CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

Many ‘nucks fans are becoming expert capologists. 

They know how much each player is earning, his cap hit, and how much space Vancouver has – or doesn’t have – before they are over the Cap.

Vancouver’s highest cap hit is Roberto at $6,750,000.

The Islanders’ top cap hit is Rick DiPietro at $4,500,000, their second is young Dman Mark Steit – at $4,100,000, and their third is first overall pick – John Tavares – who makes the rookie max of $900,000, plus $2,850,000 in bonuses – $3,750,000.

So, who’s their 4th highest pick?

It’s Alexei Yashin – and he hasn’t even played for the Islanders for two seasons.

Yashin had signed a 10 year contract and was demoted to the 4th line during the 2006-07 playoffs.

The Islanders decided to buy out the remainder of Yashin’s contract for $17.63 million, or two-thirds of the salary owed.

 

courtesy of nhlnumbers.com

Yashin is being paid out over eight years – at $2.2 million per season – but the cap hit is $3,235,000 for eight years – until 2015.

Besides paying out the money, and the terrible cap hit, what’s frustrating for the Islanders is that Yashin’s now making the big bucks in the KHL.

 

courtesy of hockeydb.com

Of the NHL’s 30 teams, 17 are losing cap space for 27 players. 

Carolina and Boston have three buyouts – each – and you can see why the Bruins couldn’t sign Phil Kessel. 

 

 

Eight players are being paid by both their buyout and current teams. 

Three players – who are being paid from buyouts – are trying out for the Canucks.

Mark Parrish is being paid out by Minnesota: $727,778 this season, and $927,778 each of the next four. Like Yashin, Parrish had been benched and banished for ineffective play.

Dave Scatchard is also being paid out. But, his was the result of an injury.

During the 2006-07 season, Pittsburgh’s Sergei Gonchar ran the Phoenix Coyote face-first into the boards, giving him a concussion and knocking out his teeth. Post-concussion symptoms persisted, but then Scatchard claimed that he was over his concussion, and just having trouble with the alignment of his new teeth. 

 

 

GM Don Maloney decided, however, to buy out the remaining two years and $4.2 million left on the four-year, $8.4 million deal. Scatchard had signed the agreement with the Bruins in 2005.

Toronto bought out Andrew Raycroft during the summer of 2008. He was scheduled to be paid $2.2 million last season, but the Leafs decided that they could acquire a more effective player with what they didn’t have to pay Raycroft. 

 

 

Two well known former Canucks have also been bought out.

Todd Bertuzzi had signed a two-year deal – with the Anaheim Ducks – and was scheduled to be paid $4 million for the second 2008-09 season. He received part of his buyout last season, while playing in Calgary, and will be receiving the remainder while he is playing with Detroit this year. 

 

 

 

 

As Boston had no cap room to sign Phil Kessel, Anaheim wouldn’t have been able to sign Corey Perry had they kept Bertuzzi.

“Todd Bertuzzi is a quality person who we believe can still play at the NHL level,” former Ducks GM Brian Burke said. “Unfortunately, we are handcuffed by our salary cap situation. We thank him for his efforts last year and wish him the best of luck in the future.”

 

 

 

Former ‘nucks goalie Dan Cloutier was paid $1,033,000 last season and will make the same amount this campaign – whether he makes the Red Wings or not. 

His situation was a combination of injury and ineffective play.

Vancouver isn’t one of the 17 teams losing money due to buyouts.

The only long-term names that Mike Gillis has on the books are: Roberto, the twins, Alex Burrow, and Alex Edler. And no one believes that any of these four will be bought out.

*****

One of the creditors in the Coyotes bankruptcy is Dave Scatchard who is owed about $1.4 million of his buyout.