Dudley takes it one year at a time…maybe two
The Atlanta Thrashers came to terms with RFA Andrew Ladd on a 1-year $2.35 million deal Thursday. This signing takes care of the one remaining player of the three that had filed for arbitration this summer. Just the evening prior it was announced that Ben Eager had accepted a 1-year $965K deal and last week the Thrashers balked at the $2.4 mil salary that was awarded to Clarke MacArthur.
Also last week they signed goalie Ondrej Pavelec to a two-year contract worth a total of $2.3 million. Earlier in the month we learned that Eric Boulton had accepted a one-year deal worth $650,000 while Jimmy Slater signed for two years at $1 mil per. The big UFA acquisition so far this summer came on July 1 when Chris Mason was inked to a contract that will dish out $3.7 million over two seasons to the netminder.
Are you sensing a pattern here?
Every Thrashers player that has come to terms on a new contract this summer has done so for either one or two years. New Thrashers general manager Rick Dudley has yet to commit more than that to any player since taking over the job last spring.
I use the word “yet” because it’s still yet to be determined what terms RFAs Bryan Little and Nic Bergfors will accept…plus there is still plenty of time left for another UFA signing or two. But don’t be stunned if any future deals follow the same path as the ones we’ve seen so far…one or two years, nothing more…as Dudley and Co. seem very leery of committing long term to anyone as they move forward with the latest Thrasherville reconstruction project.
So if Maxim Afinogenov is looking for a long-term contract, this would explain why he’s found all offers from the Thrashers “unsatisfactory”.
Now, this bucks the trend of the last few offseasons in which the Thrashers did indeed commit to long-term free agent signings…each one generating mixed results.
Last summer it was forward Nik Antropov agreeing to a four-year contract that hit the cap at just over $ 4 mil per season. I think it’s safe to say that his 24 goals, 67 points +13 showing more than justified his salary and terms.
The year prior had defenseman Ron Hainsey riding in to town thanks to a deal that will pay him $4.2 million through the 2012-13 season. In the two seasons he’s already spent here he’s only missed one game and is a –22 in that time while contributing 11 goals and 54 assists. While he has been a good addition to the blueline, there is still a debate as to whether or not his play equates to his pay. I’ve read comments about Hainsey that range from “trade his butt outa here” to “slap a C on his jersey”.
And then there is the much discussed, much debated and much maligned signing of center Todd White in 2007. His 4-year contract that will pay him a total of $9.5 million will end after this coming season. And unless I havegrossly misread the mood of Thrasherville, that day cannot come soon enough for most.
So, maybe Dudley is just a tad gun-shy to over-commit to anyone for fear of tying another Todd White-esque anchor around the organization’s neck.
Another reason for all these short-term deals may also circle around the notion that it allows both the Thrashers and the player try each other out…get a feel for each other…before deciding one way or the other. Also… and let’s just be honest with each other here…it isn’t as though star players are beating down the door to grab their share of the great Thrashers’ winning history. And unless and until a string of playoff runs are actually put together, the Thrashers are going to have to overpay for talent and/or accept players that are only willing to commit to one season here. It’s an “it is what it is” situation.
That being said however, I think what we are seeing has more to do with Rick Dudley’s stated strategy of not bogging the system down with veteran players to the point where prospects are not able to find an opening on the roster once they have ben properly seasoned. That logic seems fairly sound when you have such promising youngsters that are in the pipeline like Patrice Cormier, Arturs Kulda, Paul Postma, Carl Klingberg, Fredrik Pettersson, Alexander Burmistrov, etc.
The flip side of this one/two-year strategy, though, is that the Thrashers could be looking at quite a turnover in personnel over the next 24 months. Of the players currently on the Thrashers payroll, five are slated to become UFAs next summer and another four will be RFAs, including Zach Bogosian. In 2012 Evander Kane and Ondrej Pavelec will become RFAs while Rich Peverley, Jim Slater, Johnny Oduya and Mason will become UFAs. This means that until we learn the terms and duration of the Little and Bergfors deals only Antropov, Hainsey and Toby Enstrom have contracts past the next two seasons.
As for the most recent signings, consider Ben Eager will only be 27-years of age next summer and if he proves himself worthy of re-signing Dudley will be competing with others to keep him. And if a pending RFA like, say, Andrew Ladd has the type of season many feel he can, what is it then going to cost Dudley to re-sign him next year as a 25-year old RFA?
Given that, the Thrashers current course of action naturally causes concern given the Retention Deficit Disorder that has plagued them for the past decade. Obtaining talent around here hasn’t been a problem. Keeping it… well that’s a different story.
