Salary cap to increase by $2 million?; Penguins won't negotiate with Gonchar after trade deadline

Salary cap to increase by $2 million?; Penguins won't negotiate with Gonchar after trade deadline

2:26pm - Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 by DePaoli

Latest Buzz from BOG Meetings

Salary Cap could increase by $1.5-$2 million

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman met with general managers and owners on Tuesday at the Board of Governors meetings and projections for next years salary cap has the cap in the $56.8 - $58.5 million range .

The league does not expect a decrease and early projections show the possibility of even a $1.5-$2 million increase at the max.

The projections now set the stage for general managers to begin preparations for next season. The Canadian franchises are the markets that carry the salary cap.

They make up for teams like Phoenix, Florida and Atlanta which don't bring in adequate revenues.

It's astounding that the league is against relocating a team like Phoenix to Canada. It's time for the league to admit their mistake and do what's best for the entire league.

Cap projections set stage for Gonchar negotiations

Not that executives with the Penguins have the cap projections for next season, they will move forward in contract talks with defenseman Sergei Gonchar.

Penguins general manager Ray Shero and J.P. Barry the agent for Gonchar, will conduct their first set of substantive talks in early January.

Pittsburgh's top priority is to re-sign Gonchar but Pittsburgh will only have a window of 6 weeks to strike a deal as the Penguins have set a deadline that they won't negotiate with Gonchar after the trade deadline.

If the two sides are unable to agree to a deal before the trade deadline, striking a deal after the season before July 1 will be unlikely I'm told.

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Comments

grocis

this was pure speculation from Rossi yesterday, heard him on Madden show say it would be interesting if Pens decide to take offers on Gonchar by trade deadline. Thoughts?

12/16/2009 2:37pm

Cory7321

It's always worth listening to offers, grocis. Who knows if some GM will blow RS away. But I still think we need to keep Gonch to have a successful playoff run again.

12/16/2009 2:40pm

Gonchar is going nowhere.

12/16/2009 2:41pm

sinman07

He has a no trade clause

12/16/2009 2:41pm

jaluco

First, he has a no trade clause. Secondly, if you're a contender this year, for a stanley cup, why on earth are you trading one of your top 4 players away? Movement at the deadline makes 0 sense. To be honest, if there's truth to the cap going up, not signing him for nearly any reason makes 0 sense.

12/16/2009 2:57pm

mwalluk

I qoute from Boondock Saints "where's he going, he's going nowhere"

12/16/2009 3:11pm

psupens

just throwing this out there... pens are 17-4-1 when gonchar is in the lineup... 6-6-0 when he is not...thats just this season...last season they went 17-4-4 before playoffs with him back in the lineup...

12/16/2009 3:11pm

psupens

to add to that combined last year and this year regular season... pens are 34-8-5 with gonchar... 34-30-5 without...is that luck or does it just scream resign him?

12/16/2009 3:20pm

catz27

NHL doesn't want Phoenix to move to a promising market because they want to save those markets for expansion (prob $150M a team minimum). Of course, bringing in another 2 teams would ruin an already diluted league.

12/16/2009 3:46pm

Monrovian12

To expand would make the situation worse, the NHL needs to cut their losses and move on to a city that will be more profitable. The NHL is acting like they've lost a girlfriend that they're desperately trying to get back.

12/16/2009 3:50pm

Samtheman

cuz bettman is from around phonix so he would do his best to keep that team

12/16/2009 4:37pm

jaluco

Ugh. You guys think far too short term. Phoenix is one of the fastest growing markets in the country. To tap into that would be huge in the long-term. It might be a lost cause. It might not. But you certainly don't just throw the towel in yet.

12/16/2009 4:46pm

Monrovian12

Jaluco, why defend a market that is hemorrhaging money from the rest of league? Phoenix may be a fast growing market in terms of population, so is NC where I currently live, but hockey just doesn't work that well here. I don't see it changing in Phoenix, Florida, or Atlanta for that matter...Florida anf Atlanta have better teams this year but their buildings still go unfilled more often than not.

12/16/2009 4:50pm

jaluco

Actually, the numbers in Carolina are quite good. If you put a winniing product on the ice, the fans will come. Building a fan base doesn't happen over night - it also doesn't happen in 10 years. Maybe you're too young to remember this, but in 1984, there were many that thought Pittsburgh was a doomed market, and that was, what, 17 years after inception? I'm sure glad nobody gave up on this city.

12/16/2009 5:01pm

mwalluk

nhl is going emo - damn dude, just let it go already - it's been a few years now, get over it

12/16/2009 5:20pm

jaluco

Who are you talking to?

12/16/2009 5:23pm

Monrovian12

The numbers are ok for the Hurricanes, but this is primarily a Nascar and basketball area, with NC State, Duke, and NC all within 30 minutes of each other the Hurricanes take a back seat from Dec to Apr, playoffs pending, they pick back up...This season is a major exception since they are having a pretty bad year.

12/16/2009 5:29pm

Monrovian12

And from a business point of view, if there is a more profitable venture readily available you take it.

12/16/2009 5:41pm

jaluco

From a business point of view, if you're looking to grow the business, you don't try to sell to those that are already buying the product. You expand by attracting new fans, not by moving a team right next to an existing one in Toronto.

12/16/2009 5:44pm

jackattack8771

i would move it, but i dont know where.

12/16/2009 8:50pm

zerocool6687

Especially if moving said team near Toronto means syphoning off a decent part of the Buffalo fan base which in turn would put the nails in the coffin for the Sabres franchise who would eventually have to be moved. IMO Phoenix may be better off relocated... at least within the city of Phoenix as I hear its the location of their building that plays a large roll in the lack of support (to far north outside the city of Phoenix). I also think that moving one team at the future expense of another does not make sense either

12/17/2009 9:20am

↑ previous comments ↑

OU812

I hear Mexico City always wanted a hockey team.

12/17/2009 9:30am

orsulak

Pay Gonch his $5M per year for two years. Dickering over a million dollars or so doesn't make sense when he is so vaulable to the Team. Or they can sign him for 3 yrs at $13M, and you can spread-out the cap hit. If he retires, you can spread-out the last years of his contract over four years I think.

12/17/2009 9:59am

orsulak

Gogo and Letang cannot replace Gonch -who is a unique talent. Despite his minus stats this year, he is underrated in his own end.

12/17/2009 10:03am