On the Wings

After reading analyses of the Red Wings’ 2005-2006 payroll on Mlive and DetNews, which were curiously similar to my post from Saturday, I was left stumped. Sure, they said to buyout Derian Hatcher and Ray Whitney, maybe even Darren McCarty. But what about Nick Lidstrom? You know, the guy slated to make $7.6 million post-24% rollback? With a $36 million neighborhood cap ceiling, that’s more than 1/5 of the total payroll. Last season’s payroll was $78 million, making Lidstrom approximately 1/8 of player costs back then.

I know it’s a taboo topic, but I think it’s time to bring up the subject of getting Lidstrom’s contract either re-negotiated or deferred, or, God forbid, bought out if he refuses the first two options. We certainly can’t pay him $7.6 million. So get past the typical Wings fan loyalty to Lidstrom, and get in the GM seat. Even if Nick is one of the best players in the world, spending 1/5 of the payroll on him alone may actually make the Wings worse off than (gasp!) letting him go and balancing out the team with the money left behind. It’d mean filling out a lot of the roster with Griffins and journeymen veterans if we keep him at that price.

Now don’t jump all over me and say I want Nick gone and accuse me of Hockeytown heresy. All’s I’m saying is that the media is skirting the issue of Nick Lidstrom’s dinosaur salary for 2005-2006, and expect for it to be addressed or else the Wings are going to be the Griffins again next season. And you all remember how bad the 2003-2004 season was…and that was due to injuries. So let’s not self-inflict it by paying Lidstrom $7.6 million.

Kris Draper was coming off his best season offensively, winning the Selke as best defensive forward and signing a four-year, $11.25 million contract at this time last summer. The deal also included a no-trade clause, which says a lot about Draper’s character and stature on the team. He’s the arguable replacement for Steve Yzerman as captain, but these days he’s just taking in the time off. Other than charity games and playing for the Canada at the world championship in Austria, Draper has taken advantage of his time off to, you’ll never guess it…attend a pajama party.

“The quality time I’ve been able to put in with them is irreplaceable. I jumped into their everyday lives. Usually, they have to jump into my life because I travel so much when I’m playing…I cook meals and do the kids’ baths. I got real good at the instant oatmeal for breakfast, and we barbecue all winter so I was able to barbecue, broil up vegetables, make sure everybody was getting healthy meals.”

Daughter Kennedi, 5, and son Kienan, 3, feel the same way. When the opportunity came to have a mother-daughter pajama party at school, Kris got the nod:

“They had a mother-daughter pajama party at school. For whatever reason, Kennedi had in her mind she wanted her dad there. I went in my lounging clothes. I was there with her and her whole class and all the moms - the only dad.”

But Kris wouldn’t want it any other way during the lockout. He had the opportunity to play in Switzerland, but backed out after realizing what he would be leaving behind:

“That’s the reason I didn’t go over and play in Europe. There’s no way I would have been able to leave my wife (Julie) and kids to go over there.”

Reacting like everyone in the hockey community to the cancellation, Draper had to get away. Destination: Cancun, Mexico for a 10 day family vacation. But returning home to Detroit brought the reality of the lockout back, to which Draper is rather optimistic:

“I’m going to be excited, relieved, and hopeful that I don’t have to go through this again and, for our sport, hopeful that nothing like this has to happen again. There’s been a lot of damage to our sport. The players realize we have to build it back up, and we’re committed to doing that. We want to start the repair process and get the game back to where it belongs.”

And I know, Jacko, you perked up when you heard about a pajama party. Well sorry, you weren’t invited…for obvious reasons…

Here are Jeremy Roenick’s comments from an interview with Rod Smith of TSN. Jeremy spoke from Sun Valley, Idaho, his summer hang-out spot:

Smith: “We are live so whatever you say-”

JR: “It was a strong statement, but it was very a strong question. Which, by the way you didn’t hear on all the promos that were played. All you saw was my response. You didn’t see the 14 minutes beforehand when I went on a rampage about how we have to make this game better for the fans. And bring them in and coddle them more, and make it easier for them to watch in the pocketbook, more exciting for them to watch on the ice, and give them more of an element to go and watch the game. We have to coddle them. But you didn’t see all that. All you saw was my negative stuff. So it’s another media ploy to get something controversial out of something that was actually started as a very, very fan-appreciative, fan-friendly
interview.”

