NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly made the rounds of the local media yesterday and while there was the usual bravado and rhetoric one comment strikes me as not only important but very essential to the ongoing debate over the future of the Coyotes.
Daly stated in several places that if Judge Tom rules in favor of Jim Balsillie on September 2nd, the NHL will immediately go to court to appeal the decision. It would be the first time in this tangled process that one of the Judge's decisions would be appealed to another court (in this case the US 9th District Court of Appeals) and it would surely slow down the auction process.
As we have said all along, the NHL will do anything to preserve its' constitution and by-laws and their rights to select owners and determine where teams play. This is a strike issue for the league. Having a bidder who has already been voted off the island by the NHL qualifies in their eyes as a strike issue.
If Judge Tom rules in favor of the NHL and excludes Balsillie from the bankruptcy process, my legal friends tell me he doesn't create an antitrust case for Balsillie because there are no damages. He may create one with Moyes though because that finding would limit Jerry's potential recovery. The Moyes camp (funded by Balsillie) may or may not choose to mount their own legal challenge.
And while all this goes on, the clock ticks on Balsillie's September 14th deadline. The NHL would like nothing more to run out the clock here, even if it means pushing the auction process back a couple of months.
Next time at the computer, I'll address the rock and hard place that Glendale now finds it self between.
Showing posts with label AZ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AZ. Show all posts
Friday, August 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Catching Up
Been away for a few days at a family wedding so it's time to catch up on the headlines...
The Reinsdorf-Kaites-Tavares Bid is in and among other things it details the assumption of 170 contracts of player and hockey management (as well as sponsorships and suite holders) but not Wayne Gretzky. Given that the bankruptcy bid does not give Gretzky a dime of the money he is owed, it's not like they are trying to make nice with hockey's living legend. Discussion boards and forums like this will be rife with "who will coach the Coyotes" posts shortly. It's sad to see Wayne go under such uncomfortable circumstances but he's not been a success as a coach or marketing ambassador for the franchise. You just think that legends who happen to be nice people deserve better.
It also looks like the management side of the organization will be completely gutted. Our great friend Doug Moss, CFO Mike Nealy and Arena Manager Jim Foss all have contracts that will not be assumed by the new owners. Broadcasters Dave Strader, Bob Heethuis and Tyson Nash are also on the "no thanks" list although new contracts could be arranged with some or all. And keep in mind that several executives who do not have contracts were probably working the old fashioned way; on handshakes. There are going to be a lot of employment at will conversations going on in Glendale if the R-K-T bid is accepted.
There are some good people losing out here. Doug Moss is a great guy and experienced leader, Strader is the best television announcer in the game and Heethuis is an excellent and under appreciated radio announcer.
That, my friends, is the dark side of bankruptcy.
Much of this speaks to the Glendale report that says the organization could be streamlined and run at a significantly lower cost. We agree. Our friends at the Suns have told us that even before the NBA team and the US Airways Arena started contracting their organization, they were still staffed leaner than the Coyotes/Jobing.com Arena group. This was an accident waiting to happen. Now the Reinsdorf-Kaites-Tavaers group can come in, start with a fresh slate and put toggether a lean, effective organization.
On the other hand. The potential bid from Ice Edge raises a bunch of questions. To quote Brahm Resnick, it is "very edgy" to say the least. Two big ahas; they want to give Gretzky a contract to coach and be a franchise ambassador. with a lucrative playoff bonus and play at least 5 home games in a Canadian city. Oh, and right now it's a letter of intent, not a real bid. That supposedly is coming in the next few days.
The Ice Edge group includes Coyotes minority owner John Breslow among its investors. One of the key figures is Anthony LeBlanc, a former Research in Motion executive.
This bid is good news in many ways for the NHL. It is a weaker presentation that dimensionalizes the R-K-T bid as much better for Glendale. It answers the question of what happened to the John Breslow group that was bidding on the team. And it creates at least the impression of competition that the judge was hoping to encourage.
It is also dead on arrival. Neither the NHL nor the NHLPA is likely to approve of a split city concept. Saskatoon, one of the cities mentioned as a possible occasional home for the Yotes, was laughed away by the NHL when St. Louis tried to move there 20 years ago. It hasn't exactly boomed since then.
The Ice Edge group is meeting with the NHL executive board on Wednesday. It could be the beginning or the end of the bid process for that group.
Derek Morris to Boston...The Bruins needed a puck moving defenseman in the worst way. In Morris, they get a player who last year was a puck moving defenseman in the worst way. Terrible enough in Phoenix that Don Maloney opted instead to go with Adrian Aucoin as his right handed defensive signing rather than bringing Morris back. A little better in New York but still relegated to third pair status during the playoffs. We're happy for Derek who by all accounts is a good guy but this seems like an ill advised move for the Bruins. It's a one year contract which means Morris steps right back into a contract year.
And finally a couple of new contracts -- Dan Winnik gets $600K in arbitration with the Yotes and Enver Lisin signs a one year deal with the New York Rangers for $790,000.
More to come later today...
The Reinsdorf-Kaites-Tavares Bid is in and among other things it details the assumption of 170 contracts of player and hockey management (as well as sponsorships and suite holders) but not Wayne Gretzky. Given that the bankruptcy bid does not give Gretzky a dime of the money he is owed, it's not like they are trying to make nice with hockey's living legend. Discussion boards and forums like this will be rife with "who will coach the Coyotes" posts shortly. It's sad to see Wayne go under such uncomfortable circumstances but he's not been a success as a coach or marketing ambassador for the franchise. You just think that legends who happen to be nice people deserve better.
It also looks like the management side of the organization will be completely gutted. Our great friend Doug Moss, CFO Mike Nealy and Arena Manager Jim Foss all have contracts that will not be assumed by the new owners. Broadcasters Dave Strader, Bob Heethuis and Tyson Nash are also on the "no thanks" list although new contracts could be arranged with some or all. And keep in mind that several executives who do not have contracts were probably working the old fashioned way; on handshakes. There are going to be a lot of employment at will conversations going on in Glendale if the R-K-T bid is accepted.
There are some good people losing out here. Doug Moss is a great guy and experienced leader, Strader is the best television announcer in the game and Heethuis is an excellent and under appreciated radio announcer.
That, my friends, is the dark side of bankruptcy.
Much of this speaks to the Glendale report that says the organization could be streamlined and run at a significantly lower cost. We agree. Our friends at the Suns have told us that even before the NBA team and the US Airways Arena started contracting their organization, they were still staffed leaner than the Coyotes/Jobing.com Arena group. This was an accident waiting to happen. Now the Reinsdorf-Kaites-Tavaers group can come in, start with a fresh slate and put toggether a lean, effective organization.
On the other hand. The potential bid from Ice Edge raises a bunch of questions. To quote Brahm Resnick, it is "very edgy" to say the least. Two big ahas; they want to give Gretzky a contract to coach and be a franchise ambassador. with a lucrative playoff bonus and play at least 5 home games in a Canadian city. Oh, and right now it's a letter of intent, not a real bid. That supposedly is coming in the next few days.
The Ice Edge group includes Coyotes minority owner John Breslow among its investors. One of the key figures is Anthony LeBlanc, a former Research in Motion executive.
This bid is good news in many ways for the NHL. It is a weaker presentation that dimensionalizes the R-K-T bid as much better for Glendale. It answers the question of what happened to the John Breslow group that was bidding on the team. And it creates at least the impression of competition that the judge was hoping to encourage.
It is also dead on arrival. Neither the NHL nor the NHLPA is likely to approve of a split city concept. Saskatoon, one of the cities mentioned as a possible occasional home for the Yotes, was laughed away by the NHL when St. Louis tried to move there 20 years ago. It hasn't exactly boomed since then.
The Ice Edge group is meeting with the NHL executive board on Wednesday. It could be the beginning or the end of the bid process for that group.
Derek Morris to Boston...The Bruins needed a puck moving defenseman in the worst way. In Morris, they get a player who last year was a puck moving defenseman in the worst way. Terrible enough in Phoenix that Don Maloney opted instead to go with Adrian Aucoin as his right handed defensive signing rather than bringing Morris back. A little better in New York but still relegated to third pair status during the playoffs. We're happy for Derek who by all accounts is a good guy but this seems like an ill advised move for the Bruins. It's a one year contract which means Morris steps right back into a contract year.
And finally a couple of new contracts -- Dan Winnik gets $600K in arbitration with the Yotes and Enver Lisin signs a one year deal with the New York Rangers for $790,000.
More to come later today...
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Coyotes Schedule Due Tomorrow
The 2009-10 National Hockey League schedule will be released tomorrow. We've been snooping around and have learned that the Coyotes first home game will be Saturday October 10th. We've not been able to confirm the opening night opponent from any of our friends but have picked up chatter that it may once again be the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets were the favored opponent of the Coyotes this year with Phoenix winning all four games between the tgeams. We'll take a look at the schedule tomorrow.
One thing to watch for is when the big draws -- Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, New York Rangers etc. -- are scheduled into Phoenix. Last year the league did the Yotes absolutely no favors by sending potential big draws Washington and Pittsburgh into Phoenix on weekday nights in October. If you see bigger draws scheduled on Saturdays early in the season, that would indicate the league has taken some care to help out the gate in Phoenix. One can hope. I know Doug Moss certainly does.
One thing to watch for is when the big draws -- Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, New York Rangers etc. -- are scheduled into Phoenix. Last year the league did the Yotes absolutely no favors by sending potential big draws Washington and Pittsburgh into Phoenix on weekday nights in October. If you see bigger draws scheduled on Saturdays early in the season, that would indicate the league has taken some care to help out the gate in Phoenix. One can hope. I know Doug Moss certainly does.
