Examining Salary Cap Recapture In The Shea Weber Trade
*This story was originally published on June 30th, 2016 just days after the trade occurred. With Weber shut down due to a season-ending foot injury in 2018, it seems relevant to bump it to the top of the site. While the injury is nowhere near career-threatening, it will obviously bring the trade back to the forefront of debate in Montreal. This piece gives additional context to the implications that trade has for both franchises.
One element that was lost in the frenzy that was Wednesday afternoon was the potential salary cap recapture repercussions for Nashville stemming from yesterday’s Shea Weber for P.K. Subban trade. Despite the fact that Weber is gone, the Predators could still very well be on the hook for a sizable cap hit several years down the road.
The structure of Weber’s contract is now outlawed starting from the 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The overwhelming majority of his salary is paid out in the first five years of his 14 year deal with four years at just $1MM in salary tacked on at the end. That was done, of course, to lower the cap hit.
The CBA instituted a cap recapture penalty as a way of penalizing those who, in their view, openly circumvented the salary cap by adding on years with such a low salary that it couldn’t reasonably be expected that the player would actually play out the full contract. In Weber’s case, he makes $106MM of the salary in the first 10 years of his contract and just a total of $4MM in the final four years combined.
Simply put, the salary cap recapture calculation looks at the sum of the salary paid to the player compared to the cap hit they were charged over the same time period. Any cap savings over that time become eligible for recapture.
In Nashville’s case, they paid $56MM in salary while accruing a total cap charge of $31,428,572. The difference – $24,571,428 – becomes eligible for recapture.
Should Weber retire at any point prior to the conclusion of his contract in 2025-26, the Predators would be subsequently be imposed a cap recapture penalty equivalent to that amount divided by the number of years remaining on the contract. If Weber were to retire with just 1 season left on his deal, they would have to take the entire $24+MM penalty in 2025-26. If he were to retire with, say, four years remaining though, that total would be divided by 4, resulting in a cap recapture penalty of $6,142,857 in each of those years up until the conclusion of 2025-26.
Suffice it to say, GM David Poile is taking on a big potential risk down the road if Weber does indeed decide to retire before his contract expires. Had Weber stayed with the Preds longer, eventually the difference between salary and cap charge would have shrunk, lowering their potential exposure to recapture. But clearly Poile feels the reward is worth it to add Subban to an already dynamic group of defensemen in Nashville.
Canadiens Have Had Talks With Coyotes Regarding Max Domi
- The Canadiens have had discussions with the Coyotes regarding center Max Domi, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). However, it appears that Montreal was viewing him as a buy-low candidate while Arizona isn’t willing to do a deal like that at this time. Domi has had a tough 2017-18 campaign with just four goals in 59 games and will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Montreal Canadiens Trade Jakub Jerabek To Washington Capitals
Jakub Jerabek hasn’t found a fit in Montreal, and with his unrestricted free agency pending the team has decided to move on. The defenseman has been traded to the Washington Capitals for a 2019 fifth-round draft pick.
Jerabek, 26, was signed last offseason to a one-year entry-level contract out of the KHL. After starting off with the Laval Rocket of the AHL, and finding early success, the Czech defenseman was recalled and has played 25 games for the Canadiens. Unfortunately, that run came to an end recently as Jerabek has been held out of the lineup since the beginning of the month. It still didn’t seem like he was going anywhere, even telling reporters that he would be interested in re-signing with Montreal.
Speaking to Arpon Basu of The Athletic recently about the potential to get moved at the deadline, Jerabek reiterated his focus on just getting back into the lineup:
My agent spoke with guys here, but I don’t want to talk about it right now and just focus on my job here and my chance. I hope if I get it, I take it, I show what I can bring to this team to the end of the season, and hopefully for next year.
He’ll likely get that chance to prove himself in Washington, who are headed to the playoffs once again with an unsettled defense group. The team just recently acquired Michal Kempny from the Chicago Blackhawks, and lost Taylor Chorney on waivers today. Jerabek will immediately jump into the mix for a potential bottom pairing spot, and will almost certainly be used at some point down the stretch.
