How exactly did McDavid change the way contracting for young players works? Crosby and Ovechkin had their long term cap circumventing contracts early on in their careers. GMs were already wise to this strategy.
- jfkst1

McDavid came into the league on a standard 3 year entry level contract. At the end of his 3 year deal he signed a maximum 8 year deal at $12.5m cap hit. Since that contract more and more teams are giving their elite players 8 year deals directly after their entry level deal. It means a lot of elite players being given the opportunity to become UFAs as young as 28.

Older teams like Pittsburgh and Washington are in a different business right now. When they go into their rebuilding phase they will likely follow the model on their top young players.

Speculation: Boston is kicking the tires on Pinto
Ottawa can replace Pinto with Greig, so they can let him go

Geeke, Forbert and a 2nd for
Pinto, Brannstrom (retain $800K) Joseph
Boston sign’s Pinto for 1 x $1.2M and has $29,166 in cap space. Ott has $95,000 in cap space
- HenryHockey

Why would Ottawa accept this deal. The old adage of the team getting the best player wins the trade initially. Why does Ottawa need Forbert, a 30 something year old d-man for 1 year before he becomes a UFA? Basically down to Geekie or Pinto. I'll keep Pinto at this point. If Pinto could be signed for $1.2 million .... I think Ottawa would have done it already.

Why would Ottawa accept this deal. The old adage of the team getting the best player wins the trade initially. Why does Ottawa need Forbert, a 30 something year old d-man for 1 year before he becomes a UFA? Basically down to Geekie or Pinto. I'll keep Pinto at this point. If Pinto could be signed for $1.2 million .... I think Ottawa would have done it already.
- OttawaB

Basically Joseph for Forbert, Brannstrom and Pinto for Geeke and a 2nd
For 2 years Brannstom has been trade bait. Greig is a better version of Pinto, Geekie and Grieg battle it out for 3rd line. Pinto is from near Boston, (Up state NY) and probably sign for less in Boston.

In Chabot's first year of his contract he drew a 9.8% hit against a cap of $81.5m.

When Sanderson contract kick in next year he will be an 8.4% hit on a likely cap of $96m. If he had drawn the same share as Chabot on the new cap he would have signed for $9.2m.

Based on those numbers, this is a very good deal for Sens.
- spatso

Isnt his new contract effective from next season…when the cap MAY go up to $87.5 and not 90-something. In other words his cap hit will be 9.2%

Speculation: Boston is kicking the tires on Pinto
Ottawa can replace Pinto with Greig, so they can let him go

Geeke, Forbert and a 2nd for
Pinto, Brannstrom (retain $800K) Joseph
Boston sign’s Pinto for 1 x $1.2M and has $29,166 in cap space. Ott has $95,000 in cap space
- HenryHockey

So... the Bruins get younger, deeper, and more skilled... only give up an overpaid 3rd-pairing D-man and a player they just signed as a UFA a few weeks back... and even manage to get Ottawa to retain $0.8M in salary? If the Bruins seriously want Pinto, it starts with Lysell or it doesn't start at all.

McDavid came into the league on a standard 3 year entry level contract. At the end of his 3 year deal he signed a maximum 8 year deal at $12.5m cap hit. Since that contract more and more teams are giving their elite players 8 year deals directly after their entry level deal. It means a lot of elite players being given the opportunity to become UFAs as young as 28.

Older teams like Pittsburgh and Washington are in a different business right now. When they go into their rebuilding phase they will likely follow the model on their top young players.
- spatso

Ovechkin signed a 13 year contract after his first three years. It doesn't take a Mensa member to realize with a growing cap, signing franchise players to long term deals immediately will yield cap savings in the long term. Some players, i.e.; Matthews, will never agree to that for their own reasons.

Isnt his new contract effective from next season…when the cap MAY go up to $87.5 and not 90-something. In other words his cap hit will be 9.2%
- Turnitaround

Bettman announced that the cap related revenue was $6b.+ for last season.. The players chose to hold the line on the cap because they still have clawback liability due to escrow balance from Covid seasons.There will be no more escrow clawback after this season. Without escrow the cap this year would have been $93.5m (6b.x.5/32).

