How much could LA Kings center Anze Kopitar make on his next contract? What’s the latest concerning the Boston Bruins blueline?
Expect Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar to get a big raise on his next contract.
Kopitar could land a big raise from the Kings.
NHL.COM: In a recent mailbag segment, Jon Rosen speculated the Los Angeles Kings could re-sign center Anze Kopitar sometime during training camp to a long-term extension worth around $10 million per season. Rosen notes Kopitar “compares quite favorably” with Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews, who is entering the first season of his eight-year deal worth an annual cap hit of $10.5 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar is eligible next summer to become an unrestricted free agent. He’s currently earning an annual cap hit of $6.8 million. He’s been the Kings’ leading scorer in every season since 2007-08. He was also their leading playoff scorer during their championship runs in 2012 and 2014. Kopitar is one of the best two-way forwards in the game right now and a two-time Selke Trophy finalist. He’s also a very disciplined player and was a finalist last season for the Lady Byng Trophy. Rosen’s assessment of Kopitar earning around $10 million annually on his next contract is spot on.
No new additions to the Bruins blueline?
CSNNE.COM: In a recent mailbag segment, Joe Haggerty claims there’s no word the Boston Bruins are any closer to signing free agent defensemen like Cody Franson or Marek Zidlicky. He feels there’s no rush on the Bruins part to sign a UFA as none of the free-agent rearguards are being scooped up. The longer they’re unsigned, the more leverage it gives the Bruins to sign one of them to a team-friendly deal. Haggerty also claims there’s nothing new regarding trade rumors linking the Bruins to Winnipeg Jets blueliner Dustin Byfuglien, and believes the Jets would want a steep price for him. He also doesn’t see UFA center Derek Roy as a good fit with the Bruins.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The ideal scenario for the Bruins is to wait until they’ve had a chance to evaluate their current blueline in training camp and preseason play and then sign an affordable defenseman if required. I think Franson will be too expensive for the Bruins, as Haggerty speculates he could end up getting a two-year deal worth around $4.5 million annually. Someone like Zidlicky or Christian Ehrhoff might be more affordable options if needed.
As for Byfuglien, it will take a significant offer to convince the Jets to part with him. You’ve gotta give up value to get value, which means the Jets will likely want either a first-round pick, a top prospect or a good young player as part of the return. While I doubt the budget-conscious Jets can afford to re-sign “Big Buff” prior to his eligibility next summer for UFA status, I think they’ll keep him for the upcoming season to better their playoff chances and to allow Jacob Trouba another season of maturity on their defense corps.
Kopitar will get a pretty huge deal and some will say it’s too big but his stats speak for themselves. He’s a great player and the kings wouldn’t be as good without him. I just hope they get in a big cap pinch and have to make some deals from a position of weakness.
Speaking of making deals out of the position of weakness…the B’s are in trouble. Why would they sign any free agents right now??? That team is “on a bridge to nowhere and they’re getting there fast”. Their best bet is to just let the kids in their system get some experience and consider the next couple of years a long term development camp. They have to shed some of the older contracts they have and just rebuild.
If the jets trade Big Buff, they should do fairly well. I mean look at what they got for Kane and BB is better.
Big Buff really isn’t a defenseive stalwart. Sure he can activate and throw big time hits, but don’t count on him to break up many attacks or stop scoring plays. He was always best when being asked to play upfront and hounded to play physcial from there.
But he clearly made his preference to be a defender known.
His contract may not be as outlandish as it was when signed (of course it isn’t…when you see the $ figures much more mediocre UFA defenders got) but I don’t think he is planning to get a play cut with the next one, and the team that owns his rights will have to decide if, financially it fits playing top pairing money for a non shut down big guy.
As a Blackhawk, I love Buff, but he is highly over-rated as a backliner.
coming from a guy that thinks shea weber is over rated………I don’t know
I guessing you haven’t watch big buff play in the peg. Most definitely can play a big shut down guy, has the speed and size. he gets into trouble when he tries to do too much. He will easily get 7.5 mil annually in his next offer. He is way more valuable as a defenseman then a winger better on the ice for 25 mins per game on d then 17 up front. He’ll score over 20 goals from the point he can change the tempo of the game by himself.
I think a lot is riding on the Richards/Voynov sagas. They may be able to win the Richards deal (I honestly think they lose this one), but I’d imagine Voynov’s deal won’t go away so easily. If they lose the Richards appeal, they are going to be in cap hell with a lot of players that are going to be very hard to move.
I think they win the Richards case personally. The interesting thing is no one knows for sure what the breach of material is that DL and the Kings terminated his contract over. It may not necessarily be the drug incident at the border.
Another angle no one is talking about is the fact that the Kings asked each player to train in LA in the off-season, all obliged except one player, that’s right Richards refused to so he could go fishing all summer in Canada, which lead to the border incident. This refusal is a big deal cause Richards was brought in to be a leader in LA, and promised Lombardi last summer that he would give it his all this year not to be bought out by LA. According to the CBA: “fail, refuse, or neglect to obey the Club’s rules governing training and conduct of Players, if such failure, refusal or neglect should constitute a material breach of this SPC.”
So in saying all that I think Lombardi and the Kings are terminating the contract more so of his refusal to train with the team, and the drug incident at the border was the last straw, which happened just a few days after the refusal to stay and train.
As for Voynov he will be in a Kings uniform before the end of 2015.
If they killed that contract for the drug/border issue, they don’t stand a chance to win the appeal. He would have had to go through the league substance abuse program. Their only hope is that Richards never advised them of the incident at all.
And I can’t be 100% on this, but I can almost guarantee a team cannot punish a player, suspend a player or terminate a contract due to missing any off-season training or voluntary workouts. This would not be under the same rules as skipping training camp/pre-season or regular practices. I’m pretty sure if they go that route, they will lose.
