The key to winning any adult debate is using the term "lollerskates"
- Double_A

Oops, I meant *giggles*

There is probably not even the choice for the Devils, because the buy-out would be astronomically high, and they probably couldn't find another team to take the contract. You just have to hope that Kovalchuk has good genes, and will play effectively into his late 30s - early 40s.
- Pete V

How is eating the last few years of his contract gonna hurt? isnt it only like a 1mil?

This is pretty messed up. I'll reserve judgement until I hear the rest of this story. There has to be more to it, especially if his dad is on the staff.

There is probably not even the choice for the Devils, because the buy-out would be astronomically high, and they probably couldn't find another team to take the contract. You just have to hope that Kovalchuk has good genes, and will play effectively into his late 30s - early 40s.
- Pete V

Its definitely a risk. I do think Kovy has morphed into a true devil, something many thought he couldn't do, so I'm not as worried.

Its definitely a risk. I do think Kovy has morphed into a true devil, something many thought he couldn't do, so I'm not as worried.
- rmdevil313

I agree, he was Mr.Everything last year. Including in his own end of the rink. I hated that contract for you alot more the day it was given than I do today.

How is eating the last few years of his contract gonna hurt? isnt it only like a 1mil?
- poisondhearts37

For the guys you don't use an amnesty buy-out on, you can't purge their cap hit if they retire -- meaning in several years, if the player decides to retire, the whole cap hit remains. There are even some pretty tough rules on teams having to retain a % of the cap hit, even if they trade the player, but I am not sure of all the details of those.

Basically, what the league has done is put teams with long-term contracts on the books in the position of having to buy-out players that are still very effective, because they don't want to take the chance of having a dead cap hit on the books for several years down the road. It's a bad situation they created.

For the guys you don't use an amnesty buy-out on, you can't purge their cap hit if they retire -- meaning in several years, if the player decides to retire, the whole cap hit remains. There are even some pretty tough rules on teams having to retain a % of the cap hit, even if they trade the player, but I am not sure of all the details of those.

Basically, what the league has done is put teams with long-term contracts on the books in the position of having to buy-out players that are still very effective, because they don't want to take the chance of having a dead cap hit on the books for several years down the road. It's a bad situation they created.
- Pete V

Gotcha

At least the league fixed the entire "retire and no cap hit" thing completely, without any holes in the rules, so that someone like Kiprusoff who has a front-loaded contract and decides to retire before the end will still count about $4.3 million against the cap and the Flames will have to figure out how to deal with that instead of having been able to game the rules so that ..............

Wait, Kiprusoff doesn't count for dead cap space if he bails at the end of this season? You mean the Flames will have freely gamed the cap system for about $4.3 million by inking Kiprusoff to a front-loaded deal that was only 6 years long, so it didn't qualify for the new rules (which covered contracts 7 years and longer)? Great, next I suppose some of you are going to tell me that the Flyers will be able to spend $5 million to make Danny Briere go away, having skirted the cap for $8 million in the first 6 years of his 8-year, front-loaded contract without having to .......... wait, that's allowed too because someone decided "we can't actually enforce the rules in a sensical way, let's allow compliance buyouts even though we said there wouldn't be any and teams were going to have to live with the deals they signed?"

I'm telling you all, I'm shocked about this.

This is the first round pick we could have surrendered...

this story just gets better and better
- archromat

Ya I never understood that. I thought after you guys made the finals, that it was the perfect opportunity to give up your first, especially in a weaker draft.

Are you concerned about the long-term implications of that contract?
- Pete V

nope

i havr already traded clarky in my be a gm lol jk but he has regressed in my game from 81-79 but i only gotta pay him 2.27 not the 4.5 lou is going to have to fork out to keep him
- blizzzard

I traded Clarky, Brodeur and fayne as soon as I started.

It got me to the finals but I lost to St. Louis

I traded Clarky, Brodeur and fayne as soon as I started.

It got me to the finals but I lost to St. Louis
- shvingter88

How could u?!

How could u?!
- Rseen

His cap hit and poopty overall rating made me do it

I traded Clarky, Brodeur and fayne as soon as I started.

It got me to the finals but I lost to St. Louis
- shvingter88

I got Oliver Ekman-Larsson in my GM mode.

Mainly just so I could hear Garry Thorne go: "Larsson, to Ekman-Larsson"

I traded Clarky, Brodeur and fayne as soon as I started.

It got me to the finals but I lost to St. Louis
- shvingter88

i find when i try to lose for a good pick i do better then when i am trying to win lol

First, talking about Kovy.

He goes down and the team tanks? Get real. This isn't the AHL. Teams should be able to endure the loss of a player.


- NorCalAvsFan

Then, talking about O'Reilly.

It's a short year, it didn't go as planned, ROR held out and screwed up our first few weeks..


- NorCalAvsFan

C'mon now this isnt the AHL, the Avs should be able to endure not signing a 2nd line center.

First, talking about Kovy.


Then, talking about O'Reilly.


C'mon now this isnt the AHL, the Avs should be able to endure not signing a 2nd line center.


- Twist

and it wouldnt hurt them like it did us to lise stastny mmm no it wouldnt because you guys are pretty hurtin with him in the lineup

I got Oliver Ekman-Larsson in my GM mode.

Mainly just so I could hear Garry Thorne go: "Larsson, to Ekman-Larsson"
- MannySilvers

I traded back for Parise lol

i find when i try to lose for a good pick i do better then when i am trying to win lol
- blizzzard

Any time I try and lose I win 7-1

Any time I try and lose I win 7-1
- shvingter88

exactly and friggen elias an 82 just retarded

exactly and friggen elias an 82 just retarded
- blizzzard

I was disappointed by the overals for a few devil players, but definitely not surprised. Then you look at Pitts players, Martin an 85?

Quitting the team over being benched? Really, that seems way over the top to me. If most players acted like this, a good number of NHL players would be gone.

I was disappointed by the overals for a few devil players, but definitely not surprised. Then you look at Pitts players, Martin an 85?
- shvingter88

i think they messed up big time cause neal is only 84 i think he is better then that and they should make pronger like 78 or sonething if they arent going to take him out tallinder went from like a 79 to 83 from last year i think henrique i cant get to go over 81

Quitting the team over being benched? Really, that seems way over the top to me. If most players acted like this, a good number of NHL players would be gone.
- Thehabsfan93

Its going to be interesting to see what Lou does with him.

I still feel we should have gave up that pick...

i think they messed up big time cause neal is only 84 i think he is better then that and they should make pronger like 78 or sonething if they arent going to take him out tallinder went from like a 79 to 83 from last year i think henrique i cant get to go over 81
- blizzzard

I can never get Matteau to progress, its so frustrating. Its like they've pegged him as a 76 overall for the first four years of his career