Leafs Need to Sign Kovalchuk to Big Money & Big Term!

What’s wrong with a long term Contract?

Brian Burke has a problem with “term” contracts.  I get why he would, as they can become monsters to move and a burden to buy-out.  Although it was only a 6-year term, one look at Wade Redden’s contract will tell you at once why a GM wouldn’t want this.

The key is tradability when the player’s on the decline against cap-hit.  If the player has a cap hit of  8 but a real hit of only 4 – more teams closer to the cap-floor will look at him as being an option.

The Leafs used to run higher salaries before the cap – much higher than the current cap anyways.  They are a big market team making big bucks!  I mention this to show that Burke doesn’t need to justify any sort of fiscal integrity to structure a suitable long-term contract – with the Leafs.  Maybe in Nashville - not here!

The rules are that a player's annual salary cannot exceed 20 percent of the salary cap, based on the cap as it stands in the year the contract is signed.  That means the Leafs could pay 11.8 million max to any one player under the team’s cap under current salary cap levels.

First, let’s go over briefly via “lecture” as to why you would even want to sign Ilya.

Player’s of his ilk don’t become available very often via UFA.  You either need a 1^st overall pick (and we trade those) or you need to trade assets to the team that owns him – thereby weakening the teams present or future. 

Kovalchuk is a top player despite his “flaws” real or imaginary. 642 points in 621 games - 27 and in his prime! He would instantly make the Leafs a scoring threat & playoff bound!

How’s a cap hit of  5.8 sound?

Let’s suppose this: a 70 million 12 year contract! Pretty hefty huh?  Well maybe, but only if he's declining within 3 years.  Structurally it would look like this:

2010-11            11.8

2011-12            11.8

2012-13            11.8

2013-14            7

2014-15            7

2015-16            7

2016-21            2.3/year

As you can see, he’s still tradable at 30, and at 33 he’s a bargain! I say Burke needs to seriously think about a deal structured like this – it would turn his team right around and I highly doubt Leaf Nation will complain!

Update: July 20/10

Kovalchuk gets signed for the very same provisions I argued in this article.  A longer term for a lesser cap hit.  Something more GM's will be doing until the League limits it on the next collective bargaining agreement. My example show a 5.8 mil cap hit.  With the Devils it will be 6 mil.  Pretty damned close!  Something I seriously think the Leafs could have done.  I'm a little disappointed with them for not going after Ilya.