Could Stempniak be heading to Thrasherville?
Craig Custance informed us recently that Thrashers GM Rick Dudley has “touched base” with the agent of Lee Stempniak. The 27-year right wing is still an unsigned UFA who is coming off a three-year contract that paid a total old $7.5 million.
So, is this a “where there is smoke, there is fire” situation? I mean, why would Dudley & Co. let something like this leak out if there wasn’t not any “there” there? And certainly general managers “touch base” with agents all the time…right?
Lee Stempniak, seen here in action against the Nashville Predators, scored 28 goals last season (AP/Frederick Breedon)
Adding some fuel to the flames of speculation is that the Thrashers are looking to replace the two-dozen or so goals that boarded a plane with with Maxim Afinogenov and flew off to Russia. So, it reasons that the 6’-0” 190 lb Stempniak could conceivably fill such a void.
Between Toronto and Phoenix last season he amassed 28 goals and 30 assists during a total of 80 games played. He had an EVEN +/- rating…-10 in 62 games with the Maple Leafs, +10 during 18 games played with the Coyotes. The season before that he had 14 goals, 30 assists and was a –12 while splitting time with the Leafs and St. Louis Blues.
Stempniak grew up in western New York, graduating from St. Francis High School in 2001. His parents insisted he attend college, so he went to Dartmouth where he majored in economics while playing hockey. In his four seasons with the Big Green he scored 63 goals and 88 assists in 135 ECAC games played.
In the summer of 2003 he was drafted 148th overall by the St. Louis Blues.
After four years of college hockey, Stempniak joined the Blues for the 2005-06 season. He was sent down to the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL around New Years, but returned to St. Louis a month later after the Blues traded away Doug Weight and Mike Sillanger. In his first game back, he scored the tying goal during regulation then the game-winning shootout goal in a 3-2 win over Calgary. He played in a total of 57 NHL games that year, scoring 14 goals and 27 assists.
The next season Stempniak played in all 82 games for St. Louis. That year he led the Blues with 27 goals while playing on a line with David Backes and Jay McClement.
Would you like to see Lee Stempniak signed by the Thrashers?
- Yes - Do it now! (81%, 185 Votes)
- No - We can do better (10%, 23 Votes)
- Feh...the roster is fine the way is (9%, 20 Votes)
Total Voters: 228
Loading ...In November of 2008 the Blues dealt Stempniak to Toronto in exchange for Alexander Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo. He played there for remainder of that season and into last year’s campaign, plying in 123 games for the Leafs, scoring 25 goals and 36 assists. He was traded by Toronto to Phoenix on March 3 of this year for Matt Jones and a pair of draft picks.
Stempniak didn’t exactly wander aimlessly in the desert, though, as he netted 14 goals and 4 assists. He earned NHL player of the month honors for the month of March. And last April he experienced the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in his career while with the Coyotes. He had 2 assists in the seven game series loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
For his career, he has 96 goals, 113 assists and is a –24 in 374 NHL games.
What would it cost to acquire Stempniak? As stated above, he is coming off a three-year $7.5 million. Last season he earned $3.5 mil, the season before that his salary was $2.5 mil and $1.5 mil in the first year of the contract.
According to CapGeek.com, the Thrashers are still about $20 million under the cap. So even if he commands similar compensation, Atlanta has more than enough room, (DUH5).
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227 comments Add your comment
GaVaHokie
August 25th, 2010
1:17 pm
Hmmm… I may have been blocked from Viv’s blog… my last few comments haven’t popped up.
Zombie Steve
August 25th, 2010
1:19 pm
Edgar Allen Troll…. lol!
kracker
August 25th, 2010
1:25 pm
GaVaHokie – Permanently in the spam filter!
Zombie Steve
August 25th, 2010
1:33 pm
FYI – there’s been an Eric Perrin sighting at the Ice Forum today
Your Mammy
August 25th, 2010
1:41 pm
I like this idea!!!!!..now.off the topic…I wish the NHL channel would air something else except endless reruns of playoffs past. Show practices, training camps live, street hockey…anything! Also, I wish they would air AHL or ECHL games instead of the endless loop of on the fly during hockey season.
schroeder
August 25th, 2010
1:41 pm
WOW,this is going to be a great year,someone actually recognized a Garrison Keillor reference!
SomaAtl95
August 25th, 2010
1:43 pm
Just a little over 1 month to go and it will be hockey season again!
