Breaking Down NHL Players By Cost Per Point

The following is an NHL Digest contribution by Ryan Hildebrandt

Five years into a salary cap, and staring down a possible salary cap decrease for 2010-11, money management has become more important than ever.  Teams need to squeeze all the value they can get out of each signing if they want to remain competitive in today’s NHL.  Value, above nearly all else, is essential for success.

With many NHL rosters being saddled with two or three large contracts, it has become increasingly important to find secondary point production at a reasonable price.  This secondary production at a discount usually comes from one of two places.

1. A young player signing their first contract in which the GM hopes that they have a breakout season before the contract is up.
2. An crafty veteran on his last legs (but can still contribute), possibly searching for that elusive Stanley Cup and willing to sign at a discount to his previous contract for a shot at continuing his dream

Cost Per Point

Cost per point (CPP), a value metric for NHL forwards, is calculated by dividing the player’s cap hit by the number of points they have accumulated to this point.

Rich Peverley, the journeyman centre for the Atlanta Thrashers, leads the pack providing 35 points with a cap hit of $487,000 meaning $13.9k per point.  The Islanders’ Matt Moulson, a soon-to-be RFA, comes in second with a CPP of $19.8k.  Rounding out the top three is this year’s highest-value free agent signing, Maxim Afinogenov of the Thrashers, with an impressive CPP of $20k.

Not surprisingly, the best CPP values are found at the lower end of the payscale.  A combination of entry level deals, improving young players and shrewd free-agent gambles make up the top third of the chart.

In fact, you have to go 144 players down the list to find a major dollar contract (>=$4M).  Florida’s Nathan Horton takes the top prize in this category with a CPP of $93k.  Henrik Sedin, the current NHL scoring leader, is not far behind at $96.8k (Rank 150^th).

Among those aged 30 or older, Vaclav Prospal provides the highest value at $34.4k (Rank 15^th).  This is due in large part to the fact that he signed a discounted $1.1M deal with the Rangers after his buyout from Tampa Bay.  Future Hall of Famer Mark Recci squeezes value out of his $1M contract by putting up 25 points so far this season, good for a CPP of $40k and a rank of 24^th.

Big Salary Busts!

On the other side of the value coin, you’ve got the underperformers: players that may have produced, but not up to the level expected of them and their salary.  The bottom of the list is largely filled with callups, role-players and fighters so you have to move up the list a bit to find the first real underperformer.

Of no surprise to New York Rangers fans, Chris Drury wallows at 419^th with a dismal $440.6k CPP.  With more than $7 million in cap space dedicated to the slumping centerman, the Rangers cannot afford for this trend to continue.

(Dis)honorable mentions go out to the Hurricane’s Rod Brind’Amour ($327.3k, Rank 404^th) and Shawn Horcoff of the Oilers ($289.5k, Rank 395^th).