Regardless of the rhyme, reason or ramifications, when it comes to player contracts it looks like the Thrashers and their new GM are content to take things one year at a time…maybe two.
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194 comments Add your comment
kracker
July 30th, 2010
1:36 pm
Nice point, Eric @8:45AM. Yes, no one did mention that, though it may have been referenced in passing. I rarely have time to read everything here at work.
Joe Friday
July 30th, 2010
1:37 pm
“Hawks Bleeding Red…Losing Money That Is”
The Wirtz family has so much money, it’s not even funny, which is why it was so ridiculous that Dollar Bill was so cheap.
DWTOO
July 30th, 2010
1:38 pm
rob – you are right. I was referring to our history. Go into every season optimistic and will this year. And I am with you that we’ll see much better hockey this year.
hockey knowledge
July 30th, 2010
1:48 pm
Joe Friday: the Hawks will be good next year…but they won’t win the cup…they may not even win the Central Division. there are several clubs that have equal or better lineups than the Hawks right now…they may not have lost any key pieces yet…but they have lost significant depth. considering they nearly lost to Nashville early in the playoffs (lucky Hossa was there to score the OT goal and not tossed out of the game) and had a real challange with Philly in the finals prior to having their depth destroyed this offseason it will be even tougher next year…look no further than the Wings as a serious threat…if they add Modano they instantly have 3 highly capable scoring lines…so as far as that matchup goes I’d give offense to Detroit, defense to Chi-town, and goaltending a draw until Niemi/Turco or Howard proves themselves this season…and don’t be too high about Turco…the Wings have had his number his entire career and he hasn’t done anything in the playoffs…at least Niemi has a Cup.
J.B.
July 30th, 2010
2:03 pm
just throwing this out there… Alan Walsh just tweeted that Ruslan Fedotenko would be making a decision soon between a number of offers he’s received. Is it conceivable Dudley made an offer to him? I believe they were in Tampa at the same time correct? His stats don’t look terrible and he’s not that old. Is there a problem with him of which Im unaware? injuries, attitude, etc.? At a glance to someone who’s not familiar with him, he doesn’t seem like a bad pickup as long as the $$ is right… anyone?
Rawhide
July 30th, 2010
2:04 pm
Meanwhile, on As The Kovalchuk Turns….
Ilya Kovalchuk hearing is to be held early next week.
Adam
July 30th, 2010
2:07 pm
Here is the key (<– my word of the day
) statement from the Bleeding Red article.
“But Wirtz pledged he would never revert to the penny-pinching ways of his father.
“We’re going to do everything we can to win,” team President John McDonough said. “We want this to be a destination for free agents. We want this to be a place where players want to play. … We’re going to charter our players (to away games) and we’re going to stay in hotels that are going to be synonymous with a first-class operation. When Rocky and I first met, we talked about this commitment.”
Can’t say I ever heard the AS make a statement like that…
Not Blind
July 30th, 2010
2:13 pm
If Fedotenko played every night he would never have made it to FA back in the TB days. I put him and Max in the same category: ‘not needed in Atlanta’. Play some young North American chargers from Chicago or play the draft picks or play the young trade acquistions.
Not Blind
July 30th, 2010
2:18 pm
I have a suggestion for a blog topic:
“Rules changes or tweaks you would like to see”
My current pet peeve is the blueline/offsides rules. My idea is to make the blueline much wider to hopefully reduce the numbers of offsides calls and keep play moving. When the puck is coming out of the zone the play is not offsides until the entire puck crosses into the neutral zone. When the puck is entering the zone it’s the other edge of the line.
rob
July 30th, 2010
2:27 pm
that pic of IK doesnt look like someone who just signed a contract to play a game many kids play with wild dreams of the NHL for over $100M. More money than any of us could even imagine or comprehend.
Dwayne
July 30th, 2010
2:29 pm
No need to widen the blue line. Just make the puck smaller.
glovesave29
July 30th, 2010
2:43 pm
Best rule change would be to keep a penalized player in the box for the entirety of his penalty, no matter how many goals are scored. That would certainly make players think twice before they take a stupid penalty. I always think of the 1989 SC Finals game 6…Claude Lemieux had just PLOWED over CGY goalie Mike Vernon, defenseman Dana Murzyn cocks his fist back – about to let Lemieux have it…but holds off and lets the Flames go on the power play where they score and take home the Cup.
Second rule change is to get rid of the trapezoid behind the net. Some goalies are very good at handling the puck. I generally dislike any rule change that restricts a players ability, or that removes a talent from the game.
