Archive for March 13th, 2009
FRIDAY’S GAMES AND PICKS
For the two games on schedule tonight go to the home page and click on the games to get more information.
Tonight’s Picks
CLB @ CHI: Take BLACKHAWKS
LAK @ VAN: Take CANUCKS
NHL COACHES PAY PRICE FOR CAP
DEVILS COACH BRENT SUTTER
New Jersey Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello wanted his man behind the bench so he paid to get him.
Lou who is as frugal as GMs get in the NHL with players salaries, but didn’t hesitate to break the bank for a rookie coach paying current Devils coach Brent Sutter in the two million dollar range per season to run the Dev’s bench.
COACHES ARE PAYING THE PRICE . . .
Seven coaches canned this season in the NHL with the Western Conference Chicago BlackHawks not waiting even a week before they replaced Denis Savard with veteran coach Joel Quenneville.
In the East it’s beyond ridiculous this year with six more firings that amazingly four of those teams are currently sitting in the playoffs today.
Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers are both fighting for their playoff lives and have both been the two most recent firings in the NHL with GM Bob Gainey taking over Guy Carbonneau’s job behind the bench after he was given a contract extension at an annual salary of $1.6 million last summer.
In New York where money is no object the Rangers fired Tom Renney and hired the more expensive John Tortorella who has a Cup to his name and an attitude to go with it, it’s thought Tort’s brings down a salary of between $1.2 to $1.4 per season. That’s peanuts for the Ranger budget going forward where GM Glen Sather seems to have a life long contract to death in New York.
Other changes with playoff implications were in Pittsburgh who are making a serious charge for the post season after hiring the younger rookie NHL coach Danny Bylsma. In Carolina GM Jim Rutherford hired his old buddy former coach Paul Maurice who was still being paid by the Leafs after being fired last season.
The only two changes that really didn’t result in any playoff push was in Tampa where the owners attempted to fix their original problem of paying a broadcaster Barry Melrose who they gave an amazing $2 million per season to get back into coaching.
In Ottawa they hired Cory Clouston who has done an excellent job bringing in accountability with his players having the Senators playing much better hockey since he slid into town from the AHL baby Sens.
COACHES VS CAP . . .
In past years most General Managers would not be so quick to fire their coach especially if the team was still in striking distance to the post season.
But things are changing in the NHL with serious implications to GMs ability to make player trades or any movement for that matter because of the current NHL-NHLPA CBA. This CBA which has a CAP player system does not allow a General Manager to make a trade to try to unload players for other players to shake up his team. This practice was great in prior years for a GM not happy with certain players he would have the ability to give players a fresh start elsewhere and also give his hand picked coach another chance with new players.
Well that ability is all but gone for NHL GMs & coaches in today’s game filled with salary cap issues caused from the new CBA.
But the one thing that is obvious in the NHL proven by all the firings that include small market clubs like Pittsburgh, Carolina,and Tampa Bay is that the owners are not afraid to eat coaches contracts and still fire the coaches. In fact in Carolina, Tampa and Pittsburgh it was quite the opposite with all three teams coaches on long term lucrative deals and still being fired.
What this proves is the NHL owners still have money and are not afraid to use it when they or their GM have seen enough of the teams poor performance. In Montreal, New York and Chicago they could care less about money with full buildings there by allowing them to put the money into wasted coaches salaries if they see fit without a blink of an eye. Even in Ottawa where owner Eugene Melnyk has a massive bank account and semi full building nightly they didn’t hesitate to fire a coach that they had just signed last summer to a three year deal.
Coaches in the NHL are under paid by professional sports standards but are still close to an annual average per season of between 800K to a million bucks. In the NBA for example coaches average salaries start at three million a season and climb up to six million plus, much more than the NHL.
Coaches are being used at times as the players-teams scapegoats for making changes because the GM cannot with the salary cap trade players. It’s really as simple as that and ask yourself this question- how many coaches would have been fired this season if GMs were able to make sweeping changes/trades to wake up-shake up their rosters ?
Former NHLPA Director Bob Goodenow got his NHL players the salaries they deserved when he took over in 1992 and the salaries went way up as the players started to make the money that before was left in the owners pockets.
Now in the NHL it seems to be happening all over again with owners having the extra money to fire and hire coaches at will without hesitation of taking on that extra salary, because they are saving on players salaries once again with the nasty cap!!
FLAMES CAN WIN CUP !
If last nights game in Detroit was any indication of things to come the Calgary Flames new look roster can win this years Stanley Cup no question.
I love the Canucks bite and goaltender Roberto Luongo and the chance he gives the Canucks at a Cup this season in Vancouver. But the Flames forward top 6 grit is better than the Canucks top 6 forward grit.
With the addition of Olli Jokinen ( 5 goals in 5 games) with the best two way mix of toughness and skill in the NHL captain Jarome Iginla to an already solid top 6 in Calgary it gives them the edge. The Flames have the goaltending as well with Kiprusoff when he is on with a good mix of veteran defense to make a serious run to the finals.
The Flames can beat the Red Wings or the Sharks in a series with their over all team grit and skill if they get the goaltending they will need to get to make the finals.
This year the Stanley Cup has a very real chance at being in Canada through the West.
For Hockey God I’m Dave Frost