Rank	Team	Name	Position	Age	GP	Cap $	Pts	$ / Pt
1	Thrashers	Rich Peverley	C	26	44	$487,000	35	$13,914
2	Islanders	Matt Moulson	L	25	46	$575,000	29	$19,828
3	Thrashers	Maxim Afinogenov	R	29	44	$800,000	40	$20,000
4	Stars	James Neal	L	21	41	$822,000	34	$24,176
5	Islanders	Frans Nielsen	C	25	40	$525,000	21	$25,000
6	Capitals	Tomas Fleischmann	C	25	33	$725,000	28	$25,893
7	Predators	Patric Hornqvist	R	22	45	$713,000	27	$26,407
8	Canucks	Mason Raymond	L	23	46	$883,000	31	$28,484
9	Avalanche	Chris Stewart	R	21	42	$850,000	29	$29,310
10	Devils	Niclas Bergfors	R	22	43	$818,000	27	$30,296
11	Flyers	Claude Giroux	C	21	44	$822,000	27	$30,444
12	Oilers	Gilbert Brule	C	22	41	$800,000	24	$33,333
13	Kings	Wayne Simmonds	R	20	42	$822,000	24	$34,250
14	Predators	Marcel Goc	C	25	44	$550,000	16	$34,375
15	Rangers	Vaclav Prospal	C	34	38	$1,100,000	32	$34,375
16	Flames	Rene Bourque	L	27	40	$1,350,000	37	$36,486
17	Kings	Scott Parse	R	24	35	$550,000	15	$36,667
18	Capitals	Eric Fehr	R	23	33	$772,000	21	$36,762
19	Flames	Nigel Dawes	L	24	46	$850,000	23	$36,957
20	Stars	Loui Eriksson	L	23	45	$1,600,000	43	$37,209
21	Blues	David Perron	L	21	44	$918,000	24	$38,250
22	Stars	Jamie Benn	L	19	45	$822,000	21	$39,143
23	Lightning	Steve Downie	R	22	42	$822,000	21	$39,143
24	Bruins	Mark Recchi	R	41	44	$1,000,000	25	$40,000
25	Red Wings	Patrick Eaves	R	25	33	$500,000	12	$41,667
26	Oilers	Ryan Potulny	C	24	28	$595,000	14	$42,500
27	Red Wings	Darren Helm	C	22	37	$598,000	14	$42,714
28	Flames	Dustin Boyd	C	22	45	$650,000	15	$43,333
29	Canucks	Ryan Kesler	C	24	46	$1,750,000	40	$43,750
30	Wild	Guillaume Latendresse	R	22	44	$803,000	18	$44,611
31	Kings	Brad Richardson	C	24	45	$588,000	13	$45,231
32	Islanders	Jeff Tambellini	L	25	24	$588,000	13	$45,231
33	Coyotes	Robert Lang	C	38	46	$1,000,000	22	$45,455
34	Blackhawks	Troy Brouwer	R	23	46	$1,000,000	22	$45,455
35	Coyotes	Daniel Winnik	C	24	41	$600,000	13	$46,154
36	Senators	Peter Regin	C	23	40	$608,000	13	$46,769
37	Blue Jackets	Jakub Voracek	R	19	47	$1,271,000	27	$47,074
38	Capitals	Nicklas Backstrom	C	21	44	$2,400,000	50	$48,000
39	Maple Leafs	John Mitchell	C	24	26	$487,000	10	$48,700
40	Avalanche	Ryan O’Reilly	C	18	47	$880,000	18	$48,889
41	Coyotes	Martin Hanzal	C	22	45	$980,000	20	$49,000
42	Panthers	Michael Frolik	C	21	45	$1,275,000	26	$49,038
43	Devils	Dean McAmmond	L	36	24	$500,000	10	$50,000
44	Canadiens	Glen Metropolit	C	35	41	$1,000,000	20	$50,000
45	Sharks	Manny Malhotra	C	29	41	$700,000	14	$50,000
46	Senators	Nick Foligno	L	21	38	$850,000	17	$50,000
47	Senators	Ryan Shannon	C	26	38	$600,000	12	$50,000
48	Coyotes	Taylor Pyatt	L	27	39	$600,000	12	$50,000
49	Stars	Tom Wandell	C	22	45	$600,000	12	$50,000
50	Maple Leafs	Matt Stajan	C	25	45	$1,750,000	34	$51,471
51	Avalanche	David Jones	R	24	23	$838,000	16	$52,375
52	Sabres	Tim Kennedy	L	23	44	$850,000	16	$53,125
53	Flyers	Arron Asham	R	31	37	$640,000	12	$53,333
54	Ducks	Bobby Ryan	R	22	46	$1,922,000	36	$53,389
55	Canucks	Alex Burrows	L	28	46	$2,000,000	37	$54,054
56	Islanders	Blake Comeau	R	23	30	$650,000	12	$54,167
57	Avalanche	T.J. Galiardi	L	21	37	$875,000	16	$54,688
58	Rangers	Artem Anisimov	C	21	45	$822,000	15	$54,800
59	Penguins	Michael Rupp	R	29	47	$825,000	15	$55,000
60	Canucks	Tanner Glass	L	25	42	$500,000	9	$55,556
61	Islanders	Kyle Okposo	R	21	45	$1,672,000	30	$55,733
62	Penguins	Tyler Kennedy	C	22	32	$725,000	13	$55,769
63	Wild	Cal Clutterbuck	R	21	39	$726,000	13	$55,846
64	Devils	David Clarkson	R	25	25	$838,000	15	$55,867
65	Thrashers	Bryan Little	C	21	41	$900,000	16	$56,250
66	Flames	Curtis Glencross	L	26	43	$1,200,000	21	$57,143
67	Capitals	Brendan Morrison	C	33	44	$1,500,000	26	$57,692
68	Ducks	Dan Sexton	R	22	19	$750,000	13	$57,692
69	Islanders	Richard Park	R	33	46	$750,000	13	$57,692
70	Flyers	Darroll Powe	C	24	28	$520,000	9	$57,778
71	Sabres	Patrick Kaleta	R	23	31	$522,000	9	$58,000
72	Blue Jackets	Derick Brassard	C	21	46	$1,247,000	21	$59,381
73	Islanders	Rob Schremp	C	22	24	$715,000	12	$59,583
74	Canadiens	Tomas Plekanec	C	26	47	$2,750,000	46	$59,783
75	Red Wings	Todd Bertuzzi	R	34	44	$1,500,000	25	$60,000
76	Blues	T.J. Oshie	C	22	40	$1,275,000	21	$60,714
77	Flyers	Blair Betts	C	29	25	$550,000	9	$61,111
78	Sharks	Jed Ortmeyer	R	30	45	$550,000	9	$61,111
79	Penguins	Bill Guerin	R	38	47	$2,000,000	32	$62,500
80	Capitals	Matt Bradley	R	31	42	$1,000,000	16	$62,500
81	Avalanche	Matt Hendricks	C	28	35	$500,000	8	$62,500
82	Canadiens	Max Pacioretty	L	20	46	$875,000	14	$62,500
83	Coyotes	Scottie Upshall	R	25	41	$1,500,000	24	$62,500
84	Penguins	Matt Cooke	L	30	45	$1,200,000	19	$63,158
85	Flyers	James Van Riemsdyk	L	20	41	$1,654,000	26	$63,615
86	Wild	Andrew Brunette	L	35	46	$2,333,000	36	$64,806
87	Wild	Eric Belanger	C	31	45	$1,750,000	27	$64,815
88	Coyotes	Matthew Lombardi	C	27	42	$1,817,000	28	$64,893
89	Oilers	Sam Gagner	C	19	43	$1,625,000	25	$65,000
90	Predators	Joel Ward	R	28	42	$1,500,000	23	$65,217
91	Hurricanes	Jussi Jokinen	L	26	43	$1,700,000	26	$65,385
92	Red Wings	Drew Miller	L	25	42	$525,000	8	$65,625
93	Panthers	Steven Reinprecht	C	33	45	$2,050,000	31	$66,129
94	Capitals	Brooks Laich	C	26	44	$2,067,000	31	$66,677
95	Wild	Kyle Brodziak	C	25	46	$1,150,000	17	$67,647
