Comments on: Ovechkin Signing Could Doom Capitals http://obeese.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/ovechkin-signing-could-doom-capitals/ Spanning the Sports Spectrum in a Timely Manner Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:57:07 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: DC_Mike http://obeese.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/ovechkin-signing-could-doom-capitals/#comment-266 DC_Mike Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:21:33 +0000 http://obeese.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/ovechkin-signing-could-doom-capitals/#comment-266 PO, your point makes no sense. So Sid signs for $8.7m and that leaves enough money for other guys, but Alex signs for $9m and that precludes the Caps from signing other guys? Where's the logic? Especially when you consider that Washington has been barely at the salary floor for a while. As for fair market value, there was certainly someone willing to pay him this amount as a free agent, for easily 6 years. But at that point, he's in his late 20s, in his prime, when he becomes a free agent again. And then, the free agent signing hit will be even greater, which means one of two things - he's going to be way more expensive to re-sign, or you let him walk. Either way - signing him like they did, or riskign he'll walk - you face a tremendous question. Alex is a once-in-a-lifetime type of talent. I really believe that. Sid the Kid is great at his game as well, they are different styles of players, despite the media's desperate attempt to compare them. For pure goal scoring, is there anyone you'd rather have on your team than Alex? From an economic standpoint, this is what the DC market needed. The guy is loved here, and the longer he's around, the more commitment the team shows to him, the more people will be in the seats. People here are very skeptical of hockey after watching this team struggle through several horrible years. But showing we are prepared to keep Alex for the long-term builds a foundation that hopefully will turn fan support, and the on-ice product, around. PO, your point makes no sense. So Sid signs for $8.7m and that leaves enough money for other guys, but Alex signs for $9m and that precludes the Caps from signing other guys? Where’s the logic? Especially when you consider that Washington has been barely at the salary floor for a while.

As for fair market value, there was certainly someone willing to pay him this amount as a free agent, for easily 6 years. But at that point, he’s in his late 20s, in his prime, when he becomes a free agent again. And then, the free agent signing hit will be even greater, which means one of two things – he’s going to be way more expensive to re-sign, or you let him walk.

Either way – signing him like they did, or riskign he’ll walk – you face a tremendous question. Alex is a once-in-a-lifetime type of talent. I really believe that. Sid the Kid is great at his game as well, they are different styles of players, despite the media’s desperate attempt to compare them. For pure goal scoring, is there anyone you’d rather have on your team than Alex?

From an economic standpoint, this is what the DC market needed. The guy is loved here, and the longer he’s around, the more commitment the team shows to him, the more people will be in the seats. People here are very skeptical of hockey after watching this team struggle through several horrible years. But showing we are prepared to keep Alex for the long-term builds a foundation that hopefully will turn fan support, and the on-ice product, around.

]]> By: PO http://obeese.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/ovechkin-signing-could-doom-capitals/#comment-253 PO Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:24:15 +0000 http://obeese.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/ovechkin-signing-could-doom-capitals/#comment-253 Crosby already re-upped for $8.7 mil per year and would never cripple his franchise with a cap hit like that... he lefted enough money for guys like Malkin and Staal and Fleury to get theirs while at the same time satisfying the NHLPA by getting fair market value (much like when Mario was an owner/player and paid himself around $6 mil per year to satisfy the NHLPA so clubs couldnt pull the "mario makes this and you are not better than mario" card)... maybe instead of crippling his team with a 10 mil cap hit he should have learned english a little better and he could cash in on endorsements like Sid does, making his base salary his play money. Crosby already re-upped for $8.7 mil per year and would never cripple his franchise with a cap hit like that… he lefted enough money for guys like Malkin and Staal and Fleury to get theirs while at the same time satisfying the NHLPA by getting fair market value (much like when Mario was an owner/player and paid himself around $6 mil per year to satisfy the NHLPA so clubs couldnt pull the “mario makes this and you are not better than mario” card)… maybe instead of crippling his team with a 10 mil cap hit he should have learned english a little better and he could cash in on endorsements like Sid does, making his base salary his play money.

]]> By: Bill Thomas http://obeese.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/ovechkin-signing-could-doom-capitals/#comment-246 Bill Thomas Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:20:51 +0000 http://obeese.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/ovechkin-signing-could-doom-capitals/#comment-246 Yea, the Capitals obviously wanted to lock this guy up for a long time but there is a great deal of risk involved. I would have been happy with a five year deal but Caps management wanted to put the issue to rest. It could however also work out to be a great deal if he's able to perform at his current level for years to come, as the salary cap will continue to rise, and $11 million for a franchise player like Ovechkin five years from now may not seem like a high price. If I'm not mistaken, the Caps were paying Jagr around that much and got far less in return. Yea, the Capitals obviously wanted to lock this guy up for a long time but there is a great deal of risk involved. I would have been happy with a five year deal but Caps management wanted to put the issue to rest. It could however also work out to be a great deal if he’s able to perform at his current level for years to come, as the salary cap will continue to rise, and $11 million for a franchise player like Ovechkin five years from now may not seem like a high price. If I’m not mistaken, the Caps were paying Jagr around that much and got far less in return.

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