Want to make this a more attractive place to play? The obvious answer is easy…yeah, to field a good team. But before the paying fans come back…fill the seats with cheap, or even free tickets to the local students. One per student, valid ID required. Philips seats 18,545. Attendance is CLAIMED to be 13,607 (yeah, I know!). There are 4,938 empty seats on average. Within 2 miles of Philips, there are over 61,750 college students at nearby campuses. Give ‘em $3 beer too. Get the place loud and packed. Lets get a better atmosphere in the barn.
Alan R.
July 30th, 2010
2:55 pm
But before the paying fans come back…fill the seats with cheap, or even free tickets to the local students.
Best idea I’ve heard yet. $5 nosebleed seats, $10-$15 200s and lower rows of the 300s, and $20 in the upper rows of the 100s. Thoughts?
Joe Friday
July 30th, 2010
2:56 pm
“there are several clubs that have equal or better lineups than the Hawks right now”
lol. Name ‘em. That’s ok, you don’t have to, Wings’ fan (I hated it too when the Wings were awesome and we sucked). Happiest day of a Chicago Hockey fans’ life? When the Dead Things lose, to anyone. Best rivalry in hockey.
glovesave29
July 30th, 2010
3:06 pm
Alan – Pens have something similar before they could fill the Igloo. Students can queue up at 4. Ticket window opens at 7. Any tickets available at that time go to students with $20. Players show up and sign autographs and have giveaways. Local merchants give away t shirts and pizza.
We’d need to take it to a new level. Send players out around campus with vouchers for free or $5 tickets. Vouchers for $3 Bud and/or Miller swill (sorry to fans of those particular brews, but they suck. Like Monty Python said – drinking American beer is like having sex in a canoe…its f%^&#$ing close to water!). We could have the ticket distribution area up on Falcons Landing alongside some tailgating activities. Have street hockey games between rival fraternities. ANYTHING. SOMETHING…
hockey knowledge
July 30th, 2010
3:23 pm
holmstrom–datsyuk–zetterberg
bertuzzi–filpula–franzen
hudler–modano(?)–cleary
helm/abdelkader–draper–eaves/miller
lidstrom–rafalski
kronwall–stuart
ericsson–meech/kindl
howard
osgood
explain to me how that team is not as good/better than the Hawks.
Forwards: Detroit
Defense: Chicago
Goaltender: draw (mainly b/c Howard and Niemi are unproven and Turco/Theodore are not an upgrade over Niemi)
not to mention the Hawks were 2-2-2 against the Wings last year when the Wings were decimated by injuries…and the Hawks have yet to beat them in the playoffs…so Detroit still holds the mental edge here.
volgrad1985
July 30th, 2010
3:40 pm
Can anyone tell me whether the dates for training camp have been announced? If so, when is it please?
Joe Friday
July 30th, 2010
3:46 pm
Are they gonna issue Lidstrom a cane this year in training camp? Ya know, to be able to get from the locker room out to the ice . . .
I love it, the rivalry is back! Giddyup.
Flagstaff
July 30th, 2010
3:51 pm
Not Blind: Right now, that seems exactly like what Dudley may do. At least, I think so.
Flagstaff
July 30th, 2010
3:52 pm
I mean the part about young North Americans / draft picks from Chicago.
Red Light
July 30th, 2010
3:56 pm
Training camp opens on Sept. 17 or 18 I believe.
Joe Friday
July 30th, 2010
4:04 pm
Wings fan, tell ya what. To be nice, I’ll arrange for our young whipper snappers like Kaner, Toews, and Keith to wheel Holmstrom, Bertuzzi, Modano, Draper, Lidstrom out from their handicapped bus into the arena before each game . . . it’s the sporting thing to do.
R. Stroz
July 30th, 2010
4:09 pm
This is LOL funny and proof Eklund is a dope:
Pretty amazing Andy Sutton is still out there. He brings a solid 3/4 to your team. The Sabres love him and could use his game in transition.
I guess Eklund has a fetish for pylons.
R. Stroz
July 30th, 2010
4:10 pm
Joe Bob Friday – Make sure there is some Icy/Hot in the bus.
glovesave29
July 30th, 2010
4:13 pm
Stroz, you can quote ANYTHING Eklund says to make him look dumb!
Brendan
July 30th, 2010
5:14 pm
Rawhide, nice of you to give Trixie the morning off. Then again, she’s earned it.
Rawhide
July 30th, 2010
5:40 pm
Tampa Bay Lightning sign free agent center Dominic Moore to a 2-year deal.