Monday, July 13, 2009
A Little Dealing Between Friends
I have to make a confession. Long before I moved to Phoenix and long before the Coyotes were even a thought, I was a New York Ranger fan. Born and bred since I was 7 years old. At that’s a long time ago. Official hint: Dwight Eisenhower was President. Of the United States.
The Coyotes are my (Western Division) team. The Rangers are my team. With season tickets for both teams and the NHL TV package I get to see 50-60 of each team’s games every year.
So to say I’m a little torn with tonight’s trade of Enver Lisin for Lauri Korpikoski would be an understatement.
You see, these are two of my favorite players.
Enver Lisin is an exciting player. He’s the best skater in the league and he has a chance to be an outstanding offensive player. How good? 35-40 goals is a realistic ceiling. What impressed me the most this year was how many battles he won in the offensive end. He’s more than just fast; he has great instincts and a wonderful shot. He has a chance to be special. He was one of the few players on the Coyotes who could lift you out of your seat.
Enver’s downside is that like many Russian players, he’s been a liability at the other end of the rink. A real big liability. In 2006-07, he turned in a -18 in 17 games. That my friends, takes some work. This year he was a -13 in 48 games. Numbers can be misleading but in this case they are not.
And you clearly got the impression that once the Coyotes backed up the truck at the trade deadline, he was pushed further down the lineup by the glut of forwards. The coaching staff seemed to be a little sour on him. Truth be told, more than a little sour.
Lisin is going to be either a very good player in the league or another guy who takes a pass at North American hockey and then goes back to Russia. We’ll be watching the Rangers closely to see how it plays out.
If Lisin is the prototypical risk/reward player, Korpikoski is anything but. An excellent skater, The Korpedo is going to play in the league for 10 years. He’s an excellent penalty killer (something the Yotes’ desperately need) and a very responsible defensive player. What is he is not is an offensive force. He has a nice shot and has shown some offensive flashes. You may have been watching on NBC last year when he scored a goal in his first NHL game, a second round playoff game vs. the Penguins.
At 22, there’s lot of room for growth. Worse case, he’ll ride shotgun with Marty Hanzel on the checking line. Best case, he’ll chip in enough goals to battle for a top six spot.
Although they are very different, both seem like good kids. As Korpikoski is cool and professional, Lisin is charged with emotion. The Finnish born Korpikoski speaks excellent English. Lisin has struggled to learn the language and was homesick when he first came to North America. Last year it was reported that he had made a real attempt to better acclimate himself. For some players it comes easier than others.
Check back in a few years and we’ll tell you who won this trade. Don Maloney wanted the reliability of a player he once drafted who does all of the little things well and has room to grow. The Rangers wanted a high risk/high reward player. Both got what they wanted at a modest price.
And I get to continue to follow the progress of two players whom I immensely like.
The Coyotes are my (Western Division) team. The Rangers are my team. With season tickets for both teams and the NHL TV package I get to see 50-60 of each team’s games every year.
So to say I’m a little torn with tonight’s trade of Enver Lisin for Lauri Korpikoski would be an understatement.
You see, these are two of my favorite players.
Enver Lisin is an exciting player. He’s the best skater in the league and he has a chance to be an outstanding offensive player. How good? 35-40 goals is a realistic ceiling. What impressed me the most this year was how many battles he won in the offensive end. He’s more than just fast; he has great instincts and a wonderful shot. He has a chance to be special. He was one of the few players on the Coyotes who could lift you out of your seat.
Enver’s downside is that like many Russian players, he’s been a liability at the other end of the rink. A real big liability. In 2006-07, he turned in a -18 in 17 games. That my friends, takes some work. This year he was a -13 in 48 games. Numbers can be misleading but in this case they are not.
And you clearly got the impression that once the Coyotes backed up the truck at the trade deadline, he was pushed further down the lineup by the glut of forwards. The coaching staff seemed to be a little sour on him. Truth be told, more than a little sour.
Lisin is going to be either a very good player in the league or another guy who takes a pass at North American hockey and then goes back to Russia. We’ll be watching the Rangers closely to see how it plays out.
If Lisin is the prototypical risk/reward player, Korpikoski is anything but. An excellent skater, The Korpedo is going to play in the league for 10 years. He’s an excellent penalty killer (something the Yotes’ desperately need) and a very responsible defensive player. What is he is not is an offensive force. He has a nice shot and has shown some offensive flashes. You may have been watching on NBC last year when he scored a goal in his first NHL game, a second round playoff game vs. the Penguins.
At 22, there’s lot of room for growth. Worse case, he’ll ride shotgun with Marty Hanzel on the checking line. Best case, he’ll chip in enough goals to battle for a top six spot.
Although they are very different, both seem like good kids. As Korpikoski is cool and professional, Lisin is charged with emotion. The Finnish born Korpikoski speaks excellent English. Lisin has struggled to learn the language and was homesick when he first came to North America. Last year it was reported that he had made a real attempt to better acclimate himself. For some players it comes easier than others.
Check back in a few years and we’ll tell you who won this trade. Don Maloney wanted the reliability of a player he once drafted who does all of the little things well and has room to grow. The Rangers wanted a high risk/high reward player. Both got what they wanted at a modest price.
And I get to continue to follow the progress of two players whom I immensely like.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Coyotes This & That…
Two Coyotes -- Nigel Dawes and Dan Winnik have filed for salary arbitration. This means that if the team and the layers do not reach agreement on a contract, a hearing will be held on a hearing in Toronto between July 20th and August 4th. The players and the team will argue their respective cases and an arbitrator will decide their 2009-10 salary.
The two players cannot sign offer sheets and are bound to play for the Coyotes by the amount decided by the arbitrator. The team has walk away rights from offers if they choose. This could be an issue if Dawes is rewarded with a higher offer than the Coyotes are comfortable paying based on his modest goal scoring over the past two years. On Monday we’ll learn if the Coyotes are invoking team elected salary arbitration on any of their other RFAs. This could happen if negotiations with any of the qualified RFAs are not going well. Watch to see if Keith Yandle or Scott Upshall are taken to arbitration.
Elsewhere, there are still lots of quality players available in free agency. I count 32 players who made more than $2MM last year and another 31 who made between $1-2MM looking for work.
Unfortunately for the Yotes, the number one need on their shopping list is goal scorers and there are not a lot of marksmen still unsigned. And the ones left are generally in the back half of their careers and looking for landing places with contenders. Players like Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay, Saku Koivu, Petr Sykora and Robert Lang are all likely to head to teams looking to win now.
Don Maloney has a few choices. He can break the bank for one of the bigger names. Of those available, Tanguay may be the best price/value option. Or he can roll the dice on a reclamation project. Maxim Afinogenov anyone? Or perhaps he may be to find a trading partner.
If Maloney decides to go the trade route, he has plenty of assets available, mostly on the back end. The Coyotes have 7 NHL defensemen signed for next year (OK, 6 + David Hale) and 4 1st round draft choices coming along. He could also further fortify the backline with any of the several workmanlike defensemen still available. And perhaps that would open up the possibility of trading a defenseman for a scoring forward.
And the ability to move a defenseman could also address the payroll situation. While GMDM still has some money available (The Coyotes are flirting with the cap floor with their current roster) there’s little doubt he would be open to moving the two bad contracts on the team – defensemen Ed Jovanoski and Jim Vandermeer. If he could move either or both contracts, it could open up many possibilities. He would certainly have to take salary back but right now there are more quality defensemen available than scorers.
Several rumor mills are talking about Jovo being in play. There’s little doubt that Maloney has already talked to the player and his agent about possible destinations (likely before the draft) and a deal could happen. The Coyotes would no doubt have been in the Ryan Smyth trade talks but without moving a big contract, they couldn’t take that kind of salary back. It’s almost impossible to guess what players might be available but a big salary for big salary trade could be the next Coyotes move.
And on a somewhat unrelated subject, you may have heard that the Chicago Blackhawks may have missed the deadline for tendering their restricted free agents. If that’s the case as many as 14 Hawks could be declared free agents. It’s a complex case that is being investigated by the NHL and being closely watched by the NHLPA. Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg are the biggest names available and if both became free agents, they would get tremendous interest around the league. Probably too rich for the Coyotes system.
There’s another lesser known player who might interest the Coyotes – goaltender Corey Crawford. He’s projected as the backup in Chicago next year and as a prospect on the rise, he could be a very appealing free agent. Front office fiascos of this nature are not unprecedented – it happened to the New Jersey Devils several years ago. The difference this time around is the salary cap restraints. It would clearly cramp the Hawks going forward.
The two players cannot sign offer sheets and are bound to play for the Coyotes by the amount decided by the arbitrator. The team has walk away rights from offers if they choose. This could be an issue if Dawes is rewarded with a higher offer than the Coyotes are comfortable paying based on his modest goal scoring over the past two years. On Monday we’ll learn if the Coyotes are invoking team elected salary arbitration on any of their other RFAs. This could happen if negotiations with any of the qualified RFAs are not going well. Watch to see if Keith Yandle or Scott Upshall are taken to arbitration.
Elsewhere, there are still lots of quality players available in free agency. I count 32 players who made more than $2MM last year and another 31 who made between $1-2MM looking for work.
Unfortunately for the Yotes, the number one need on their shopping list is goal scorers and there are not a lot of marksmen still unsigned. And the ones left are generally in the back half of their careers and looking for landing places with contenders. Players like Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay, Saku Koivu, Petr Sykora and Robert Lang are all likely to head to teams looking to win now.
Don Maloney has a few choices. He can break the bank for one of the bigger names. Of those available, Tanguay may be the best price/value option. Or he can roll the dice on a reclamation project. Maxim Afinogenov anyone? Or perhaps he may be to find a trading partner.