Smith : “You’ve been in these situations before and know how the media operates -”

JR: “I understand that, which is another reason why I’m here. But that doesn’t mean I can still agree with it every time it happens, and it happened again. And I’m dealing with it and I’ve been dealing with it all day. There has not been a call I have not taken or an interview I haven’t taken…to let everyone know that my whole interview was about making sure that we get a deal done. Let’s get a deal done now, soon. Who cares what it is. Who cares who wins or loses anymore. I really don’t care so much. It’s been too long. The Game’s been gone, the fans have suffered too much. Who cares who wins or loses, we need to get a game back on the ice. We need to make it more exciting for the fans. We have to make it higher scoring, maybe easier to attend the game financially. Make the fans see us more, more interviews, get them closer to the Game. We have to make this more of a fan-friendly game is what I was trying to get to. But you couldn’t understand that through all this media stuff.

And I would never, and everybody who knows me for 17 years I have worked to try and keep a fan-friendly relationship, my whole career. Sign autographs at the rink, after games, before games; I’ll wait till everybody gets one. I’ll say ‘hi’ in the street. Shaking hands, giving time to take a picture. No matter what time of the day, who I’m with, or how long it takes. The fans are the #1 most important entity in professional sports. It would go totally against my nature, totally against my nature, to tell the fans not to come and watch. I love the fans. I’m a hot dog left and right for the fans. I love it. I love throwing pucks and winking and all that stuff. In my answer, when I was very riled, and I’m sorry I get very heated, I get very animated, I’m a passionate person. But I was referring to a very, very very small percentage of people, that I’ve even encountered that have a gripe against me, against hockey players - not the hockey fan. At all. I’d never do that…and all you fans: come back, cause I love you, we love you. And we need you.”

Bolded are the key elements of the interview that cleared things up for me. Much more so than watching the two minute clip TSN offered or even I’d imagine being at that press conference and taking in the entire 14 minutes. The fact is that JR was riled up and he needed to do this clarification interview to give us a better understanding of his feelings.

I knew JR was a guy who’s stuck up for the fans in the past, but I really thought that comment was directed at some of the fans. If not, he should’ve prefaced it with “all you guys in the media who call us this, this, and this,” rather than throwing it out there and using “everyone out there…” when it’s obvious fans are listening in as well. It was a mistake in the heat of the moment. Maybe he had golfed a bad round of golf before taking the mic. That’s fine. I was going to watch hockey next season either way, but I know this comment could’ve hurt a lot of the US fan base especially, so I want to get this out there.

When I read the quotes the first time, I was more taken aback by how he had trashed Goodenow and the rest of the NHLPA for not listening to him and the smart players back in February. I really thought that was going to be the story. It followed up Jagr’s comments perfectly. I barely had noticed the possible insult of a huge block of fans until the outrage started coming in, and then I read through the quotes again and saw where it was all coming from. And it really did feel like a slap in the face for some of the fans who have a right to be upset with the players (especially February on). But I was more worried about how other people took it, because I really have had this feeling about JR all along that he wouldn’t be saying that type of thing in the literal sense. Let’s move on. Of all guys, JR deserves a pass on this one. And don’t you love his comments about getting the deal done!

A few days ago I mentioned the sad reality Wings fans face with the new economic system. Here’s the situation:

Forwards

Kris Draper - $2,800,000 ($2,128,000)
Tomas Holmstrom - $1,800,000 ($1,368,000)
Jiri Hudler - $750,000 ($570,000)
Robert Lang - $5,000,000 ($3,800,000)
Kirk Maltby - $1,900,000 ($1,444,000)
Darren McCarty - $2,250,000 ($1,710,000)
Mark Mowers - $375,000 ($285,000)
Brendan Shanahan - $3,000,000 ($2,280,000)
Ray Whitney - $3,500,000 ($2,660,000)

Defensemen

Jiri Fischer - $1,700,000 ($1,292,000)
Derian Hatcher - $6,500,000 ($4,940,000)
Nicklas Lidstrom - $10,000,000 ($7,600,000)
Jamie Rivers - $400,000 ($304,000)

Goalies

Manny Legace - $1,500,000 ($1,140,000)

—-$49,475,000 (*$37,601,000) —-14 players
*24% rollback in parenthesis
Note: Minimum Salary was $185,000