Like any team expecting a long playoff run, the Capitals are trying to add depth on defense in case of injury. Jerabek carries just a $925K cap hit, and has shown some good versatility in his short time in Montreal. Though he likely won’t be asked to log big minutes, he can do a little bit of everything including penalty killing in a pinch.
For Montreal, if they weren’t going to re-sign Jerabek (or even if they still plan on trying), they turned a lost season into another asset for the future. They actually didn’t have a fifth-round pick for 2019, which has now been replaced and gives the team a chance, depending on conditions, to select 15 times in the next two years. Expect the Canadiens to add at least a couple more selections over the next few days.
Minor Transactions: 02/21/18
After a busy night in the NHL, the league has just three games on tap for today. Instead, teams might use their time off to cement their status for the trade deadline and make inquiries around the league. All the minor moves we’ll keep track of right here. Refresh the page throughout the day to make sure you stay up to date on all the comings and goings.
- Tucker Poolman has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Winnipeg Jets, after being scratched again last night. It’s been eight straight games in the press box for Poolman, who will get a chance to play again with the Manitoba Moose.
- In addition to claiming and assigning Gabriel Dumont, the Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Matthew Peca to the Syracuse Crunch. Peca has scored five points in 10 games for the Lightning, and is scheduled to become a Group VI free agent this summer.
- After being acquired yesterday, the San Jose Sharks have recalled Eric Fehr from the minor leagues, sending Rudolfs Balcers back down in his place. Fehr could get into the lineup as a fourth-line player in the coming days, after an impressive performance for the San Diego Gulls through the first part of the season.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Reto Berra under emergency conditions while John Gibson deals with his latest injury. Ryan Miller will start for now, and will need him to help them towards the playoffs like Jonathan Bernier did a year ago.
- Speaking of goaltenders, the Edmonton Oilers have returned Laurent Brossoit to the minor leagues as Al Montoya is set to get back on the bench. Montoya needs to play just three more games for the Oilers to force them into sending a fourth-round pick to Montreal instead of a fifth.
- Ryan Sproul is on his way back to the minor leagues after getting into four games with the club. Sproul has a point in each of his last two games, but will need to wait for his next chance to get into the lineup.
- The New Jersey Devils have returned Nick Lappin to the AHL as several players approach a return to the ice. Lappin has played in just six games with New Jersey this season, but is leading the Binghamton Devils in goals with 17.
- After Carey Price took a shot to the head last night, the Montreal Canadiens have recalled Charlie Lindgren under emergency conditions. With him comes Noah Juulsen under a regular recall, ready to make his NHL debut after battling injury this season. Juulsen was called “very close” to NHL ready in September by his GM, before breaking his foot in training camp.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Nicolas Deslauriers To Two-Year Extension
The Montreal Canadiens have apparently liked what they’ve seen from Nicolas Deslauriers this season, and have signed the forward to a two-year extension worth $950K per season. Deslauriers was set to become an unrestricted free agent in July, but will now stay with the Canadiens through the 2019-20 season.
Deslauriers, 26, was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres at the start of the season in exchange for Zach Redmond, and has made quite the impact in Montreal. The third-round pick has played a heavy game for the Canadiens, finishing his checks and providing a bit of secondary scoring. With seven goals through 36 games, Deslauriers has already set his career-high in goals and actually is tied with or has more than other more high profile players like Tomas Plekanec, Artturi Lehkonen and Phillip Danault.
Though he’ll never be expected to be a top line option, locking in a useful bottom-six forward for less than $1MM per season doesn’t pose much risk. Even if Deslauriers takes a step backwards, the Canadiens can easily bury his cap hit in the minor leagues. Though this won’t fix Montreal’s problems, it’s a nice reward for a player that has performed admirably even in a minor role.