GaVaHokie
August 25th, 2010
1:43 pm
Zombie… no worries, he’s just practicing with the team. He still has a house in Atlanta.
AtlFlamesFan
August 25th, 2010
1:46 pm
Kracker. Thanks for the Puckdaddy link (http://yhoo.it/cSrzvA). Great article. The last paragraph about still potential punishment to the Hawks over the Hossa deal was interesting. But since they already won the cup, wouldn’t that be like taking birth control pills after the baby was born?
Hockey Biltong
August 25th, 2010
1:57 pm
Get thee to a nunnery, for the Thrashers shall rule!!!!!!!!!
Hockey Biltong
August 25th, 2010
2:00 pm
I’m thinking we go above and beyond Stempniak at this point. There are bigger fish for the taking…
Rawhide
August 25th, 2010
2:02 pm
Thrashers will have one game on Versus this season…April 7 in New York vs. the Rangers.
Rhythmpenguin
August 25th, 2010
2:06 pm
I love the poetry and Garrison Keillor reference and the idea of Jimmy with a “C”!
When I was in band in 8th grade (in Atlanta), in the percussion section, most of the guys never stopped talking about “hookin up with chicks.”
World Be Free
August 25th, 2010
2:24 pm
Rawhide-Thrash/Rangers game must have been scheduled for TV at the end of the season to see who “won” the Todd White trade. I think WE already have won, but that’s just me (and alotta other people).
kracker
August 25th, 2010
2:25 pm
Eklund — * He has told me that the best deal for Stempniak may indeed be coming from Long Island, however, the Canadiens, Thrashers, and Coyotes are all in on the goal scorer…
Rawhide
August 25th, 2010
2:31 pm
Thrash/Rangers game must have been scheduled for TV at the end of the season to see who “won” the Todd White trade
WBF – Yes. And I’m hearing rumors that it will be sponsored by the American milk processors and dairy farmers….”Got Milk”? (r3)
Here is the entire Versus Channel hockey schedule.
Also, here are the games scheduled to be aired on NBC. Note that the Penguins vs. Thrashers game on April 10 is an option.
Red Light
August 25th, 2010
3:02 pm
Again, a captain has to be a guy that plays a lot of minutes. Slater doesn’t qualify.
Badger Bob:
I like Zajac too. Nice kid. Great year in 2009-10. Please get me David Kreji from the Bruins. Love this kid but I doubt he’s available. Bieksa from Canucks, but maybe just a flavor of the month kind of guy but seems very solid. Underrated Cory Sarich and UFA Nigel Dawes from the Flames. Staal or Dubinsky from the Rangers.
Caps have 15 games and the Pens have 16 games scheduled for National TV on Versus and NBC. Go figure!
Red Light
August 25th, 2010
3:05 pm
Chicago and the Rangers have 16 and Philly has 14 on NBC and Versus.
glovesave29
August 25th, 2010
3:09 pm
Sportnet is reporting that Willie Mitchell was signed by the Kings.
Lord Stanley
August 25th, 2010
3:10 pm
We deserve more than 1 natl tv game or is there one on NBC
Rawhide
August 25th, 2010
3:15 pm
Lord Stanley – The NBC game on the last day of the season is an option. The network can pick it up if they choose depending on which team(s) playing that afternoon are still battling for a playoff spot or position.
Tom
August 25th, 2010
3:20 pm
Who did Garrison Keillor play for again?
Lord Stanley
August 25th, 2010
3:23 pm
well hopefully pittsburgh will be eliminated by then
kracker
August 25th, 2010
3:48 pm
I would rather play and eliminate the Pens.
schroeder
August 25th, 2010
4:33 pm
Tom-I believe it was the Lake Wobegon wippetts
lola
August 25th, 2010
4:36 pm
I may be a little late for those who blogged before but: For those who want BOULTON for Captain — I’m all in! I’m ready to add it to my jersey!
Adam
August 25th, 2010
4:57 pm
Is it just me or does anyone else have a problem with Chicago sending Huet overseas to get under the cap? While I’m a big Blackhawks fan, after the Thrashers of course, I just don’t like this.
Isn’t this just another from of salary cap circumvention? If these type of transactions are allowed then what is there to stop any of the big market teams from inking outrageous contracts to lock up a players only to ship them off when they tire of his presence?
