Your $4 million dollar man Pavol Demitra is still injured
by Yankee Canuck on Sep 8, 2009 1:45 PM PDT
in Injuries
29 comments
Eat your heart out Sami Salo. No wait, don't. Just go sit very still over there in the corner.
The last time we saw Mr. Demitra was when he checked himself out of the second round series with Chicago by colliding with Brian Campbell. It was after the series we learned he had a torn rotator cuff and Demo had surgery shortly after Vancouver packed up GM Place for the summer.
Today we've learned Mr. Demitra isn't quite ready:
"I'm not quite there yet, I still have another month and a half to go and we'll see how it goes," Demitra said after skating on his own Tuesday. "The shoulder is not quite strong enough yet."
He hopes to be back in six weeks or, roughly, mid October. But rotator cuff injuries can be tricky and Demitra isn't know for his epic durability, so get used to a few more weeks of wondering what magic Gillis needs to move him now when we'll see his contributions again on the ice.
Here is a video of the Demitra interview with the media today after his skate.
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I believe that allows us to go over the cap by his $4 million…but I’m not sure.
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 8, 2009 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions
What A Difference A Delay Makes
But a well-behaved slug and good for him! Gillis is smiling over this and Demitra is doing it with his blessing:
This pretty much solves the Canucks’ cap probs … albeit temporarily till Demitra returns … and barring The Return Of The Mats ©, which I suspect’d mean losing a D-man to compensate. Which D-man that’d be is a topic unto itself.
But anyway, Gillis must be quite content with Demitra’s delay in returning. He already has an owner willing to spend extra to build a winner, the Lungo contract confirms as much, so paying Demitra to sit a few weeks probably doesn’t worry them at all since it gives Gillis the much-needed time to evaluate the young talent as long as till mid-October before he has to decide what to do, who to keep, who to move, arrange a deal….
BTW, I think the actual math sees Demitra’s salary as counting, technically, towards the cap but with the Canucks being allowed to go over the cap by that amount while he is on IR or LTIR, so the effect is the same as if it didn’t count at all. The real diff between IR and LTIR, as I understand it, is that LTIR can go down to the minors for a few games for conditioning but IR cannot. Anyone else able to confirm?
Check the link below, I believe you’re right. What I can’t figure out is – or get confirmation on rather – is the amount Vancouver can exceed the cap by. I don’t believe it’s the entire salary.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Sep 8, 2009 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Not sure. The linked page refers to a team’s “upper limit” but I’m not sure how that’s calc’d in these situations. If I follow it correctly – very quick skim, no more – you can go over by the amount that the LTIR player’s replacement cost pushes you over.
So does this mean that the Canucks will wanna designate someone dirt cheap – e.g. Shirokov – as Demitra’s replacement for now? If Demitra costs $4m and Shirokov is $.5m then the Canucks gain $3.5m cap room, right?
The other interesting pt is that if they can’t make cap room for him on his return, then he is simply not permitted to join the club. Doesn’t that create a loophole whereby Demitra could simply stay in limbo for as long as it’s convenient to the Canucks, provided the owners remain ok with signing all his Czech cheques? If so, Gillis can take as long as he needs to make a deal, significantly strengthening his bargaining position vs the other GMs, but again, I only just skimmed the details very quickly … gotta get back to work now!
I doubt Gillis would screw over his own player (and former client) by keeping him in the minors. But it’s possible that six weeks is really eight or nine and it does by him more time to get under the cap.
I have to muck around more, but my hunch is Gillis doesn’t have $4 million to play with if it goes to LITR.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Sep 8, 2009 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Sorta
He would need to be put on the LTIR (not IR) and then Vancouver is allowed to go over the cap if they file a LTI exception. But I don’t think it’s the full $4 million, but rather a pro-rated amount.
And if that’s true, it just buys Vancouver an extra week or so assuming he does comes back in mid October.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Sep 8, 2009 2:08 PM PDT up reply actions
OK, I gave this some thought while I worked and …
Sign Mats Sundin and lose Willie Mitchell. Nothing against Willie but I suspect he’s the odd man out: Bieksa and Edler are younger, Salo’s got an NTC, Erhoff’s the offensive D-man for tomorrow after Schneider retires, the other D-men aren’t in Mitchell’s salary range.
Anyway, that adds let’s say $3.5m for Sundin less $4.0m for Mitchell presuming they get little or nothing back in return for him other than futures, a basic salary dump txn. Net to the Canucks: -$0.5m
Depending on Schneider’s bonuses, which I think count to the cap, the Canucks are about, what, $$2.5m over these days? Lose Demitra, then, also in a salary dump txn, and you’re good to go again.
I think this is what’s shaping up cuz it seems to fit the txns done so far and cuz I think it also fits with what Gillis has been saying all along. He’s been planning and plotting this for a while.