Brendan – If you define from midnight to 7:00 am as “morning”…then yes, I do give her the “morning” off. Girl does need her beauty rest ya know.
rob
July 30th, 2010
6:17 pm
calling Sutton a pylon gives pylon’s a bad name
Rawhide
July 30th, 2010
9:09 pm
Can anyone tell me whether the dates for training camp have been announced? If so, when is it please?
volgrad1985 – I just saw where Ben Wright answered that question via twitter. He says that the training camp dates have not yet been set.
Also, I was reminded that Anthony Stewart is another RFA yet to be signed.
Hokey P. Clisters
July 30th, 2010
10:29 pm
Let’s sign the Pylon for 1 year. If he’s unable to crack our lineup we could always use him as a parking assistant at Phillips. Or even better…we could use him as a big orange vuvuzela!
Brendan
July 30th, 2010
10:33 pm
Just throwing this out there, but the Anaheim Ducks bought out Nathan Oystrick. To my knowledge, he has not re-signed with anyone, and is an available free agent. Here’s the link. http://stage.www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/anaheim-ducks-buy-out-contract-of-defenceman-nathan-oystrick-97522374.html?viewAllComments=y
Hokey P. Clisters
July 30th, 2010
10:38 pm
Man, wouldn’t it be great to see Laddy and that SC trophy on Brasstown Bald next year?…..Yooohoooo!
Flagstaff
July 30th, 2010
10:39 pm
Nice image, Stroz.
goose
July 31st, 2010
12:37 am
Fedotenko was a -17 on Pittsburgh with only 30 points in 80 games just imagine what his plus minus would be here
also wheeler was awarded less in arbitration than C-Mac that’s not right
Sharon
July 31st, 2010
12:41 am
Retention Deficit Disorder… now that’s funny!
Budder
July 31st, 2010
9:26 am
Regarding “Dollar Bill” Wirtz and his financial legacy, here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia bio:
Wirtz (via his stake in Wirtz Corp) was most notable as owner of the Chicago Blackhawks; Wirtz Realty, a large real estate owner in Chicago; and Judge & Dolph Ltd., a major liquor distributor selling over 33 percent of all liquor in Illinois. Wirtz Corp. also has interests in banking and insurance, and co-owned the United Center with Jerry Reinsdorf. Crain’s Chicago Business in 2004 estimated the company’s 2003 revenues as US$1.3 billion. Overall, it is estimated that Bill Wirtz’s personal holdings (including stock in several companies, including Alberto-Culver and Firstar Bank) were worth about US$3 to $4 billion.”
Re: Fedotenko, Not Blind and goose both nailed it. Ten years ago, there was hope; now, just a Poor Man’s Yashin, except without the skills.
J-man
July 31st, 2010
12:27 pm
Brendan – Let’s not overreact here. The whole Vanek thing was 100% Kevin Lowe, who did such a “good” job as GM that he’s not a GM anymore. Every year it’s the same thing – there’s maybe 1 RFA who gets a contract offer and it’s not a major star. If someone wants to offer Bogosian a 17 year deal, he’s gone. That is the reality of it. But what are the odds of some other GM being dumb enough to do that? Those long term deals cut both ways. DiPietro sure doesn’t look like a great signing. Bogo could always get hurt or simply not develop like we think. Look at Bowmeester. He’s not on a decade long deal but he also may not return to the form he showed in Florida. The reality is that is someone wants to poach one of our RFAs and offer them the moon, we cannot stop it. It’s up to the GM to sign those guys to long term deals to prevent that from happening like Washington, Pittsburgh, etc. etc. etc. do. But yes, you are quite right to question this as a long term strategy. I just think we need a little more time before we worry. If Dudley does this again next year, then that’s the time to worry. If nobody on the team ever signs a multi-year contract with him as GM, yes, it’s time to worry.
glovesave29
July 31st, 2010
1:00 pm
The arbitrator has awarded Niemi $2.75M
R. Stroz
July 31st, 2010
1:06 pm
Someone should tell Ben Wright that Anthony Stewart re-signed on July 16th.
According to capgeek.com, the contract is a two way, one year contract.
http://capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=830
I guess Ben is misinformed.
Red Light
July 31st, 2010
1:57 pm
Win a Stanley Cup, and get a $1.923 million raise. Looks arbiters like goalies, a lot!
Sparky (Smoothie)
July 31st, 2010
2:17 pm
I think the ruling for Niemi is very fair. I was thinking the arbiter could get a little crazy like the one for MacArthur and grant him $3.25 M or more. Considering how many UFA goalies there are coming off of an inflated deal between $4 and $5 M, all of whom haven’t won a Cup, I think the $2.75 is quite reasonable. Blackhawks will still have a hard time making this work unless they demote Huet to Rockford and go with Niemi / Crawford.
Alan R.