If Maloney decides to go the trade route, he has plenty of assets available, mostly on the back end. The Coyotes have 7 NHL defensemen signed for next year (OK, 6 + David Hale) and 4 1st round draft choices coming along. He could also further fortify the backline with any of the several workmanlike defensemen still available. And perhaps that would open up the possibility of trading a defenseman for a scoring forward.
And the ability to move a defenseman could also address the payroll situation. While GMDM still has some money available (The Coyotes are flirting with the cap floor with their current roster) there’s little doubt he would be open to moving the two bad contracts on the team – defensemen Ed Jovanoski and Jim Vandermeer. If he could move either or both contracts, it could open up many possibilities. He would certainly have to take salary back but right now there are more quality defensemen available than scorers.
Several rumor mills are talking about Jovo being in play. There’s little doubt that Maloney has already talked to the player and his agent about possible destinations (likely before the draft) and a deal could happen. The Coyotes would no doubt have been in the Ryan Smyth trade talks but without moving a big contract, they couldn’t take that kind of salary back. It’s almost impossible to guess what players might be available but a big salary for big salary trade could be the next Coyotes move.
And on a somewhat unrelated subject, you may have heard that the Chicago Blackhawks may have missed the deadline for tendering their restricted free agents. If that’s the case as many as 14 Hawks could be declared free agents. It’s a complex case that is being investigated by the NHL and being closely watched by the NHLPA. Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg are the biggest names available and if both became free agents, they would get tremendous interest around the league. Probably too rich for the Coyotes system.
There’s another lesser known player who might interest the Coyotes – goaltender Corey Crawford. He’s projected as the backup in Chicago next year and as a prospect on the rise, he could be a very appealing free agent. Front office fiascos of this nature are not unprecedented – it happened to the New Jersey Devils several years ago. The difference this time around is the salary cap restraints. It would clearly cramp the Hawks going forward.
Monday, June 29, 2009
No Nigel?
The 5PM Eastern deadline for qualifying restricted free agents has passed. we'll likely get an update from the Coyotes later today on what players they have qualified and perhaps a couple of contract signings.
Seven players who finished the 2008-09 season on the Coyotes roster are RFAs and must be qualified by today. They are Nigel Dawes, Keith Yandle, Scott Upshall, Daniel Winnik, Joakim Lindstron, Enver Lisin and Brian McGrattan. Petr Prucha was also in this group but he signed a two year contract last week. In addition to players from the NHL roster, Josh Tordjman heads a group of 11 players from the San Antonio Rampage who are also RFAs. Defensemen Sami Lepisto and Shawn Heshka, obtained during the draft weekend and forward Stefan Myers who came over in the Steven Rupprecht trade are also RFAs.
So what does this mean?
Well we expect Yandle and Upshall will be qualified without exception. Both of these players are strong NHL assets and will be looking for long term contracts and big raises. Don Maloney has said he would like to get a fair two way contract in place for Enver Lisin. They would mean making a deal before he is qualified. Lepisto, Heshka and Torjdman are probably in the same boat as Lisin. The Coyotes have already announced that McGrattan is not coming back and Winnik may get an AHL contract.
That leaves Nigel Dawes and Joakim Lindstrom as question marks. Both are depth players who a) have flashed some scoring ability and b) are relatively cheap. Lindstrom had 9 goals in 44 games after coming over in a trade with Anaheim and he made $500,000 last year. Dawes made $587,500 and he potted 10 goals, splitting the season between the Yotes and the New York Rangers.
It's hard to see room for both of them in Phoenix. And in what may or may not be a predictor of what is happening, Dawes has been removed from the Coyotes roster on the team web site. Maloney was disappointed in his play after joining the Coyotes and signals seem to point to Nigel moving on next year.
Once the Coyotes publish their qualifying offers and contract signings, it will give a good picture of what roster moves to expect in the next few days.
Seven players who finished the 2008-09 season on the Coyotes roster are RFAs and must be qualified by today. They are Nigel Dawes, Keith Yandle, Scott Upshall, Daniel Winnik, Joakim Lindstron, Enver Lisin and Brian McGrattan. Petr Prucha was also in this group but he signed a two year contract last week. In addition to players from the NHL roster, Josh Tordjman heads a group of 11 players from the San Antonio Rampage who are also RFAs. Defensemen Sami Lepisto and Shawn Heshka, obtained during the draft weekend and forward Stefan Myers who came over in the Steven Rupprecht trade are also RFAs.
So what does this mean?
Well we expect Yandle and Upshall will be qualified without exception. Both of these players are strong NHL assets and will be looking for long term contracts and big raises. Don Maloney has said he would like to get a fair two way contract in place for Enver Lisin. They would mean making a deal before he is qualified. Lepisto, Heshka and Torjdman are probably in the same boat as Lisin. The Coyotes have already announced that McGrattan is not coming back and Winnik may get an AHL contract.
That leaves Nigel Dawes and Joakim Lindstrom as question marks. Both are depth players who a) have flashed some scoring ability and b) are relatively cheap. Lindstrom had 9 goals in 44 games after coming over in a trade with Anaheim and he made $500,000 last year. Dawes made $587,500 and he potted 10 goals, splitting the season between the Yotes and the New York Rangers.
It's hard to see room for both of them in Phoenix. And in what may or may not be a predictor of what is happening, Dawes has been removed from the Coyotes roster on the team web site. Maloney was disappointed in his play after joining the Coyotes and signals seem to point to Nigel moving on next year.
Once the Coyotes publish their qualifying offers and contract signings, it will give a good picture of what roster moves to expect in the next few days.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Draft, 3 Trades and Where Next?
Draft weekend is a fun time in the NHL. It’s the official start of off-season player movement and one of the key events in building a team for the coming season.
When it comes to the amateur draft, I always take the position of trusting the scouts. Keith Gretzky and his team has done a good job identifying players to draft in the last few years. The Coyotes have lots of good talent already in the NHL, more players on the way and a few unsigned draft choices who could end up being impact players. I get a kick out of the message board experts who really want this player or think that guy can turn around a franchise after watching a few YouTube highlights and reading what so-called draft experts say.
I always appreciate how TSN hockey analyst Bob McKenzie positions himself. McKenzie, who seems to have an direct pipeline to many teams, predicts the draft based on what he hears and what he is told, not what he thinks of the players. A few years ago he predicted the Coyotes were going to go “off the grid” with the 5th pick and they proceeded to pick the much lower rated Blake Wheeler. Think he has sources?
That said, the selection of Ekman-Larsson over Cowen was a bit of a surprise to me. Cowen is a physical, shutdown defensive type unlike anyone the Coyotes have in their organization. Ekman-Larsson shot up draft boards in the last few months and those type of players always scare me a little. Nevertheless, I’ll trust the scouts here and hope they have pegged a very good young player.
General Manager Don Maloney took an innovative route to improving the team by trading a couple of late round draft choices for players who finished last season in the American Hockey League. I did suspect that Maloney would consider trading draft picks for restricted free agents, but frankly I expected the action to be at the top of the Coyotes draft board and not at the bottom.
The Coyotes traded their 5th round pick to the Washington Capitals for the rights to RFA defenseman Sami Lepisto. The Finnish defenseman was stuck behind a number of young defensemen in the Caps system. Lepisto was a 3rd round draft choice in 2004 and has scored 45 and 42 points in his two full AHL seasons. Lepisto has also played 14 NHL games with the Caps. He missed Hershey’s AHL championship run after injuring his spleen in the last week of the regular season.
Maloney then shipped the Yotes’ 7th round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Shaun Heshka. A junior teammate of Peter Mueller, Heshka has spent the last three years with the AHL Manitoba Moose, scoring 14 goals and 62 total points in 211 games. The Moose lost to the Bears in the AHL championship series this year.
Both Lepisto and Heshka have completed his entry level contracts. They will need to be qualified by 5 PM Monday or else they will become an unrestricted free agents. Much like Enver Lisin, Maloney is likely to want a fair two-way contract in place for both players. They may or may not agree leaving the possibility that they will have to be qualified (with a one way contract) or become free agents. One can assume the latter option is unlikely either by prior agreement or qualification.
While trading for restricted free agents is a solid strategy, Maloney is clearly shopping in the bargain aisle. He decided not get in on the action for high profile RFAs like Phil Kessel. One assumes the Coyotes have scouted these players extensively and had enough confidence to swap low draft choices for a shot at these players.
More curious was the trade of Brandon Prust to the Calgary Flames for veteran defenseman Jim Vandermeer.
Prust projected as little more than a 4th line energy player for the Yotes but he was cheap -- $500K. Vandermeer has a bigger price tag. Much bigger. He has two years left on his contract at an annual hit of $2.3MM.
The trade is curious in two ways. Vandemeer is a defensive minded player who lacks mobility. He is a 5th or 6th defenseman on a good team. He is not the offensive minded defenseman that the Coyotes desperately need. And at $2.3MM he takes a big bite out of the $5-6MM that we know Maloney has to spend to get to the salary cap floor. Maloney wants to add veteran leadership and Vandermeer will help in that area but he is at best a modest talent.
One wonders if this trade might have been a second act to the Jokinen trade. It just seems to be very out of character for GMDM.
What is missing right now is the element of excitement to the Coyotes off-season. So far, the biggest fireworks have come in the courtroom. . Taken alone, each of these moves can be explained as reasonable hockey judgement. Collectively, they will not excite the fan base. This franchise badly needs some juice. The Coyotes need to sell tickets, They need to win now. As flawed as the Olli Jokinen trade turned out last year, it did give the franchise a shot of energy. Unfortunately that energy didn’t pay off in a productive season or a playoff berth.
