Lightning make creative salary dump to Leafs

by James Mirtle on Mar 4, 2009 3:28 PM CST Comment 48 comments

Bet you didn't expect Olaf Kolzig, Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers and a fourth-round pick to be dealt this deadline day.

That's exactly the bizarre haul the Maple Leafs are taking on in exchange for AHL defenceman Richard Petiot, who they're sending to Tampa Bay basically with a bunch of cash. Kolzig and Heward are very unlikely to play this season due to injuries, and the Lightning's ownership is trying to limit its costs in what is already a lost season.

It remains to be seen if the NHL approves this deal. I wouldn't be surprised if they shoot it down, as its intent is exclusively to pass dollars around. Then again, the Devils traded a retired player in Vladimir Malakhov a few years ago.

Kolzig makes $2.5-million this season, while Heward is at just $475,000. With only 40 days remaining, this deal means the Leafs would eat about $625,000.

And, believe it or not, Brian Burke had a question during his press conference asking how Kolzig acquisition changed the team's goaltending plans.

UPDATE What may also come into play here is revenue sharing figures, and getting below the salary midpoint of $48.7-million will allow the Lightning to be eligible to receive those dollars. Prior to the deadline, Tampa Bay was on pace to spend $51-million this season but they've potentially unloaded close to $6-million (or more should they get rid of Gary Roberts) in full-year salaries and could get some handout relief as a result.

That's if this deal goes through. It makes me wonder if we'll see more of this kind of maneovering between small and big market clubs in the future.

UPDATE This deal is actually going to cost Toronto closer to $430,000. My earlier estimate included the bonuses in Kolzig's contract, which complicate things slightly.

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considering kolzig is supposed to be on IR for the rest of the season, it really seems like a pointless question. and i’d say it’s less about the cap space than it is about the real dollar amounts for TB.

by no ah on Mar 4, 2009 3:31 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah. Definitely.

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by Chemmy on Mar 4, 2009 3:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

XMFD @ Joseph, Toskala, Pogge, Gerber, and Kolzig. This is funny stuff.

by IAmJoe on Mar 4, 2009 3:34 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Revenue Sharing?

I don’t have any numbers near me anymore, but can the Lightning still qualify for revenue sharing with this type of move? Probably not, given the big money contracts they still have.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Mar 4, 2009 3:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

They’re getting very close to being under the midpoint now. Moving out Recchi and getting rid of Roberts will likely get them there.

by James Mirtle on Mar 4, 2009 3:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Poor Lightning fans.

Its no wonder hockey has a hard time in some of these areas, with the TB ownership fiasco, Don Waddel down in Atlanta, etc. It’s kinda sad, really.

by IAmJoe on Mar 4, 2009 3:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed. Columbus seems to have gotten rid of the eventual doom that was Doug Maclean just in time. Now it remains to be seen if these franchises are as lucky. Tampa is especially sad because they rose from laughingstock to Cup winner once and had a great fanbase and now they’re a laughingstock again. Can hockey thrive in Atlanta? I hope we get an answer this time around as that city was stripped of a team once with no real answer, and a certain worst GM in the league seems to be doing his best to repeat the feat.

by Malurous on Mar 4, 2009 4:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I’m a Wings fan, but more than that, I’m a hockey fan. Seeing the game catch on in nontraditional markets is a good thing for the league as a whole, for my entertainment value, and through a trickle-down effect, its good for the Wings too. Seeing entire markets get pissed on is pretty sad for everyone involved and for anyone who really enjoys hockey in and of itself, and I think its kind of disturbing the way some media (particularly some of the Canadian media) seems to get such a hard-on out of seeing these markets fail.

by IAmJoe on Mar 4, 2009 4:14 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

Yeah. Replace Wings with Bruins and I agree with every word.

by Malurous on Mar 4, 2009 4:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Seeing entire markets get pissed on is pretty sad for everyone involved and for anyone who really enjoys hockey in and of itself…

Hallelujah.

