The NHL makes no sense at all

[bobatundi]

Nor does it make any dollars, for that matter.

I just read that the Flyers traded a 1st round pick--#23 overall--for the rights to two players who were going to become unrestricted free agents on July 1st, then signed both to huge long-term contracts (well, huge by hockey standards).

Here's my question: why not wait until July 1st and sign them both to those same deals, and keep your 1st round pick? One article I read said this gave them "exclusive negotiating rights." Big freakin' deal--if they weren't going to offer these guys top dollar, the players could just wait two more weeks to become UFAs; otherwise, what was gained here? This seems to me like about the most worthless use of a 1st round draft pick since Pavel Podkolzine; can anyone else shed any light on this for me? What am I missing? Or is it just more of hockey's incredible stupidity, the likes of which have landed it below poker in the TV ratings.

[ilMavvento]

Well, this way they are setting the market preemptively instead of reacting to it. They have the cap space to sign both players to contracts that they knew Hartnell and Timonen would accept and they won't have to worry about a bidding war. That 1st round pick was Nashville's anyway that was acquired in the Forsberg trade earlier this year. Philly got prospects in that trade that are more valuable than the 1st rounder anyway. It also could have been sort of a sweetheart deal that was negotiated in advance (although they would deny that of course) so that Nashville doesn't lose 2 UFA's for nothing and Philly lands their targets.

[Flacolaco]

Originally Posted by ilMavvento

Well, this way they are setting the market preemptively instead of reacting to it. They have the cap space to sign both players to contracts that they knew Hartnell and Timonen would accept and they won't have to worry about a bidding war. That 1st round pick was Nashville's anyway that was acquired in the Forsberg trade earlier this year. Philly got prospects in that trade that are more valuable than the 1st rounder anyway. It also could have been sort of a sweetheart deal that was negotiated in advance (although they would deny that of course) so that Nashville doesn't lose 2 UFA's for nothing and Philly lands their targets.

He's right.

Can you post a link? Who was it? Are you sure they weren't RFAs and the team was allowed to match the offer?

[chumdawg]

Interesting. Seems a bit like a poker game. It looks to me like Philly decided that A) that #23 wasn't worth crap to them anyway, and B) the exclusive negotiating rights were in some way valuable--in fact, more valuable than the crappy draft pick.

As for B, evidently they were right, as they now have both players under lock and key. Now, then, either one of two things is true. Either the Flyers could have had them anyway if they had waited, being willing to pay what would prove to be the highest price, and in doing so gave away the draft pick...or, the players themselves were the dumb ones by not waiting the two weeks to hit the open market.

My guess is that the Flyers could have probably bought them anyway, given what they were willing to spend, but they simply didn't value that draft pick at all--and perhaps were happy to part with it, even--and in doing this deal they locked in the plans they have in mind, which may have a real impact on their short-term moves going forward.

They now have certainty, and perhaps they have even been prescient in predicting future market conditions. Who knows...maybe somebody gets desperate and ponies up even more than what they signed these guys for.

Put it this way: Do you think the Mavs might have enjoyed having a two-week exclusive window with Steve Nash? The situation may be more complex than it at first appears.

As I said, very interesting.

[ames7]

Here it is if you haven't seen it:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=211182&hubname=

What a weird deal. The two players are Hartnell & Timonen & yeah, they were slated as UFAs. And the Flyers got them both under 6-year deals. In the new NHL, that's reserved for guys you're going to build your franchise around (see: Brenden Morrow). The Flyers have been in a death spiral for a few years now, stuck in the old NHL mentality w/too many big slow dudes. These guys will help them a lot, but those contracts are at best, market value & really, kind of generous, IMO. So I don't know, I guess they bypassed a bidding war, but it seems like they probably could have gotten one or both in the open market w/these deals.

Interesting take of it by Mark at Andrews...he says this says more about the Preds & might be an indication of the beggining of a salary dump. Due to this year's encounters w/Nashville's "fanbase," I am openly rooting for the Preds to get moved to Hamilton or Las Vegas or Kansas City, but it's gotta suck for that organization to be big players the last few years--getting Kariya, Arnott, Forsberg, etc--& to get nothing out of it.

[Flacolaco]

I don't feel sorry for the Preds, and I never will.

If you'd like to read why.....

http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/6466134

Still, Nashville taxpayers were imposed upon to do everything they could to feather Leipold's nest.

For starters, the Predators were given an arena. Yes, given. Outright. The arena in question was built in 1996 at a cost of $145 million.

By contrast, around the same time, the Montreal Canadiens were building an arena to which the taxpayers contributed not a penny. In fact, the churlish Montreal city council, even though private enterprise was regenerating a part of town that was threatening to go to seed, billed the Canadiens for lost parking-meter revenues caused by the construction.

