TSN: Bob McKenzie article on Wade Redden (can be applied for Scott Gomez)

[Natey]

Basically, the article states that because of the new CBA 1-way contracts above $900,000 will count against the NHL salary cap, regardless if the player plays in the NHL. So even if we were to send Scott Gomez down to the AHL, his salary cap would count against the Habs cap.

Anyway, McKenzie states that there are 3 options for Redden (which we can apply to Gomez).

Option 1: Keep him on the NHL roster and use accordingly.
Option 2: Put him on the AHL roster, despite having his salary count on the NHL cap.

Now this is where it gets interesting, basically McKenzie states that with both option #1 and option #2 that the organization risks the player getting injured, in which case he WILL NOT be able to be bought out next off-season. You can't buy out an injured player. If Gomez plays in the NHL or the AHL, and ends the season on the injured list, he'll be part of the organization again next season unless traded (very unlikely).

Which brings us to...

Option #3: (I will use McKenzie's own words to describe);

The only other option for the Rangers is to take Redden's cap hit this season but not play him. Not in New York. Not in the AHL. Not anywhere.

Put him in bubble wrap, cold storage and call it a year. Make sure his cheques show up on time and wait for the compliance buyout period this summer and cut all ties.

-> To make it not sound as harsh, they could keep him as the 23rd player and use him during practice, but keep him out of all in-game situations, and even high intensity practices.

Thoughts? Opinions?

SOURCE: http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/bob_mckenzie/?id=413185

Click to read more...

 

[BLONG7]

They may have to deal him, if they don't want him to count vs the cap...The Isles maybe?

 

[Price is Wright]

Option 3 is pretty much impossible. The NHLPA would have a field day.

 

[overlords]

So the laraque treatment, basically?

 

[Myron Gaines*]

Knowing our luck, this is a no brainer.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Option 4 is to play him as little as possible on the 4th line......bet you they go with this one.

I suppose they could stuff his jersey with bubble wrap and make him where a full shield. Throw in two heavy duty knee braces and some skate guards along with a titanium jock. Maybe he will even go to the net for once.......

 

[Natey]

Option 3 is pretty much impossible. The NHLPA would have a field day.

I think a similar situation (I'll add it to the OP) is to carry him on the roster, but only use him in regular practice and not put him on the ice for games or high intensity practices.

Then again, I'm not sure what the NHLPA could do so long as the player is being paid on-time. It would basically be like a paid vacation.

Option 4 is to play him as little as possible on the 4th line......bet you they go with this one.

Keep him and playing him is option #1.

 

[Account Terminated]

I don't see the harm in having him stick around this season, for 48 games. His play didn't help the team win, but it didn't hurt the team in losing either. He was ineffective in both senses. He's always been a good team guy, despite what the media likes to tell us, and that comes from the mouths of his own teammates. The burial and memorial of Scott Gomez comes solely from the backwards media and impatient fans, due to his $7+ million dollar paycheque.

You want to deal him? Fine, next year is the final year in his contract. Contact the couple of teams that are near or below the cap floor and ask for a pick in return. The new CBA also allows teams to retain some of the cap hit in a trade. Offer the team to take on Scott Gomez and 5 of the 7 million dollars on his contract, or whatever the amount is to be a better option than a buyout.

Like I said though. His play does not help this team win, but does not push this team to lose either. For all we know, in 48 games this year he plays above and beyond expectations and has a decent season. Then, maybe teams will be more than happy to have him finish their contracts with them.

 

[Natey]

I don't see the harm in having him stick around this season, for 48 games. His play didn't help the team win, but it didn't hurt the team in losing either. He was ineffective in both senses. He's always been a good team guy, despite what the media likes to tell us, and that comes from the mouths of his own teammates. The burial and memorial of Scott Gomez comes solely from the backwards media and impatient fans, due to his $7+ million dollar paycheque.

You want to deal him? Fine, next year is the final year in his contract. Contact the couple of teams that are near or below the cap floor and ask for a pick in return. The new CBA also allows teams to retain some of the cap hit in a trade. Offer the team to take on Scott Gomez and 5 of the 7 million dollars on his contract, or whatever the amount is to be a better option than a buyout.

Like I said though. His play does not help this team win, but does not push this team to lose either. For all we know, in 48 games this year he plays above and beyond expectations and has a decent season. Then, maybe teams will be more than happy to have him finish their contracts with them.

I don't agree with that, but too each their own. I do think that he cost the team because of his poor play. He does seem like a great team guy though (and that's why I kept wanting to give him chances) and maybe if he didn't make $7M, he'd be a better player. Less expectations, not only from fans and media, but from himself. I'm sure a guy making $7M a season and playing like he has can't be good for his confidence.

As for the burial? I think the 11 points in 38 games last year, or 49 points in his last 118 games buries him enough. The media and fans have a right to be upset with his play, especially considering what we lost for him.

The point of this article is saying that if he gets hurt, we're stuck with him next year regardless. I don't know if any team would be willing to pay Gomez $5M either (although I think he only makes $5M so we might be able to get a team to pay $2.5M) unless he has nearly a PPG 48-games, which isn't going to happen because I doubt he gets the linemates to produce at a clip like that.

 

[Myron Gaines*]

I don't see the harm in having him stick around this season, for 48 games. His play didn't help the team win, but it didn't hurt the team in losing either. He was ineffective in both senses. He's always been a good team guy, despite what the media likes to tell us, and that comes from the mouths of his own teammates. The burial and memorial of Scott Gomez comes solely from the backwards media and impatient fans, due to his $7+ million dollar paycheque.