Lighthouse Hockey: SBN's New York Islanders blog with hip issues.

by Dominik on Mar 4, 2009 4:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

True

Waddel is a joke down here. Good thing I’m a Leafs fan

by Blinky on Mar 4, 2009 5:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

So what’s in it for the Leafs?

by Habs on Mar 4, 2009 3:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

The draft pick, which (as Tampa’s 4th) is basically a low 3rd rounder. Our draft day cupboard was pretty empty ’round here.

jrwendelman
The Artist Formerly Known as "Junior", who blogs at heroesinrehab.ca/blog

"But if someone so eager to engage into fist talk, we can always meet after season end in Minsk." (Mikhail Grabovski and a well-meaning but not particularly skillful translator)

by jrwendelman on Mar 4, 2009 3:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Also, maybe they like Rogers more than Petoit? Possible, but yeah, it looks like Burke just found a way to buy a 4th round pick.

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by saskhab on Mar 4, 2009 3:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Tough to say – I’m having difficulty finding good info about Rogers on the net right now, but I read somewhere that he’s a former 1st rounder. Don’t know if that’s true or not. Apparently, he’s a 6’3" stay at home defender.

jrwendelman
The Artist Formerly Known as "Junior", who blogs at heroesinrehab.ca/blog

"But if someone so eager to engage into fist talk, we can always meet after season end in Minsk." (Mikhail Grabovski and a well-meaning but not particularly skillful translator)

by jrwendelman on Mar 4, 2009 4:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, the Bolts picked Rogers right after they won the Cup, so he was a 30th overall 1st rounder, which would have been the 9th pick of the 2nd round back in 1990, but I guess a first rounder.

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by saskhab on Mar 4, 2009 4:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

He was a poor first-round pick though. He’s got tons of size but limited upside.

by James Mirtle on Mar 4, 2009 4:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

He’s got tons of size but limited upside.

Unfortunately for Lightning fans, that pretty much describes the vast majority of the Tampa Bay draft picks for most of the 2000s

-Kevin Forbes
Hockey's Future

by kforbes on Mar 5, 2009 10:38 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

What exactly is the argument

that this is improper? I remember the CBA had language preventing “circumvention” of the cap rules, and I seem to remember something about it being impermissible to trade “cash”. It seems awfully tricky to have the league start drawing the lines as to what trades are for “equal value”. Is that in the CBA?

Glen Sather is a Hockey Genius.

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by poploser on Mar 4, 2009 3:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

looks like the key language...

is in the CBA, Article 50.5(e)(iii): “Prohibitions on Transfers of Payroll Room: A Club may not sell, assign, trade, transfer or otherwise hypothecate its Payroll Room.”

Glen Sather is a Hockey Genius.

http://glensathersucks.wordpress.com/

by poploser on Mar 4, 2009 3:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

....annnnddd...

50.8(b)(2)

"Prohibited SPC Terms and Conditions. The following practices also shall not be permitted under this Agreement and may not be included in any SPC, nor otherwise agreed to by any Club, any person or any entity:

(ii) Cash transactions in connections with the Assignment of Player SPCs;"

Glen Sather is a Hockey Genius.

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by poploser on Mar 4, 2009 4:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

There’ve been plenty of trades of “payroll room” before. Hell, when you get into situations where no-names are taking up too much cap room, anything they’re involved in becomes a trade of “payroll room”.

I have a hard time seeing the league step in here, especially when they already let a similar situation go before for the Devils, with Malakhov, as Mirtle mentioned.

by IAmJoe on Mar 4, 2009 4:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

exactly the problem. this one “seems” so obviously a trade for cap space…but can the League actually justify rejecting the trade? If so, where is that line drawn?

Glen Sather is a Hockey Genius.

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by poploser on Mar 4, 2009 4:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

This trade has nothing to do with cap space. Tampa wasn’t short on that. It is purely about the cash paid out.

by J. Michael Neal on Mar 4, 2009 10:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I eagerly await the league’s moment-by-moment decree on what, exactly, the rules are.