96	Devils	Zach Parise	L	24	43	$3,125,000	46	$67,935
97	Penguins	Craig Adams	R	32	47	$550,000	8	$68,750
98	Senators	Jesse Winchester	C	25	29	$550,000	8	$68,750
99	Flames	Eric Nystrom	L	26	46	$688,000	10	$68,800
100	Sabres	Clarke MacArthur	L	24	44	$1,400,000	20	$70,000
101	Devils	Jamie Langenbrunner	R	33	43	$2,800,000	40	$70,000
102	Bruins	Steve Begin	L	31	44	$850,000	12	$70,833
103	Devils	Rob Niedermayer	C	34	32	$1,000,000	14	$71,429
104	Blackhawks	Patrick Kane	R	20	46	$3,725,000	52	$71,635
105	Avalanche	Wojtek Wolski	L	23	47	$2,800,000	39	$71,795
106	Rangers	Enver Lisin	R	23	40	$790,000	11	$71,818
107	Hurricanes	Brandon Sutter	C	20	35	$1,225,000	17	$72,059
108	Maple Leafs	Alexei Ponikarovsky	L	29	46	$2,105,000	29	$72,586
109	Penguins	Pascal Dupuis	L	30	47	$1,400,000	19	$73,684
110	Bruins	Shawn Thornton	R	31	42	$517,000	7	$73,857
111	Oilers	Jean-Francois Jacques	C	24	34	$525,000	7	$75,000
112	Bruins	Byron Bitz	R	24	38	$688,000	9	$76,444
113	Blue Jackets	Antoine Vermette	C	26	47	$2,763,000	36	$76,750
114	Wild	Mikko Koivu	C	26	46	$3,250,000	42	$77,381
115	Blackhawks	Colin Fraser	C	24	46	$700,000	9	$77,778
116	Blackhawks	Jonathan Toews	C	21	40	$2,800,000	36	$77,778
117	Sharks	Joe Pavelski	C	24	31	$1,637,000	21	$77,952
118	Islanders	Josh Bailey	C	19	45	$1,725,000	22	$78,409
119	Islanders	Sean Bergenheim	L	25	30	$863,000	11	$78,455
120	Panthers	Dominic Moore	C	28	34	$1,100,000	14	$78,571
121	Canucks	Jannik Hansen	R	23	21	$550,000	7	$78,571
122	Coyotes	Vernon Fiddler	C	29	40	$1,100,000	14	$78,571
123	Panthers	Stephen Weiss	C	26	45	$3,100,000	39	$79,487
124	Ducks	Todd Marchant	C	35	46	$1,125,000	14	$80,357
125	Rangers	Brandon Dubinsky	C	23	32	$1,850,000	23	$80,435
126	Senators	Jarkko Ruutu	L	33	46	$1,300,000	16	$81,250
127	Thrashers	Marty Reasoner	C	32	44	$1,150,000	14	$82,143
128	Sharks	Devin Setoguchi	R	22	34	$1,247,000	15	$83,133
129	Sabres	Matt Ellis	L	27	41	$500,000	6	$83,333
130	Canucks	Mikael Samuelsson	R	32	46	$2,500,000	30	$83,333
131	Coyotes	Petr Prucha	C	26	45	$1,100,000	13	$84,615
132	Lightning	Steven Stamkos	C	19	44	$3,725,000	44	$84,659
133	Sabres	Mike Grier	R	34	35	$1,200,000	14	$85,714
134	Canadiens	Maxim Lapierre	C	24	47	$688,000	8	$86,000
135	Blackhawks	Andrew Ladd	L	23	46	$1,550,000	18	$86,111
136	Sabres	Drew Stafford	R	23	41	$1,900,000	22	$86,364
137	Panthers	Radek Dvorak	R	32	39	$1,700,000	19	$89,474
138	Ducks	Mike Brown	R	24	46	$537,000	6	$89,500
139	Blues	Keith Tkachuk	L	37	39	$2,150,000	24	$89,583
140	Sharks	Frazer McLaren	L	21	23	$543,000	6	$90,500
141	Islanders	Nate Thompson	C	24	39	$550,000	6	$91,667
142	Canucks	Rick Rypien	C	25	39	$550,000	6	$91,667
143	Devils	Rod Pelley	C	24	40	$550,000	6	$91,667
144	Panthers	Nathan Horton	C	24	45	$4,000,000	43	$93,023
145	Avalanche	Brandon Yip	R	24	11	$750,000	8	$93,750
146	Avalanche	Cody McLeod	L	25	41	$1,033,000	11	$93,909
147	Thrashers	Chris Thorburn	C	26	44	$660,000	7	$94,286
148	Flames	Craig Conroy	C	37	39	$1,050,000	11	$95,455
149	Senators	Chris Kelly	C	28	46	$2,125,000	22	$96,591
150	Canucks	Henrik Sedin	C	28	46	$6,100,000	63	$96,825
151	Wild	Andrew Ebbett	C	26	31	$487,000	5	$97,400
152	Capitals	Keith Aucoin	R	30	9	$487,000	5	$97,400
153	Capitals	Jason Chimera	L	30	44	$1,875,000	19	$98,684
154	Maple Leafs	Nikolai Kulemin	L	22	42	$1,488,000	15	$99,200
155	Flyers	Daniel Carcillo	L	24	40	$894,000	9	$99,333
156	Flames	Brandon Prust	C	25	35	$500,000	5	$100,000
157	Avalanche	Chris Durno	L	28	19	$500,000	5	$100,000
158	Flames	David Moss	L	27	41	$1,300,000	13	$100,000
159	Thrashers	Eric Boulton	L	32	36	$600,000	6	$100,000
160	Islanders	Jon Sim	L	31	44	$1,000,000	10	$100,000
161	Canucks	Kyle Wellwood	C	26	39	$1,200,000	12	$100,000
162	Coyotes	Paul Bissonnette	R	24	29	$500,000	5	$100,000
163	Oilers	Ryan Stone	C	24	25	$600,000	6	$100,000
164	Kings	Teddy Purcell	R	23	37	$600,000	6	$100,000
165	Oilers	Zack Stortini	R	23	44	$700,000	7	$100,000
166	Canadiens	Benoit Pouliot	L	22	23	$803,000	8	$100,375
167	Hurricanes	Tom Kostopoulos	R	30	44	$917,000	9	$101,889
168	Blue Jackets	Raffi Torres	L	27	43	$2,250,000	22	$102,273
169	Capitals	Mathieu Perreault	C	21	18	$717,000	7	$102,429
170	Kings	Alexander Frolov	L	27	45	$2,900,000	28	$103,571
171	Blues	Jay McClement	C	26	44	$1,450,000	14	$103,571
172	Capitals	Dave Steckel	L	27	44	$725,000	7	$103,571
173	Blues	Patrik Berglund	C	21	38	$1,247,000	12	$103,917
174	Blues	David Backes	C	25	44	$2,500,000	24	$104,167
175	Maple Leafs	Lee Stempniak	R	26	46	$2,500,000	24	$104,167
176	Rangers	Ryan Callahan	R	24	45	$2,300,000	22	$104,545
177	Predators	Jerred Smithson	C	30	37	$738,000	7	$105,429
178	Kings	Dustin Brown	R	24	46	$3,175,000	30	$105,833
179	Oilers	Dustin Penner	L	26	44	$4,250,000	40	$106,250
180	Ducks	Petteri Nokelainen	C	23	41	$850,000	8	$106,250
181	Blackhawks	Kris Versteeg	R	23	43	$3,083,000	29	$106,310
182	Hurricanes	Matt Cullen	C	32	44	$2,875,000	27	$106,481
183	Rangers	Erik Christensen	C	25	23	$750,000	7	$107,143
184	Lightning	Martin St. Louis	R	34	44	$5,250,000	49	$107,143
185	Sharks	Scott Nichol	C	34	46	$750,000	7	$107,143
186	Red Wings	Tomas Holmstrom	L	36	42	$2,250,000	21	$107,143
187	Bruins	Vladimir Sobotka	C	21	35	$750,000	7	$107,143