July 31st, 2010
2:52 pm
Smoothie – Pretty sure that was the Hawks plan all along. It made sense in my head, anyway.
Dwayne
July 31st, 2010
6:24 pm
Isn’t Anthony Stewart a race car driver? Why would a hockey team sign him?
Brendan
July 31st, 2010
7:17 pm
J-Mann, certainly Kevin Lowe was not the greatest GM in NHL history. But, at least he realized what his “situation” was in Edmonton. Namely, that it’s difficult to attract free agents to a barren wilderness, where your dog runs away for 3-straight days. And it’s cold. Very, very cold. My point with Vanek is this. Buffalo, like Atlanta, seems to have ‘player retention’ issues. At least, that’s how I see it, as a non-Sabres fan. I’m just an outsider. But I find it quite a curiosity that J.P. Dumont, Mike Grier (at least at first abandoned the franchise), Chris Drury, Danny Briere, Jay McKee, Brian Campbell, Tony Lydman, Jaroslav Spacek, and now Henrik Tallinder have all opted to play elsewhere, than to re-sign with Buffalo. What gives? I merely cited that Vanek may not be a Sabre, today, if Kevin Lowe hadn’t made the offersheet to him, to lock him up. I can’t tell you if Sabre fans preferred that he be let go or are utterly thrilled that he has remained there so long. I’ll let them weigh in on that one.
What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?, you might be thinking. Well, Atlanta seems to have the very same problem that Buffalo does. We don’t seem to be able to keep our players, even our very own draft picks, past their RFA eligibility. I’m not exactly a fan of RFA offersheets, J-mann. Not really. I understand that it’s a perfectly ‘fair’ and ‘legal’ aspect of the CBA. But if we got one and matched it, at least we’d have the player under contract beyond the RFA years. And that’d be nice!
Re: 17-year deals, I’m not a fan of them. That seems inherently “unnatural.” Too many things can go wrong. A player can get injured. There’s insurance to pay on a contract like that. He can fail to develop properly. With his contract locked up, he may not care too much about his performance. His money is guaranteed. Even if he gets bought out, the team still have to pay him a fraction of his contract for the remaining years. How long we were paying Zhitnik, after buying him out?
I’m actually “fine” with Dudley taking a Missouri-like stance on players. As in, “Show me, first,” then I’ll pay you. Allright. But don’t forget the “pay you” part, and at MARKET VALUE. Why should players sign for LESS than their value? The only time I can think that it might happen … is a situation like Brodeur, where the player just doesn’t want to leave, nor cripple his team’s ability to be competitive in the postseason. The other situation is the PROACTIVE RFA contract, whereby the player agrees to forego his UFA years to be paid like a UFA now. The idea for the GM is … you’re overpaying the player NOW to underpay him LATER, during his UFA years, factoring “inflation.” The player might be amenable to that, since it’s guaranteed money and years. If Dudley doesn’t want to save money, that’s fine. I can appreciate his stance, wanting to evaluating the player(s) a bit more. But that player will NOT then turn-around an offer some discount. Why should he?
If ‘internal caps’ didn’t exist … and ‘cost’ were not an issue in Atlanta, I’d never make a post like this. There’d be no need to economize on a player’s contract. The owners would just pay what the going rate is for the player. Is that what’s happening in Atlanta? We’re right at the FLOOR of the cap right now. When Bergsfors and Little get signed, we’ll be over it by a few million. How nice, I suppose.
Hokey P. Clisters
July 31st, 2010
8:53 pm
UPDATE: Kovy renogiates contract with NJ for 500 billion and the state of Vermont. NHL commish is reviewing to see if contract has circumvented the crap.
Jameson
August 1st, 2010
1:23 pm
Brendan- I’m not sure if it was my comment that you were remembering, but I said I thought Little was the most likely RFA to up for longer than a season.
Let’s play some arm-chair-GM. Would you offer either Little or Bergfores a 4 year $8 million contract? Do you think either of them would sign such a deal?
Brendan
August 1st, 2010
1:49 pm
Jameson, right you are; it was your comment I was remembering. If either Bergfors or Little would agree for $2 million-a-year, for the next four years, I’m make that offer immediately. I doubt they’d agree to it.
Tony C.
August 1st, 2010
3:12 pm
hell yes you’d make that deal
Alan R.
August 2nd, 2010
3:00 am
Oh please oh please oh please.
@Russostrib According to sources, #Thrashers center Todd White has been traded to the #nyrangers. No word what the Rangers got back #nhl #nyr
Acer
August 2nd, 2010
6:41 am
Oh no, not our #1 center.
Let’s see the details before starting the party.