Confirmed with Link: Nichushkin back in assistance program; suspended a minimum of six months

[GirardIsStupid]

But why take that chance? Why allocate funds and a prominent role to a guy like that?

No team builds a roster wanting that unknown.

They have no choice. MacFarland already stated the chances are high Nichuskin comes back.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Why the f*** did they offer him an 8 year contract if they knew? Blinded by the cup win?

A clean Nuke offers a unique skillset that perhaps 4-5 players in the entire league can match. The size, speed, offensive ability with world class/elite defensive ability... you hope and pray as much as possible that he'll just stay clean.

 

[Balthazar]

These are our guesses only. You're right there's no guarantee that you can get rid of the contract, but there's also no guarantee that you can't get rid of the contract, or that you would have to pay multiple year cap penalties to get rid of that contract.

Yes, that's a guarantee and it's not pretty. Cap recapture penalty is around 20% of the original cap hit + whatever the annual settlement is.

By reaching a settlement, the Kings will still have to pay Richards what is, at this point, an undisclosed amount of money. However much the Kings pay Richards annually will count towards the Kings' salary cap on top of the cap recapture penalty (about $1.32 million annually for the next five years) the Kings have already been absorbing according to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun.

In the case of Richards (5.75 AAV) it was 2M recapture for 5 years and then 641k per year for 7 more years.

Brutal.

 

[Vaslof]

Yes, that's a guarantee and it's not pretty. Cap recapture penalty is around 20% of the original cap hit + whatever the annual settlement is.

By reaching a settlement, the Kings will still have to pay Richards what is, at this point, an undisclosed amount of money. However much the Kings pay Richards annually will count towards the Kings' salary cap on top of the cap recapture penalty (about $1.32 million annually for the next five years) the Kings have already been absorbing according to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun.

In the case of Richards (5.75 AAV) it was 2M recapture for 5 years and then 641k per year for 7 more years.

Brutal.

It literally says in the quote that it's a settlement. If it's something that is guaranteed, what are you even negotiating?

 

[henchman21]

The risk is minimal even for his current contract. If he gets busted again and enters 4th stage, I think they'll easily be able to get rid of that contract.

Something that does limit his value is his NMC. I think he'd agree to a trade to get out of here, but he gets to choose his own destination, so the Avs won't have much bargaining power. I hadn't thought of that when I posted earlier, so I'll take back what I said about the return we might get, though I stand by the fact that to other teams he is a valuable piece.

Not easily... it'd still be a large potential fight. Especially if Nuke adhered to the program.

Why the f*** did they offer him an 8 year contract if they knew? Blinded by the cup win?

He was going to get offered a 7x7 deal so to keep him, this is basically what they had to do. Along with that, lots of players have substance abuse issues and teams just don't care or think they can keep it handled.

 

[Balthazar]

It literally says in the quote that it's a settlement. If it's something that is guaranteed, what are you even negotiating?

No. It says 1.32M + whatever the settlement is.

Turns out the settlement was 641k for 12 years.

You think Val would walk away with $0? There would be a settlement too. On top of the 20%.

 

[Vaslof]

No. It says 1.32M + whatever the settlement is.

Turns out the settlement was 641k for 12 years.

You think Val would walk away with $0? There would be a settlement too. On top of the 20%.

Well if it's decided already by whatever laws/rules the NHL has for their internal organization then I'll admit I was wrong and wasn't aware of it. My bad.

 

[Avsfan1921]

You really need to start posting your sources because I am not even sure which substances is Nukie consuming.

The premise doesn’t change in what they’re saying. What good is this player if he continues to waste his time and our chances moving forward. We are all well aware the type of player he is and what he provides when he plays. Yet he disappeared for two straight playoff runs after winning the cup. In our biggest contention phase. On principle alone, he should be gone. So many people here want to fire Bednar, were ready to crucify Sakic and Cmac for sitting idly. Run Toews out of town for having a lesser year. Punt Girard to the moon for being short.

None of these individuals screwed the Avs more than Val over the last two seasons cup aspirations. Both on the ice and in terms of cap space.