Lighthouse Hockey: SBN's New York Islanders blog with hip issues.

by Dominik on Mar 4, 2009 3:49 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

hitting a player in the head? ok

trading that player to another team because he’s been hit in the head and is taking up cap space? not ok.

Glen Sather is a Hockey Genius.

http://glensathersucks.wordpress.com/

by poploser on Mar 4, 2009 3:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The complete lack of consistency at least keeps things interesting.

The population of Pominville keeps rising!

by Blackcapricorn on Mar 4, 2009 4:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It’s true! It’s very Kafka-esque (Kafkan?): Wake up each day to a new set of rules.

Lighthouse Hockey: SBN's New York Islanders blog with hip issues.

by Dominik on Mar 4, 2009 4:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

+1 for a hockey-related Kafka reference

by Habs on Mar 5, 2009 7:55 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

This reminds me back in the early 2000s when small market teams would acquire high profile players who’s contracts were expiring from big market teams (didn’t Domi get traded to Nashville?) on like June 29th or 30th.

The small market teams flipped the large market teams a late draft pick, and then once the player signed with another team, the small market team would get a compensatory pick for their “loss”, usually slightly better than what they had given up. (with the idea being the large market teams were ineligible to receive compensation due to their high payrolls).

I’m guessing this is like the 2009 version of those practices?

by Hooks Orpik on Mar 4, 2009 3:59 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I remember those. I think Mike Richter ended up retiring as an Oiler as a result or something. Edmonton and the Rangers were the kings of those deals once Sather came along.

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by saskhab on Mar 4, 2009 4:07 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh yeah thats right…Ricther was traded to Edmonton right before he became a UFA back in 01 or 02 i think…When he signed back with the NYR, Edmonton got a compensatory draft pick.

Glen Sather is a Hockey Genius.

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by poploser on Mar 4, 2009 4:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Even though I haven’t liked all of Lou’s wheelings and dealings under this CBA, I found the Malakhov affair more acceptable than this. I mean, that was basically giving up a future asset to improve the team (by getting cap space for improvements) while this is giving up future assets for money. In spirit, this is like dealing draft picks for money. It’s a wonder no-one tried that one under the old CBA.

by Malurous on Mar 4, 2009 4:05 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I remember part of the Lindros deal was like half a million dollars or something. No clue if that happened under the 1995-2004 CBA.

by IAmJoe on Mar 4, 2009 4:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes. Including cash in a deal wasn’t that uncommon under that CBA.

by Malurous on Mar 4, 2009 4:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, if I was unclear I meant that it’s a wonder no-one just bought draft picks back then. Cash was often a large part of deals (think Gretzky to LA) but you’d think a rich club would have tried retooling by buying picks. Oh well, doesn’t matter anymore.

by Malurous on Mar 4, 2009 4:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

This is a very creative, intelligent maneuver on behalf of Tampa Bay. I can’t believe they have anyone in that organization bright enough to have come up with this.

This trade was done by lawyers, not Barrie and Koules.

by Joe Pelletier on Mar 4, 2009 4:12 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Or by Burke. Not that he’s god, but I could see him proposing this to TB for the pick (after asking to speak to the Lightning head of household, of course).

Lighthouse Hockey: SBN's New York Islanders blog with hip issues.

by Dominik on Mar 4, 2009 4:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

What more proof do we need

That Phoenix and Tampa are on the verge of folding.
Phoenix trades an actual hockey player for a bunch of garage sale players.
Tampa basically sells some guys.

How is it that a team that is basically a ward of the state can trade a top FW to a contender (Jokinen to Calgary). If the NHL wasn’t a bush league, it would fold the Coyotes and hold a dispersal draft. Jokinen, Doan, Jovo, Bryzgalov and some of the quality youngsters would end up on the slop teams.