Minor Transactions: 02/19/18
One week remains until the NHL trade deadline, and an injury now could totally change a team’s plans. As a few sellers decide just how low of a price they’re willing to give away their assets for, buyers are clamoring for more production at a reasonable cost. Like always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- The New York Islanders have placed Thomas Greiss on injured reserve, making Christopher Gibson an emergency call-up. Greiss’ injury isn’t expected to be long-term, but will still hurt the Islanders chances. New York is fighting for their lives in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and Greiss had recently started to see his game improve. Now they’ll have to rely on Jaroslav Halak for the time being, unless a trade is in the works to bring another goaltender in.
- The Montreal Canadiens have assigned Nikita Scherbak to the minor leagues as they start to get healthy. Phillip Danault and Andrew Shaw are both expected back soon, and the team needed a roster spot. With rosters expanding after the trade deadline, you can bet Scherbak will be back up with Montreal before long.
- Dean Kukan has been put on injured reserve, and will miss at least week according to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who recalled Zac Dalpe and Ryan Murray today. Murray has been injured for some time, and just completed a short conditioning stint in the minor leagues where he scored in his only game. He could represent a big trade deadline boost for the Blue Jackets, or make a potential Jack Johnson trade possible.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Linus Ullmark from the AHL, while Robin Lehner deals with a minor injury. Ullmark has had an excellent season with the Rochester Americans, posting a .924 save percentage through his 18-9-4 record. The 24-year old goaltender looks ready to take the next step to the NHL full-time next season.
- Carolina has sent Lucas Wallmark back to the AHL, where he has been a top offensive performer this year. The 22-year old has now played five games for the Hurricanes this year, scoring his first NHL goal but being held off the scoresheet otherwise. Carolina is off until Friday, when Wallmark could be recalled.
- Teddy Blueger didn’t get into a game for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and will now have to wait for another opportunity. The 23-year old forward has been sent back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he has 26 points in 45 games.
- While the Flyers have been decimated by injuries in goal lately, they did get some good news as Anthony Stolarz was given the green light to be activated off season-opening injured reserve. Accordingly, the team has assigned him to Lehigh Valley of the AHL. Philadelphia has also recalled winger Oskar Lindblom from the Phantoms and he could make his NHL debut tomorrow night against Montreal.
Trade Candidate: Max Pacioretty
With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.
Although he has a reputation of being a streaky scorer, Canadiens winger Max Pacioretty has been one of the more prominent goal scorers around the NHL over the past several years. With Montreal floundering in the standings, his name has been floated out in trade talks and as a result, he is one of the top players available heading into the deadline.
Contract
Pacioretty is in the fifth season of a six-year, $27MM contract. He is earning a salary of $5MM both this season and next and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019.
2017-18
As is the case with a lot of Montreal’s players, this season hasn’t gone to plan for Pacioretty. He has had his usual hot stretches but his slumps have lasted longer than normal and as a result, he has yet to hit the 20-goal mark which puts his streak of four straight years with at least 30 tallies in serious jeopardy.
However, for teams interested in acquiring him, there is some cause for optimism. His shooting percentage of 8.1% is his lowest since becoming a full-time NHL player back in 2010-11. He also has been in a situation where his center has primarily been a winger playing out of position which certainly hasn’t helped. A move to a team with quality options down the middle would likely result in him getting closer to his career numbers.
Season Stats
56 GP, 16 goals, 17 assists, 33 points, -12 rating, 22 PIMS, 198 shots, 19:10 ATOI, 53.5 CF%
Potential Suitors
Most contending teams with some cap room will have interest in Pacioretty and it’s possible that non-playoff teams may kick the tires knowing that he’s signed for one more year (that might be more of an offseason inquiry, however).
In the East, Tampa Bay is likely to make a splash at some point and adding a top winger would make a potent offense that much stronger. The two teams have already made a significant swap recently as well with the Jonathan Drouin–Mikhail Sergachev deal back in the summer. Garth Snow is on record saying he doesn’t want to move picks and prospects for rental players but with Pacioretty being signed for one more year, there could certainly be a fit with the Islanders. The Blue Jackets need scoring help and have more than enough room to fit him in on the salary cap this season.