Red Light
August 25th, 2010
5:12 pm
Adam:
I tweeted the same exact sentiments the other day: “So, the #Blackhawks can circumvent the cap by loaning Huet to Fribourg, but the #Devils can’t by paying Kovy to play when he’s 44? Logical?”
R. Stroz
August 25th, 2010
5:22 pm
Red Light – Looks like the Blackhawks are getting “Original Six” treatment based on the Hossa contract and Huet shuffle.
Flagstaff
August 25th, 2010
5:52 pm
Hainsey is my pick as most likely to be captain.
Badger Bob
August 25th, 2010
6:00 pm
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely…
The proud man’s contumely? What does contumely mean… let’s see.. “con·tu·me·ly/kənˈt(y)o͞oməlē/ Noun: Insolent or insulting language or treatment”
So Shakespeare is saying one of the real pains in the butt of this life is insulting language from an arrogant twit? Who knew he too had to put up with posts from Sagebrush?
Joe Friday
August 25th, 2010
6:02 pm
“So, the #Blackhawks can circumvent the cap by loaning Huet to Fribourg, but the #Devils can’t by paying Kovy to play when he’s 44? Logical?”
Nope, it most certainly is not. Nothing the NHL is doing with these contracts is logical. It’s farcical, but certainly not logical, par for the course for the NHL front office, however.
Badger Bob
August 25th, 2010
6:04 pm
And Antro for El Capitán, for length of contract and downright responsible play.
Brendan
August 25th, 2010
6:25 pm
Joe Friday, but what if Huet doesn’t want to play there? I mean, he’s under contract to the NHL. How is there a way out of that? By this logic, we could have “loaned” Todd White out to some team in Sweden or Swizerland? And it wouldn’t have counted against our cap???
Badger Bob
August 25th, 2010
6:43 pm
Brendan, depends on whether White’s contract was two-way or not. Huet could have been moved to the minors because of his two-way contract, so Chicago always had that option with him. I guess loaning him saves them some $$$.
rob
August 25th, 2010
6:47 pm
Antropov will have the C, unless he would rather someone else have it. It is his for the taking IMO
ex-ex-STH
August 25th, 2010
8:16 pm
I’m sure Duds is keeping an eye on Boston as a trade partner. They need a d-man and have to get under the cap by possibly moving Krejgi(sp?) or Bergeron. They will never be able to move Ryder for his money. Zajac will come here if Kovy signs with the Devils and I’ll still bring up Philly’s Carter (and $5mil/yr) in a move. Duds is waiting for the BIG trade (as Brenden said … he a TRADER). Stempniak is not coming here – Niemi will be signed as a UFA before Stemp so we have more trade bait in goalie with ANY one of Mason, Pavs or Niemi. A BIG, Big move is yet to come!! Duds is the MAN!!
Rawhide
August 25th, 2010
9:45 pm
Former Thrasher Colin Stuart signs one-year deal with Buffalo Sabres.
Brendan
August 25th, 2010
10:17 pm
Nice story for Colin Stuart, Rawhide. He was once in Toronto, maybe he found a house in Southern Ontario or Western New York? Segue, whatever you do, Buffalo Sabres fans of this blog, do NOT put on the NHL Network right now. It’s Game Six of the 1999 Finals. It was called a goal, and that’s final. There’s no point in forever living in the past; it cannot be undone.
SomaAtl95
August 25th, 2010
11:54 pm
http://xmhomeice.com/audio/NHL%20Team%20Previews%202010/Atlanta%20Thrashers%20Team%20Preview%20on%20NHL%20Home%20Ice%20(Recorded%20Aug%202010).MP3
Interviewed Ramsay, was the start of XM Center Ice team previews for the upcoming season. Its free, 45 minutes long, and so far pretty interesting
Just felt like sharing with you all if you guys already had not heard it.
Hockey Biltong
August 26th, 2010
12:28 am
Lake Woebegone Walleyes…..
World Be Free
August 26th, 2010
5:42 am
Brendan, alotta current and former NHL players and coaches from Southern Ontario live in Western New York, alot cheaper than Ontario. Good for Stuart, he will replace some of the old retreads the Sabres had.
I saw Game 6 Dallas-Buffalo was on, decided not to watch. FYI-I don;t buy any of the Brett Hull feet-in-the-crease garbage. If the Sabres didin’t want Hull in the crease for 1/2 hour they should have knock him on his ass.