There will be more changes in the next few days and hopefully there will be some exciting hockey news for Coyote fans. As we approach the Monday 5PM deadline for qualifying restricted free agents, more players may become available. And on Wednesday over 100 unrestricted free agents hit the market. The Coyotes will not be players for the available big names but I expect GMDM to be shopping the bargain aisle for useful players. The frenzy of free agent activity will also put shake some players loose in trades and that’s where I expect the Coyotes to have their best chance and giving the franchise a real energy boost.
And a shot of excitement, along with investment by the new owners and lots of hard work are all parts of pumping new life into the franchise. I’m getting sick of the Coyotes being the butt of hockey jokes. (Did you hear Montreal fans chanting “Hamilton” when the Coyotes drafted?) It’s time for this franchise to show up, make a few bold moves and show the community that getting to the playoffs is not only a good talking point, but a real possibility. Bold moves can come in business at any time but if you are building a hockey roster, this is the week to be bold.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Coyotes Reading Room
Some interesting stuff from around the Internet on the eve of the NHL draft
Gretzky would consider a pay cut to stay in his position. Hmmm...
Gretzky would consider a pay cut to stay in his position. Hmmm...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/gretzky-would-consider-salary-cut/article1194684/
Why would Jerry Reinsdorf want to buy the Coyotes?
http://espn.go.com/chicago/columns/blog?post=4281827&name=cimaglia
sounds a lot like our assessment originally posted on May 22nd.
And colorful Leafs GM Brian Burke thinks hockey can be a success in Phoenix...
a position that no doubt most of us will agree with.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
What To Watch For On Draft Day(s)
If you’re taking in the NHL draft on Friday afternoon (4PM, Versus) there are several things to be watching for as the Coyotes are scheduled to pick at #6 and #36. Here are some things keys to look for as the draft develops.
The Bombshell Trade – There’s only one available player out there worthy of the Yotes’ #6 draft pick and that’s Boston Bruin Left Wing Phil Kessel. If there is going to be a major trade at the top of the draft, it will almost certainly include Kessel. The Coyotes have interest in trading for the 21-year-old and if the Bruins are inclined to move him, a package of #6 plus Chris Summers could get it done. Kessel might not last this long because Atlanta at #4 and Los Angeles at #5 could also be interested. If he’s going to be moved, it will almost certainly be to a team with a high draft pick as the salary cap constrained Bruins will be looking for non-NHL assets in return. This could be where Don Maloney drops his second annual draft bombshell (see Olli Jokinen) Of course, this could depend on…
The First 5 Players Picked – Most NHL observers think that John Tavares (no relation to Tony), Victor Hedman, Matt Duchesne, Brayden Schenn and Evander Kane are the top five players available in the draft. If all 5 go before the Coyotes pick at # 6 a trade down becomes more likely. Don Maloney would love to see one of these players slide to #6 so he can select that player or extract a high price from another team to trade down. And that team might be…
The Toronto Maple Leafs – Colorful Leafs GM Brian Burke wants to make his team tougher and more North American. He also wants to move up in the draft to select John Tavares or Brayden Schenn. If Burke cannot get into the top 2 and Schenn falls to 6, he and Maloney could do business. If not the Leafs, the Coyotes are unlikely to trade down below the #9 pick owned by Ottawa because players they value highly will still be available…
And The Coyotes Select – Either Defenseman Jared Cowen of the Spokane Chiefs or Forward Nazim Kadri of the London Knights. Listening to Don Maloney speak earlier this spring, he talked about the top players in the draft as “Tavares, Hedman, Duchene, Kane, Cowen and possibly Kadri”. When it became clear that the Coyotes were drafting at six and that five players were getting the most press (Tavares, Hedman, Duchesne, Kane, Schenn) he changed his tune to list those 5 players. June is liar’s month in the NHL. Players do move up and down the draft board. But it makes sense that Maloney took the easy way out by saying there are 5 great players and we get the next best. Maloney is always thinking.
What unites Cowen and Kadri is the 2008 Memorial Cup. Cowen’s Spokane Chiefs bested Kadri’s (and Mikkel Boedker) Kitchener Rangers in a terrific series. Maloney scouted that tournament heavily, went on to draft Boedker and brought along high opinions of both players. Cowen missed the second half of the 2008-09 season with a knee injury. Kadri was traded to the London Knights where his game really took off in the second half of the season.
Maloney has also alluded to cutbacks in scouting expenses this year. That could mean a less than thorough vetting of the two Euros (Oliver Ekman-Larson and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson ) ranked in the next group of the top 10 available players. That translates to a higher comfort level with players the team is more familiar with.
Cowen is rated higher in most mocks and by NHL Central Scouting. If the Coyotes pick at 6 or 7 he could be the pick. If they go lower or if Cowen is gone, Kadri will likely be the choice. And then on Saturday morning…
The Coyotes Pick at #36 – Or at least they are scheduled to. The early second round choice could go in a number of directions. Maloney has talked about possibly trading down in the 2nd to pick up an additional third round choice. The Coyotes sent their third round choice to Calgary in the Jokinen/Lombardi trade. It could also be packaged, perhaps with Calgary’s #1 in 2010 to move into the second half of the first round. If a player Maloney really likes starts to drop, he could try to trade back into the latter part of the first round.
And don’t discount the possibility of this pick being packaged with other assets to bring back immediate help. This pick won’t realistically help the big club for 2 or 3 years. For a win now team, that may not be good enough. Our guess is that whatever the course, Maloney won’t be picking at #36. He’ll either add assets by trading down or pursue a win now strategy by trading for a younger roster player or a late first round draft choice.
It will be an interesting draft. With uncertainty about how aggressive the Coyotes will (or can) be in the free agent market, trading and drafting are the keys to improving the team. With the pressure of new ownership and the urgency to win sooner rather than later, the Coyotes will be active this weekend. It will be interesting to see how active they are.
The Bombshell Trade – There’s only one available player out there worthy of the Yotes’ #6 draft pick and that’s Boston Bruin Left Wing Phil Kessel. If there is going to be a major trade at the top of the draft, it will almost certainly include Kessel. The Coyotes have interest in trading for the 21-year-old and if the Bruins are inclined to move him, a package of #6 plus Chris Summers could get it done. Kessel might not last this long because Atlanta at #4 and Los Angeles at #5 could also be interested. If he’s going to be moved, it will almost certainly be to a team with a high draft pick as the salary cap constrained Bruins will be looking for non-NHL assets in return. This could be where Don Maloney drops his second annual draft bombshell (see Olli Jokinen) Of course, this could depend on…
The First 5 Players Picked – Most NHL observers think that John Tavares (no relation to Tony), Victor Hedman, Matt Duchesne, Brayden Schenn and Evander Kane are the top five players available in the draft. If all 5 go before the Coyotes pick at # 6 a trade down becomes more likely. Don Maloney would love to see one of these players slide to #6 so he can select that player or extract a high price from another team to trade down. And that team might be…
The Toronto Maple Leafs – Colorful Leafs GM Brian Burke wants to make his team tougher and more North American. He also wants to move up in the draft to select John Tavares or Brayden Schenn. If Burke cannot get into the top 2 and Schenn falls to 6, he and Maloney could do business. If not the Leafs, the Coyotes are unlikely to trade down below the #9 pick owned by Ottawa because players they value highly will still be available…
And The Coyotes Select – Either Defenseman Jared Cowen of the Spokane Chiefs or Forward Nazim Kadri of the London Knights. Listening to Don Maloney speak earlier this spring, he talked about the top players in the draft as “Tavares, Hedman, Duchene, Kane, Cowen and possibly Kadri”. When it became clear that the Coyotes were drafting at six and that five players were getting the most press (Tavares, Hedman, Duchesne, Kane, Schenn) he changed his tune to list those 5 players. June is liar’s month in the NHL. Players do move up and down the draft board. But it makes sense that Maloney took the easy way out by saying there are 5 great players and we get the next best. Maloney is always thinking.
What unites Cowen and Kadri is the 2008 Memorial Cup. Cowen’s Spokane Chiefs bested Kadri’s (and Mikkel Boedker) Kitchener Rangers in a terrific series. Maloney scouted that tournament heavily, went on to draft Boedker and brought along high opinions of both players. Cowen missed the second half of the 2008-09 season with a knee injury. Kadri was traded to the London Knights where his game really took off in the second half of the season.
Maloney has also alluded to cutbacks in scouting expenses this year. That could mean a less than thorough vetting of the two Euros (Oliver Ekman-Larson and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson ) ranked in the next group of the top 10 available players. That translates to a higher comfort level with players the team is more familiar with.
Cowen is rated higher in most mocks and by NHL Central Scouting. If the Coyotes pick at 6 or 7 he could be the pick. If they go lower or if Cowen is gone, Kadri will likely be the choice. And then on Saturday morning…
The Coyotes Pick at #36 – Or at least they are scheduled to. The early second round choice could go in a number of directions. Maloney has talked about possibly trading down in the 2nd to pick up an additional third round choice. The Coyotes sent their third round choice to Calgary in the Jokinen/Lombardi trade. It could also be packaged, perhaps with Calgary’s #1 in 2010 to move into the second half of the first round. If a player Maloney really likes starts to drop, he could try to trade back into the latter part of the first round.
And don’t discount the possibility of this pick being packaged with other assets to bring back immediate help. This pick won’t realistically help the big club for 2 or 3 years. For a win now team, that may not be good enough. Our guess is that whatever the course, Maloney won’t be picking at #36. He’ll either add assets by trading down or pursue a win now strategy by trading for a younger roster player or a late first round draft choice.