As to the accusation that too many Canadians cheer for non-hockey markets to fail. There aren’t enough talented players to fill a 30-team league. I want 6-10 teams to fold so that the remaining teams can stock up on talent. So that all the talentless 3rd and 4th-line pinballers are back down in the AHL throwing flying elbow smashes, instead of injuring legitimate NHL stars. As for Winnipeg or Quebec, who cares. Those are bush-league towns that couldn’t support NHL hockey. They got what they got.

by Dr Van Nostrum on Mar 4, 2009 4:32 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

When the league was smaller, we still had guys like Probert and Domi and plenty of other goons were getting jobs. Hell, look at the entire history of the Philadelphia Flyers. I’m as much against douchebags like Jordin Tootoo and Chris Simon being in the game as anyone else, but if you’re trying to say that they are only in the league because the league has too many teams, creating more jobs than can be adequately filled, you’re fooling yourself.

San Jose was a nontraditional market. It’s doing pretty well, because it actually has a competent front office, that built a pretty good team. Atlanta was a nontraditional market, just as nontraditional as San Jose. Difference is, it has a completely retarded front office, that couldn’t build a good team if you traded them Crosby, Ovechkin, Lundquist, and Chara, all for a bag of pucks, because the front office would still find a way to screw it up. If you were to relocate a successful team with a good front office to Atlanta, it would probably do ok, because a successful team is always going to attract more of a crowd than a failing team.

by IAmJoe on Mar 4, 2009 5:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

True true

All they do here in Atlanta is put Kovalchuk’s face on everything. It used to be Kovalchuk, Hossa, and Lehtonen, but now that Hossa is gone and Lehtonen sucks, they’re stuck with Kovy. And Brian Little (Barrie Colts, FTW!).

by Blinky on Mar 4, 2009 6:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I’m kinda looking forward to Lehtonen leaving Atlanta so he can stop sucking.

by Malurous on Mar 4, 2009 8:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I’m with you on that. I want to see how right The Contrarian Goaltender is on him. I think he might be on to something.

by IAmJoe on Mar 5, 2009 12:50 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Back when there was only one hospital, heart surgery was a lot better.

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by Chemmy on Mar 4, 2009 9:41 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

And only the finest stainless steel drill bits were used to make holes in your skull to let the evil spirits escape.

I feel so bad for the Lightning fans right now. And Phoenix, too – but at least the Coyotes can make an argument that they are setting themselves up for a stronger future. Tampa just sold off their assets to bring in a few bucks, and that’s sad.

"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams

by Baroque on Mar 5, 2009 4:36 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Phoenix actually made good moves on two guys that are going to be UFA and could get deals done, one guy that wasn’t working in the locker room (Jokinen) and one guy that wasn’t finding his game here this year (Carcillo). THey didn’t just dump assets they got some good pieces back.

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by OdinMercer on Mar 5, 2009 7:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

In my opinion, they didn’t net fair value on Jokinen (might be wrong though) but they stole Upshall from Philly and the Morris trade was all in Phoenix’s favor. Overall a very good day for the Coyotes I would say.

by Habs on Mar 5, 2009 8:01 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It may be more explicit, but it's not the first time

As just one example, a couple of years ago the Leafs traded for Vesa Toskala in exchange for a few assets plus agreeing to take $6M of Mark Bell’s contract off of San Jose’s hands.

What’s worse here is the allegation that this deal is designed to manipulate revenue sharing rules. My understanding is that the league reserves the right to refuse any trade somewhat arbitrarily; they rarely use it, but if they were upset enough I could see them doing it here…

Perhaps the reporter James mentioned just wanted to get Burke to admit on the record that he’d traded for a player that he knew would never actually play. If the going rate is $625k for a fourth round pick, it’s too bad the Leafs couldn’t have bought a half dozen more…

I've been looking at the sky

by Back In Black on Mar 5, 2009 8:51 AM CST reply actions 0 recs