Updates on Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards and Loui Eriksson.
Kings believe they’re close to re-signing Kopitar.
The Kings believe they’re close to re-signing Anze Kopitar.
SPORTSNET: Mike Futa, the director of hockey operations for the Los Angeles Kings, told Hockey Central at Noon yesterday he believes his club is close to re-signing center Anze Kopitar. “He’s everything we covet as a King,” said Futa, adding, “It’s too close to not get it done.” He’s confident the two sides will “find a way to get it done.” Kopitar, 28, is eligible next July for unrestricted free agency. He’s in the final season of a seven-year, $47.6 million deal.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar’s contract status prompted speculation over his future with the Kings. Last month, TSN’s Darren Dreger claimed an eight-year deal seemed in the works but salary had to be determined. That’s the sticking point here. I believe Kopitar, the Kings leading scorer for the past eight seasons, could be seeking around $10 million annually. The Kings, of course, prefer a lower rate, perhaps closer to $9 million.
I daresay the Kings are trying to swing this as a front-loaded deal to lower the annual cap hit. Remember, as long as the salary variance is no more than 50 percent, they can front load his contract.
Some of this site’s readers don’t believe Kopitar is worth $9-$10 million annually. Some even feel he’s overpaid at his current rate of $6.8 million annually. The fact is, Kopitar is one of the elite two-way centers in the league. He’s led the Kings in scoring every season since 2007-08, plus he was their leading playoff scorer during both of their Stanley Cup championship runs. He was a finalist for the Selke Trophy in 2014 and a finalist for the Lady Byng trophy in 2015. The man is going to get a hefty raise, either from the Kings or another team via free agency.
Should the Bruins re-sign Eriksson.
WEEI.COM: D.J. Bean makes what he admittedly considers “a way-too-early declaration” that the Boston Bruins should re-sign winger Loui Eriksson, who’s eligible next summer for UFA status. Bean observes Eriksson, whose current cap hit is $4.25 million, is leading all Bruins forwards in ice time for the second straight season, as he also works the power play and kills penalties. He’s also currently third on the Bruins in points, leads them in assists and is their best puck-possession player.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think Bean makes a solid case, provided the Bruins don’t overpay in dollars or tenure. A four-year deal for $5.5 million seems fair, though his camp could push for five years at $6 million per. I think Bruins management will be keen to keep him, but they won’t overpay for the privilege. Keep an eye on his status of the course of the season.
No nibbles for Mike Richards.
TSN.CA: Frank Seravalli reports agent Pat Morris, who represents former LA Kings center Mike Richards, said no team has contacted him expressing interest in his client. Seravalli claims popular sentiment is Richards will eventually land another NHL job. He believes “teams may be awaiting the adjudication of his arrest for possession of a controlled substance, which is scheduled to resume in court on Dec. 8 in Emerson, M.B.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll be surprised if any team signs Richards during this season. While some clubs could be awaiting the outcome of his court case, he’s been idle for a long time. Teams usually don’t sign free agents once the schedule approaches the mid-point of the season. Don’t forget how much Richards’ play deteriorated in recent years, which is bound to work against him in contract talks. My guess is Richards could end up waiting until next summer for a new contract. Even then, he could face accepting a tryout offer next September to prove himself worthy of a new deal.
Assuming what is said about Kopitar is true, it sickens me. The per year salary is “the sticking point” where he wants $10 million a year and the team wants $9 million. What the heck can Kopitar do or get for $10 million a year that he can’t for $9? Is it the status of hitting the 8 digit salary figure? If he walks away because of a $1 million variance from the team that gave him his NHL break, drafted him, developed him, then I hope he ends up being forced to sign for cheaper elsewhere (although that probably won’t happen). Ok, that’s my rant for now…
I understand where your coming from. But he has earned the right to ask for 10 million per year.
Dude. It’s not $1M, it’s $8M over the life of the contract. Tell me you wouldn’t have a problem leaving $8M on the table? I love all you people who talk in such terms, “How much money do you need?”, and other such nonsense. Please stop it. Would you rather make $100K than $90k? Of course you would. It’s not about, “How much money do you need?” It’s about getting your market value, as a player and an agent. You owe it to your fellow players to do it as well. Raising the bar helps every other player in the league, as the scale slides upward. Toews and Kane do not get enough credit, because they both left close to $2M annually on the table to stay together and give the team a little room to try and keep a potential dynasty moving forward. Kopitar can do the same thing by accepting a little less, but it shouldn’t be because others think he should be happy with $9M per when he can get $10M per.
Sorry Matt, but you are 100% wrong in thinking that getting as much money as you can raises the bar and helps every other player in the league in the salary cap era. It actually helps a select few Superstars while hurting the vast majority. Eventually the 3-4 year players with no arbitration rights or leverage will be the ones to take the hit to make up for thE free agent contracts of the superstars. Kopitar deserves to ask for the most that he can get but the more money allotted to one player then the less there is to sign the other players on the team.
Atomic, you’re absolutely right but the players negotiated and voted for this and so you make your bed, you lie in it. Unfortunately, the vast majority of players are getting the short end of the stick. Next time around, they might be smarter about things. Or not.
Dan39, two years from now, if there is not a significant cap increase, there are going to be so many teams up against the cap that it is going to be almost impossible to get a rid of a bad contract. You are already seeing the effects now. So these GMs better start thinking before they hand out these Ryan Kesler deals. You sign a guy to a 5 year deal and he isn’t performing then you are going to get stuck with him for the duration. The draft and home grown talent is going to be more important than ever. Of course if the cap increases significantly expect the GMs to put themselves in the same position that they are in now because they never learn.
