Eastside's Hockey Elite Collide

John Moore:
400k, default years, two way

Kevin Lynch:
400k, default years, two way

Moore's rights are retained. He'll consider my offer.

Lynch's rights are retained. He'll consider my offer.

Kevin Lynch has signed a $400,000 per year, 4 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

John Moore has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Kyle Neuber
Default contract + two-way

Teddy Ruth
Default contract + two-way + Team Option

Cody Goloubef
Default contract + two-way + Team Option

Jake Hansen
Default contract + two-way

Kyle Neuber will consider your offer.

Teddy "Bear" Ruth will consider your offer.

Cody Goloubef will consider your offer.

Jake Hansen will consider your offer.

Cody Goloubef has signed a $290,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Teddy Ruth has signed a $300,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Kyle Neuber has signed a $275,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Jake Hansen has signed a $450,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Shaone Morrisonn
3 years
2.4M per
1M signing bonus

Kris Russell
2 years
975k per
400k SB

Henrik Tallinder
1 year
1.6M per
766.6k SB

Daniel LaCosta
2 years
700k per
default SB
Two-way

Kevin Lalande
2 years
800k per
default SB
Two-way

Mathieu Roy
2 years
800k per
default SB
Two-way

Tommy Sestito
2 years
1M per
default SB
Two-way

Matt Calvert, Steven Delisle, David Savard, Thomas Larkin, Drew Olson, Anton Blomqvist: 400k per, 3 years, two-way deals, default SB

All players will consider their offers and RFA rights are retained with Morrisonn, Russell, LaCosta, Lalande, Sestito, and all prospects except Olson and Savard.

Anton Blomqvist has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Matt Calvert has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Shaone Morrisonn has signed a $2,400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Drew Olson has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Tommy Sestito has signed a $1,000,000 per year, 2 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Henrik Tallinder has signed a $1,600,000 per year, 1 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Steven Delisle has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Kevin Lalande has signed a $800,000 per year, 2 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Thomas Larkin has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Mathieu Roy has signed a $800,000 per year, 2 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

God damnit Tallinder. You weren't supposed to agree to that.

Kris Russell has signed a $1,000,000 per year, 2 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

David Savard has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Daniel LaCosta has signed a $700,000 per year, 2 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Matt Greer: Default contract + two-way
Allen York: Default contract + two-way

Matt Greer has signed a $450,000 per year, 1 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Grant Clitsome: 1 year, 850k, two-way

Sergei Brylin: 1 year, 900k, two-way

Will Weber: default contract + two-way

Dmitri Kosmachev: default + two-way

Tomas Kubalik: default + two-way

Grant Clitsome's rights will remain with you as a qualifying offer has been extended. He will consider your offer.

Sergei Brylin will consider your offer.

Will Weber will consider your offer.

Dmitri Kosmachev will consider your offer.

Tomas Kubalik will consider your offer.

Dmitri Kosmachev has signed a $525,000 per year, 4 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Grant Clitsome has signed a $850,000 per year, 1 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Allen York has signed a $450,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Dylan McIlrath: default 400k plus two-way
Joonas Donskoi: default 400k plus two-way
Daniel Krejci: default 400k plus two-way

Rights retained on all three players, they'll consider your offer.

Dylan McIlrath has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Joonas Donskoi has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Daniel Krejci has signed a $400,000 per year, 4 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Patrick McNally: 3 years ELC at 900k per, with a two-way. To be assigned to Springfield on accepting contract.

Marek Racuk: 3 years at 600k, two-way.

Arbitration
Scott Niedermayer
Steve Mason

Contract Extensions
David Backes (4 years): 4,575,000 (75% base increase, +300k SK, FA -100k PE)
Jake Voracek (4 years): 3,600,000 (300% base increase, +300k SK)
Nick Holden: (2 years): 793,750 (two-way)

Default in-game Contracts
Greer (two-way)
Clitsome (two-way)
Sigalet (two-way)
BizNasty (two-way)
Mayorov(two-way)

Entry Level Contracts
Sam Brittain
Patrick Cehlin
Nils Andersson
Alexander Guptill

Contracts offered.

Backes and Voracek's rights are mine with QO offered.