It will be an interesting draft. With uncertainty about how aggressive the Coyotes will (or can) be in the free agent market, trading and drafting are the keys to improving the team. With the pressure of new ownership and the urgency to win sooner rather than later, the Coyotes will be active this weekend. It will be interesting to see how active they are.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Coyotes Auction August 5th. Only Local Owners Need Apply
The news is good for Coyotes fans tonight.
For starters, the NHL announced in a court filing and later confirmed in court that the Jerry Reinsdorf-John Kaites (-Tony Tavares?) group would be filing a bid to buy the team by the Friday deadline.
Then Judge Tom dropped a Baum-shell on Jim Balsillie’s bid to move the team to Canada by setting an August 5th auction date for owners who want to operate the team in Arizona. The Judge indicated that he likes the ease of selling the team locally, noting that there would be multiple legal complications to any offer that would move the team, especially if it was against the will of the NHL. Should no local owner be selected or qualified on the August 5th, a second auction would be held on September 10th that could potentially open the team to relocation. Think of this date as “if necessary” and hope that the game is never played.
The NHL has long held that a bid to purchase the team and keep it in Arizona was forthcoming and the news that the bid is imminent is good. Additionally, minority owner John Breslow has talked of offering a bid and there are still others who may be lurking. It remains to be seen if Breslow will enter the bidding by Friday’s deadline but one possibility is that he may join the Reinsdorf- Kaites (-Tavares?) group.
Negotiations with the City of Glendale will be following. The City expressed concern that August 5th was an aggressive deadline. After looking at the alternatives, that will seem like an eternity for them to close a deal.
Still to be revealed are the other members of the bidding group. There has been speculation that Hollywood producer (and aspiring NHL owner) Jerry Bruckheimer may be part of the action. We believe that Arte Moreno, the owner of baseball’s Los Angeles Angels and a Phoenix resident may also be a potential investor.
So now that the Reinsdorf- Kaites (-Tavares?) group is officially out of the water, many questions emerge. There was much speculation early on that Wayne Gretzky would not be retained in his current role if the ownership went in this direction. We’ll find out soon if that is the case. It’s unlikely that the iconic and ever-gracious Gretzky would simply be dismissed but he may be asked to take a lesser and lower paying role in the management of the team.
The player budget floor 2009-10 is also on the table. If Gary Bettman is directing Don Maloney with the understanding that NHL money was paying the bills, you can bet the Coyotes would be close to the floor minimum. With new money and ownership was coming to the table, that could mean a bigger player budget for next year. And with shopping season right around the corner, it’s fair to assume that this issue has already been vetted with the R-K-(T?) group.
And finally, changes in the off-ice management of the team may be on the table. If Tony Tavares is an active participant, that will likely signal some realignment of the front office. One can assume that based on the reports of high administrative expenses, Tony would be a tiger in holding down costs. Tavares has a reputation for being a hardnosed operator but his experience and marketing background could be a large asset to the franchise.
We’ll know a lot more later this week. For now, we’ll take solace in knowing that the cavalry is on the way, they are bringing a checkbook and they seem willing to dig in a make this franchise a success. And they are doing all of these things without dragging the team off to Hamilton.
For starters, the NHL announced in a court filing and later confirmed in court that the Jerry Reinsdorf-John Kaites (-Tony Tavares?) group would be filing a bid to buy the team by the Friday deadline.
Then Judge Tom dropped a Baum-shell on Jim Balsillie’s bid to move the team to Canada by setting an August 5th auction date for owners who want to operate the team in Arizona. The Judge indicated that he likes the ease of selling the team locally, noting that there would be multiple legal complications to any offer that would move the team, especially if it was against the will of the NHL. Should no local owner be selected or qualified on the August 5th, a second auction would be held on September 10th that could potentially open the team to relocation. Think of this date as “if necessary” and hope that the game is never played.
The NHL has long held that a bid to purchase the team and keep it in Arizona was forthcoming and the news that the bid is imminent is good. Additionally, minority owner John Breslow has talked of offering a bid and there are still others who may be lurking. It remains to be seen if Breslow will enter the bidding by Friday’s deadline but one possibility is that he may join the Reinsdorf- Kaites (-Tavares?) group.
Negotiations with the City of Glendale will be following. The City expressed concern that August 5th was an aggressive deadline. After looking at the alternatives, that will seem like an eternity for them to close a deal.
Still to be revealed are the other members of the bidding group. There has been speculation that Hollywood producer (and aspiring NHL owner) Jerry Bruckheimer may be part of the action. We believe that Arte Moreno, the owner of baseball’s Los Angeles Angels and a Phoenix resident may also be a potential investor.
So now that the Reinsdorf- Kaites (-Tavares?) group is officially out of the water, many questions emerge. There was much speculation early on that Wayne Gretzky would not be retained in his current role if the ownership went in this direction. We’ll find out soon if that is the case. It’s unlikely that the iconic and ever-gracious Gretzky would simply be dismissed but he may be asked to take a lesser and lower paying role in the management of the team.
The player budget floor 2009-10 is also on the table. If Gary Bettman is directing Don Maloney with the understanding that NHL money was paying the bills, you can bet the Coyotes would be close to the floor minimum. With new money and ownership was coming to the table, that could mean a bigger player budget for next year. And with shopping season right around the corner, it’s fair to assume that this issue has already been vetted with the R-K-(T?) group.
And finally, changes in the off-ice management of the team may be on the table. If Tony Tavares is an active participant, that will likely signal some realignment of the front office. One can assume that based on the reports of high administrative expenses, Tony would be a tiger in holding down costs. Tavares has a reputation for being a hardnosed operator but his experience and marketing background could be a large asset to the franchise.
We’ll know a lot more later this week. For now, we’ll take solace in knowing that the cavalry is on the way, they are bringing a checkbook and they seem willing to dig in a make this franchise a success. And they are doing all of these things without dragging the team off to Hamilton.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Prucha Re-ups for 2 Years
The Coyotes have signed left wing Petr Prucha to a 2 year contract. Prucha played for $1..6 million last year and likely would not have been qualified at that amount. It's expected he will receive less money in exchange for a two year commitment.
Prucha, who will turn 27 in September, had 2 goals and 8 assists in 19 games after joining the Coyotes at the trade deadline in the Derek Morris trade. In his four year NHL career, he has scored 65 goals including 30 in his rookie season in New York. Prucha is a quick energetic player who could be an nice asset for the Yotes if he can regain his goal scoring touch.
Importantly, this signing shows that GM Don Maloney has some latitude to sign players for more than one season. That's a promising sign.
Update: According to TSN, Prucha's contract is for $1.1 miilion per year.
Prucha, who will turn 27 in September, had 2 goals and 8 assists in 19 games after joining the Coyotes at the trade deadline in the Derek Morris trade. In his four year NHL career, he has scored 65 goals including 30 in his rookie season in New York. Prucha is a quick energetic player who could be an nice asset for the Yotes if he can regain his goal scoring touch.
Importantly, this signing shows that GM Don Maloney has some latitude to sign players for more than one season. That's a promising sign.
Update: According to TSN, Prucha's contract is for $1.1 miilion per year.
Reinprecht Traded to Florida
Steve Reinprecht will not be back with the Coyotes next year. Facing a situation where the team felt they could not resign the player, the Yotes have swapped his rights to the Florida Panthers in exchange for 23-year-old left wing Stefan Myers. We’re checking with our AHL contracts and will have a scouting report on Myers shortly.
Myers was drafted in the second round (#55 overall) by the Panthers in 2003. He has spent the last four seasons with the American League Rochester Americans scoring 64 goals and 130 points in 266 games. He made his NHL debut with the Panthers last year going scoreless in 4 games. Meyer stands 6’ 2” and weighs 194. He is a restricted free agent.
Upon completion of the trade, Reinprecht signed a three year contract with the Panthers averaging just a little over $2 million per season. Since coming to Phoenix in a deadline deal with Calgary in 2005, he had been a useful player who provided leadership and versatility. The 33-year-old went 14-27-41 last year despite missing a month with a shoulder injury. It’s worth noting that his absence from the lineup coincided with the Coyotes February swoon that cost the team any chance at a playoff spot.
Update: Our AHL correspondent (who happens to be in Rochester) tells us that Myers is a good team guy, but only a little above average player for the AHL level. He questions whether Myers can ever be a full time NHLer. Myers has been in Rochester a long time and might've gotten a little stale. Even so, he's still young and maybe with a change of scene and another year older, he might be ready to take another step up.
Myers was drafted in the second round (#55 overall) by the Panthers in 2003. He has spent the last four seasons with the American League Rochester Americans scoring 64 goals and 130 points in 266 games. He made his NHL debut with the Panthers last year going scoreless in 4 games. Meyer stands 6’ 2” and weighs 194. He is a restricted free agent.
Upon completion of the trade, Reinprecht signed a three year contract with the Panthers averaging just a little over $2 million per season. Since coming to Phoenix in a deadline deal with Calgary in 2005, he had been a useful player who provided leadership and versatility. The 33-year-old went 14-27-41 last year despite missing a month with a shoulder injury. It’s worth noting that his absence from the lineup coincided with the Coyotes February swoon that cost the team any chance at a playoff spot.
Update: Our AHL correspondent (who happens to be in Rochester) tells us that Myers is a good team guy, but only a little above average player for the AHL level. He questions whether Myers can ever be a full time NHLer. Myers has been in Rochester a long time and might've gotten a little stale. Even so, he's still young and maybe with a change of scene and another year older, he might be ready to take another step up.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Win. Now.
Yes, the Coyotes have committed to youth. Yes, they have traded veteran chips for younger assets in each of the last two seasons. And yes, they have not only loaded up on youngsters, they’ve played the kids and allowed them to get valuable NHL experience.