So, if revenue reverts to the traditional 3% gain this year it is a fairly sad assumption that the cap for next year will be $96m.

So... the Bruins get younger, deeper, and more skilled... only give up an overpaid 3rd-pairing D-man and a player they just signed as a UFA a few weeks back... and even manage to get Ottawa to retain $0.8M in salary? If the Bruins seriously want Pinto, it starts with Lysell or it doesn't start at all.
- khawk

Pinto is 6'3" and is a highly talented defensive player that scored 20 goals in his rookie season. I am guessing that Pinto wants something that allows him to bridge into Batherson like numbers on his contract. Sens should have no difficulty in finding the number that works. Lots of cap space for next year.

Ovechkin signed a 13 year contract after his first three years. It doesn't take a Mensa member to realize with a growing cap, signing franchise players to long term deals immediately will yield cap savings in the long term. Some players, i.e.; Matthews, will never agree to that for their own reasons.
- jfkst1

What is different? The younger teams (eg Jersey, Carolina, Ottawa, Buffalo) are signing their top 6 to the $8m deals and recognizing that they will need to see some of these guys walk after the contract.

The mere fact that Bertuzzi, Tarasenko and Wheeler only got one year deals tells you where the league is going on UFAs. Think about it. This summer the Sens sign Tarasenko for 1 year at $5m and they ink Sanderson at $8.05x8. 3 or 4 years ago that would have been unthinkable.

What nobody is saying is that Tarasenko will not get any more next season. Klingburg held out on Dallas and discovered there was no market for him. Struggled to find a team this summer. Karlsson wins Norris and San Jose struggled to find a dance partner to take on his contract. We have seen a tectonic shift from the McDavid signing onwards.

Pinto is 6'3" and is a highly talented defensive player that scored 20 goals in his rookie season. I am guessing that Pinto wants something that allows him to bridge into Batherson like numbers on his contract. Sens should have no difficulty in finding the number that works. Lots of cap space for next year.
- spatso

Firstly I agree that Pinto is a solid young player - and the Sens shouldn't trade him unless the return is a great one.

Secondly, the defensive part, I was VERY high on him being a solid checking line center that can score 20 goals a season. Pinto was -21. Pinto played 26 seconds of PK time a game. That ranks him 21st on the team. Among forwards he's not even in the top 10. That's concerning to me. So to mention him as a highly talented defensive at this point is a little early. Mike Fisher was -6 and played 45 seconds of PK time a game in 1999-2000 (his rookie season). But the following season his PK was 3x. So hopefully Pinto gets that time because great defensive players kill penalities. There's more obviously but it's important

We have seen a tectonic shift from the McDavid signing onwards.
- spatso

The point is that McDavid is not the impetus for change. It's been trending in that direction for years as analytics makes a more prominent role in all front office decisions. Front office trends are a collective gradual process- not an immediate transformation. McDavid would have been signed to a 10+ year contract right after his ELC if he came into the league a decade earlier because GMs were already starting to learn the value of cost control. So you're misattributing an effect of the cause, as the cause itself.

Still curious to see what happens to sign Pinto.

I wonder if Ottawa was counting on a Murray buy out, and left scrambling with the LTIR.

I think Brannstrom is the odd one out, just because trading Joseph would be much harder.

Firstly I agree that Pinto is a solid young player - and the Sens shouldn't trade him unless the return is a great one.

Secondly, the defensive part, I was VERY high on him being a solid checking line center that can score 20 goals a season. Pinto was -21. Pinto played 26 seconds of PK time a game. That ranks him 21st on the team. Among forwards he's not even in the top 10. That's concerning to me. So to mention him as a highly talented defensive at this point is a little early. Mike Fisher was -6 and played 45 seconds of PK time a game in 1999-2000 (his rookie season). But the following season his PK was 3x. So hopefully Pinto gets that time because great defensive players kill penalities. There's more obviously but it's important
- AlfieisKing

I only suggested a trade on Pinto because some hockey writers suggest that his skillset can be replaced by Greig for less this year. I know see that my suggested trade would need another pick or prospect in it to be closer to Pinto's value, as he is the best player in the trade. So I simply add to it

Geeke, Forbert, Johnny Beecher, and a 2nd for
Pinto, Brannstrom (retain $800K), Joseph
Boston sign’s Pinto for 1 x $1.2M and has $29,166 in cap space. Ott has $95,000 in cap space
Pinto might go for the 1 yr at $1.2M because he was raised near to Boston and is much closer to his roots. Boston will have plenty to give him next year.

