NHL Betting: Salary Cap Drives Roster Moves
Antti Niemi played a huge role in the Blackhawks' run to the Stanley Cup this past season, and for that he was rewarded with a raise which in turn led to his release from Chicago.
The reality of the salary cap is starting to fully take shape in the NHL. Ten days after the league rejected the New Jersey Devils’ 17-year contract offer to unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk, the hollowing out of the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks continued on Monday.
The Blackhawks parted ways with goaltender Antti Niemi after the netminder was awarded $2.75 million dollars in arbitration. The amount was too rich for the blood of Chicago general manager Stan Bowman, who signed veteran Marty Turco on the cheap (one year, $1.3 million) to replace Niemi.
The 'Hawks are at the cap with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, and Duncan Keith all under long-term deals. In addition, Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet are making too much money for Chicago to easily rid itself of their contracts.
Niemi is the eighth player the Hawks have dumped since defeating the Flyers in six games in June’s Cup final. Some change following the season by any team – Cup winner or basement dweller – is inevitable, but it has a different taste to it when it happens in order to play by the rules.
It’s not like Chicago can’t afford to keep Niemi and the also-jettisoned Dustin Byfuglien and Kris Versteeg, among others. The Hawks are doing well financially after cashing the Cup; they play in a big market that actually supports hockey; and they sell out the biggest venue in the NHL.
Oddsmakers have Chicago at +650 to repeat as Stanley Cup champs on the NHL betting odds board, putting it behind Pittsburgh and Washington (both at +600).
The Penguins traded in star power on the blueline for overall depth on the backend in an attempt to get back to the Cup final for the third time in four years. Veteran power-play quarterback Sergei Gonchar signed a three-year deal with the Senators, while Pittsburgh acquired the underrated Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek to replace him.
More than anything, the Pens need a rebound season from Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh is a team built around its strength down the middle (Sidney Crosby, Malkin, and Jordan Staal), and for it to succeed, Malkin needs to be at his best.
The NHL’s leading scorer in 2008-09 and the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the MVP of the postseason during the Penguins’ Cup run, Malkin had only 77 points and was a -6 last season.
The team that upset Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference semifinal, the Montreal Canadiens, are still taking shape after dealing popular goaltender Jaroslav Halak to the Blues in yet another decision affected by the league’s economic structure.
Halak led the Canadiens (+2500 to win the Stanley Cup this season) to within three games of the Cup final, but the club chose to retain Carey Price as the man between the pipes going forward.
Agree with the decision or not, the problem is Price remains unsigned as a restricted free agent with a month to go before training camp. If GM Pierre Gauthier can’t ink Price before the season begins, Montreal would be forced to go with journeyman Alex Auld in nets.
Matters are more clear in Boston, as the Bruins (+1400) gear up for a run at a Northeast Division title this season. The division is up for grabs, with Boston, Montreal, Ottawa, and Buffalo all in the running for top spot.
The Sabres (+3000) won the Northeast last season, but they faded down the stretch before getting bounced by the Bruins in the first round, while the Sens (+3000) fell to the Pens in the East quarterfinal.
Boston appears to have the inside track. The Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy in ’08-09’, and were beset by a slew of injuries last season. Boston made the playoffs anyway, and if not for a historic collapse against Philadelphia, it could have gone to the Cup final instead of the Flyers (+1200).
It’ll be interesting to see how the remainder of the offseason plays out for the Bruins. Boston signed No. 2 overall pick Tyler Seguin to a three-year, entry-level deal on Monday, and it continues to look to rid itself of both Marc Savard and Tim Thomas and their sizable contracts.
Antti Niemi played a huge role in the Blackhawks' run to the Stanley Cup this past season, and for that he was rewarded with a raise which in turn led to his release from Chicago.
The reality of the salary cap is starting to fully take shape in the NHL. Ten days after the league rejected the New Jersey Devils’ 17-year contract offer to unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk, the hollowing out of the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks continued on Monday.
The Blackhawks parted ways with goaltender Antti Niemi after the netminder was awarded $2.75 million dollars in arbitration. The amount was too rich for the blood of Chicago general manager Stan Bowman, who signed veteran Marty Turco on the cheap (one year, $1.3 million) to replace Niemi.
The 'Hawks are at the cap with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, and Duncan Keith all under long-term deals. In addition, Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet are making too much money for Chicago to easily rid itself of their contracts.
Niemi is the eighth player the Hawks have dumped since defeating the Flyers in six games in June’s Cup final. Some change following the season by any team – Cup winner or basement dweller – is inevitable, but it has a different taste to it when it happens in order to play by the rules.
It’s not like Chicago can’t afford to keep Niemi and the also-jettisoned Dustin Byfuglien and Kris Versteeg, among others. The Hawks are doing well financially after cashing the Cup; they play in a big market that actually supports hockey; and they sell out the biggest venue in the NHL.
Oddsmakers have Chicago at +650 to repeat as Stanley Cup champs on the NHL betting odds board, putting it behind Pittsburgh and Washington (both at +600).
The Penguins traded in star power on the blueline for overall depth on the backend in an attempt to get back to the Cup final for the third time in four years. Veteran power-play quarterback Sergei Gonchar signed a three-year deal with the Senators, while Pittsburgh acquired the underrated Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek to replace him.
More than anything, the Pens need a rebound season from Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh is a team built around its strength down the middle (Sidney Crosby, Malkin, and Jordan Staal), and for it to succeed, Malkin needs to be at his best.
The NHL’s leading scorer in 2008-09 and the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the MVP of the postseason during the Penguins’ Cup run, Malkin had only 77 points and was a -6 last season.
The team that upset Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference semifinal, the Montreal Canadiens, are still taking shape after dealing popular goaltender Jaroslav Halak to the Blues in yet another decision affected by the league’s economic structure.
Halak led the Canadiens (+2500 to win the Stanley Cup this season) to within three games of the Cup final, but the club chose to retain Carey Price as the man between the pipes going forward.
Agree with the decision or not, the problem is Price remains unsigned as a restricted free agent with a month to go before training camp. If GM Pierre Gauthier can’t ink Price before the season begins, Montreal would be forced to go with journeyman Alex Auld in nets.
Matters are more clear in Boston, as the Bruins (+1400) gear up for a run at a Northeast Division title this season. The division is up for grabs, with Boston, Montreal, Ottawa, and Buffalo all in the running for top spot.
The Sabres (+3000) won the Northeast last season, but they faded down the stretch before getting bounced by the Bruins in the first round, while the Sens (+3000) fell to the Pens in the East quarterfinal.
Boston appears to have the inside track. The Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy in ’08-09’, and were beset by a slew of injuries last season. Boston made the playoffs anyway, and if not for a historic collapse against Philadelphia, it could have gone to the Cup final instead of the Flyers (+1200).
It’ll be interesting to see how the remainder of the offseason plays out for the Bruins. Boston signed No. 2 overall pick Tyler Seguin to a three-year, entry-level deal on Monday, and it continues to look to rid itself of both Marc Savard and Tim Thomas and their sizable contracts.
BTW is Nina going?
Sharky drank most of those!
