THE Bobby Holik signing- bonus grievance against the Rangers due to be heard late next month is likely to have an adverse impact on next season’s team, Slap Shots has learned.
If the Blueshirts lose the case – which will be heard in conjunction with similar grievances filed by Jed Ortmeyer and Darius Kasparaitis – they will be liable for a $1.52 million salary-cap charge against next season’s roster, we’ve been informed by individuals with knowledge of the case.
As reported in this space April 15, the Rangers withheld signing bonuses due during the lockout to these three players. They are the only team in the NHL to not fulfill such obligations and are basing their argument against doing so on the premise the three agents representing the athletes independently gave the club prior verbal authorization to do so despite written agreements suggesting otherwise.
Holik was due $2 million on July 1, 2005; Kasparaitis $1 million; and Ortmeyer, who actually played the cancelled 2004-05 NHL season for the AHL Wolf Pack, $150,000. Because these monies were due before the current collective bargaining agreement was adopted July 21, 2005, the Rangers would not be cap charged for these amounts if, as appears certain, they lose the hearing.
But the Blueshirts went one step further with Holik when they also subtracted his $2 million signing bonus payment due July 1, 2006 from the package they paid him upon his July 29, 2005 buyout. With the signing bonus subject to the league-wide 24-percent rollback, it amounted to $1.52 million.
That’s the charge – perhaps plus an additional 1.5 percent interest surcharge of $228,000 – that will be applied against the Rangers next season if they lose the decision. It could be enough to keep the 2007-08 team from making a critical move or two during the season.
For the past two years, only three players were affected by this bizarre front-office decision that temporarily saved ownership what amounts to loose change. Now all of the Rangers stand to become innocent victims. Payback isn’t always pretty.
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Sources have told Slap Shots that Tampa Bay is exploring the market for Brad Richards, whom the Lightning signed without duress last summer to a five-year max contract of $7.8 million per.
GM Jay Feaster, who’s shown no expertise whatsoever in dealing with the cap and has an owner crying poor again, is likely to have as much success as Ponce de Leon did in his exploration for the Fountain of Youth.
There will be no market for Richards, a very good player who owns the worst contract in NHL history, as there seems no match even with teams that have their own onerous contracts to unload.
It’s possible in theory that Vancouver could move Markus Naslund (one year remaining at $6 million) and Brendan Morrison (one year at $3.2 million) for Richards, but Naslund has a no-trade clause and the Canucks are more likely to try to sign either Scott Gomez or Daniel Briere to play with their captain next season.
It’s possible in theory that the Canadiens might agree to move Alex Kovalev (two years at $4.5 million) and Sergei Samsonov (one year at $3.25 million), but that likely would drive head coach John Tortorella straight into the Bay as well as denying Montreal the potential to sign Vincent Lecavalier when and if he becomes unrestricted in 2009.
Though the math works, San Jose would never move Evgeni Nabokov (three years at $5.375 million) and Patrick Marleau (one at $4,166,667) for Richards, not with Joe Thornton eligible to go free next summer.
Fact is, Tampa Bay appears stuck with Richards, whose no-trade clause kicks in July 1.
We’re told the Lightning have approached Dan Boyle, who has one year at $3,333,333 remaining, about a contract extension, but the East’s best defenseman thus far has shown little interest in forgoing 2008 unrestricted free agency to remain in Tampa.
Though it would bring severe short-term pain, Feaster’s best option is to attempt to deal 30-year-old Boyle for a package of youngsters that would allow Feaster to reconstruct the roster in future summers. For it’s Boyle, a poor man’s Scott Niedermayer, rather than Richards, for whom there is a market.
Do we hear a starting bid of Fedor Tyutin, Petr Prucha or Ryan Callahan and Al Montoya?
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An early alert to the constables patrolling Moscow and surrounding environs: Slap Shots has learned that 42-year-old Ed Belfour, who earned $750,000 in nets for Florida last season, is interested in earning many more rubles playing next year in Russia.
Separated at birth: Mark Messier and Brett Favre.
Just asking , but isn’t Brad Watson making it through as a referee to the conference finals just like the Kings being given a spot in the final four?
Finally, when Barry Melrose says as he did the other night in an ESPN hockey moment that “Chris Pronger is without a doubt the best player on the Ducks,” it’s pretty obvious why he hasn’t gotten another shot behind an NHL bench since being dismissed by the Kings 12 years ago, isn’t it?