188	Rangers	Sean Avery	L	29	40	$1,938,000	18	$107,667
189	Predators	Jordin Tootoo	R	26	19	$975,000	9	$108,333
190	Bruins	Blake Wheeler	R	22	44	$2,825,000	26	$108,654
191	Panthers	Gregory Campbell	C	25	35	$762,000	7	$108,857
192	Blues	B.J. Crombeen	R	23	44	$873,000	8	$109,125
193	Panthers	Victor Oreskovich	R	22	34	$438,000	4	$109,500
194	Stars	Steve Ott	L	26	39	$1,425,000	13	$109,615
195	Predators	Dave Scatchard	C	33	16	$550,000	5	$110,000
196	Sharks	Ryan Vesce	R	27	8	$550,000	5	$110,000
197	Stars	Toby Petersen	C	30	41	$550,000	5	$110,000
198	Devils	Travis Zajac	C	24	43	$3,888,000	35	$111,086
199	Maple Leafs	Niklas Hagman	L	29	45	$3,000,000	27	$111,111
200	Canucks	Steve Bernier	R	24	43	$2,000,000	18	$111,111
201	Islanders	Trent Hunter	R	28	31	$2,000,000	18	$111,111
202	Ducks	Matt Beleskey	L	21	25	$667,000	6	$111,167
203	Blackhawks	Patrick Sharp	C	27	46	$3,900,000	35	$111,429
204	Penguins	Ruslan Fedotenko	L	30	45	$1,800,000	16	$112,500
205	Thrashers	Nik Antropov	C	29	41	$4,062,000	36	$112,833
206	Red Wings	Kris Draper	C	38	43	$1,583,000	14	$113,071
207	Oilers	Andrew Cogliano	C	22	44	$1,133,000	10	$113,300
208	Blues	Alexander Steen	C	25	30	$1,700,000	15	$113,333
209	Lightning	Alex Tanguay	L	29	43	$2,500,000	22	$113,636
210	Panthers	Kamil Kreps	C	24	39	$682,000	6	$113,667
211	Ducks	Teemu Selanne	R	39	29	$2,625,000	23	$114,130
212	Red Wings	Ville Leino	L	25	38	$800,000	7	$114,286
213	Hurricanes	Ray Whitney	L	37	42	$3,550,000	31	$114,516
214	Coyotes	Radim Vrbata	R	28	46	$3,000,000	26	$115,385
215	Maple Leafs	Mikhail Grabovski	C	25	42	$2,900,000	25	$116,000
216	Ducks	Saku Koivu	C	34	41	$3,250,000	28	$116,071
217	Wild	Antti Miettinen	L	28	43	$2,333,000	20	$116,650
218	Flyers	Ian Laperriere	C	35	44	$1,167,000	10	$116,700
219	Avalanche	Matt Duchene	C	18	47	$3,400,000	29	$117,241
220	Ducks	Corey Perry	R	24	46	$5,325,000	45	$118,333
221	Blackhawks	Ben Eager	L	25	29	$965,000	8	$120,625
222	Sharks	Ryane Clowe	R	26	46	$3,625,000	30	$120,833
223	Ducks	Ryan Getzlaf	C	24	42	$5,325,000	44	$121,023
224	Sabres	Derek Roy	C	26	42	$4,000,000	33	$121,212
225	Devils	Vladimir Zharkov	R	21	19	$850,000	7	$121,429
226	Lightning	Ryan Malone	L	29	44	$4,500,000	37	$121,622
227	Sabres	Tim Connolly	C	28	44	$4,500,000	37	$121,622
228	Lightning	Zenon Konopka	C	28	43	$487,000	4	$121,750
229	Sharks	Joe Thornton	C	29	46	$7,200,000	59	$122,034
230	Kings	Jarret Stoll	C	27	37	$3,600,000	29	$124,138
231	Capitals	Alexander Semin	L	25	35	$4,600,000	37	$124,324
232	Sharks	Jamie McGinn	L	20	38	$997,000	8	$124,625
233	Sharks	Brad Staubitz	R	24	20	$500,000	4	$125,000
234	Flames	Fredrik Sjostrom	R	26	41	$750,000	6	$125,000
235	Devils	Ilkka Pikkarainen	R	28	27	$500,000	4	$125,000
236	Canadiens	Matt D’Agostini	R	22	31	$500,000	4	$125,000
237	Flyers	Mika Pyorala	C	27	35	$500,000	4	$125,000
238	Rangers	P.A. Parenteau	L	26	14	$500,000	4	$125,000
239	Hurricanes	Pat Dwyer	R	26	20	$500,000	4	$125,000
240	Blue Jackets	R.J. Umberger	C	27	47	$3,750,000	30	$125,000
241	Predators	Steve Sullivan	R	34	46	$3,750,000	30	$125,000
242	Sharks	Benn Ferriero	C	22	22	$635,000	5	$127,000
243	Capitals	Mike Knuble	R	36	32	$2,800,000	22	$127,273
244	Islanders	John Tavares	C	18	46	$3,750,000	29	$129,310
245	Lightning	James Wright	C	19	43	$647,000	5	$129,400
246	Canadiens	Andrei Kostitsyn	L	24	40	$3,250,000	25	$130,000
247	Avalanche	Milan Hejduk	R	33	40	$3,900,000	30	$130,000
248	Rangers	Brian Boyle	C	24	43	$525,000	4	$131,250
249	Senators	Mike Fisher	C	29	44	$4,200,000	32	$131,250
250	Blue Jackets	Rick Nash	L	25	47	$5,400,000	41	$131,707
251	Oilers	Patrick O’Sullivan	C	24	44	$2,925,000	22	$132,955
252	Blues	Brad Boyes	C	27	44	$4,000,000	30	$133,333
253	Blues	Brad Winchester	L	28	36	$800,000	6	$133,333
254	Blackhawks	Tomas Kopecky	C	27	44	$1,200,000	9	$133,333
255	Flyers	Jeff Carter	C	24	44	$5,000,000	37	$135,135
256	Thrashers	Ilya Kovalchuk	L	26	38	$6,400,000	47	$136,170
257	Rangers	Ales Kotalik	R	30	42	$3,000,000	22	$136,364
258	Blackhawks	Dustin Byfuglien	R	24	46	$3,000,000	22	$136,364
259	Flames	Brian McGrattan	R	27	26	$547,000	4	$136,750
260	Sharks	Patrick Marleau	C	29	46	$6,300,000	46	$136,957
261	Blue Jackets	Derek MacKenzie	C	28	17	$550,000	4	$137,500
262	Hurricanes	Stephane Yelle	C	35	42	$550,000	4	$137,500
263	Penguins	Jordan Staal	C	20	47	$4,000,000	29	$137,931
264	Predators	J.P. Dumont	R	31	39	$4,000,000	29	$137,931
265	Rangers	Marian Gaborik	L	27	43	$7,500,000	54	$138,889
266	Blue Jackets	Derek Dorsett	R	22	21	$563,000	4	$140,750
267	Red Wings	Justin Abdelkader	L	22	41	$850,000	6	$141,667
268	Panthers	Rostislav Olesz	C	23	44	$3,125,000	22	$142,045
269	Oilers	Robert Nilsson	C	24	29	$2,000,000	14	$142,857
270	Blue Jackets	Kristian Huselius	L	30	43	$4,750,000	33	$143,939
271	Wild	Owen Nolan	R	37	41	$2,750,000	19	$144,737
272	Kings	Justin Williams	R	27	33	$3,500,000	24	$145,833
273	Thrashers	Todd White	C	34	43	$2,375,000	16	$148,438
274	Stars	Brad Richards	C	29	43	$7,800,000	52	$150,000
275	Flames	Daymond Langkow	C	32	46	$4,500,000	30	$150,000
276	Flames	Jamie Lundmark	C	28	9	$600,000	4	$150,000
277	Canadiens	Travis Moen	L	27	47	$1,500,000	10	$150,000
278	Flyers	Mike Richards	C	24	44	$5,750,000	38	$151,316