Buyouts/Re-negotiations/Deferments

Based on a cap system with a floor of $22-24 million and a ceiling of $34-36 million, obviously the Wings will have to dump/re-negotiate or defer salaries:

Ray Whitney: re-negotiate at $1,500,000, otherwise buyout
Derian Hatcher: re-negotiate at $3,500,000, otherwise buyout
Nicklas Lidstrom: re-negotiate at $6,000,000, otherwise buyout

—-Payroll becomes $22,401,000 at least or $33,401,000 at most

Signings Left

Henrik Zetterberg - $1,500,000
Pavel Datsyuk - $2,000,000
Steve Yzerman - $750,000
Jason Williams - $750,000
Jason Woolley - $500,000
Niklas Kronwall - $500,000
Mathieu Dandenault - $750,000
Backup Goaltender - $1,000,000
Grand Rapids Griffin - $200,000

—-Cost of additions: $7,950,000 —- 9 players, 23 total

I’m assuming the Wings will sign all of the above nine players, or use the close to $8 million towards those roster spots. That brings the payroll to $30,351,000, without Whitney, Hatcher, or Lidstrom locked in. Not a good situation when the cap ceiling looks to be $36 million. It’s going to be virtually impossible to sign the “buyout trio” for a total $5,649,000. I’ll even go out on a limb and say the Wings might get McCarty, Draper, and Shanahan to defer a total of $1.5 million. That still leaves only $7,149,000 for the trio. Still not gonna happen.

So that brings the sad reality I mentioned a few days ago: buyouts. The hometown hero and boat-racing defenseman Derian Hatcher is out the door. His contract is an obvious dinosaur, and his value has been lacking. Granted he only played 27 games with the Wings due to a torn ACL, I just don’t think he’s worth more than $750,000 base salary (maybe more with bonuses). Don’t fret Derian, there are plenty of other places you can race your boats.

Without worrying about Derian’s dough, the Wings get Lidstrom and Whitney re-negotiated at $6 million and $1.5 million, respectively. So that brings the Wings’ total payroll to $36,351,000, with a roster spot open with Hatcher’s exit. Remember, a $36 million cap. Close enough for tonight…

To summarize what just happened, here’s how you get the Wings in the neighborhood of $36 million payroll:

- Keep 11 players already signed for the season (minus Hatcher, Lidstrom, Whitney)
- That makes $22,401,000 payroll
- McCarty, Draper, Shanahan defer a total $1,500,000
- Now we’re at $20,901,000
- Whitney and Lidstrom agree to re-negotiations for $2,760,000 less
- Buyout Hatcher’s $4,940,000 post-rollback salary
- Now $28,401,000
- Add in signings of nine player free agents
- $36,351,000 for 22 players (Hatcher’s spot open)

*This is all assuming the cap will be at $36 million, the 24% rollback across the board will be exercised, player re-negotiations/deferments will work out, and that buyouts can occur with the transfer fee not going towards the overall roster payroll that must stay under cap. A lot of uncertainty, but at least it’s a good exercise of accounting to see how things might work.

UPDATE 6/26 11:57 am

“The expected new collective bargaining agreement (due any day now at your local rink) is expected to contain a clause in which teams are allowed a one-time chance to buy out any and all contracts and not have it count against the new salary cap…Some big money teams wanted a dispersal draft, but the players shot that down. So, the buyout was a compromise, with one interesting twist - the teams can’t reacquire their own players.”

The Dallas Morning News

That answers two questions I’ve had, if that’s an accurate source. I’m glad buying out players won’t count against the teams, but it scares me a bit that they can’t reacquire bought-out players. What happens when a team buys out an aging veteran, and he remains un-signed by the rest of the league? Does he just have to wait till next season? There should be a interm period where the teams can’t re-sign their bought-out players, but say 180 days later, the possibility should be open. That’d be around December. I guess in that scenario, it would probably be pretty obvious the player would not be taken on the open market, and the player would have to re-negotiate his contract instead of being bought out and taking the risk of waiting 180 days.

UPDATE 6/28 8:24 PM

Well, it’s good to see someone’s reading the site. Ansar Khan from Mlive that is. Here’s his curiously similar take on the Wings’ 2005-2006 payroll. Only one thing he missed: Nick Lidstrom. And how can you forget a $7.6 million dollar post-rollback salary in a $36 million cap?