In fact, last year the Coyotes routinely played a minimum of 10 players with 2 or less years experience in the league. Phoenix iced the second youngest team in the league last season.
But now the team is in a quandary. Like it or not, this is a win now team. New owners, old owners or for that matter any owners cannot stand another $30 million dollar bloodbath. The only way to fix the financial condition of the team is to win. Now. Until the team on the ice turns the corner, the turnout in the stands will not materialize. No uptick in fan support and we’ll see more summers of wondering whether this team is here for the long haul.
Oh and by the way Don Maloney, you can spend to the salary cap floor. And be sure and get league approval before you make any long term contract commitments.
Gee, thanks.
If you read yesterday’s entry, you know that Maloney has somewhere in the neighborhood of $5-6million to get the two things the Coyotes really need – a high end goal scorer and a top 4 defenseman.
Oy.
So how do they do it?
Well, for starters this is not business as usual. It’s great that the Coyotes have the #6 and #36 pick in this draft. It’s great that they have Calgary’s #1 next year. And Philadelphia’s #2 the year after. Because they will need every one of those assets.
And free agency may or may not help. The uncertainty surrounding the team and the questions about whether there will be long term commitments available may make this a tougher sell. Derek Morris is the most obvious candidate but whether or not he will be affordable is a question.
The Coyotes brain trust needs to think outside of the box. Way outside of the box. Picking the best player available is a nice, safe strategy. It may set the next management team up for success.
So how do the Coyotes stay true to their (current) principles and win now?
Here are a few suggestions…
1. Trade assets, including draft picks for restricted free agents. There’s an interesting dynamic at play in the NHL right now. With so many teams bumping up against the cap, some very good young players may not be affordable to their current teams. Two very capable assets that are rumored to be available are 21 year-old (and 36 goal scorer) Phil Kessel of the Boston Bruins and 23-year-old defenseman Cam Barker of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Both players would fill glaring needs for the Yotes. Kessel is a dynamic goal scorer. Barker hasn’t been all that was hoped for when he was picked 3rd in the draft a few years ago but he contributes on offense (49 points) can run a power play and still has plenty of development time to round out his game.
Both of these players will come with a big ticket. Kessel will want a contract close to $4 million and Barker likely will be in the $2-2.5 million range. Their current teams will also extract a heavy cost in assets, likely draft choices and possibly some current roster players. Prospects like Maxim Goncharov and Chris Summers could also be in play.
Normally trading draft choices is verboten for a rebuilding team. But this is a win now team. Let's say you trade your 1st round pick for Kessel. You’ve added a proven young asset. You can only hope the draft pick turns out as good. That’s one way to be on strategy by continuing to build with youth but it would also dramatically help your chances of winning now.
There’s a lucky strike extra here too. The off-ice buzz this kind of dramatic move would generate could only help the franchise sell tickets.
2. Move Ed Jovanoski. Well, not so fast. Even though he’s doesn’t play up to his paycheck ($6.5 million) he’s still a quality top pair defenseman in the league. He would have to be replaced with a similar caliber player that carries a lower ticket. He could potentially be packaged in one of two ways.
Let’s say that a team below the Coyotes covets a certain player in the draft. Oh, for instance the Toronto Maple Leafs. Picking at 7th, the Leafs could swap picks and defensemen with the Yotes. Jovo goes to Toronto and Tomas Kaberle comes to the desert. It’s pretty much a talent wash but the Coyotes would get about $2 million in salary relief.
Or a team like the Philadelphia Flyers could come into play here. The Flyers desperately need a top pair defenseman and they want to move salary. They may target Florida’s UFA Jay Bouwmeester. If that fails perhaps they would be interested in moving some salary (the oft rumored Joffrey Lupul) and a talented defenseman (Matt Carle?) for Jovo. The Flyers get the top pair defenseman they want and move salary in the process. The Coyotes get two quality players for the cost of one and a half.
Of course, Jovo has a no-trade agreement that will have to be waived. Considering he is really the only bad contract the Coyotes own, I wouldn’t be surprised if Don Maloney hasn’t already visited with him and his representation about this possibility.
3. Take salary AND get assets in a trade. Give is your contracted, your rich, your huddled masses…
A few years ago, the San Jose Sharks obtained a 1st draft choice from the New Jersey Devils to take players off their hands so that the Devils could get under the cap. That could happen again this year. It’s possible that teams may approach the Coyotes and offer players and sweeten the pot with “future considerations” if they would take a bad contract. The problem with this route is that the contracts offered may be really long and really bad. This will be an option but don’t get too excited. There won’t be much value here.
4. And finally, there’s good old fashioned trading. Assert for asset. Most likely the reverse of last year’s Keith Ballard-Olli Jokinen trade with the Coyotes seeking help on defense in exchange for a forward.
Maloney's former employer, the New York Rangers, have long been one of Maloney's favorite trading partners. That pattern could continue this off season. One of the Coyotes biggest needs is are right handed shooting defensemen. The Rangers have 6 on their NHL roster and could be interested in moving one to fill some of their glaring holes on the wing.
If we are talking a talent for talent swap here, something along the lines of a Viktor Tikhonov for Bobby Sanguinetti trade could be possible. The Rangers need good young forwards. Sanguinetti was a former first round choice of Maloney's in New York, who is considered to be NHL ready after an impressive rookie season in the American Hockey League. Both teams fill a real need with players drafted in similar positions and each one year into their entry level contract.
It’s a real challenging problem. Stay true to youth. Build a franchise foundation. And, oh yes, win now! It will challenge Don Maloney in ways he never imagined when he took this job. And as the Coyotes face the most important summer ever, his work will go a long way to determining whether the team will succeed next year on and off the ice.
In fact, last year the Coyotes routinely played a minimum of 10 players with 2 or less years experience in the league. Phoenix iced the second youngest team in the league last season.
But now the team is in a quandary. Like it or not, this is a win now team. New owners, old owners or for that matter any owners cannot stand another $30 million dollar bloodbath. The only way to fix the financial condition of the team is to win. Now. Until the team on the ice turns the corner, the turnout in the stands will not materialize. No uptick in fan support and we’ll see more summers of wondering whether this team is here for the long haul.
Oh and by the way Don Maloney, you can spend to the salary cap floor. And be sure and get league approval before you make any long term contract commitments.
Gee, thanks.
If you read yesterday’s entry, you know that Maloney has somewhere in the neighborhood of $5-6million to get the two things the Coyotes really need – a high end goal scorer and a top 4 defenseman.
Oy.
So how do they do it?
Well, for starters this is not business as usual. It’s great that the Coyotes have the #6 and #36 pick in this draft. It’s great that they have Calgary’s #1 next year. And Philadelphia’s #2 the year after. Because they will need every one of those assets.
And free agency may or may not help. The uncertainty surrounding the team and the questions about whether there will be long term commitments available may make this a tougher sell. Derek Morris is the most obvious candidate but whether or not he will be affordable is a question.
The Coyotes brain trust needs to think outside of the box. Way outside of the box. Picking the best player available is a nice, safe strategy. It may set the next management team up for success.
So how do the Coyotes stay true to their (current) principles and win now?
Here are a few suggestions…
1. Trade assets, including draft picks for restricted free agents. There’s an interesting dynamic at play in the NHL right now. With so many teams bumping up against the cap, some very good young players may not be affordable to their current teams. Two very capable assets that are rumored to be available are 21 year-old (and 36 goal scorer) Phil Kessel of the Boston Bruins and 23-year-old defenseman Cam Barker of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Both players would fill glaring needs for the Yotes. Kessel is a dynamic goal scorer. Barker hasn’t been all that was hoped for when he was picked 3rd in the draft a few years ago but he contributes on offense (49 points) can run a power play and still has plenty of development time to round out his game.
Both of these players will come with a big ticket. Kessel will want a contract close to $4 million and Barker likely will be in the $2-2.5 million range. Their current teams will also extract a heavy cost in assets, likely draft choices and possibly some current roster players. Prospects like Maxim Goncharov and Chris Summers could also be in play.
Normally trading draft choices is verboten for a rebuilding team. But this is a win now team. Let's say you trade your 1st round pick for Kessel. You’ve added a proven young asset. You can only hope the draft pick turns out as good. That’s one way to be on strategy by continuing to build with youth but it would also dramatically help your chances of winning now.
There’s a lucky strike extra here too. The off-ice buzz this kind of dramatic move would generate could only help the franchise sell tickets.
2. Move Ed Jovanoski. Well, not so fast. Even though he’s doesn’t play up to his paycheck ($6.5 million) he’s still a quality top pair defenseman in the league. He would have to be replaced with a similar caliber player that carries a lower ticket. He could potentially be packaged in one of two ways.
Let’s say that a team below the Coyotes covets a certain player in the draft. Oh, for instance the Toronto Maple Leafs. Picking at 7th, the Leafs could swap picks and defensemen with the Yotes. Jovo goes to Toronto and Tomas Kaberle comes to the desert. It’s pretty much a talent wash but the Coyotes would get about $2 million in salary relief.
Or a team like the Philadelphia Flyers could come into play here. The Flyers desperately need a top pair defenseman and they want to move salary. They may target Florida’s UFA Jay Bouwmeester. If that fails perhaps they would be interested in moving some salary (the oft rumored Joffrey Lupul) and a talented defenseman (Matt Carle?) for Jovo. The Flyers get the top pair defenseman they want and move salary in the process. The Coyotes get two quality players for the cost of one and a half.
Of course, Jovo has a no-trade agreement that will have to be waived. Considering he is really the only bad contract the Coyotes own, I wouldn’t be surprised if Don Maloney hasn’t already visited with him and his representation about this possibility.