279	Stars	Mike Ribeiro	C	29	43	$5,000,000	33	$151,515
280	Stars	Brenden Morrow	L	30	44	$4,100,000	27	$151,852
281	Hurricanes	Tuomo Ruutu	C	26	39	$3,800,000	25	$152,000
282	Sharks	Dany Heatley	L	28	46	$7,500,000	49	$153,061
283	Bruins	Patrice Bergeron	C	23	41	$4,750,000	31	$153,226
284	Avalanche	Paul Stastny	C	23	47	$6,600,000	43	$153,488
285	Kings	Anze Kopitar	C	21	46	$6,800,000	44	$154,545
286	Coyotes	Peter Mueller	C	21	37	$1,700,000	11	$154,545
287	Penguins	Sidney Crosby	C	21	46	$8,700,000	56	$155,357
288	Red Wings	Danny Cleary	L	30	32	$2,800,000	18	$155,556
289	Bruins	David Krejci	C	23	42	$3,750,000	24	$156,250
290	Oilers	Mike Comrie	C	28	16	$1,250,000	8	$156,250
291	Senators	Shean Donovan	R	34	21	$625,000	4	$156,250
292	Senators	Daniel Alfredsson	R	36	37	$4,875,000	31	$157,258
293	Ducks	Evgeny Artyukhin	R	26	30	$950,000	6	$158,333
294	Bruins	Marco Sturm	L	30	44	$3,500,000	22	$159,091
295	Thrashers	Colby Armstrong	R	26	43	$2,400,000	15	$160,000
296	Maple Leafs	Jason Blake	L	35	46	$4,000,000	25	$160,000
297	Canucks	Daniel Sedin	L	28	28	$6,100,000	38	$160,526
298	Predators	Martin Erat	L	27	39	$4,500,000	28	$160,714
299	Flyers	Scott Hartnell	R	27	44	$4,200,000	26	$161,538
300	Blackhawks	John Madden	C	36	46	$2,750,000	17	$161,765
301	Canadiens	Michael Cammalleri	C	27	47	$6,000,000	37	$162,162
302	Stars	Brian Sutherby	C	27	24	$812,000	5	$162,400
303	Predators	Ryan Jones	R	25	27	$975,000	6	$162,500
304	Coyotes	Shane Doan	R	32	46	$4,550,000	28	$162,500
305	Panthers	Shawn Matthias	C	21	21	$822,000	5	$164,400
306	Capitals	Alexandre Giroux	C	28	9	$500,000	3	$166,667
307	Predators	David Legwand	C	28	46	$4,500,000	27	$166,667
308	Flames	Jarome Iginla	R	31	46	$7,000,000	42	$166,667
309	Lightning	Jeff Halpern	C	33	37	$2,000,000	12	$166,667
310	Ducks	Kyle Chipchura	C	23	38	$500,000	3	$166,667
311	Sabres	Jochen Hecht	C	32	44	$3,525,000	21	$167,857
312	Canucks	Michael Grabner	R	21	9	$843,000	5	$168,600
313	Bruins	Milan Lucic	L	21	12	$850,000	5	$170,000
314	Wild	Martin Havlat	L	28	40	$5,000,000	29	$172,414
315	Senators	Alex Kovalev	R	36	43	$5,000,000	29	$172,414
316	Flyers	David Laliberte	R	23	11	$518,000	3	$172,667
317	Avalanche	Darcy Tucker	L	34	39	$2,250,000	13	$173,077
318	Predators	Jason Arnott	C	34	37	$4,500,000	26	$173,077
319	Kings	Michal Handzus	C	32	46	$4,000,000	23	$173,913
320	Blues	Andy McDonald	C	31	42	$4,700,000	27	$174,074
321	Coyotes	Lauri Korpikoski	L	22	37	$700,000	4	$175,000
322	Flames	Olli Jokinen	C	30	46	$5,250,000	30	$175,000
323	Blue Jackets	Chris Clark	R	33	45	$2,633,000	15	$175,533
324	Red Wings	Kirk Maltby	L	36	36	$883,000	5	$176,600
325	Capitals	Alex Ovechkin	L	23	36	$9,538,000	54	$176,630
326	Sabres	Jason Pominville	R	26	44	$5,300,000	29	$182,759
327	Wild	Robbie Earl	L	24	12	$550,000	3	$183,333
328	Islanders	Tim Jackman	R	27	34	$550,000	3	$183,333
329	Blue Jackets	Jared Boll	R	23	42	$743,000	4	$185,750
330	Penguins	Chris Kunitz	L	29	30	$3,725,000	20	$186,250
331	Oilers	Ales Hemsky	R	25	22	$4,100,000	22	$186,364
332	Predators	Andreas Thuresson	R	21	19	$562,000	3	$187,333
333	Sabres	Adam Mair	C	30	31	$758,000	4	$189,500
334	Red Wings	Henrik Zetterberg	L	28	36	$6,083,000	32	$190,094
335	Penguins	Chris Bourque	C	23	20	$578,000	3	$192,667
336	Thrashers	Slava Kozlov	L	37	44	$3,667,000	19	$193,000
337	Lightning	Vincent Lecavalier	C	29	44	$7,727,000	40	$193,175
338	Thrashers	Evander Kane	L	17	43	$3,100,000	16	$193,750
339	Hurricanes	Sergei Samsonov	L	30	37	$2,533,000	13	$194,846
340	Senators	Milan Michalek	L	24	44	$4,333,000	22	$196,955
341	Red Wings	Pavel Datsyuk	C	30	42	$6,700,000	34	$197,059
342	Predators	Mike Santorelli	C	23	25	$592,000	3	$197,333
343	Senators	Chris Neil	R	30	32	$2,000,000	10	$200,000
344	Penguins	Evgeni Malkin	C	22	40	$8,700,000	43	$202,326
345	Canadiens	Sergei Kostitsyn	L	22	19	$817,000	4	$204,250
346	Panthers	Cory Stillman	L	35	25	$3,533,000	17	$207,824
347	Ducks	Ryan Carter	C	25	17	$625,000	3	$208,333
348	Sabres	Paul Gaustad	C	27	32	$2,300,000	11	$209,091
349	Thrashers	Jim Slater	C	26	23	$840,000	4	$210,000
350	Penguins	Max Talbot	C	25	23	$1,050,000	5	$210,000
351	Red Wings	Jason Williams	C	28	15	$1,500,000	7	$214,286
352	Flyers	Danny Briere	C	31	37	$6,500,000	30	$216,667
353	Kings	Oscar Moller	C	20	18	$875,000	4	$218,750
354	Devils	Brian Rolston	R	36	42	$5,062,000	23	$220,087
355	Bruins	Marc Savard	C	31	28	$5,000,000	22	$227,273
356	Avalanche	Marek Svatos	R	27	35	$2,050,000	9	$227,778
357	Stars	Mike Modano	C	39	32	$3,450,000	15	$230,000
358	Devils	Patrik Elias	L	33	29	$6,000,000	26	$230,769
359	Kings	Ryan Smyth	L	33	31	$6,250,000	27	$231,481
360	Wild	Chuck Kobasew	R	27	34	$2,333,000	10	$233,300
361	Maple Leafs	Phil Kessel	C	21	34	$5,400,000	23	$234,783
362	Bruins	Michael Ryder	R	29	44	$4,000,000	17	$235,294
363	Sharks	Jody Shelley	L	33	22	$725,000	3	$241,667
364	Canadiens	Scott Gomez	C	29	43	$7,357,000	30	$245,233
365	Blackhawks	Marian Hossa	R	30	23	$5,233,000	21	$249,190
366	Blackhawks	Bryan Bickell	L	23	12	$500,000	2	$250,000
367	Oilers	Ethan Moreau	L	33	43	$2,000,000	8	$250,000
368	Stars	Jere Lehtinen	L	36	29	$2,500,000	10	$250,000
369	Senators	Jonathan Cheechoo	R	28	46	$3,000,000	12	$250,000
370	Ducks	Kyle Calder	L	30	14	$500,000	2	$250,000
