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2023-24 NHL Misc. Thread

Max Miller, who covers the Sharks for The Hockey News, says Kevin Labanc is signing a PTO with the Devils.
I really thought Labanc might be a good option for the Jackets. He's never been terrible, even if he is decidedly a one way player. JVR made perfect sense for them. Old as dirt, but good in the room and a solid offensive process guy even if the scoring comes and goes. He pushed half a point per game last year and for a guy with almost zero ability to do a step over turn with a radius that fits within the confines of an NHL rink, that's actually impressive.
 
I really thought Labanc might be a good option for the Jackets. He's never been terrible, even if he is decidedly a one way player. JVR made perfect sense for them. Old as dirt, but good in the room and a solid offensive process guy even if the scoring comes and goes. He pushed half a point per game last year and for a guy with almost zero ability to do a step over turn with a radius that fits within the confines of an NHL rink, that's actually impressive.
Aaron Portzline had him on his list of potentials for the Jackets. But Waddell is looking to sign players, not necessarily bring them in on a PTO, so maybe he thought he wasn’t a fit? I can’t imagine that Labanc would turn down a contract in favor of a PTO, even if it is for a contender. JVR walked away from the PTO he had signed with the Kraken to sign with the Jackets. Portzline also said the team has conversations with the league and NHLPA about how to measure the cap and ensure compliance with the cap floor.
 
After what Labanc has been through in terms of his contract history, no way he walks away from an actual contract in favor of a "let's see how it goes." Dude got screwed on a handshake in San Jose coming out of his rookie deal.
 
The Pens signed Crosby to a 2 year extension with a $8.7 million AAV, same as his current contract. That lasts 1 year longer than Malkin, 1 year shorter than Letang and Jarry and the same as Karlsson.

Year 1 $780K Base & $9M Signing Bonus
Year 2 $1.09M Base & $6.53M Signing Bonus
 
The Pens signed Crosby to a 2 year extension with a $8.7 million AAV, same as his current contract. That lasts 1 year longer than Malkin, 1 year shorter than Letang and Jarry and the same as Karlsson.

Year 1 $780K Base & $9M Signing Bonus
Year 2 $1.09M Base & $6.53M Signing Bonus

It also contained a clause that the team meal be at 4pm and must have tapioca pudding
 
Red Wings re-sign Lucas Raymond, 8 years/$8.075 AAV. Same draft as Jarvis, similar stats but Raymond is about $600k more per season.
 
That's the Yzerplan tax
Michigan's state income tax rate for 2024 is 4.25% (flat, like NCs).

The deferred money Jarvis was willing to help the Canes out on makes a huge difference here. The top line dollar total for Raymond is $64.6 million where Jarvis' is $63.2 million. Just a mere $1.4 million over 8 years (or $175k per season). Yet Jarvis' cap hit is $655k less per season over each of the 8 seasons.

Note that Bill Daly was asked recently in an interview about the Canes use of deferred money and basically stated that the NHL is keeping an eye on this as a cap circumvention tool AND might consider revisiting this topic in the next CBA. Most of the current deferred compensation verbiage in the CBA is really a carryover from when there was no hard cap. I don't know if the Canes are the only team that found this loophole and decided to exploit it and/or if the Canes players are the only ones in the entire NHL willing to actually allow their team to defer a chunk of their pay until the day after their contract ends.

I don't think Bill Daly and the NHL has much to worry about because I suspect most agents and players are just going to give a hard 'No!' to a team asking to defer payments like the Canes have.
 
I don't think Bill Daly and the NHL has much to worry about because I suspect most agents and players are just going to give a hard 'No!' to a team asking to defer payments like the Canes have.
I’m not so sure of that. The Canes were able to increase the total payout and find cap facorability. Ultimately it’s more money to the player. Jarvis agent represents 54 other players including Brayden Point and Juraj Slafkovsky. Point’s contract expires in 2030 and he plays in a tax free state, but I can see him trying it again when Slafkovsky’s contract expires at the end of this season. Slavin’s agent has 31 other players, the next time he can try the deferral is probably Cutter Gauthier.

Daly was also asked about the cap implications of tax free states. I don’t see any way around that one. Is the league going to artificially reduce the cap for the 6 teams in tax free states by an average of the tax rates in other states? That will go over like a fart in church with the PA.
 
A couple of random, unconnected things

The Stars signed dman Esa Lindell to a 5 year/$5.25 million AAV extension

The Leafs have chosen Oreo as their helmet sponsor.

The Panthers signed a lease extension for Amerant Bank Arena through 2033 with separate 5 year extensions. Essentially, it keeps the team in Broward County through 2043. They’re also going to develop the area around the arena.
 
Canucks forward Dakota Joshua was diagnosed with testicular cancer over the summer. He underwent successful surgery but won’t be ready for training camp.

You might remember that Stelio Mattheos was diagnosed right after the Checkers won the Calder Cup in 2019. It was initially thought he’d miss training camp, but he was there, after having surgery and 3 rounds of chemo.


View: https://x.com/canucks/status/1836142371534492125?s=61&t=ZT8KDHkGMyk7V3JAuh5_ag
 
Rogers Communications has bought out Bell Canada’s 37.5% stake in Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment for $3.48 billion. That values MLSE at $9.3 billion. In addition to the Maple Leafs, MLSE owns the AHL Toronto Marlies, CFL Toronto Argonauts, Toronto Raptors, MLS Toronto FC and minor league teams. They also own Scotiabank Arena and the Raptors practice facility. Rogers now owns 75% of MLSE with Larry Tannenbaum owning the remainder.

 
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The last Forbes valuation of the Leafs that I remember had them just under $3 billion and I just looked up the Raptors' last valuation and it was a little more than $4 billion. No idea what AHL franchises go for, but you figure the Marlies are at the top of that ranking. MLS teams not based in LA, NY or Miami are worth squat and CFL teams are worth roughly half squat ... so maybe a billion and change for all that junk. The real estate is probably another billion ... so that's pretty much a going rate transaction. Wasn't Rogers bleeding cash and slashing costs the last few years, though? I know I saw at least some specualtion last year that they might sell some of their position in MLSE to raise cash.
 
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