 

[GirardIsStupid]

The premise doesn’t change in what they’re saying. What good is this player if he continues to waste his time and our chances moving forward. We are all well aware the type of player he is and what he provides when he plays. Yet he disappeared for two straight playoff runs after winning the cup. In our biggest contention phase. On principle alone, he should be gone. So many people here want to fire Bednar, were ready to crucify Sakic and Cmac for sitting idly. Run Toews out of town for having a lesser year. Punt Girard to the moon for being short.

None of these individuals screwed the Avs more than Val over the last two seasons cup aspirations. Both on the ice and in terms of cap space.

The same thing can be said for the team entirely. Why are they so dependent on Nichuskin to win games? Why aren't they better defensively as a unit? What good is a team when the team doesn't buy in to what other teams are doing to win? They all have to look in the mirror.

 

[Avsfan1921]

The same thing can be said for the team entirely. Why are they so dependent on Nichuskin to win games? Why aren't they better defensively as a unit? What good is a team when the team doesn't buy in to what other teams are doing to win? They all have to look in the mirror.

No, the same thing cannot be said. It being good enough or hungry enough is not the same as letting your team down by being kicked out. These are not the same thing at all. On top of that they spend 6 million on this player that has been unavailable of his own volition twice. That cap space could go to someone that they can actually dress.

These are not at all the same thing.

 

[Vaslof]

Here is a link to the CBA documentation:

Original 540 page document:

https://cdn.nhlpa.com/img/assets/file/NHL_NHLPA_2013_CBA.pdf

71 page amendment to it:

https://cdn.nhlpa.com/img/assets/file/NHLPA_NHL_MOU.pdf

Under 55 B seems to be what's being referenced, aka the cap recapture penalty.
However it is about player retirement, not contract termination due to fault of the player.

Standard player contract starting from page 310.

I've gotta do other stuff now, later. Maybe someone can find the other relevant parts.

 

[niwotsblessing]

Just out of curiosity- what would a player need to do in a drug-related, unavailability sense, for the NHL and NHLPA to say "f*** it, you can let him go."

 

[GirardIsStupid]

No, the same thing cannot be said. It being good enough or hungry enough is not the same as letting your team down by being kicked out. These are not the same thing at all. On top of that they spend 6 million on this player that has been unavailable of his own volition twice. That cap space could go to someone that they can actually dress.

These are not at all the same thing.

It is when the only thing that matters is a Cup.

 

[henchman21]

Just out of curiosity- what would a player need to do in a drug-related, unavailability sense, for the NHL and NHLPA to say "f*** it, you can let him go."

Simply not be that good... see Adam Ruzicka.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Why the f*** did they offer him an 8 year contract if they knew? Blinded by the cup win?

This so many times over. If it is true that Joe and CMac were aware of his problems and still handed him this much cap and term? I like that our GMs are hockey people and mostly do right by the professional contracts they sign but man this one seems like it could have been potentially minimized by a little smarter management. If Nuke had a problem and Joe new about it, why 8 years at this high cap and a NMC? That's just flat-out bad management if true.

 

[henchman21]

This so many times over. If it is true that Joe and CMac were aware of his problems and still handed him this much cap and term? I like that our GMs are hockey people and mostly do right by the professional contracts they sign but man this one seems like it could have been potentially minimized by a little smarter management. If Nuke had a problem and Joe new about it, why 8 years at this high cap and a NMC? That's just flat-out bad management if true.

I'm not here to light a match on all the indiscretions by players, but Nuke is far from the first or last player to have issues that gets a big contract. Not the first or last Av. The singular difference here is that Nuke got caught in a big enough way that outside parties started creeping in and hands were forced to take care of the issue. If that Doctor never called the authorities, this whole situation never happens. Now the Avs have to deal with this whole issue and lose a highly impactful player. This is a big reason things get pushed under the rug and kept from the public eye

 

[Avsfan1921]

It is when the only thing that matters is a Cup.

No, it’s not. At all. You stated that the same thing can be said for the team entirely. The entire team did not get suspended due to extracurricular activities while being an important piece and taking up significant cap space multiple times.

