire (especially when he commented that he wouldn't play until the contract was up)
- YuenglingJagr

He didn't say it but it gives the NHL ammo in proving the contract was made in bad faith (Although it was quite obvious). In the end it might not mather that Zetterberg said this but I just can't see why he needed to say this.

He didn't say it but it gives the NHL ammo in proving the contract was made in bad faith (Although it was quite obvious). In the end it might not mather that Zetterberg said this but I just can't see why he needed to say this.
- porkchops1977

I don't really think it matters. It isn't like it was a secret

I dont think it matters much really.



The team needs to be gutted, young kids need to play, there likely will be a lockout anyways by my prediction.

wow, even more than I expected. Maybe that would be a good thing, it will prevent Holland from signing bad free agents, we don't need to sign anymore players in the next couple of years anyways. Build through the draft.
- porkchops1977

This is a perfect example of the dogpoop Duff writes. Don't write an article about Z retiring early without posting a chart of the different possible recapture penalties.

#FireDuff

#HireCordell

- Tumbleweed

I think he will still find a way

I think he will still find a way
- YuenglingJagr

It was obvious from the beginning that the structure of the contract was designed to cheat the cap. Not that it was a guarantee Z /wouldn't/ play the last two years, but either way the team could take advantage of those two seasons bringing down the average annual value (and therefore cap hit) for the remainder of his productive years, whether he ended up playing them or not.

The league didn't like it, but they approved the deal, along with several others, as long as there was at least the barest shred of plausible deniability that the contracts were not negotiated in bad faith regarding the last couple of seasons. That lasted until NJ's first Kovalchuk contract in 2010, which was so nakedly outrageous that the league finally decided to reject the deal and negotiate new restrictions in how the cap hit could be calculated.

IIRC, cap recapture was a penalty retroactively imposed by the latest CBA that applies only to 5+ year deals signed under the previous (i.e., 2005-2012) CBA. Since contracts signed after the new CBA have much stricter rules they have to follow in terms of how long they can be and how much the salary can fluctuate, cap recapture is deemed unnecessary.

I don't have a problem with a system like cap recapture in theory but the way it was implemented feels very vindictive on the part of the league. The NHL imposed it retroactively on deals that were negotiated under a different set of rules, that the league itself approved. Essentially they decided to punish a handful of teams for using an obvious loophole that they had themselves created. If cap recapture had existed before 2012, it's highly unlikely that teams would have signed players like Zetterberg to the contracts they did (which, again, the league approved at the time).

It was obvious from the beginning that the structure of the contract was designed to cheat the cap. Not that it was a guarantee Z /wouldn't/ play the last two years, but either way the team could take advantage of those two seasons bringing down the average annual value (and therefore cap hit) for the remainder of his productive years, whether he ended up playing them or not.

The league didn't like it, but they approved the deal, along with several others, as long as there was at least the barest shred of plausible deniability that the contracts were not negotiated in bad faith regarding the last couple of seasons. That lasted until NJ's first Kovalchuk contract in 2010, which was so nakedly outrageous that the league finally decided to reject the deal and negotiate new restrictions in how the cap hit could be calculated.

IIRC, cap recapture was a penalty retroactively imposed by the latest CBA that applies only to 5+ year deals signed under the previous (i.e., 2005-2012) CBA. Since contracts signed after the new CBA have much stricter rules they have to follow in terms of how long they can be and how much the salary can fluctuate, cap recapture is deemed unnecessary.

I don't have a problem with a system like cap recapture in theory but the way it was implemented feels very vindictive on the part of the league. The NHL imposed it retroactively on deals that were negotiated under a different set of rules, that the league itself approved. Essentially they decided to punish a handful of teams for using an obvious loophole that they had themselves created. If cap recapture had existed before 2012, it's highly unlikely that teams would have signed players like Zetterberg to the contracts they did (which, again, the league approved at the time).
- Sven22

thing is, cap recapture penalties are in the CBA. all 30 teams voted unanimously to approve all parts of the CBA.

so Detroit and others agreed to the penalties.

other fun fact, every Cup winner from 2010-2017 had a least one cap circumventing deal on their books. so, it has been a huge advantage for the last 8 winners.

thing is, cap recapture penalties are in the CBA. all 30 teams voted unanimously to approve all parts of the CBA.

so Detroit and others agreed to the penalties.

other fun fact, every Cup winner from 2010-2017 had a least one cap circumventing deal on their books. so, it has been a huge advantage for the last 8 winners.
- Tumbleweed

You're not wrong, of course. Still, the fact that the teams agreed to approve the CBA as a complete package and get the show on the road doesn't mean that they necessarily agree with each individual provision within it.

