Confirmed with Link: Kapanen re-signs for 2 years at $3.2 million AAV

[Sidgeni Malkby]

There was zero way you were going to get Kapanen on a 1 year, $2 million deal. Even if you didn't qualify him and he went to UFA, he would have gotten at least $2.5 million a year on a multi-year deal.

If you don't want to pay him this, it just means you don't want him because you wouldn't get him for much less than this. Which I think is a totally fair take to have.

Fine, so $2.5M. That at least puts us into putting Ty Smith into the minors to be cap compliant (if my math is right).

Ultimately this should have been negotiated BEFORE going down qualifying path. Qualifying locked us into a path where Kapanen knew he was going to get $3.2M-$4.5M on a 1 year in arbitration, and we couldn't back out.

Doing so Hextall put himself in a weaker negotiating position. That was my issue.

Honestly I hope I'm completely wrong and Kap blows the season out of the water with a 30/30 .

 

[Josey Wales]

If he sticks around for the starting roster he better be gone by the trade deadline...

OR WHAT ??? hold your breath

 

[farscape1]

Dont worry, when Zucker and Geno take their 20 or so games vacation on IR we can have Kapanen on the 2nd line.

 

[Pens x]

Overaction from the board. Not surprising, we get a few of these every year or 2.

70% chance he outperforms the contract. He can move up and down the lineup much like Erod last season but is a much better player

Erod was a one year, one million deal. This is far worse.

 

[Zero Pucks]

I thought Kappy looked pretty good his first year back here. Him and Geno really had some chemistry going at one point and then injury hell happened. But last year he looked completely lost. It's probably worth the gamble to see if he can find his game again. If not, this is pretty moveable contract/player. Nothing to jump off a bridge over.

 

[Dessloch]

 

[jmelm]

This is mismanagement.

Hextall should have tried negotiating an offer BEFORE all this went down (ie. qualifying offer + arbitration). I'm sure the upcoming arbitration (ie. must have been internally comped out to $3.5M-$3.8M) increased the final number.

Paying Kap $3.2M on a cash strapped team based on hope isn't a great deal, especially considering now we need to clear cap space, and bringing Smith down isn't enough.

I would have preferred if he got a $2M 1-year prove it deal. Then he can make up for it next year.

Even if what you're saying is correct (about the qualifying offer expectations, mismanagement thereof, etc.), NONE of that explains why we would be offering a TWO year deal to Kapanen.

There is no merit and no benefit to offering a 2 year deal. It's not like we're bringing the AAV down by giving him that extra year.

So the ONLY thing that makes sense is there's another trade in the works and whichever team is acquiring him wanted to have cost certainty and Kapanen locked in for 2 years rather than unsigned/arb eligible or signed for only 1 season.

 

[Return of the Paek]

Kap will score 25-30 goals this year. Elite skills. $3.2m will look like highway robbery.
Breakout season incoming.

 

[Pens x]

Even if what you're saying is correct (about the qualifying offer expectations, mismanagement thereof, etc.), NONE of that explains why we would be offering a TWO year deal to Kapanen.

There is no merit and no benefit to offering a 2 year deal. It's not like we're bringing the AAV down by giving him that extra year.

So the ONLY thing that makes sense is there's another trade in the works and whichever team is acquiring him wanted to have cost certainty and Kapanen locked in for 2 years rather than unsigned/arb eligible or signed for only 1 season.

I agree. As pathetic as I think Hextall is, re-signing Kap at to this contract to keep him takes Hextall to another stratosphere of incompetency.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

If he sticks around for the starting roster he better be gone by the trade deadline...

Not gonna happen IMO, the players to move would be Zucker and Dumo being UFA and most probably us not bringing back going forward

 

[Genetic]

Kap will score 25-30 goals this year. Elite skills. $3.2m will look like highway robbery.
Breakout season incoming.

I'm really curious. What exactly are you drinking, smoking, or sniffing?

 

[AjaxTelamon]

I sure hope he is being shipped out at that cap hit. The 2nd year makes me hopeful of that. No way they want to get stuck with him next offseason when they will actually have some cap room to play with.

 

[Power Surge]

Overaction from the board. Not surprising, we get a few of these every year or 2.

70% chance he outperforms the contract. He can move up and down the lineup much like Erod last season but is a much better player

A few? I count like 80% of every signing or resigning.

 

[jmelm]

I think that quote is from when the season ended, no?

There was zero way you were going to get Kapanen on a 1 year, $2 million deal. Even if you didn't qualify him and he went to UFA, he would have gotten at least $2.5 million a year on a multi-year deal.

If you don't want to pay him this, it just means you don't want him because you wouldn't get him for much less than this. Which I think is a totally fair take to have.

Exactly! We don't want him!

Now, if we can get a 3rd or 4th round pick for him -- or swap him for another player that needs a change of scenery -- that's fine.

But I've never been here to argue "I want Kapanen for $1.5M". I've been advocating that we don't qualify him at all, unless we do so as a precursor to a trade.

 

[Power Surge]

I'm really curious. What exactly are you drinking, smoking, or sniffing?

I mean the guy is talented. If he plays a bottom 6 role he'll face lesser competition the contract will probably be worth it.

 

[Power Surge]

Someone mentioned that they'd rather pay Heinen that and I agree. But I'd rather retain Kap because of his raw talent than to keep Erod.

 

[Pens x]

You can’t blame this signing on JR.

 

[Return of the Paek]

I'm really curious. What exactly are you drinking, smoking, or sniffing?

Will you return to this thread and apologize if I am proven right?

 

[3ladesof5teel]

Erod was a one year, one million deal. This is far worse.

I wasn't comparing thier contracts, I was comparing the player. Kappy is a much better player than Erod and if he pulls it together its an extremely fair deal for him. You can argue you want him out and another similar player coming back that can play a middle 6 role with his skillset that needs a change of scenery but its not a bad contract at all in todays NHL

 

[McGroarty2]

Kinda messed up that Kappy is earning more than Crosby this season and next.

 

[Genetic]

Will you return to this thread and apologize if I am proven right?

Sure why not. I'll be happy to be proven wrong.

 

[jmelm]

Someone mentioned that they'd rather pay Heinen that and I agree. But I'd rather retain Kap because of his raw talent than to keep Erod.

I'd rather pay neither.

 

[jmelm]

You can’t blame this signing on JR.

We wouldn't be in the position of having Kap (or Zucker) if it wasn't for JR. And we'd have Addison + 2 more 1sts (2 good prospects from the 2020 and 2021 drafts that is). Or traded those assets for better players.

 

[CascadiaPenguin]

Will you return to this thread and apologize if I am proven right?

I will return to see if he returns to Return of the Paek.

 

[mpp9]

I would say it’s a fair bet Kap can rebound offensively this season.

Bigger problem I have with him is that he’s utter trash at the little things. A lot of fly by’s when urgency is needed getting pucks out of our zone and maintaining possession on the cycle.

Hopefully he can be productive because as the roster stands, we’re a gimpy Malkin away from essentially being a one line team.