Word out of Tampa Bay is that the Lightning are on the verge of completing a "lifetime" deal with Vincent Lecavalier. It's supposed to be a nine-year deal to finish out Lecavalier's playing career, followed up by some kind of coaching or front-office job for Lecavalier's golden years. Not a bad idea; Lecavalier certainly is deserving of a big contract and has proven his worth to the Lightning for many years. Good job, guys.
Now can we finally leave Charles Wang alone?
Seriously. The Alexei Yashin deal, we'll ignore for the time being. Not because it wasn't an awful deal (it was), but because it was signed nearly seven years ago. More relevant to the Lecavalier signing is the Rick DiPietro deal from 2006, a deal that was criticized by pretty much everybody. The whole thing was a bit dubious, what with Wang handling the negotiations with DiPietro's agent directly, but the deal isn't nearly as bad as it was made out to be. DiPietro is making $4.25 million a year; he'd get significantly more than that as a free agent. His contract might look bad after year ten or so, but for the seven seasons between then and now, the Islanders will have DiPietro at or below market value.
But the real proof is in the emulation of this deal. Mike Richards for twelve years. Alexander Ovechkin for ten years. Now, Lecavalier for nine. Was Wang really that crazy after all?
I say he wasn't, and it's not because I'm an Islander fan. You need stability in goal to be a good team; look at the Flyers' teams over the past decade for proof of that. Besides, goalies don't take the pounding of average players and so are more durable. If DiPietro's hip troubles don't prove to be chronic, the Isles got themselves a great deal for much of the contract's duration. And the Ovechkin and Lecavalier deals will prove to be just as beneficial for Washington and Tampa Bay respectively.
In these uncertain times, the NHL is heading down a familiar path of fiscal responsibility. Although the salary cap was intended to curtail overspending, teams are tempted more than ever to spend on free agents since the cap is rising each year. Worse, the floor isn't rising with it, so the same economic disparities we became accustomed to around the turn of the century will be back before we know it. It's these long-term deals that may be the best deals of all. Who would you rather have on your team - a 26-year-old DiPietro on the verge of becoming an elite goalie, with thirteen more years at $4.25 per, or a washed-up and untradeable Bryan McCabe? Sort of makes you wonder which GMs are really the smartest.
Now can we finally leave Charles Wang alone?
Seriously. The Alexei Yashin deal, we'll ignore for the time being. Not because it wasn't an awful deal (it was), but because it was signed nearly seven years ago. More relevant to the Lecavalier signing is the Rick DiPietro deal from 2006, a deal that was criticized by pretty much everybody. The whole thing was a bit dubious, what with Wang handling the negotiations with DiPietro's agent directly, but the deal isn't nearly as bad as it was made out to be. DiPietro is making $4.25 million a year; he'd get significantly more than that as a free agent. His contract might look bad after year ten or so, but for the seven seasons between then and now, the Islanders will have DiPietro at or below market value.
But the real proof is in the emulation of this deal. Mike Richards for twelve years. Alexander Ovechkin for ten years. Now, Lecavalier for nine. Was Wang really that crazy after all?
I say he wasn't, and it's not because I'm an Islander fan. You need stability in goal to be a good team; look at the Flyers' teams over the past decade for proof of that. Besides, goalies don't take the pounding of average players and so are more durable. If DiPietro's hip troubles don't prove to be chronic, the Isles got themselves a great deal for much of the contract's duration. And the Ovechkin and Lecavalier deals will prove to be just as beneficial for Washington and Tampa Bay respectively.
In these uncertain times, the NHL is heading down a familiar path of fiscal responsibility. Although the salary cap was intended to curtail overspending, teams are tempted more than ever to spend on free agents since the cap is rising each year. Worse, the floor isn't rising with it, so the same economic disparities we became accustomed to around the turn of the century will be back before we know it. It's these long-term deals that may be the best deals of all. Who would you rather have on your team - a 26-year-old DiPietro on the verge of becoming an elite goalie, with thirteen more years at $4.25 per, or a washed-up and untradeable Bryan McCabe? Sort of makes you wonder which GMs are really the smartest.
If DP gets hurt, it will kick the Islanders in the ass. And in 10 years, he'll be an expensive back-up. That said, if he stays good and healthy for most of the contract (Say, 12 years), it would be good for both sides. 15 years was excessive considering his age at the time, I would have said 12 would be a great deal.
ReplyDeleteAs for Richards... he had 2 good months in his career (October-December) and got rewarded with $70M. Crazy.
Would be good for Lecavilier, and Ovechkin, obviously, is a no-brainer. If he asked for my wife, I would haev given her away. (I'm not married. That's why.)