Cap recapture isn't a big enough deal to scuttle or hold up the entire CBA when you're losing millions in revenue with every passing day. The league also knew that it only affected a small handful of players and teams. That doesn't mean it's a good or well considered rule. To me, it smacks of petty vindictiveness slipped in at the last minute because the league knew it could get away with it. The better choice would have been to just grandfather those contracts rather than come up with a new rule just to punish them.

You're not wrong, of course. Still, the fact that the teams agreed to approve the CBA as a complete package and get the show on the road doesn't mean that they necessarily agree with each individual provision within it.

Cap recapture isn't a big enough deal to scuttle or hold up the entire CBA when you're losing millions in revenue with every passing day. The league also knew that it only affected a small handful of players and teams. That doesn't mean it's a good or well considered rule. To me, it smacks of petty vindictiveness slipped in at the last minute because the league knew it could get away with it. The better choice would have been to just grandfather those contracts rather than come up with a new rule just to punish them.
- Sven22

it is what it is at this point. things won't change until the next lockout, if at all.

trade us zetterberg. what do you guys want for him?

it is what it is at this point. things won't change until the next lockout, if at all.

trade us zetterberg. what do you guys want for him?
- Tumbleweed

Funny you say that, because one of the downsides of cap recapture is that trading these guys becomes very unwise.

If Detroit were to trade Zetterberg this offseason, their "recapture pool" (i.e., the difference between what we've paid him and his cumulative cap charge) would be frozen at nearly $12 million. If Zetterberg were then to retire early, even if it's with another team, Detroit would be assessed that total as a cap penalty over the remaining years of the deal.

A trade today would actually save Detroit a little on the penalty if Z were to play one year elsewhere and retire, since he's still owed $7 million in 2017-18. But if he were to retire in 2019 or 2020, Detroit would be smacked with either $6 million per year for two years, or $12 million in one shot in 2020-21.

Funny you say that, because one of the downsides of cap recapture is that trading these guys becomes very unwise.

If Detroit were to trade Zetterberg this offseason, their "recapture pool" (i.e., the difference between what we've paid him and his cumulative cap charge) would be frozen at nearly $12 million. If Zetterberg were then to retire early, even if it's with another team, Detroit would be assessed that total as a cap penalty over the remaining years of the deal.

A trade today would actually save Detroit a little on the penalty if Z were to play one year elsewhere and retire, since he's still owed $7 million in 2017-18. But if he were to retire in 2019 or 2020, Detroit would be smacked with either $6 million per year for two years, or $12 million in one shot in 2020-21.
- Sven22

seems like your stuck with the caphit in some form unless he ends up on ltir.

but that caphit might not matter within the next 4 years, but a few picks/prospects may help long-term....

Funny you say that, because one of the downsides of cap recapture is that trading these guys becomes very unwise.

If Detroit were to trade Zetterberg this offseason, their "recapture pool" (i.e., the difference between what we've paid him and his cumulative cap charge) would be frozen at nearly $12 million. If Zetterberg were then to retire early, even if it's with another team, Detroit would be assessed that total as a cap penalty over the remaining years of the deal.

A trade today would actually save Detroit a little on the penalty if Z were to play one year elsewhere and retire, since he's still owed $7 million in 2017-18. But if he were to retire in 2019 or 2020, Detroit would be smacked with either $6 million per year for two years, or $12 million in one shot in 2020-21.
- Sven22

the caveat of all of that is "if he retires"

what's the solution to getting AA signed and the team under the cap?

both kronwall and franzen on ltir??