The Biscuit is right that certain players will take the hit. Such players will typically be veterans otherwise qualified for NHL jobs but too expensive for teams to retain. They will be replaced with prospects within the system, if they are suitably ready, or by ridiculous fill-ins like John Scott.
I had never heard that they left anything on the table and I seriously doubt that they each left 2 million for the good of the team. By taking the 10.5 each they handcuffed the team, as that is about 30% of total payroll. Patrick Sharpe, Johhnny Oduya and Brandon Saad are direct casualties of those signings. The Hawks no longer have the depth or the dollars to win any more championships with this core in my opinion.
Jack, Leddy was also casualty.
I, Thirsty Deer, have in the past echoed the same sentiment. I thought, you are just putting yourself in a higher tax bracket. But there are plenty of financial experts you would say that of the long run and good investing/managing means as much another decade where his family doesn’t have any worries.
I always refer to Niklas Hjarlmarsson, who after the Blackhawks matched the doug wilson 3.5 mil RFA offer, was reaching 2014 season and most in the know thought he could change teams and really cash in (because it was clear he was an elite level defender in his end with a warrior mentality) on his abilities.
He choose to stay and sign for 4.1 million.
We all were surprised mostly because the last contract had his agent shopping.
His comments afterward were he wanted to stay because he felt the group was special and that he wanted to help them win more Cups.
That the difference in money meant adjustments and changes that weren’t worth it.
That as a pro athlete, he already was being blessed with extraodinary pay to do something he loved.
Market is market. You can’t fault winners like kane and Toews or Kopitar from getting their value.
Maybe the players decide at one point if the tightening Cap might hurt their team’s chances and they loosen their demands?
Pretty sure he is already in the highest tax bracket.
I’ve said this before-the stars are going to get paid max $$$. the mid level player will be squeezed to the league minimum.
You got that right Scott, and capable veterans are being pushed out the door as a result. It must cause some animosity in some dressing rooms.
I’m no insider but I doubt very much that it has anything to do with “status” but has a lot to do with a million dollars. Sure we’d all be happy with 9mil but we’d be happier with 10mil. There is something to be said for the value of loyalty, and in the end I imagine he will take a little less than he’d make as an UFA but even as a Kings fan I’ll say this is business and he’s earned a big contract.
Kopitar gets no respect because of the time zone he plays in. The people saying he’s not worth the $ probably think Toews is worth every dollar of his contract. Their point-per-game avg is almost identical and both have been leaders for multiple cup wins. Now, I do believe that Toews is slightly overpaid and therefore don’t believe Kopi is worth quite that much (and that’s coming from a Kings fan), but that’s the market. End of story.
This I can agree with
No player is worth 10M…this type of money will just hamstring the team down the line. Can you say Dustin Brown?
Sickens you? Sean Penn called, he says to dial it down a notch.
Why shouldn’t he seek fair market value? And why are Kings brass being sticklers over $1million for their franchise player whose already proven his worth?
Literally every player has a team that gave them their break, drafted them and/or developed them…
I guess you wouldn’t accept a raise or job offer elsewhere out of loyalty to your current company?
Had the Canadian dollar not lost 18 cents, a greater amount on the US to Canadian exchange rate in little over a year & the cap was continuing it’s escalation like prior Kopitar was worth $10 comfortably but in the current market with this years total NHL revenue taking another significant hit from this global financial issue you can’t justify 10 million.
It should be noted that both Toews & Kane’s contracts were signed when the Canadian dollar was still essentially 93 cents; July of 2014, & Chicago is now facing a serious cap issue moving forward because of the current cap crisis due to these & the new contracts kicking in for Anisimov & Seabrooke next season coupled with Hossa, Keith’s & Crawford’s deals. That’s 49.238 committed to 7 players & that doesn’t count significant money being paid to Bickell & Hjalmarsson. Something significant is going to give next summer when the cap is essentially stagnant for the 2016-17 season.
check on hockeyscap site hawks are good for next year only players that need to be resigned are kruger , shaw , tikhonov . cap is est. to rise 2 to 3 million giving hawks 5 million in wiggle room
I don’t think the money Kopitar wants/deserves is my issue, its the fact that whether its earned/deserved or not these huge contracts kill a teams ability to sign depth players that make the difference. How many times are Crosby and Malkin shut down in the playoffs and the pens go nowhere? If Kopi gets his payday, which he deserves it will adversely effect the Kings as a team. What would you say if I said ok you can sign Kopitar to that fat extension, but have to let toffoli go when his contracts up because you cant afford both? Yes Toewes, Kane or Kopitar all deserve these deals they get but really hurts the team down the road, if think they should take this into consideration when making contract demands
NO NO NO please kings don’t pay Anze Kopitar 10 million per year he does not put up numbers to get that money he is not Toews or kane, Kings are making a mistake. Give him 10 million per year and what are you going to have to build around him under he kings cap. He’s worth 7 at the most
Some people either don’t see Kopitar enough or just don’t want to admit this, but he’s just as good as Jonathan Toews. He’s not as big a name because he’s european and he plays out in LA. If this guy was over in the East or with another more traditional market, more people would realize this.
And I’m no Kings fan, but he’s earned the right to go for a salary in the 9-10 range.
You can’t compare the average workers salary with these hockey contracts. Look at Tom Brady’s contract he took a drastic pay cut to win how often do professional athletes do this. If these guys like Kopitar really wanted to win and help the team sign more players they would take less Stamkos included. Maybe the entire team should make the same money.
Divide the salary cap evenly to all players.
Paying Kopitar too much will impact signing others.
Erickson is a tough call he can quietly do a lot and doesn’t get respect due to the Seguin trade.