371	Capitals	Kyle Wilson	C	24	2	$500,000	2	$250,000
372	Canucks	Matt Pettinger	L	28	7	$500,000	2	$250,000
373	Capitals	Quintin Laing	L	30	25	$500,000	2	$250,000
374	Lightning	Stephane Veilleux	L	27	43	$750,000	3	$250,000
375	Capitals	Boyd Gordon	R	25	11	$761,000	3	$253,667
376	Oilers	Liam Reddox	L	23	9	$515,000	2	$257,500
377	Lightning	Brandon Bochenski	R	27	4	$525,000	2	$262,500
378	Blue Jackets	Samuel Pahlsson	C	31	44	$2,650,000	10	$265,000
379	Maple Leafs	Jamal Mayers	R	34	34	$1,333,000	5	$266,600
380	Maple Leafs	Rickard Wallin	C	29	34	$800,000	3	$266,667
381	Kings	Brandon Segal	R	25	13	$550,000	2	$275,000
382	Islanders	Doug Weight	C	38	16	$2,200,000	8	$275,000
383	Canadiens	Brian Gionta	R	30	26	$5,000,000	18	$277,778
384	Wild	James Sheppard	C	21	37	$1,400,000	5	$280,000
385	Maple Leafs	Wayne Primeau	C	33	35	$1,400,000	5	$280,000
386	Predators	Cal O’Reilly	C	22	11	$562,000	2	$281,000
387	Panthers	Michal Repik	R	20	9	$846,000	3	$282,000
388	Hurricanes	Chad LaRose	C	27	28	$1,700,000	6	$283,333
389	Avalanche	T.J. Hensick	C	23	7	$850,000	3	$283,333
390	Maple Leafs	Viktor Stalberg	L	23	16	$850,000	3	$283,333
391	Hurricanes	Jiri Tlusty	C	21	8	$855,000	3	$285,000
392	Sabres	Thomas Vanek	L	25	39	$7,143,000	25	$285,720
393	Stars	Krys Barch	C	29	35	$575,000	2	$287,500
394	Canucks	Ryan Johnson	C	33	33	$1,150,000	4	$287,500
395	Oilers	Shawn Horcoff	C	30	40	$5,500,000	19	$289,474
396	Hurricanes	Eric Staal	C	24	32	$8,250,000	28	$294,643
397	Lightning	Paul Szczechura	C	23	28	$600,000	2	$300,000
398	Red Wings	Valtteri Filppula	C	25	18	$3,000,000	10	$300,000
399	Ducks	Joffrey Lupul	R	25	23	$4,250,000	14	$303,571
400	Blues	Paul Kariya	L	34	38	$6,000,000	19	$315,789
401	Wild	Derek Boogaard	L	27	34	$950,000	3	$316,667
402	Stars	Fabian Brunnstrom	L	24	23	$2,225,000	7	$317,857
403	Predators	Wade Belak	R	32	27	$650,000	2	$325,000
404	Hurricanes	Rod Brind’Amour	C	38	43	$3,600,000	11	$327,273
405	Flyers	Simon Gagne	L	29	20	$5,250,000	16	$328,125
406	Maple Leafs	Colton Orr	R	27	46	$1,000,000	3	$333,333
407	Lightning	Todd Fedoruk	L	30	24	$1,058,000	3	$352,667
408	Devils	Jay Pandolfo	L	34	26	$2,500,000	7	$357,143
409	Hurricanes	Erik Cole	L	30	20	$2,900,000	8	$362,500
410	Senators	Jason Spezza	C	26	30	$7,000,000	19	$368,421
411	Penguins	Eric Godard	R	29	35	$750,000	2	$375,000
412	Canucks	Darcy Hordichuk	L	28	31	$775,000	2	$387,500
413	Penguins	Luca Caputi	L	20	4	$833,000	2	$416,500
414	Panthers	Kenndal McArdle	L	22	16	$850,000	2	$425,000
415	Sabres	Nathan Gerbe	C	21	2	$850,000	2	$425,000
416	Canadiens	Ryan White	C	21	14	$850,000	2	$425,000
417	Capitals	Jay Beagle	R	23	6	$875,000	2	$437,500
418	Devils	Matt Halischuk	R	21	20	$875,000	2	$437,500
419	Rangers	Chris Drury	C	32	40	$7,050,000	16	$440,625
420	Devils	Dainius Zubrus	R	31	20	$3,400,000	7	$485,714
421	Devils	Tim Sestito	C	24	9	$487,000	1	$487,000
422	Hurricanes	Jerome Samson	R	21	3	$493,000	1	$493,000
423	Red Wings	Brad May	L	37	31	$500,000	1	$500,000
424	Penguins	Chris Conner	C	25	6	$500,000	1	$500,000
425	Rangers	Dane Byers	L	23	5	$500,000	1	$500,000
426	Red Wings	Kris Newbury	C	27	4	$500,000	1	$500,000
427	Hurricanes	Scott Walker	R	35	32	$2,500,000	5	$500,000
428	Ducks	Troy Bodie	R	24	8	$500,000	1	$500,000
429	Stars	Warren Peters	L	26	3	$500,000	1	$500,000
430	Blues	Yan Stastny	C	26	4	$500,000	1	$500,000
431	Maple Leafs	Jay Rosehill	L	23	6	$512,000	1	$512,000
432	Wild	Petr Sykora	R	32	13	$1,600,000	3	$533,333
433	Oilers	Colin McDonald	R	24	2	$550,000	1	$550,000
434	Panthers	Jeff Taffe	L	28	16	$550,000	1	$550,000
435	Blackhawks	Dave Bolland	C	23	13	$3,375,000	6	$562,500
436	Avalanche	David Koci	L	28	34	$575,000	1	$575,000
437	Avalanche	Philippe Dupuis	C	24	4	$575,000	1	$575,000
438	Sharks	Logan Couture	C	20	11	$1,242,000	2	$621,000
439	Blue Jackets	Andrew Murray	C	27	17	$625,000	1	$625,000
440	Blackhawks	Jack Skille	R	22	6	$1,275,000	2	$637,500
441	Sharks	Torrey Mitchell	C	24	20	$1,367,000	2	$683,500
442	Bruins	Miroslav Satan	R	34	3	$700,000	1	$700,000
443	Canadiens	Georges Laraque	R	32	25	$1,500,000	2	$750,000
444	Kings	Corey Elkins	C	24	3	$803,000	1	$803,000
445	Bruins	Brad Marchand	C	21	12	$822,000	1	$822,000
446	Flyers	Andreas Nodl	R	22	10	$850,000	1	$850,000
447	Islanders	Jesse Joensuu	L	21	7	$850,000	1	$850,000
448	Predators	Colin Wilson	C	19	10	$1,725,000	2	$862,500
449	Coyotes	Mikkel Boedker	R	19	10	$1,725,000	2	$862,500
450	Ducks	George Parros	R	29	38	$875,000	1	$875,000
451	Sabres	Tyler Ennis	L	19	1	$875,000	1	$875,000
452	Predators	Nick Spaling	L	20	13	$892,000	1	$892,000
453	Maple Leafs	Christian Hanson	C	23	6	$925,000	1	$925,000
454	Rangers	Aaron Voros	L	27	21	$1,000,000	1	$1,000,000
455	Blue Jackets	Nikita Filatov	L	19	13	$2,196,000	2	$1,098,000
456	Hurricanes	Zach Boychuk	C	19	6	$1,196,000	1	$1,196,000
457	Oilers	Ryan O’Marra	C	22	3	$1,222,000	1	$1,222,000
458	Blues	Lars Eller	C	20	5	$1,271,000	1	$1,271,000
459	Rangers	Donald Brashear	L	37	33	$1,400,000	1	$1,400,000
460	Panthers	David Booth	L	24	9	$4,250,000	3	$1,416,667
461	Blue Jackets	Fredrik Modin	L	34	14	$3,250,000	2	$1,625,000
462	Red Wings	Johan Franzen	C	29	3	$3,955,000	2	$1,977,500
463	Oilers	Fernando Pisani	R	32	8	$2,500,000	1	$2,500,000