Well again refer to the CBA which states “fail, refuse, or neglect to obey the Club’s rules governing training and conduct of Players, if such failure, refusal or neglect should constitute a material breach of this SPC.”
I agree that the drug use angle on its own merits does not win the case. But LA could try and prove a constant and ongoing behavior issues from Richards which would include the failure to train with the team, drug use, coming to camp out of shape, etc.
Lets not kid ourselves here, Kings are owned by AEG which most likely has a nice bevy of lawyers on hand that would be advising them, not to mention Lombardi himself is a lawyer. I HIGHLY doubt they proceed without thinking they have a great chance of success. Especially when they were in the middle of trade negotiations with both Calgary and Edmonton at the draft for Richards.
The Kings should have bought him out before last season. Now they try to eliminate their mistake by terminating his contract!
I personally hope they don’t win! And I also think Richards cannot be punished for training in Canada on the off-season!
The drug/border issue is, allegedly/potentially, about smuggling/dealing (if the quantity is sufficient) criminal offences, not addiction. Whereas if the charge is operating a vehicle while stoned, that would be addiction and subject to the substance abuse program.
Time will tell.
Absolute fact that Richards cannot be punished for not training in LA during the “OFF” season. Players have the right to train anywhere they like per the CBA and all off-season work is voluntary.
It may put a player in the dog house by not listening to management’s suggestions but Richards is far beyond that point.
Legally it is within his right to train where he wants. The reality is a player under contract can do nothing all summer but drink beer, fish and golf and be in terrible shape and the team has no recourse other than benching that player, putting him on waivers, sending him to the minors or buying him out (all of these have happened to Richards except the buy out!).
The Kings may be stuck with Richards until his contract expires.
And we don’t know what the conversation was REALLY about last summer! Drug use? Promise to work harder and get off the substances? Who knows really! The breech could be a lot deeper than anyone truly knows. #sosad
Franson want probably 5.5 par years, i think he can compare him self with Jeff Petry new contract…Franson have comparable stats, maybe a bit better…
franson is not as good as petry all around game petry is superior franson ended up being a healthy scratch in the playoffs I think he will get around 4per
petry has a far better all around game than franson franson should get about 4per
Similar players but big difference. Franson regressed in a competitive environment whereas Petry became much better. The issue is that Franson was a 1st pairing D-man in Toronto but couldn’t be a solid 2nd/3rd pairing guy which is what he is. No one is targeting him to be on their first line so the same deal wouldn’t work. I’m sure Franson and his agent see it the same way you do but he has no leverage.
Yes it’s going to be very interesting to see how the situation in LA plays out.
It doesn’t sound like Voynov is going to be deported so once he has finished his 90 days; Started on July 7th, in the $100 a night; his cost, luxury correctional facility, I assume the NHL will lift his suspension & his 4.167 cap hit for 4 more years returns to the books & he will be allowed to return & play.
The Richards situation is far more interesting. LA is currently carrying the 1.32 cap recapture penalty but if his contract termination is rescinded the buy out window has closed; will the NHL allow him to be bought out after the fact, & the savings from his 5.75 cap hit for 5 more years & his buy out with the cap recapture penalties isn’t significantly less. It varies by year but would be 4.32 for the next 2 seasons & then starts declining annually but not significantly for the remaining 8 years.
I have LA with 21 players signed currently at 65.4535. 13 forwards, 6 D; not counting Voynov, & 2 goalies.
Although Boston may add a Dman I think they are just going to go with what they have & address on the fly if necessary. I think in 5 on 5 situations they will create 3 some what balanced pairings but on special teams those pairings will change altering the Dmans spot in the top 4 based on TOI/GP.
Even strength.
Chara, Miller.
Krug, McQuaid.
Seidenberg, Trotman.
Spares Irwin & Morrow.
#1 PP. Krug. I think a forward will man the other point.
#2 PP. Chara. I think a forward will man the other point. Trotman & Irwin will see sometime depending upon when dressed & Morrow will slowly be exposed to the NHL, playing about 40 games of protected minutes.
#1 PK. Chara & Miller.
#2 PK. Seidenberg & McQuaid.
I think the breaking point for Lombardi terminating Richards’ contract was that Lombardi heard about the border incident almost two weeks after it happened. The border incident occurred on June 14. Lombardi heard about it on June 26 during the start of the 1st round draft selections. Supposedly, Lombardi was working on 2 potential trade deals for involving Richards, but he had to terminate those talks once he heard of the border incident. As it currently stands, Richards is not allowed to leave Canada. Players are suppose to inform their team immediately after they get into legal troubles. Richards and his agents failed to inform the team until 8 days later. I also think that the Kings found out about the border incident through the Canadian press rather than through Richards and his agents.
100% agree
David Backes to Montreal for. L. Eller,J de la Rose,J. Tinordi and 1st Round pick 2016. I heard its on the table finally and waiting for St-louis response. From close source in Mtl.
your source is an idiot lol!! habs would be giving way to much up backes has one year left MAB wouldn’t do that trade in a million years
Drop JdlR and the 1st or add in Fabbri
I would advise all once again to ignore “Tony”, the troll.
I mean, I like Backes, but let’s get real.
“Tony” makes these obtuse, one-sided “trade” pronouncements every two or three days.
They always involve the Habs, and they always include Lars Eller and the 2016 1st round pick.
It’s interesting, in the sense of human pathology.
Or it’s a 12 year old.
On a lighter note, I ran across this article this morning.
As I have very little insight into the LA/Richards
situation, I found it quite interesting.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmacramalla/2015/08/01/whats-going-on-with-mike-richards/