Confirmed Signing with Link: [TBL] Lightning re-sign Nikita Kucherov (3 years, $4.766M AAV)

[Falcons93]

Tampa's attendance rank within the league, by year, since Vinik bought the team:

2010-11: 18
2011-12: 13
2012-13: 8
2013-14: 10
2014-15: 9
2015-16: 8

Since finally getting ownership that actually gives a damn about putting a quality team on the ice and providing a quality experience in the arena, attendance in Tampa has risen to the point where we are consistently in the top ten in the league. This past season Toronto averaged a grand total of 66 more spectators per game than we did. The Panthers are a different story but Tampa hasn't had an attendance problem since Vinik took over.

A couple of factors to keep in mind:
1) Ticket Prices - Toronto's tickets are $70-80 more expensive on Average.
2) Arena Capacity - Winnipeg was over capacity every game, but ranked much lower than T.B.
3) Team Success - Toronto is bad, Tampa Bay is good.

Winnipeg's attendance is 6th last in the league, but they're one of the most popular teams in the league.

Not taking anything away from Tampa - They're still ahead of other teams operating under similar conditions. The Panthers had more raw success (points) in the regular season, lower ticket prices, and a higher building capacity and were trumped by Tampa pretty badly.

Would be nice to keep getting more hockey fans in the south-east.

 

[tjs*]

If you start down that road then you would have to figure in every conceivable cost of living factor from housing costs, property taxes, sales taxes, all the way to what a gallon of gas costs. It would be insane.

And then, even if you could somehow compensate for all that, you'd just be giving the advantage to higher-tax locations as those tax dollars are often used to provide more government services.

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

I am not sure how Stevie Y does it but 3 years and it feels like he took a paycut I suppose this is a bridge deal.

 

[One Winged Angel]

Steve Yzerman is definitely Screwface from Marked For Death with Steven Seagal.

There's no other explanation.

 

[These Are The Days]

Woof. Incredible deal for TB right now but his next contract is going to be massive.

It'll be absolutely no problem for us by then. We will be able to give Kucherov just about anything he wants that is within reason.

 

[tjs*]

A couple of factors to keep in mind:
1) Ticket Prices - Toronto's tickets are $70-80 more expensive on Average.
2) Arena Capacity - Winnipeg was over capacity every game, but ranked much lower than T.B.
3) Team Success - Toronto is bad, Tampa Bay is good.

Winnipeg's attendance is 6th last in the league, but they're one of the most popular teams in the league.

Not taking anything away from Tampa - They're still ahead of other teams operating under similar conditions. The Panthers had more raw success (points) in the regular season, lower ticket prices, and a higher building capacity and were trumped by Tampa pretty badly.

I'm not arguing the relative size or quality of fanbases here - I'm simply disproving the notion that Tampa has an attendance problem. Clearly we do not. Would we be top ten in the league if all things (arena size, ticket price, and team quality) were equal? Probably not. But that's not the issue I was addressing.

 

[Caeldan]

With the NHL being more and more of a young man's sport, I wouldn't be surprised if the PA tried to negotiate more money for players in their arbitration years. 7 years is way too long for hockey players to be held under team control earning depressed salaries.

Unions represent the interests of the current membership, not future membership. Current membership would lose money by making more available to future members.

If anything I'd see it as an easy bargaining chip that they actually back off on and allow teams to just have a 5-7 year ELC with standard values and common bonuses (so players enter the league at a set rate, then are UFAs once it's over) as it gives the owners the kids for a longer period of time without inflating the young money at the expense of the old money.

 

[leaflover]

Sweet deal. It's a bit short but still solid.
I guess this only leaves Lindholm to sign with his current team.

 

[JS19]

I don't know how Stevie Y does this. He's becoming one of (if not the) top execs in the league.

Just imagine if Ken Holland left (or got "promoted") to pave way for Stevie Y. Who knows what would've happened to the Wings.

 

[Sempiternal]

It also includes a mansion, yacht, lambo, and a key to a Cayman Islands safety deposit box.

 

[HarrisonFord]

The tax advantage of Florida has to be helpful here for Stevie. It partly explains how he's able to sign these great deals

 

[carter333167]

The citation to state income taxes is a bit overblown. Athletes must file state returns in every state in which they play games....called the jock tax.

