Salary Cap: Cap Management by Burke and Nonis

[TheCLAM]

Over the past 5-8 years the Leafs, while not a competitive team, have been known to spend to the cap. Unfortunately, this mentality has proved to be inefficient in terms of our organization getting the best "bang for our buck". While Toronto is not at the peak of it's hockey attraction to free agents during this time, it brings up an underlying dysfunction. This is not about the lack of a #1 goaltender, star forwards or even lack of defensive play but the continuous over-payment of players.

We continually give big-time contracts out to lackluster players who only act as a clog in our pursuit of hockey glory. There are a couple exceptions to this, like dealing for potential/gaining an asset in a salary dump deal. Prime example can be seen in the Matthew Lombardi/Cody Franson and upgrading to get Phaneuf from Calgary.

We have had our share of Bryan McCabe, Jeff Finger, Mike Komisarek, Tim Connolly, Colby Armstrong, Pavel Kubina etc.

These contracts happen to every organization as hope to fulfill maximum potential usually fails. While we are in no apparent cap trouble, it is still concerning to big-time contracts paid out to Joffrey Lupul/Mikhail Grabovski who are clearly overpaid.

This is an issue that has to be addressed.

Click to read more...

 

[FireEverybody*]

What is the issue?

P.S
Lupul is a bargin at 5.25m,

 

[FireEverybody*]

bargain

 

[TheCLAM]

What is the issue?

P.S
Lupul is a bargin at 5.25m,

5.25 over 5 years for a guy who has put up one 60+ point season and with a declining total cap rate. Overpayment by a million

 

[FireEverybody*]

5.25 over 5 years for a guy who has put up one 60+ point season and with a declining total cap rate. Overpayment by a million

Declining till it rises faster then ever after 2 years... sure.
Again what is the issue ?

CBA is a joke we will never have cap issues.

Source: New York Rangers

 

[The Podium]

Again Grabovski is a similar calibre player to Krejci and Zajac, all had their contracts modelled after eachother. Thats where that number came from. Lupul id agree is slightly overpaid but what was management supposed to do? Guy coming off a PPG could have got him contract and then some on the open market so its not like the had the power to lowball him.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Declining till it rises faster then ever after 2 years... sure.
Again what is the issue ?

CBA is a joke we will never have cap issues.

Source: New York Rangers

I agree, we dont have cap problems and likely never will. We can always find a team who have a need for our overpaid and underperforming player or we simply send them trough waiver and let them play in the AHL.

 

[The Podium]

I agree, we dont have cap problems and likely never will. We can always find a team who have a need for our overpaid and underperforming player or we simply send them trough waiver and let them play in the AHL.

Cant waive a player without a cap against anymore. There are ways to find loopholes though.

 

[TheCLAM]

I'm not saying we have a cap problem in anyway. Signing players to outrageous contracts is a problem of the Leafs. Would you rather pay 7 million for a star center or pay guys Connolly/Komisarek for the equivalent?

 

[FireEverybody*]

Bruins just got rid of 5m worth of cap for nothing more then helping a poor ass team stay above cap floor.... That is how broken the CBA is.

As soon as Sather goes to far (again) he will find away out of it.

The cap will get high very fast after 2 years. If team's 2 free buyouts can't get them through 3-4 years ... We should clearly just remove the system.

 

[JackJ]

Rather pay 1-2 million above value for a few productive players vs a collection of "budget" players who never amount to anything more then third to fourth line talent.

 

[The Podium]

I'm not saying we have a cap problem in anyway. Signing players to outrageous contracts is a problem of the Leafs. Would you rather pay 7 million for a star center or pay guys Connolly/Komisarek for the equivalent?

Obviously.... But Connolly was signed for 2 years so he wouldnt hinder the cap. Komisarek was signed to market value at the time, its not Burkes fault he completely flopped.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

I'm not saying we have a cap problem in anyway. Signing players to outrageous contracts is a problem of the Leafs. Would you rather pay 7 million for a star center or pay guys Connolly/Komisarek for the equivalent?

Yeah, cause look at all those "Star centers" lining up to play here. I would definitely rather give 7 million to a star center, if he existed. Richards could have come here, we had the cap space, but guess what...

 

[Leafidelity]

Over the past 5-8 years the Leafs, while not a competitive team, have been known to spend to the cap.