Out West, Nashville has solidified their depth down the middle and can turn their focus to the wing where Pacioretty would slot in well inside their top six. Los Angeles has shored up their back end with the Dion Phaneuf acquisition and will now turn their focus up front. However, GM Rob Blake may be hesitant to part with the top pick and/or prospect considering they’re a team on the bubble for the postseason. Meanwhile, San Jose is going to be on the lookout for help in their top six with Joe Thornton out and they are well-positioned both this season and beyond for the salary cap; they can add Pacioretty’s deal without any difficulty.
Likelihood Of A Trade
Does Pacioretty have more trade value now where the acquiring team can have him for two playoff runs or in the offseason when more teams have cap space to work with and the Canadiens could be open to retaining on the contract? The answer to this question may play a role in what happens here. GM Marc Bergevin has set a steep asking price and with other scoring wingers on the market, he may have a hard time landing it unless several of them get moved in the coming days or someone decides Pacioretty is worth paying a premium for. As a result, the summer appears to be the likelier time for a trade to take place.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Charlie Lindgren To Three-Year Extension
The Montreal Canadiens have their goaltending locked up for the next few years, as young Charlie Lindgren has been signed to a three-year contract extension. Lindgren will be on a one-way deal through 2020-21 that pays him an average of $750K per season.
Lindgren made his first real run of NHL starts earlier this season when he stepped in during injuries to Price and then-backup Al Montoya, and acquitted himself well in his short sample. With a .929 save percentage in 11 NHL starts, and a history of success at the collegiate and minor league level (though this year has not gone as well), Lindgren looks ready to step into the backup role with the Canadiens next season. Antti Niemi, the current backup, is set to be an unrestricted free agent and is unlikely to be retained.
Signed out of St. Cloud State in 2016, Lindgren is now 24 and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the extension. The almost minimum-level salary is a perfect compliment to Price, who will start in on an eight-year, $84MM extension next season. With Price taking a $10.5MM cap hit, the Canadiens needed to save money at the backup goaltender position. If Lindgren can hold his own, this deal will be more than affordable.
Snapshots: Leivo, Danault, Smith
Not so long ago it was reported that Josh Leivo had requested a trade away from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 24-year old forward has barely played over the last few seasons, spending more time in the press box than the bench. It was natural for him to want a fresh start somewhere, and a chance to prove he is a full-time NHL player.
This morning, speaking with reporters including Jonas Siegal of The Athletic, Maple Leafs’ GM Lou Lamoriello expressed that he never did receive a trade request from Leivo despite the widespread reports. When asked about the trade request earlier this month, Leivo’s agent wouldn’t confirm it but did say that the forward “simply needs to play regularly.”
- Phillip Danault is back travelling with the Montreal Canadiens, and says the only symptom he suffered after taking a Zdeno Chara shot to the head was vertigo. Danault hasn’t played in nearly a month, but was actually having a nice season for the Canadiens with 23 points in 43 games. He could rejoin the lineup on Wednesday evening.
- Eric Francis of Sportsnet reports that Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Smith‘s injury may not be as bad as it looked, though no clarification past that is given. Smith had to be helped off the ice by the training staff and two teammates, just at the end of their game against the New York Islanders. Smith has been a huge part of the Flames season so far, and a long-term injury could be devastating to their playoff hopes.
Canadiens Prefer To Sign Nicolas Deslauriers To Extension Before Trade Deadline
- There is mutual interest between the Canadiens and winger Nicolas Deslauriers regarding a contract extension, Renaud Lavoie and Louis Jean of TVA Sports report (link in French). Deslauriers started the season in the minors after clearing waivers back when he was with Buffalo but has been a regular since being recalled back in mid-November and already has set a career high in goals with seven. However, Montreal’s preference is to get an extension signed before the February 26th trade deadline; otherwise, they may look to trade him and then try to work out a contract in free agency.