A TB player would probably have about half of his income exempt from state income tax..which isn't bad...but Florida property taxes, sales taxes and cost of living might be expensive so that degrades the advantage a bit more.

 

[CupsOverCash]

I don't know how Stevie Y does this. He's becoming one of (if not the) top execs in the league.

Just imagine if Ken Holland left (or got "promoted") to pave way for Stevie Y. Who knows what would've happened to the Wings.

Who knows what would happen with the Lightning if SY never became our GM. We wouldn't have been to 3 ECF in 6 years that's for sure.

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

Except given the past few years as history Tamps will screw him again as they don't believe in paying fair market value. I sincerely hope he does not get injured; I imagine all this "take one for the team" business is a one way street and he will be quickly forgotten when he needs them.

BTW this is not like $6mil in Canada. He doesn't pay state taxes for home games, but he must still pay taxes for road games in most states and federal tax as well.

How have we screwed players? We didn't put a gun to these guys heads and force them to sign they signed of there own free will.

 

[BinCookin]

I hope everyone remembers this thread when he asks for 8.5-9 Mil on a 6 year deal on his next contract!!

 

[Electricity]

Delicious.

 

[carter333167]

I hope everyone remembers this thread when he asks for 8.5-9 Mil on a 6 year deal on his next contract!!

Yep...kind of the elephant in the room on taking an elite player to within one year of UFA.

Still, considering TB's cap situation, I don't think SY had flexibility to buy 3-4 UFA years.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Yep...kind of the elephant in the room on taking an elite player to within one year of UFA.

Still, considering TB's cap situation, I don't think SY had flexibility to buy 3-4 UFA years.

No Yzerman will say ur old now 6 million

 

[Shady Machine]

It also includes a mansion, yacht, lambo, and a key to a Cayman Islands safety deposit box.

Yes there has to be something under the table with this deal

 

[NotYou]

I always despised Yzer age a player but as a GM he gets it. Its not about screwing a player out of money is about balancing salary in a cap system. Most GM's have not figured that out yet. Most people on HF think that a 20 goal guy is due 4.5 to 5 a 25 goal guy gets 5.5 to 6. 30 or more 6 to 9. Well in a cap environment that does not work. A few GM's have figured it out and are scaling back contracts. But many still throw money to the wind and end up with an albatross NMC 6 to 7 mil contract limiting them.

This is a good deal for both the 3 years gets Tampa past the next two tough summers and then Kuch will cash in. Im just guessin that alot of the envy comes from fans of teams who have GM's that still manage like there is no Cap.

...isn't the albatross Callahan contract one of the biggest reasons this deal had to happen? This deal screws the player short term and the team long term. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see kuch hit ufa.

Dude needs to fire his agent. Allowing yzerman to sign role players and stamkos before kuch let Tampa claim there was no other way. Kucherovs only other option was an offer sheet. Brilliantly played by tampa but druin and his agent need to study this one carefully. Could easily piss some players off

 

[DaBolts]

Just consider one thing. If somehow Kuch can snag a Conn Smythe or two before the next contract he'll get 8x8.5 easy.

This team is building like other SC winners; keep your core, experienced players and build around them. Stevie Y is building for the next decade of contention.

Plus he will rip the throat out of any other GM that tries to offer sheet our RFAs we want to keep.

Now, let's just drop the freaking puck!

P.S. - The hurricane thing is no biggie; most players leave here in the summer and go home to Canada, Russia, etc. We've learned to deal with it which is why even though the media makes it a big deal, we're generally prepared for them as a state. FYI...

 

[The Macho King]

...isn't the albatross Callahan contract one of the biggest reasons this deal had to happen? This deal screws the player short term and the team long term. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see kuch hit ufa.

Dude needs to fire his agent. Allowing yzerman to sign role players and stamkos before kuch let Tampa claim there was no other way. Kucherovs only other option was an offer sheet. Brilliantly played by tampa but druin and his agent need to study this one carefully. Could easily piss some players off

Clearly all of our players are alienated.

 

[NotYou]

Clearly all of our players are alienated.

This is exactly what I said

 

[NickLidstrom]

Sweet deal. It's a bit short but still solid.
I guess this only leaves Lindholm to sign with his current team.

Risto still needs to sign as well.

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

Risto still needs to sign as well.

Time to check the stickies again.