But back to Nashville. A free arena wasn't enough for Leipold. No, he had to have luxury boxes. So his free arena was remodelled to provide them — at a further cost to taxpayers of $14 million.

But the team would need a place to practice because the arena occasionally would be used by other events — to the benefit of Predators owners, of course.

So the Nashville taxpayers provided a practice arena as well. And just to make sure Leipold didn't have a cash-flow problem, the city even kicked in 25% of the team's $80 million expansion-franchise fee.

But those heartless money-grubbers down at City Hall then made life really difficult for the Predators. It seems the team has to pay rent on the building. All of $50,000 a year.

Players' apartments rent for more than that.

So poor old Craig Leipold had to be compensated for the indignity. As if the deal weren't already sweet enough, the Nashville council drowned it in honey.

The Predators were given all the ticket revenues, all the board advertising revenue, all the scoreboard revenue, all the luxury-box revenues, and all the parking revenues.

Great deal? Absolutely phenomenal. But wait. There's even more.

The Predators also get all the revenues from the sale of team merchandise. And all the revenues from the sale of the arena's corporate name. What's left? Concessions? There, the city council dug in its heels. The poor mistreated Predators got only 40% of the concessions revenue.

You'd expect that the Predators would at least have to pay annual taxes on their property like the rest of us. You'd expect wrong. They don't.

They take and they take and they take and they don't give anything back to the league. F 'em.

[bobatundi]

Let's not forget this incident:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...s.32efd8b.html

Modano sets then breaks the record for goals scored by an American-born hockey player, in Nashville, and they don't even announce that on the PA.

I didn't realize they had such a ridiculously sweet deal from the city, too. Yeah, F the Predators.

[bobatundi]

Back to this weirdo trade--guess I don't know enough about hockey to know if the #23 pick is worth anything--I'm going on the assumption that a first-round pick has some value even if it's late, a la football, but maybe it's not that big a deal.

I do recall there being a lot of sweetheart-type deals in the NHL--perhaps the Flyers were allowed to negotiate those contracts with the players before officially consumating the trade, or something. I dunno, it just smacks of stupidity.

One of the many reasons the NHL gets worse TV ratings than Figure Skating.

[Flacolaco]

The Flyers basically just get rights to talk to these guys a week early, before they're able to get out on the market. That's all it is. Too bad for everyone else, the Stars would've like to talk to Hartnell. But chances are he'll get over-paid.

It's pretty crafty, anyway.

[Big Boy Laroux]

F the preds all you guys want, but the possibility of the team leaving Nashville is a huge one. And it's not good for the city of nashville.

[ames7]

Originally Posted by Big Boy Laroux

F the preds all you guys want, but the possibility of the team leaving Nashville is a huge one. And it's not good for the city of nashville.

I actually hate their fanbase more than I hate their organization. The Preds didn't put the Modano announcement on the jumbotron, yes. But what really pissed me off that night was their fans chanting "Modano's a baby," especially after Robidas went off on a stretcher. No class & not an ounce of respect for the game. I want them to move b/c those so-called fans don't deserve a team.

[Big Boy Laroux]

I couldn't give a rat's ass about the fans as well (i'm not one). In fact, the few games i've been to, i've been annoyed with the fans.

But it's a big deal financially for the city and downtown business owners, which is what concerns me.

And Modano IS a baby.

[Flacolaco]

Originally Posted by Big Boy Laroux

And Modano IS a baby.

Yes. The guy that goes up against the other teams top checking line every single night, who is the target of every heavy hit and cheap shot and still manages to pot 500+ is a real baby.

[bobatundi]

maybe Gna$hville should pursue the Grizz for their arena. Or they could have mixed martial arts competitions there. They already have an arena football team, right? That gets better TV ratings than the NHL, I'm sure. Maybe Science Fiction Conventions. Quiet Riot concerts. Any number of things I can think of that I, and most Americans, prefer over the NHL.

Predators or not, I'll be at Tootsie's Wild Orchid on Lower Broadway the once/twice a year I make it to Gna$hville on business.

[Smiles]

I agree that the Nashville fans embarrassed themselves by behaving so poorly "that night" - especially (as ames mentioned) after Robidas went out on a stretcher. The organization embarrassed themselves that night too by not recognizing Mike's accomplishment - recognizing something like that is good for the game of hockey as a whole.

The Preds as an organization take and take from the NHL too. Wow, they even got their facilities for free? Talk about a bunch of lucky geniouses.

At least Nashville gets something out of it - even if they do pay a larger portion of the expenses (at least compared to other cities).