Not winning the cup is a team failure. How each player attributed to that is not the same nor should they be weighted the same.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I'm not here to light a match on all the indiscretions by players, but Nuke is far from the first or last player to have issues that gets a big contract. Not the first or last Av. The singular difference here is that Nuke got caught in a big enough way that outside parties started creeping in and hands were forced to take care of the issue. If that Doctor never called the authorities, this whole situation never happens. Now the Avs have to deal with this whole issue and lose a highly impactful player. This is a big reason things get pushed under the rug and kept from the public eye

Meh, another way of looking at it would be that if management and HR had actually done their job and thrown him in the program to begin with and each subsequent time afterwards Nuke would already be either living a sober lifestyle or out of the NHL. He wouldn't have necessarily still been around to screw us two years in a row.

Yes, Nuke is to blame for his personal choices, but as I hear more, I think the Avs deserve every bit of pain they've got coming with this. Which is a shitty thing to say about the team you love, but here we are. I have a philosophical difference on how players should be treated and the standards to which they should be held. News at 5'Oclock.

 

[henchman21]

Meh, another way of looking at it would be that if management and HR had actually done their job and thrown him in the program to begin with and each subsequent time afterwards Nuke would already be either living a sober lifestyle or out of the NHL. He wouldn't have necessarily still been around to screw us two years in a row.

Yes, Nuke is to blame for his personal choices, but as I hear more, I think the Avs deserve every bit of pain they've got coming with this. Which is a shitty thing to say about the team you love, but here we are. I have a philosophical difference on how players should be treated and the standards to which they should be held. News at 5'Oclock.

I don't disagree a bit here. The Avs are certainly not an innocent party here. They made their bed, they made their decisions, and it eventually landed here. All parties have fault here, including the Avs.

I'm simply stating that Nuke's issues are not exactly uncommon in the NHL. He's on the more extreme side with Kuzy and Vrana, but there are a lot of players that either have or have had these issues. Even on the Avs he's not the only guy. It should be pretty clear now that the Avs don't really take off the ice stuff all that seriously as long as it stays out of the public eye.

 

[PAZ]

I don't disagree a bit here. The Avs are certainly not an innocent party here. They made their bed, they made their decisions, and it eventually landed here. All parties have fault here, including the Avs.

I'm simply stating that Nuke's issues are not exactly uncommon in the NHL. He's on the more extreme side with Kuzy and Vrana, but there are a lot of players that either have or have had these issues. Even on the Avs he's not the only guy. It should be pretty clear now that the Avs don't really take off the ice stuff all that seriously as long as it stays out of the public eye.

Are there any teams that take off-ice 'issues' seriously as long as it's not aired in public?

 

[henchman21]

Are there any teams that take off-ice 'issues' seriously as long as it's not aired in public?

Some, but they are the clear minority. This is professional sports, the real point is to win... not be great human beings.

 

[PAZ]

Some, but they are the clear minority. This is professional sports, the real point is to win... not be great human beings.

I can't really think of any, outside of maybe Tampa/Yzerman (?) with how they gave Drouin, DeAngelo, and Ingram the boot. But I feel like that was more of a team policy so it wouldn't affect their locker room, rather than trying to mold them into being good people.

 

[hockeyfish]

I can't really think of any, outside of maybe Tampa/Yzerman (?) with how they gave Drouin, DeAngelo, and Ingram the boot. But I feel like that was more of a team policy so it wouldn't affect their locker room, rather than trying to mold them into being good people.

Crappy example, but Chicago for obvious reasons.

 

[henchman21]

I can't really think of any, outside of maybe Tampa/Yzerman (?) with how they gave Drouin, DeAngelo, and Ingram the boot. But I feel like that was more of a team policy so it wouldn't affect their locker room, rather than trying to mold them into being good people.

Tampa just has a shorter leash for nonsense than the Avs. They'll take the same risks.

 

[MacKaRant]

Some, but they are the clear minority. This is professional sports, the real point is to win... not be great human beings.

I'm sure some of my coworkers use recreational drugs regularly and a smaller minority enjoy the company of temporary companions during lonely evenings. As long as it doesn't impact work performance or result in serious crimes or reputational damage to the company, I don't think anyone cares.