Red Light-nice call on Cory Sarich, big fan of “Sardo” since his BUF days, played well in TB and Calgary. They may need to move him cuz the Flames need to make a move.
ex-ex//I don’t see the Broones moving Krecji, Bergeron for sure becuase they won’t be able to afford him next season. Bergerson is one of my favorites in the entire league, as long as his head injuries don’t re-occur.
Red Light
August 26th, 2010
7:05 am
Like Bergeron too. Does all things well.
Sara
August 26th, 2010
7:27 am
Huet does not have a two-way contract; it’s one way. A player doesn’t have to have a two-way to get demoted – the only thing that prevents that is a NMC. The difference is that the Blackhawks have to pay Huet his full salary regardless of where he plays. ie, a player on a two-way contract would get paid based on a $500,000 salary when called up to the NHL club, but paid based on a $50,000 salary while with the AHL affiliate. Huet will get paid $5.625M by the Blackhawks no matter where he plays. He will also have to clear waivers to get to either the AHL or the Swiss team.
There’s also no way Atlanta Spirit would have loaned out Todd White because they would have still been on the hook for his salary. The Euro teams will pay a fee to the NHL clubs for the players but those amounts are generally very small compared to the actual salary. Short of trading him, it would have been cheaper to buy him out.
There’s precedent for renting NHL players to Euro teams, which is why the NHL will let this pass. But there is no question this is purely a cap-related move. If it was only about Huet not fitting into their plans anymore, they could have bought him out and saved cash – something the Blackhawks in theory should be interested in since they lost money this year. However a buyout would leave money counting against the cap, and since that is their bigger problem, they’ll pull this maneuver instead.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see this addressed in the next CBA negotiations. Easiest solution for the League would be to set a limit on the cap relief a team can get by demoting/renting a player on a one-way contract, say $2M. That amount covers the typical demotions you see (4th liners, 6/7th d-men) but would catch teams that are trying to move big salaries purely for cap relief. Throw in an exception clause for players sent down for rehab assignments and call it a day.
Rhythmpenguin
August 26th, 2010
7:41 am
Thanks for the link SomaAtl95.
World Be Free
August 26th, 2010
7:59 am
Red Light-Bergeron has been my type of player since he broke in, good at so many things. The only issue I have is with the head injuries. Aside from the head, he is the kind of player I would give a 5 year deal to, he just does nto have any holes in his game. Tough, good skater, plays special teams and is a good faceoff man.
Dwayne
August 26th, 2010
8:25 am
WBF and Red Light..Maybe with a more physical team, other teams will not be so anxious to smash Bergeron, or any other Thrasher into the boards.
Hockey Biltong
August 26th, 2010
8:31 am
Wayne, True Dat…..
WBF, wouldn’t Krecji be nice?!?!?!?
I would have liked Horton too, but he was not being traded in our division….
Red Light
August 26th, 2010
8:34 am
Good points Sara. Also of note, is that he is still under contract with the Hawks, which means if their needs change due to injuries or defections, he can return once his loan term is up. Huet has nothing to lose. He was born just three hours away from Fribourg, is getting paid an NHL salary, plays a shorter schedule in the Swiss League with not nearly as much pressure, and is still a darn good goaltender coming off a so-so year. Has Huet been making $3 million rather than $5.625 million, no one would have been nearly as negative about his play. His contract was the only thing that was a negative in many people’s minds.
Bergeron is a classic worker with talent. He forechecks very well. Has great vision and hands. Can skate and can find the net. He’s not getting five years from me World Be Free because of his concussion history, but I’d sure grab him now and extend him for another three years. Not sure I like the price tag, but if he’d accept a three-year extension for $12 million, I’d do the deal today.
I assume Bruins want prospects or picks in return. Don’t think they’d want any roster players unless making less than $1.5 million.
World Be Free
August 26th, 2010
8:52 am
Biltong, I think Horton is the wild card in Boston. If he clinks, the Broones will be a force, another scorer when they need one. If he plays like he did on FLA, the Broones will have an anchor they won’t be able to cast off. Horton’s rep means this is crucial for his career.
Dwayne-totally agree on a physical team, that’s always my theme. But when you have had a bad concussion, all it takes is the right hit, not necessarily the dirty one to set you back. As a player, it’s always in your head that it could happen again. Example-Tim Connolly
Like to have Krecji but I do not believe Boston will make him available, at least to a team in the East.