I think he deserves a lot of criticism, that doesn't make us fans impatient. Where I do have a problem is how the media and fans are always making fun of him, as if his own short comings are not enough of a torture for him.

 

[Montreal Impact FC]

It always comes back why in world we didnt dump him last year.. now we are stuck with this overpaid bum.. anyways.... unless some players overachieve BIG time. We are due to another near the bottom standings position. It really infuriates me. Its beyond me how this organisation dont understand the distraction it causes on the team.. because of gomez suckativity we end up losing kostitsyn and cammalleri... and plekanec could have asked to be traded to the way whe made him play with pathetic wingers was just that pathetic.. because we tried to resurect somehting that was dead for 2 years.

 

[Account Terminated]

He does deserve a lot of criticism, mostly which comes from the amount of money he makes, but for the love of God - the hate has turned into almost meme-like territory.

Habs have lost three straight? Gomaaaaaaaaaize.
Habs are in dead last? Gomaaaaaaaaaaaize.
The defense is soft? Yeah, but Gomaaaaaaaaaaize.

For the love of God, enough. Yes, he is a burden to the team in a cap world. Yes, he doesn't help the team going forward. There are far bigger problems though in terms of why this team is a bottom-feeding team. It starts with soft defense and whether or not they're #1 will last the entire season (Markov) and having more than just one scoring line, avoiding having plugs in the top 6 and a revolving door.

My beef is that whenever there is a problem, it's Gomez.

All I want to see is the fans giving him a chance under Therrien's coaching. Why can't we wipe the slate clean like Bergevin and Therrien?

 

[Frozenice]

They may have to deal him, if they don't want him to count vs the cap...The Isles maybe?

Even if we had to eat a third of his salary this year and next this would be my first choice and the reality is Gomez has no choice but to go along with it. I don't think sitting at home in bubble-wrap is an acceptable option for him that he would be willing to contemplate and then he's dealt with for good.

Other players will also be on the way out, we'll have plenty of cap space.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Keep him and playing him is option #1.

I stand corrected.

 

[Jigger77]

I think he'll be a regular in the lineup. The other options aren't the Habs style.

Then again, this is an entirely new management team.

 

[Blind Gardien]

If the compliance buyout window is just the last two weeks in June, per the usual buyout window, then I would reluctantly bubble wrap Gomez.

I don't like the idea of just sitting a guy out, and he's popular and *might* be able to make some sort of contribution to our team this season.

But... weighed against the risk of having him injured when the compliance window comes... and goes... well, we just need too badly to buy his contract out this summer, I wouldn't take the chance.

I won't blame the Habs if they stay classy though, and play him. Another but: if he plays so poorly that he is borderline or doesn't contribute at all... then you've given him his chance, been classy, and break out the bubble wrap. There is no sending him to Hamilton. It would suck beyond words if he got hurt down there and couldn't be bought out.

Of course, maybe there is no limited window for compliance buyouts. In which case, the risk of injury is mostly mitigated, and this thread mostly goes for naught.

 

[Teufelsdreck]

Dress him and pray for the best. Maybe he'll have an epiphany and strive for excellence on every shift. He used to be a good player and he hasn't incurred a crippling injury.

 

[Agnostic]

People on the internet told me that Gomez would become a trade commodity right about now... you know when all those other teams were trying to get to the cap minimum.

 

[habsfanatics*]

I might be one of the crazy ones, but I still thnik we're with a slightly better team with gomez than without. His puck possession skill is still very good. If we're not going to replace Gomez with someone else, whcih we won't be able to this year due to lack of cap space. I prefer we play him.

 

[Natey]

I might be one of the crazy ones, but I still thnik we're with a slightly better team with gomez than without. His puck possession skill is still very good. If we're not going to replace Gomez with someone else, whcih we won't be able to this year due to lack of cap space. I prefer we play him.

We may be slightly better. But it would suck if he got injured in April and we had to play him next year too.

 

[Price is Wright]

We may be slightly better. But it would suck if he got injured in April and we had to play him next year too.

Well sure. I think Montreal knows that as well and unless Montreal is in the playoff hunt, he isn't playing much in April. His minutes will likely be decreased and he'll be benched on the first bad game.

 

[Frozenice]

People on the internet told me that Gomez would become a trade commodity right about now... you know when all those other teams were trying to get to the cap minimum.

I was one of them. I wasn't anticipating that his skills would decline faster then his salary, that is my error.

Bergevin says he believes in Gomez so I'll guess he'll get his time with the Habs.

 

[HCH]

He does deserve a lot of criticism, mostly which comes from the amount of money he makes, but for the love of God - the hate has turned into almost meme-like territory.

My criticism of Gomez is that he doesn't work hard. He is a floater who likes to skate in a big circle to gather momentum so he can move around flat-footed defenders before promptly losing the puck or giving it away.

The salary is only a problem because it makes it impossible to trade him or send him to the minors. If he continues to play the way he did last year I wouldn't want him on the team at any salary.

All I want to see is the fans giving him a chance under Therrien's coaching. Why can't we wipe the slate clean like Bergevin and Therrien?

Fair enough but I think the Key word is give him "a" chance not multiple chances at the expense of guys who are working hard and also deserve a fair chance to showcase their skills.

 

[cphabs]

I think he deserves a lot of criticism, that doesn't make us fans impatient. Where I do have a problem is how the media and fans are always making fun of him, as if his own short comings are not enough of a torture for him.

Well said

 

[Pi]

I think the Habs have to sit him down in the playoffs if his play in the regular season sucks (if they make it).

Scott Gomez in a playoff intensity game...could get rocked and then the Habs can no longer buy him out.