3. Take salary AND get assets in a trade. Give is your contracted, your rich, your huddled masses…
A few years ago, the San Jose Sharks obtained a 1st draft choice from the New Jersey Devils to take players off their hands so that the Devils could get under the cap. That could happen again this year. It’s possible that teams may approach the Coyotes and offer players and sweeten the pot with “future considerations” if they would take a bad contract. The problem with this route is that the contracts offered may be really long and really bad. This will be an option but don’t get too excited. There won’t be much value here.
4. And finally, there’s good old fashioned trading. Assert for asset. Most likely the reverse of last year’s Keith Ballard-Olli Jokinen trade with the Coyotes seeking help on defense in exchange for a forward.
Maloney's former employer, the New York Rangers, have long been one of Maloney's favorite trading partners. That pattern could continue this off season. One of the Coyotes biggest needs is are right handed shooting defensemen. The Rangers have 6 on their NHL roster and could be interested in moving one to fill some of their glaring holes on the wing.
If we are talking a talent for talent swap here, something along the lines of a Viktor Tikhonov for Bobby Sanguinetti trade could be possible. The Rangers need good young forwards. Sanguinetti was a former first round choice of Maloney's in New York, who is considered to be NHL ready after an impressive rookie season in the American Hockey League. Both teams fill a real need with players drafted in similar positions and each one year into their entry level contract.
It’s a real challenging problem. Stay true to youth. Build a franchise foundation. And, oh yes, win now! It will challenge Don Maloney in ways he never imagined when he took this job. And as the Coyotes face the most important summer ever, his work will go a long way to determining whether the team will succeed next year on and off the ice.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
I'd Rather Be Talking About Hockey
Isn’t it a pleasure to spend some time talking about hockey?
As the Coyotes get ready for the NHL draft and free agency, I thought a good place to start would be a review of the Coyotes salary cap situation and the internal decisions they will need to make over the next few weeks. Since the Coyotes are still technically bankrupt, they are controlled by agreement between the NHL and the Moyes camp. Of course, the NHL is footing the bills but a player budget will have to be agreed upon by both sides. One can probably assume that until a new owner is in place, the team will be spending at or near the salary cap floor. While the NHL has stood firm for Phoenix, there is a definite limit to their largesse.
The NHL salary structure capped all teams at a $56.7 Million payroll in 2008-09. The amount is unlikely to change in 2009-10 and it will likely slide backwards in 2010-11. The cap structure also requires teams to spend to a salary cap floor, which was $40.7 million in 2008-09.
At the trading deadline, Coyote GM Don Maloney made a number of moves that changed the makeup, culture and payroll of the Coyotes. Maloney’s efforts did not go unnoticed. Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke called Maloney “the first star” of the trading deadline. According to Burke, Maloney gave himself “tremendous salary cap flexibility” that could turn out to be an asset in the trading activity that surrounds the draft.
The Coyotes have 16 players who played all or most of the season in the NHL under contract for 2009-2010. That group accounts for a base salary cap hit of $29.4 Million Dollars. In addition, the Yotes are still carrying a $700K annual buyout payment to former player Dave Scatchard.
Here are the players under contract…
6 players have the potential to earn an additional $3.9 million in entry level contract bonuses. This money includes signing, games played and performance bonuses. For the purposes of the salary cap, only signing bonuses and games played bonuses (when reached) can be counted against the cap. So if you are building an annual budget, it makes sense to start at the base cap salaries.
The Yotes have 8 restricted free agents on their roster – Keith Yandle, Scott Upshall, Enver Lisin, Nigel Dawes, Petr Prucha, Josh Tordjman, Dan Winnik, Joakim Lindstrom and Brian McGrattan.
Yandle and Upshall will definitely be qualified and should expect contracts in the $1.6-1.7 range. Don Maloney has stated he wants to sign Lisin to a 2-way contract but he is also expected to have an offer from a Russian KHL team. Best case – about an $800K NHL salary. Prucha won’t be qualified but he may be willing to sign for less than the $1.6MM he made last year. He could also end up in the KHL with fellow Czech and former New York Ranger teammate Jaromir Jagr. Dawes and Lindstrom may or may not be qualified. They are inexpensive assets but both are little more than depth players. McGrattan won’t be back and Winnik will at best get a 2-way contract.
So with Yandle and Upshall in for $3.5MM total and either Prucha or Lisin at $800K-$1 Million, that brings the payout for 19 players to about $33.8 million. That leaves about $7 million for free agents.
Steven Reinprecht was a team leader last year and a reliable player. $2 million is probably too pricey for a return engagement but he may be willing to sign for less money. Let’s say $1.5MM. Ken Klee was an excellent pickup and mentor on defense for $625K. He could be back at the same money. Dimitri Kalinin is unlikely to return.
Soooo…if you agree to this point, the Coyotes would have spent approx. $36 million on 21 players. That leaves approx $5.7 million and some large holes to fill. Tomorrow, I’ll look at some of the Coyotes options to fill out their roster with free agents, trades and draft day maneuvering.
As the Coyotes get ready for the NHL draft and free agency, I thought a good place to start would be a review of the Coyotes salary cap situation and the internal decisions they will need to make over the next few weeks. Since the Coyotes are still technically bankrupt, they are controlled by agreement between the NHL and the Moyes camp. Of course, the NHL is footing the bills but a player budget will have to be agreed upon by both sides. One can probably assume that until a new owner is in place, the team will be spending at or near the salary cap floor. While the NHL has stood firm for Phoenix, there is a definite limit to their largesse.
The NHL salary structure capped all teams at a $56.7 Million payroll in 2008-09. The amount is unlikely to change in 2009-10 and it will likely slide backwards in 2010-11. The cap structure also requires teams to spend to a salary cap floor, which was $40.7 million in 2008-09.
At the trading deadline, Coyote GM Don Maloney made a number of moves that changed the makeup, culture and payroll of the Coyotes. Maloney’s efforts did not go unnoticed. Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke called Maloney “the first star” of the trading deadline. According to Burke, Maloney gave himself “tremendous salary cap flexibility” that could turn out to be an asset in the trading activity that surrounds the draft.
The Coyotes have 16 players who played all or most of the season in the NHL under contract for 2009-2010. That group accounts for a base salary cap hit of $29.4 Million Dollars. In addition, the Yotes are still carrying a $700K annual buyout payment to former player Dave Scatchard.
Here are the players under contract…
6 players have the potential to earn an additional $3.9 million in entry level contract bonuses. This money includes signing, games played and performance bonuses. For the purposes of the salary cap, only signing bonuses and games played bonuses (when reached) can be counted against the cap. So if you are building an annual budget, it makes sense to start at the base cap salaries.The Yotes have 8 restricted free agents on their roster – Keith Yandle, Scott Upshall, Enver Lisin, Nigel Dawes, Petr Prucha, Josh Tordjman, Dan Winnik, Joakim Lindstrom and Brian McGrattan.
Yandle and Upshall will definitely be qualified and should expect contracts in the $1.6-1.7 range. Don Maloney has stated he wants to sign Lisin to a 2-way contract but he is also expected to have an offer from a Russian KHL team. Best case – about an $800K NHL salary. Prucha won’t be qualified but he may be willing to sign for less than the $1.6MM he made last year. He could also end up in the KHL with fellow Czech and former New York Ranger teammate Jaromir Jagr. Dawes and Lindstrom may or may not be qualified. They are inexpensive assets but both are little more than depth players. McGrattan won’t be back and Winnik will at best get a 2-way contract.
So with Yandle and Upshall in for $3.5MM total and either Prucha or Lisin at $800K-$1 Million, that brings the payout for 19 players to about $33.8 million. That leaves about $7 million for free agents.
Steven Reinprecht was a team leader last year and a reliable player. $2 million is probably too pricey for a return engagement but he may be willing to sign for less money. Let’s say $1.5MM. Ken Klee was an excellent pickup and mentor on defense for $625K. He could be back at the same money. Dimitri Kalinin is unlikely to return.
Soooo…if you agree to this point, the Coyotes would have spent approx. $36 million on 21 players. That leaves approx $5.7 million and some large holes to fill. Tomorrow, I’ll look at some of the Coyotes options to fill out their roster with free agents, trades and draft day maneuvering.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
A Sigh of Relief
The news today is good. Judge Redfield “Tom” Baum ruled against the Moyes/Balsillie motion that would have forced the bankrupt team to auction next Monday. The team will remain in Phoenix for the near term and under the agreement between Moyes and the NHL, it will likely be auctioned sometime in September. An auction that the NHL hopes will bring new local ownership that will stabilize the franchise for years to come.
The ruling is a big win for the NHL and Phoenix hockey fans. The league argued that the bid was an attempt to circumvent the league rules on where teams play and franchise ownership. The court clearly sided with the NHL on franchise relocation. “Simply put, the court disagrees with the assertions by the Debtors and PSE that the relocation requirement can be excised from the contract”, said the Judge. It did not address the franchise ownership issue directly but implied that the league has the right to approve ownership groups.
So for now, Mr. Balsillie can consider the side door closed. Slammed in his face might be a better description.
And pardon us if we enjoy a laugh at some of the self serving spin coming out of Canada today. “A setback, not a defeat” according to Team Balsillie. As Shane Doan might say (in those annoying Desert School commercials) “Really”?