Of course, we all know that there is more to the value equation of an NHL player than just point production. However, this still remains a valuable exercise to undertake at this mid-point of the 2009-2010 NHL season.

Of all of the players listed, who is the most surprising to you?

Searching For Parity In International Hockey

This year at the World Junior Hockey Championships we saw Canada and the USA rise clearly to the top as the two most dominant teams in the world, with Sweden a not-too-distant third. 

Because of some blow-out wins over other nations, TSN’s Dave Hodge suggested that putting a Canada ‘B’ and USA ‘B’ team in the tournament would result in better hockey and a better tournament as opposed to having a relegation round. 

How much better would next year’s tournament in Buffalo be if there were teams labeled USA1 and USA2 and Canada1 and Canada2? The two extra teams would be capable of winning games, or even medals…

Although Hodge admits it isn’t about to happen, would this really be better for the development and growth of the sport? 

This type of format exists at the World U-17 Hockey Championships where Canada finished 1st (Ontario), 2nd (Pacific), and 4th(West) , with the United States coming in 3rd in the 2009 tournament. But in 2010, The United States finished 1st, Canada (Ontario) 2nd, Sweden 3rd and Russia 4th. So, it seems as though the parity may be improving at the younger levels.

Even given the 2010 results, such a multi-team format might work when there are age restrictions in place, but at the Olympic level there are a handful of countries with enough depth to put together a team to challenge for the Gold. And, rounding out the tournament with a few other countries rarely results in extremely lop-sided contests – while further fostering the development of the game.

The upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics will feature up to 7 different teams that could genuinely compete for a medal.  That said, Ryan Hildebrandt offers up a scenario (which is not likely to happen) that gives hockey fans some food for thought.

Of the players not hailing from the “Big 7″ Olympic hockey nations (Canada, Russia, Sweden, USA, Finland, Slovakia, Czech Republic), Ryan has developed a team that he believes could compete with the other 7 nations at the Olympics. 

The Rest of the World All-Star Team

Hockey, for better or worse, draws the vast majority of its talent from 7 countries.  The so-called Big 7 make up over 95% of the NHL and, come February, are the only countries with any hope of winning Olympic gold. 

I wondered what a team would look like if, in a bizarre turn of events, the IIHF/IOC allowed a ‘national’ team that was comprised of the best players from any country outside the Big 7.  Using the best current and former NHL players, here’s what my team would look like:

Forward

• [C] Anze Kopitar (Slovenia)
• [W] Tomas Vanek ( Austria)
• [RW] Nik Antropov (Kazakhstan)
• [W] Ruslan Fedotenko (Ukraine)
• [LW] Alexei Ponikarovsky (Ukraine)
• [C] Dainius Zubrus (Lithuania)
• [RW] Jannik Hansen (Denmark)
• [C] Frans Nielsen (Denmark)
• [C] Marcel Goc (Germany)
• [C] Marco Sturm (Germany)
• [C] Mikhail Grabovski   (Belarus)
• [RW] Andrei Kostitsyn (Belarus)
• [RW] Sergei Kostitsyn (Belarus)
• ·         [C] Peter Regin (Denmark)

Defense

• Christian Ehrhoff (Germany)
• Dennis Seidenberg (Germany)
• Mark Streit (Switzerland)
• Luca Sbisa (Switzerland)
• Ruslan Salei (Belarus)
• Oskars Bartulis (Latvia)
• Karlis Skrastins (Latvia)
• ·         Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Norway)
• ·         Alexander Sulzer (Germany)

Goalie

• Cristobal Huet (France)
• Jonas Hiller (Switzerland)
• Martin Gerber (Switzerland)

 

This team is likely still at the lower end of the ‘Big 7′, but would they have the tools to potentially challenge for a championship? What are your thoughts on this team? Did Ryan miss any critical players?

Who would be on your ‘Best of the Rest’ Olympic Hockey team?

Could The NHL Use Technology To Police Hits To The Head?

A few months ago, we wrote about the new Cascade M11 hockey helmet that is essentially a more stylish reincarnation of the Cascade CHX helmet, but with the backing of Mark Messier as a promoter.

Cascade had developed what is known as SEVEN technology, a force disbursement technology for helmets that is claimed to reduce the effects of hits to the head… and, as such, concussions.

More recently, there has been a lot of banter about what the NHL should do about the increasing prevalence of hits to the head.  So, why not join the discussion on how the NHL can protect the players?

As we wrote previously, there are rules that already exist that (if enforced) could greatly reduce the instances of head injuries in the game.  However, we also asked readers to provide their voice on this issue.

One particular e-mail really got the wheels turning.  It is very mechanical in nature and certainly not without faults.  However, it would take some of the subjectivity out of the calls for the officials.