You could just simply drop Forbert and Joseph from this trade.

It's been said before but this team needs some cap relief for this year and this year alone, and an LTIR deal makes a lot of sense. Ottawa has too many blue liners signed. Lassi Thomson for Brian Little solves a lot of problems. Only issue is like 80% of Arizona's D are right handed.

It's been said before but this team needs some cap relief for this year and this year alone, and an LTIR deal makes a lot of sense. Ottawa has too many blue liners signed. Lassi Thomson for Brian Little solves a lot of problems. Only issue is like 80% of Arizona's D are right handed.
- Bartacus

Then give them Järventie for Little, and sign Pinto for around $2M for 2 years. Much less complicated!


But Little has an NTC! Maybe he does not wanna retire a Sen!

Then give them Järventie for Little, and sign Pinto for around $2M for 2 years. Much less complicated!


But Little has an NTC! Maybe he does not wanna retire a Sen!
- HenryHockey

...as opposed to Arizona? I doubt Brian Little cares much about where he goes, provided he gets paid. Jarventie we might actually have a spot for down the line, LT not so much.

Still curious to see what happens to sign Pinto.

I wonder if Ottawa was counting on a Murray buy out, and left scrambling with the LTIR.

I think Brannstrom is the odd one out, just because trading Joseph would be much harder.
- david22

It's pretty clear that they would have preferred a buyout, but that was all resolved over a month ago. In fact, the Tarasenko signing happened almost immediately after the news broke about Murray going on LTIR, so they actively spent virtually all of their remaining cap space despite this information. Personally, I still think it's connected to the WJC report, which is expected to result in the suspension of 5 NHL players. Nobody wants to think Batherson could be involved, however by process of elimination he's on the short-list of 12 players from which those 5 names will come.

NHL teams already believe that Formenton is on that list, which means there's already a sense of who might have been involved. Similarly, the fact that Comtois was rather quietly let go by a bottom-5 team like ANA with virtually no subsequent UFA/PTO interest is a bit strange. Which brings us back to the Tarasenko deal, which just happened to exactly match the AAV of Batherson, and rather abruptly evaporate all of their remaining cap space despite having multiple unsigned RFA. I'm sure there may have even been a thought to offer Pinto a long-term extension in the 6yr/$4.0M range... which would have been rather eerily possible, if not for the Tarasenko signing.

Maybe its nothing, and I rather hope that's the case. However, it's precisely when things appear to make no sense on the surface that you often discover they make perfect sense when viewed through a different lens. And the longer these roster issues persist without resolution, the more it makes the WJC issue look like an elephant in the room.

...as opposed to Arizona? I doubt Brian Little cares much about where he goes, provided he gets paid. Jarventie we might actually have a spot for down the line, LT not so much.
- Bartacus

Chill! I was being sarcastic!

It's pretty clear that they would have preferred a buyout, but that was all resolved over a month ago. In fact, the Tarasenko signing happened almost immediately after the news broke about Murray going on LTIR, so they actively spent virtually all of their remaining cap space despite this information. Personally, I still think it's connected to the WJC report, which is expected to result in the suspension of 5 NHL players. Nobody wants to think Batherson could be involved, however by process of elimination he's on the short-list of 12 players from which those 5 names will come.

NHL teams already believe that Formenton is on that list, which means there's already a sense of who might have been involved. Similarly, the fact that Comtois was rather quietly let go by a bottom-5 team like ANA with virtually no subsequent UFA/PTO interest is a bit strange. Which brings us back to the Tarasenko deal, which just happened to exactly match the AAV of Batherson, and rather abruptly evaporate all of their remaining cap space despite having multiple unsigned RFA. I'm sure there may have even been a thought to offer Pinto a long-term extension in the 6yr/$4.0M range... which would have been rather eerily possible, if not for the Tarasenko signing.