The Leafs haven't spent to the cap in over five years. They have $6,784,415 in capspace as we speak.

 

[FireEverybody*]

Without Connolly and Komi we would have had to "trade" for Timmeh.

 

[4evaBlue]

I'm not saying we have a cap problem in anyway. Signing players to outrageous contracts is a problem of the Leafs. Would you rather pay 7 million for a star center or pay guys Connolly/Komisarek for the equivalent?

Why are contacts that expire at the end of this season or next such a huge concern for you?

 

[Epictetus]

I agree, we dont have cap problems and likely never will. We can always find a team who have a need for our overpaid and underperforming player or we simply send them trough waiver and let them play in the AHL.

Let me guess, you think Connolly's salary is not counting against the cap right now?

Again Grabovski is a similar calibre player to Krejci and Zajac, all had their contracts modelled after eachother. Thats where that number came from. Lupul id agree is slightly overpaid but what was management supposed to do? Guy coming off a PPG could have got him contract and then some on the open market so its not like the had the power to lowball him.

1) Krejci and Zajac both play on their top line, since they have great chemistry with their team's respective wingers. Grabovski does not. If he got along with Lupul and Kessel, this would hardly be problematic

2) They did not have to give Lupul 5 years. They also did not have to re-sign him when they did. They could have waited, and they could have assessed him at the trade deadline. There was absolutely no reason to get a deal done then.

Cant waive a player without a cap against anymore. There are ways to find loopholes though.

What are these 'loopholes'? Please share.

I'm not saying we have a cap problem in anyway. Signing players to outrageous contracts is a problem of the Leafs. Would you rather pay 7 million for a star center or pay guys Connolly/Komisarek for the equivalent?

I'm quite baffled how much this point is getting missed, especially after you listed the numerous amount of bad contracts given out on average/good players, but not great players.

Without Connolly and Komi we would have had to "trade" for Timmeh.

Nice strawman.

Why are contacts that expire at the end of this season or next such a huge concern for you?

Did you not read what he clearly said?

 

[FireEverybody*]

Nice strawman.

That was a joke. Even if I was serious .. it is not a ****ing strawman...


Ya we don't have cap problems, we will not have cap problems when the cap drops, and we will definitely not have cap problems when the cap goes up. Again what is the issue ?

 

[Warden of the North]

Using market comparables, please show us that Grabo and Lupul are overpaid.

Keep in mind RFA contracts ARE NOT a market comparable.

 

[4evaBlue]

Did you not read what he clearly said?

Yes, he said something dumb about spending $7M on a #1C, like that was ever an option for Burke. Connolly was a stopgap, and he got overpaid for the very short term.

 

[RogerRoeper*]

By that definition every team overpays players.

 

[12345*]

Using market comparables, please show us that Grabo and Lupul are overpaid.

Keep in mind RFA contracts ARE NOT a market comparable.

Yes, I would like to see this as well.

Taylor Hall got an RFA contract of 6x6.

Lupul gets a 5.25 x 5 contract and ur mad? lol.

The Leafs cannot to hemorrhage talent to unrestricted free agency. No matter what. You sign them and then, if you need to trade them, you hold a mil or two of cap as needed to get push through a trade. Free agency loss is a huge talent drain, especially in an organization not flush with talent. The goal is to saturate all 50 contracts with peak talent. Losing UFAs sets the team back years.

 

[RogerRoeper*]

I find Leaf players always get more crap for their salaries.

What was funny about McCabe's deal was, the exact same week he signed his deal in Toronto for 5.75 million per year for 5 years, Jovanovski got a 5 year 6.5 million per fropm Phoenix and Jovo had worse stats in EVERY single offensive and defensive category, but McCabe'd deal became the worst ever in the NHL.

 

[Phatic]

ok, the lupul debate needs to end. the guy signed a sweetheart deal to stay in town, and youre a little off if you think otherwise. consider this: toronto has a losing culture atm and he was coming off a ppg season. wheres your leverage as a GM? and nonis still managed to get him at market!
- lupes is a guy that wants to play for toronto and contributes on the ice, wtf are you complaining about here?

 

[tacoburrito]

we dont have a cap problem.. we have a problem with fans obsessing over nothings