So, without further adieu here is an idea from reader Dave:

Here then is my idea—- implant a device (small) in the helmet that measures the strength of the impact i.e. foot/pounds of force per square inch and this would be recorded on a digital read-out on two sides of the helmet and which would by default go back to zero after about five minutes. In the event of a force great enough to cause cranial damage the referee could make a determination as to what penalty should be awarded to the hitting player and whether or not the injured player could continue on playing without further medical interventions.

Of course there are obvious faults.

What if the impact occurs to the player’s face, where their is no sensor? And, how many sensors would be needed in each helmet and/or visor to make it reliable?

For those who think even the technology sounds outrageous, please see this patent from 1998 for a Boxing Glove Accelerometer designed to measure the impact of a punch.  It also includes plans for an impact display unit similar to what Dave was referring to in the above suggestion.

Even if this technology could be modified properly for hockey, it would obviously come at a cost. Teams and/or league would have to deem that cost as being favorable in comparison to the health and safety of the players.

More importantly though, would be the following question:

Assuming the technology was reliable and affordable, would the powers that be in the NHL really endorse such a system? Would it fundamentally change the way the game is played?

The 10 Strangest Goals Ever Scored in the NHL

It’s amazing what video footage has been collected over the year with respect to the National Hockey League and the number of strange goals that have been scored.

What is most amazing in this video is just how often, in recent years, that goals have resulted from the puck hitting a player in the face.  I honestly can’t believe how happy some of these guys are after they take a puck to the mug!

Enjoy this of the Top 10 Strangest Goals

Video courtesy of TSN.

NHL Season Predictions!

Thank goodness it’s Pucktober! And not a moment too soon for us hockey fans!

The 2009-2010 NHL regular season officially gets underway tonight, and I’m stoked. I’ll bet you are too.

This season promises to be filled to the brim with interesting teams, players, stories and controversies. We had a very busy off season that saw a great draft in Montreal, a lot of players changing addresses in free agency, a tug of war over the Phoenix Coyotes, yet more turmoil within the NHLPA, and announcements of Olympic hockey team hopefuls.

No matter which team you follow, there’s something to look forward to, or to keep a very close eye on for signs of trouble. These things all set up the kick-off to the season, that begins tonight. Yes, TONIGHT! Mere hours from now! To quote Terrell Owens: “Getcha popcorn ready!”

Here’s some things I’ll be keeping a close eye on as the season goes along:

• Are the Penguins a dynasty in the making?
• Are the Red Wings going to take a step back? Competition is stiffer and a lot of their players are potential Olympians (will fatigue get to them?)
• Are the Blackhawks poised to overtake the Wings in the Western Conference’s Central Division?
• Can the Maple Leafs, with their lack of offensive punch grind their way to the playoffs through “truculence”?
• Will the Canadiens’ radical facelift pay off for GM Bob Gainey?
• Will the Los Angeles Kings’ & St. Louis Blues’ plethora of young horses bring them back to respectability?
• Is Jacques Lemaire going to turn the 2009-10 Devils in to the 1995-96 Devils?
• How are the top 3 picks of John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene going to fare with their teams?
• The Vancouver 2010 Olympic games…what’s better than Olympic hockey?
• Who will be the first coach to lose his job this season?
• Are the Bruins going to be as good without Kessel as they were last year with him? Can Thomas repeat his Vezina performance?
• How is Alex Kovalev, who left his heart in Montreal, going to perform with the new look Senators?
• Are the Flyers going to pound everyone in to submission? Will Ray Emery keep it on the rails?
• Will the San Jose Sharks, specifically Marleau and Thornton finally make a name for themselves in the playoffs?
• Will “Mr. Glass”, a.k.a. Marian Gaborik stay healthy long enough to make the Rangers competitive?
• Will we hear from Gretzky again this year?

Add your storyline in the comments below. Surely there are tons of other topics worth following this coming year that I have not listed here.

NHL Enters Bid To Buy Coyotes

Today the National Hockey League officially filed a bid in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and keep the team in Arizona.

In what some would have you believe is an “unexpected turn of events” in the Phoenix Coyotes drama, we talked about from day one of the legal proceedings here on NHL Digest.

Eerily prophetic, if I do say so myself, here is a direct quote from our May 22 overview of the Coyotes situation:

The NHL raised its line of credit from $70 million to $200 million Monday, citing low interest rates and the need to be prepared for the future. These reasons seem hollow and the timing suspect at best.  A US bank holds the credit, whose rates are directly impacted by the Federal Reserve. The next scheduled Fed meeting regarding rates is June 23-24, or well after the Cup finals. If interest rates were the true motive, they will likely still be there after the Cup is awarded and the deal did not have to be executed the day before the first major hearing.

Could the NHL potentially be a bidder to stabilize a market they obviously believe in? Could they be ready to run the team and bankroll its operations throughout a prolonged legal battle? Or is the financial health of other franchises far worse than anyone knows, with this being the first of many dominoes to fall during the recession?

Banning Balsillie

It has become more and more clear that the National Hockey League will do anything in its power to prevent Jim Balsillie from owning a franchise. And, with Balsillie’s bid looking strong in comparison to the fledgling bids of two other groups – one from Jerry Reinsdorf (Update: Reinsdorf’s bid has mysteriously been pulled off the table) and the other from a group called Ice Edge Holdings the NHL decided to take the step of entering it’s own bid for the team.

The League’s position is that if they are successful in bidding for the franchise, they would then turn around and sell it to whomever they believe is a suitable owner – which they could do at their leisure outside of bankruptcy protection.

A quote from a statement released today leads us to believe that this is indeed what the league believes is the most likely scenario:

“We believe this step was necessary at this time in order to best preserve and maximize the value of the club asset for benefit of the club’s creditors and for the community of Glendale”, said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in a statement.

“The bankruptcy petition and subsequent events have been incredibly damaging to the club’s business, and the sooner the club can be extricated from the bankruptcy process, the sooner club personnel can begin to restore the team’s vitality and local fan base. In the event the league’s bid proceeds and ultimately is the one approved by the court, we intend to conduct an orderly sale process to a third party buyer outside of bankruptcy.”

It’s not surprising in the least to see the League become the major suitor in competition to Jim Balsillie. No businessman or investor would sanely bid enough to satisfy creditors and keep the Coyotes in Phoenix; it’s just not a prudent investment.

Outbidding Balsillie

So, how much could the league bid be?

It’s clear that the League will have the upper hand in negotiations with the City of Glendale, seeing as how the other major potential bid has now pulled out.  Glendale may now make concessions to the League that they were unwilling to make to other bidders – simply because they are out of options.

This bodes well for the National Hockey League because they will likely need all, and more, of the $200 million credit facility to out-bid Balsillie at auction.

The season is just around the corner and the long, drawn out, saga has to end sooner or later.  It’s been a long race, but we just might be in for an exciting finish!

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