Maybe its nothing, and I rather hope that's the case. However, it's precisely when things appear to make no sense on the surface that you often discover they make perfect sense when viewed through a different lens. And the longer these roster issues persist without resolution, the more it makes the WJC issue look like an elephant in the room.
- khawk

Ahh! Nice to have a bit of light on the subject! Pinto is going to remain a Sen for a while.
But somehow I do not see Batherson being suspended for a whole year. But that bridge will be crossed at a later date.

Ahh! Nice to have a bit of light on the subject! Pinto is going to remain a Sen for a while.
But somehow I do not see Batherson being suspended for a whole year. But that bridge will be crossed at a later date.
- HenryHockey

Well, I don't know anything that anyone else doesn't know, and may very well be completely out to lunch. However, I don't believe that the team 'forgot' to leave cap room for Pinto, or that the Tarasenko signing came out of the blue for no reason other than wanting a few more goals.

I only suggested a trade on Pinto because some hockey writers suggest that his skillset can be replaced by Greig for less this year. I know see that my suggested trade would need another pick or prospect in it to be closer to Pinto's value, as he is the best player in the trade. So I simply add to it

Geeke, Forbert, Johnny Beecher, and a 2nd for
Pinto, Brannstrom (retain $800K), Joseph
Boston sign’s Pinto for 1 x $1.2M and has $29,166 in cap space. Ott has $95,000 in cap space
Pinto might go for the 1 yr at $1.2M because he was raised near to Boston and is much closer to his roots. Boston will have plenty to give him next year.

You could just simply drop Forbert and Joseph from this trade.
- HenryHockey

Lysell. Even the Boston source behind the Pinto rumour knew it would likely mean parting with Lysell, and require a larger trade package even if they did. And they didn't mean including $5M of unwanted player contracts going back to the team that's trying to save money, in addition to retaining $800K.
https://bostonhockeynow.c...pinto-price-will-be-high/

This is a terrible trade proposal. It also ignores the reality that Pinto has close NCAA connections to multiple other Senators' prospects, including Jake Sanderson who just signed an 8-year extension.

Lysell. Even the Boston source behind the Pinto rumour knew it would likely mean parting with Lysell, and likely require a larger trade package. And they didn't mean including $5M of unwanted player contracts going back to the team that's trying to save money.
https://bostonhockeynow.c...pinto-price-will-be-high/

This is a terrible trade proposal.
- khawk

I am a huge Pinto fan. I want the Sens to start the season with Stutzle, Norris, Pinto and Kestelec down the middle.

People need to chill on their worries about the cap. The Sens do not have salary cap problems. They are in need of a minor adjustment that will no doubt resolve itself during training camp.

I am guessing Pinto's agent is looking to get him into a longer term contract in the next year or so that is comparable to Batherson. If Pinto scores 25-30 this season, $5m will be the right number.

I expect a 1 year bridge deal in the $3m range. I could see a second longer term deal being completed before Christmas.

I am a huge Pinto fan. I want the Sens to start the season with Stutzle, Norris, Pinto and Kestelec down the middle.

People need to chill on their worries about the cap. The Sens do not have salary cap problems. They are in need of a minor adjustment that will no doubt resolve itself during training camp.

I am guessing Pinto's agent is looking to get him into a longer term contract in the next year or so that is comparable to Batherson. If Pinto scores 25-30 this season, $5m will be the right number.

I expect a 1 year bridge deal in the $3m range. I could see a second longer term deal being completed before Christmas.
- spatso

Ok guys, thanks for the schooling. It certainly makes a lot more sense than what was proposed elsewhere.

...as opposed to Arizona? I doubt Brian Little cares much about where he goes, provided he gets paid. Jarventie we might actually have a spot for down the line, LT not so much.
- Bartacus

He may actually make more money being on LTIR in Arizona than in Ottawa due to taxes.

If the Ottawa Senators' core continues to grow and reach new levels of success (Tkachuk, Stutzle, Chabot, Sanderson, Norris, Batherson) then this team paid everyone under 8.5M. In a cap world, playing in a tax state/province, that's pretty impressive