Sedin-Sedin-Samuelsson
Burrows-Sundin-Kesler
Raymond-Wellwood-Bernier
Johnson
(Hodgson, Shirokov, Rypien, Hansen, Grabner)
Defence as now, but w/out Mitchell and I have no idea as to the pairings.
Still too many fw’s, but another trade and/or some reassignments will trim the roster after the coaches get a better look. If Sundin decides to retire, shuffle one of the new guys onto the 2nd line for the start of the year and move Kesler back to center. After that, AV will play it by ear.
Best guess. Hey, I could be wrong!
Sign Mats Sundin and lose Willie Mitchell. Nothing against Willie but I suspect he’s the odd man out: Bieksa and Edler are younger, Salo’s got an NTC,
Mitchell has a NTC as well.
Damn, you’re right! I thought he didn’t but he does. That might put Bieksa on the hot seat, barring one of the NTC guys waiving the clause, cuz I think the Canucks wanna continue developing Edler, and I can’t see how they sign Sundin and make cap w/out losing an expensive D-man. The only other candidate seems to be Ehrhoff. Either that, or double up by losing a pair of the lesser-cost guys.
Hmmm, my plan for world domination appears to have hit a snag….
Oh, and as for Gillis “doing this to Demitra” … Demitra muse be seeing the writing on the wall, what with all the young wingers, and knows he has maybe one more good 2 year deal in himself and it won;t be in Vancouver anyway. I suspect he just wants to go somewhere decent where they need a vet like him and he can maybe re-up with them after the year’s over.
If Demitra would rather retire in Eastern Europe than N. America, perhaps the KHL or some similarly well to do league would be his destination.
I think he should go to that McDonalds Playland area with the balls and stay in there so he doesn’t hurt himself.
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 8, 2009 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions
OT
Went to the link for Oberg’s blog on CDC and got nothing but a message that a virus has infected my computer. Anyone else get that?
You gotta close that porn tab you had in the background.
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 8, 2009 5:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I wouldn’t be so hard on the guy. I’m sure he’d rather stay healthy, and I do think he’s cooperating with Gillis. He likely has one more good contract with one more team in his future, whether he goes there this year or next. If he works together w/Gillis, everyone will be happy.
That’s my theory, anyway. Hope I’m right.
You know what? Piss on Demitra. I never liked that signing. Where is he when you need him? On the damned IR!
Piss on Demitra.
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 8, 2009 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Never Sean?
Not even when that line was helping lead the team on that big winning streak.
We sure can debate the signing now that we have a 4m need on the cap, but I was for it at the time. Although he has been somewhat inconsistent…
The young guys are just coming on…though waiting a year for anyone not named Cody is fine too.
And lets not forget that Demo plays best when playing for a deal…as he is this year.
vancitydan
I, um, gather you didn’t pick Demitra in your hockey pool, then, Sean? :)
He’s here now, tho, and the best we can do is to either get him healthy (knock on wood) and play him – which doesn’t seem to quite fit with what Gillis is doing – or work together with him to trade him to another team that’ll be able to make better use of him.
If we play him then either Sundin stays retired or we need to lose a lot of other players to make room for those two under the cap.
Regardless, neither Demitra nor Sundin seems likely to be here next year, so I don’t think Gillis will wanna lose too much today, probably D-men, given the short benefit period of one year. And it’s not like the Canucks have a passle of NHL-ready young D-men in the closet. That adds up to pressure to trade Demitra.
I’m sure not Gillis, and I can’t read his mind either, but taking some extra time to review the kids and arrange deals seems like a good strategy to me, and Demitra’s now-convenient injury looks like a good way to buy that time.
I have never taken Demo in a pool and never will. I know what he’s all about. I let some other poor schmuck take him. See how adamant I am about this? We can’t win a Cup with glass players like Salo and Demitra on our team. They go on the IR when it matters most. See NHL 2008-09 playoffs.
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 8, 2009 7:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Where ever he goes…yes, I agree with the majority on that whether its here or there, he’ll get one more deal.
He really hasn’t been that bad once he gets going.
He is the type that needs chemistry, because he plays the game pretty “smart”.
(which is why I think NYR could do worse than forgetting about Heater and trading for him. His chemistry with Gabby is undeniable)
I could see him on a line with Cody if he turns out as good as we hope.
Put Cody between him and Kesler and see what happens. Kes doesn’t NEED to be a centre. He is a good one….but I really enjoyed the way he played on the wing on the 2nd line last year.
I think the reason for MG’s slightly exasperated smile with the media is now apparent. Of course he knew Demo would start the season on the IR.
That goes a long way to Cap management.
Peace
vancitydan
Partners
We know one team that’s desperate to keep a certain player happy: Atlanta.
Whoever takes Demo has to have room, and has to be willing to do us a favour, ‘cause that’s what it’s gonna be. The tough part is convincing their ownership to shell out for another big contract: if Kovalchuk goes, that franchise is going to be toast for years.
If they sign on Comrie (for a million or so – he’s not worth much more), that’s a positive sign.
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