The Colorado Avalanche have been in the headlines constantly thanks to their ongoing negotiations (or lack thereof) with Mikko Rantanen, and today more information came out about the contract talks. Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that the Avalanche are trying to secure a six- to eight-year deal that would carry an average annual value somewhere between $8.4MM and $8.75MM. A three-year term with a $9.5MM cap hit would be a “non-starter” for the Avalanche according to Clark, and that the goal is still to get the young forward signed long-term.
Rantanen’s agent recently posed a comparison between his client and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, who notably signed a six-year deal as well. Unfortunately for the Avalanche, Marner’s cap hit came in at $10.893MM, quite a bit higher than the reported numbers Colorado is looking for. The Avalanche begin their season on Thursday, October 3rd.
- The Washington Capitals have hired former NHL forward Jim Slater, adding him to their player development department. Slater spent the last four seasons in Switzerland and announced his retirement earlier this summer. A first-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2002, Slater played 584 games in the NHL and recorded 138 points.
- The Montreal Canadiens aren’t the only Canadian team with a young forward dealing with a concussion. Vitaly Abramov of the Ottawa Senators has suffered a concussion as well according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, obviously putting the rest of his training camp in jeopardy. The 21-year old forward made his NHL debut last year after a trade brought him to Ottawa, and was expected to compete for a spot this season.
Dear Rantanen: Marner will get paid in MLSE monopoly-money, from their long-notorious money-printing machine. YOU can only get paid in Kroenke manhole covers. YOU cannot get traded to TOR, as they are full-up at the inn. Very FEW teams have cap space/draft picks to trade for you. And, because you are establishing yourself as yet another pissant, you are limiting the number of potential trade partners for the team. Quit trying to be the pre-eminent CAP-CANNIBAL in the Inter-Mountain West and sign for a reasonable number. REASONABLE FOR THE TEAM! Or take a 2-3 year bridge and go elsewhere.
Mind if we plagiarize this message in the great white northern flatland and send to Hannibal Laine?
You can never fault someone for wanting to be paid equally amongst their peers. It’s what keeps salaries rising. Also, these guys have a skill set that lets them demand $10.5 mil why shouldn’t they pursue it?
@nextonehasbeen – Be My Guest!
Each team has to have its own salary structure that must be adhered to. Not all teams have equal revenue streams and can only afford to pay players based on that. The salary cap isn’t going to double anytime soon, but agents and players seem to think otherwise. Overpay one player so you can get rid of two to fit under the cap doesn’t make good business sense. At the rate things are going, this league will start looking like the 3-like ECHL sooner, rather than later. Lots of ice time for everybody, lots of Rodeo Hockey & Prison Rules, too.
*NOT* “3-like” — try 3-line ECHL!
But why should he take 2 mil less when his PPG in his career are very similar to Marner’s? Teams can have internal budgets and that’s fine but he shouldn’t just settle when he’s a top tier player
Except all NHL teams are owned by billionaires and have a salary cap that is directly tied to profits. Therefore, all teams can afford to give out the contracts that players have earned, like Marner’s. However some teams know that they can convince fans that somehow the guys trying to earn fair market value are the greedy ones and then the owners just pocket the money not spent.
I’ll take $100,000 too bad I can’t skate. enjoy your time with Laine overseas. Cap Cannibal , I like that one Rantanen stars in part 2 behind Laine. they offered you 6 to 8 years at between $8.4 to $8.75 put your pride in your back pocket it will take the extra space in your bank bag.
Well put, my friend!
I’ve always been a fan of incentive contracts; if you’re a superstar you make $3M as per all other superstars, but if you achieve specific goals you scam make more…. 50 points, 50 goals, playoffs berth, division champs, conference champs, Stanley cup champs. If each goal were worth $1.5M, that superstar could make an additional $9M. Work the numbers as you will, per position even but now you have players that are incentivized to play their hearts out or just chill. That would make exciting hockey.
@border – the incentive contract idea is too good. Agents and players don’t want a low salary with boatloads of incentive clauses because they don’t trust the team to give them the opportunity to earn them. Now, they want to play mickey-mouse-games with low-ball salaries and monopoly-money signing bonuses. All of which is guaranteed. Way back in the Original Six days, owners would pull the rug out from under players who negotiated incentive clauses to make sure they could screw them over twice. Then, that Ted Lindsay guy came along and said “enough of this crap!” He was outspoken about the injustice and got crapped on for it. Most of us fans on the outside had the utmost respect and admiration for his efforts.
I think Mikko is worth $9.5-$10M per season and Colorado should sign him to an 8-year deal. He’s big, strong, no major injury concerns, coming off back to back 80+ point seasons. He has a shot percentage of 16.2% the last two years. He’s only 22. And in a few years even this contract I’m proposing may look like a steal. Hockey contracts are about to get significantly larger. He’s an elite winger. Just pay the man and get him locked up. Colorado has an up and coming team and he’s a cornerstone.
@ruckus727 – much as it pains me, this is one of the few times I agree with Joey S. It isn’t about today, but managing the salary structure for years to come. Those numbers are a bit too high for the team, but there is no reason not to be in the $7MM-8MM range. And, remember, the team may want to lock him up for 8 years, but Rantanen might want a Matthews-like 5 years. His leverage is to sit out for as long as he wants. The team can wait him out, even though they will be significantly weaker without him in the lineup. Could it cost them a playoff spot? Very possible. Could they get by without him and still make the playoffs? Slight possibility. If it happens, it would be due to an incredible coaching job by Coach Bednar.
In a previous article by Gavin on 9/19/10 in was the statement “The Av’s aren’t gonna pay Mitch Marner money. From a story by Pierre LeBrun . Never said he wasn’t a good young player that has been established in last couple of years , thou has helped form one of best line combinations of recent years with Landeskog, and MacKinnon , the salary cap will go up in next few years , if I remember if not mistaken Gavin had written it and created story , hopefully he may chime in and re-submit the list of next few years one mentioned that when Seattle joins league in 21-22 there will be a big salary cap jump. also Colorado has to look at contracts of Landeskog, Grubauer, and Makar in same year also stated in same article from couple days ago. I don’t see Rantanen getting Marner money , maybe no incentive laden contract but more money on 8 year after 21-22 when cap goes up ,
2020-21 on expansion Seattle , my mistake on comment , to make up for it to everybody , I just found a site for the possible uniforms for the Franchise.
link to google.com