The entire decision goes into much richer detail. And it refutes the Moyes/Balsillie contentions at most every point. You can read it here...
http://multimedia.thestar.com/acrobat/58/ef/9fa676434959a4de525fe6a8a7c3.pdf
Judge Tom did throw Jim Balsillie a bone by saying that since he was already approved by the league as an owner in 2007 (and unless things had dramatically changed) it would be no less than good faith to assume that he would be approved today. “Absent… material changes in PSE’s conditions since 2006, it appears to the court that the NHL cannot object or withhold its’ consent to PSE becoming the controlling owner of the Phoenix Coyotes.”, he said. I wonder if challenging the league in court and trying to circumvent league rules might constitute a change in circumstances.
Woven through Judge Tom’s bankruptcy decision was plenty of homespun advice to all parties.
For Jerry Moyes, there was a very pointed message. You signed up to be a member of the NHL. You agreed to play by these rules. And your filings were late, in some cases incomplete and did not comply with league rules.
For the NHL, it was a message that while today’s ruling pretty much guaranteed that the Coyotes will stay this season in Phoenix, the future of the franchise is still murky. The team will be auctioned off in the future. And the Judge also made it clear that moving a franchise has not “wreaked havoc” on professional sports leagues. That argument won’t work here.
And Glendale, the big winner in yesterday’s ruling can take some solace in the judges’ words. “It is proper for the court to refuse to authorize rejection of an executor contract where the party whose contract is to be rejected would be damaged disproportionately to any benefit to be derived by the general creditors.” The judge, however, went on to chastise Glendale for a less than complete accounting of the general creditors. Nevertheless, he made his point loud and clear. Breaking this contract will take a lot. That’s probably the best news for the long term prospects of the franchise.
So today, the Coyotes live. It’s hardly a clean bill of health but for it sure beats the alternatives. Like most big wins in the hockey, the franchise needs to build on this win. Simply getting a stay of execution is not enough. The organization needs to make big changes in the on-ice product, off-ice marketing and slash organizational expenses to make certain that hockey grows its’ appeal in Phoenix. It’s good to get one win under your belt. Now the organization and the NHL need to think about closing out the series.
Always keeping in mind that the last win of any series is always the hardest.
The ruling is a big win for the NHL and Phoenix hockey fans. The league argued that the bid was an attempt to circumvent the league rules on where teams play and franchise ownership. The court clearly sided with the NHL on franchise relocation. “Simply put, the court disagrees with the assertions by the Debtors and PSE that the relocation requirement can be excised from the contract”, said the Judge. It did not address the franchise ownership issue directly but implied that the league has the right to approve ownership groups.
So for now, Mr. Balsillie can consider the side door closed. Slammed in his face might be a better description.
And pardon us if we enjoy a laugh at some of the self serving spin coming out of Canada today. “A setback, not a defeat” according to Team Balsillie. As Shane Doan might say (in those annoying Desert School commercials) “Really”?
The entire decision goes into much richer detail. And it refutes the Moyes/Balsillie contentions at most every point. You can read it here...
http://multimedia.thestar.com/acrobat/58/ef/9fa676434959a4de525fe6a8a7c3.pdf
Judge Tom did throw Jim Balsillie a bone by saying that since he was already approved by the league as an owner in 2007 (and unless things had dramatically changed) it would be no less than good faith to assume that he would be approved today. “Absent… material changes in PSE’s conditions since 2006, it appears to the court that the NHL cannot object or withhold its’ consent to PSE becoming the controlling owner of the Phoenix Coyotes.”, he said. I wonder if challenging the league in court and trying to circumvent league rules might constitute a change in circumstances.
Woven through Judge Tom’s bankruptcy decision was plenty of homespun advice to all parties.
For Jerry Moyes, there was a very pointed message. You signed up to be a member of the NHL. You agreed to play by these rules. And your filings were late, in some cases incomplete and did not comply with league rules.
For the NHL, it was a message that while today’s ruling pretty much guaranteed that the Coyotes will stay this season in Phoenix, the future of the franchise is still murky. The team will be auctioned off in the future. And the Judge also made it clear that moving a franchise has not “wreaked havoc” on professional sports leagues. That argument won’t work here.
And Glendale, the big winner in yesterday’s ruling can take some solace in the judges’ words. “It is proper for the court to refuse to authorize rejection of an executor contract where the party whose contract is to be rejected would be damaged disproportionately to any benefit to be derived by the general creditors.” The judge, however, went on to chastise Glendale for a less than complete accounting of the general creditors. Nevertheless, he made his point loud and clear. Breaking this contract will take a lot. That’s probably the best news for the long term prospects of the franchise.
So today, the Coyotes live. It’s hardly a clean bill of health but for it sure beats the alternatives. Like most big wins in the hockey, the franchise needs to build on this win. Simply getting a stay of execution is not enough. The organization needs to make big changes in the on-ice product, off-ice marketing and slash organizational expenses to make certain that hockey grows its’ appeal in Phoenix. It’s good to get one win under your belt. Now the organization and the NHL need to think about closing out the series.
Always keeping in mind that the last win of any series is always the hardest.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Tick, Tick, Tick
The earliest we will be hearing from Judge Tom is Monday June 15th. If he were to rule in favor of the Moyes-Balsillie arguments in the Coyotes bankruptcy hearing, the team would be auctioned off on Monday June 22nd.
Of course, that assumes nothing gets in the way of the bankruptcy decision and the auction. And "nothing" is not a likely outcome.
If Judge Tom (and we now have confirmed that's what he likes to be called) drops a Baumshell says the auction is on, then there will likely be two immediate appeals (the NHL and The City of Glendale) and the possibility of additional flanker lawsuits from involved parties like ARAMARK. In the cases of the NHL and Glendale, appeals to the 9th District Court of Appeals will almost surely ask for injunctions against the auction based on all of the the legal issues that have been catalogued here and elsewhere.
Which puts this entire debate squarely on the clock. The auction is scheduled in 7 days. The NHL draft is in 12 days. Free agency opens 5 days after the draft. And the NHL schedule is traditionally announced right after the 4th of July. (It is in fact completed) And Judge Tom is leaving on vacation a week from Tuesday.
So?
Well, I think that the good Judge has clearly helped the short term hand of the NHL by delaying the decision until at least Monday. He knows there will be appeals and injunctions. He knows that getting all issues cleared so that there can be an auction in 7 days is highly unlikely. And he knows that the Balsillie bid could expire, although no one really expects him to stop chasing the team. He also knows that the NHL has offered to fund the team until a September auction can be held.
And for all we know, he may have decided that the thought of having an auction on June 22nd simply isn't going to work.
Some Canadian reporters have speculated that the judge may be making time for the two sides to reach a negotiated settlement. That's highly unlikely. If there were talks underway, it would have been leaked to the Canadian press by now. And any negotiation that would move the team would still be subject to the full wrath of Glendale and their lawyers. No one is going to work a deal with them.
And he also knows that there are antitrust implications. The league would likely vote quickly to deny the franchise transfer. That would only set off more court battles and a less swift recovery for the creditors.
The logical explanation is that The Judge has decided to delay the auction to September. The Judge knows that the asset is not going to lose value. And he also knows the NHL will fund the team until a new owner is found. Whether or not he sides with Moyes/Balsillie or the NHL, he also knows that any decision to conduct the auction next Monday will be appealed and likely delayed by injunction.
Of course, any time a lay man (or in this case, a blogger) decides to interpret the law and predict what judges are going to do, it comes with no guarantee.
So for now, we wait. I would much rather be writing about the very interesting draft, free agent and trade market that will open later this week. Hopefully we can get on to that by the middle of the week.
Of course, that assumes nothing gets in the way of the bankruptcy decision and the auction. And "nothing" is not a likely outcome.
If Judge Tom (and we now have confirmed that's what he likes to be called) drops a Baumshell says the auction is on, then there will likely be two immediate appeals (the NHL and The City of Glendale) and the possibility of additional flanker lawsuits from involved parties like ARAMARK. In the cases of the NHL and Glendale, appeals to the 9th District Court of Appeals will almost surely ask for injunctions against the auction based on all of the the legal issues that have been catalogued here and elsewhere.
Which puts this entire debate squarely on the clock. The auction is scheduled in 7 days. The NHL draft is in 12 days. Free agency opens 5 days after the draft. And the NHL schedule is traditionally announced right after the 4th of July. (It is in fact completed) And Judge Tom is leaving on vacation a week from Tuesday.
So?
Well, I think that the good Judge has clearly helped the short term hand of the NHL by delaying the decision until at least Monday. He knows there will be appeals and injunctions. He knows that getting all issues cleared so that there can be an auction in 7 days is highly unlikely. And he knows that the Balsillie bid could expire, although no one really expects him to stop chasing the team. He also knows that the NHL has offered to fund the team until a September auction can be held.
And for all we know, he may have decided that the thought of having an auction on June 22nd simply isn't going to work.
Some Canadian reporters have speculated that the judge may be making time for the two sides to reach a negotiated settlement. That's highly unlikely. If there were talks underway, it would have been leaked to the Canadian press by now. And any negotiation that would move the team would still be subject to the full wrath of Glendale and their lawyers. No one is going to work a deal with them.
And he also knows that there are antitrust implications. The league would likely vote quickly to deny the franchise transfer. That would only set off more court battles and a less swift recovery for the creditors.
The logical explanation is that The Judge has decided to delay the auction to September. The Judge knows that the asset is not going to lose value. And he also knows the NHL will fund the team until a new owner is found. Whether or not he sides with Moyes/Balsillie or the NHL, he also knows that any decision to conduct the auction next Monday will be appealed and likely delayed by injunction.
Of course, any time a lay man (or in this case, a blogger) decides to interpret the law and predict what judges are going to do, it comes with no guarantee.
So for now, we wait. I would much rather be writing about the very interesting draft, free agent and trade market that will open later this week. Hopefully we can get on to that by the middle of the week.
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