Paul Bissonnette has signed a $525,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Grant Clitsome has signed a $850,000 per year, 4 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Nils Andersson has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Jakub Voracek has signed a $3,500,000 per year, 4 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Maxim Mayorov has signed a $850,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

David Backes has signed a $4,500,000 per year, 4 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Patrick Cehlin has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Nick Holden has signed a $800,000 per year, 1 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Alexander Guptill has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Sam Brittain has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Matt Greer has signed a $450,000 per year, 4 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Jonathan Sigalet has signed a $575,000 per year, 4 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

An agreement has been reached in the Steve Mason case. Representatives from the Columbus side reduced him to tears, while his own agent hurled all kinds of insults at Columbus staff, ranging from mild curse words all the way to foldable chairs.

CBJ used Price (84/70/3.05M, or 3.55 once he reaches 2 remaining E5 bonuses) and Rinne (80/74/3.5M) as comparables, while the player's representatives added Varlamov (82/72/3.75M). I could add several other less talented but more consistent starting goalies to the mix (Giguere, Nabokov, recently signed Bernier) and hapless Isles' starter DiPietro (84/66/4.5M) or the more successful Cam Ward (80/74/4.5M). All of these goalies have similar attributes and salaries between 3.5 and 4.5M, although Mason's 84/74 is slightly better than the usual 82/70 pot/con.

CBJ suggested a 4-year, 3.75M deal citing Mason's weak playoff performances, including last year against Rinne's Predators. Mason's agent Sam B. Greenbacks responded that Varlamov has just recently been awarded 3.75M, taking a discount in order to earn a chance at a bigger payday next season. Given that Mason's going to be locked up for 4 years, Greenbacks demanded 4.2 million.

Both sides have fair arguments to make. Mason's playoff numbers are pretty much as ugly as they can be. However, some of his forwards' T-G numbers look like that too, and 9 wins is still 9 more than Varlamov, Dipietro, Price or Rinne managed in the playoffs, as flawed of a personal statistic as wins can be. If Varlamov's salary represents a discount for 1 year, then Mason should earn more than 3.75; however, none of the comparables really earn that much more than 4. I'm going to slide in the middle and award an even 4 million. Mason's had a good amount of regular season success that should not be entirely discounted, given that many of his compatriots have failed to lead their teams to the playoffs at all; however, I don't see that he deserves the full amount requested by his agent.

5 minutes later, Scott Niedermayer emerges from the interro.. arbitration room. He's a little bruised and battered and missing a few teeth but is nonetheless able to raise up a filthy, smudged contract agreement and roar in triumph.

Uh, what I meant to say is that Adam suggested Pronger (4.9M) and Suter (3.5M), ultimately proposing a 5.25 M salary over a lengthy 4 years - as with Kaberle, a substantial raise over the modest 4 million he's earning currently (how did that happen? wow). Niedermayer's representatives countered with Lidstrom (5.5), Chara (7) and Pronger again, suggesting a max of 6 million.

I'd say Lidstrom's the best comparable of the list, a proven winner, leader, veteran *cough*old*cough* and the like. There are some other offensive defenseman who I would say are comparable but not as good - Markov, 4.875M (with a franchise tag, 6.5 without), Rafalski (6M), Visnovsky (5.6), Pitkanen (5.55), Boyle (6.66). That would suggest a number closer to 6, but Lidstrom is definitely the closest of the bunch and right at 5.5. Pronger I should point out was signed to a fairly wacky contract in the NHL, a cap-circumventing 7-year (!!!) deal that will pay him 7 million for the next 3 seasons, then 4 and finally 500k in the last 2 (when he'll be 42 and 43). It appears that Philly's GM thought he'd be able to bury those final years in the minors, which turns out not to be the case. His cap hit would be more like 6M without the circumvention.

Again I'm going to slide inbetween and give Niedermayer 5.65M / 4 years. I agree with Adam's assertion that 4 years is a solid commitment to Niedermayer and will take him to the ripe old age of 41, where he'll have at most one season left in the tank if he doesn't decline too much in his 4th year. However, there are a couple of reasons that I feel he should make more than Lidstrom, the main one being that I signed Lidstrom through EHM (which already got a bargain) and had to give him an NTC to accept what is really a lowball, so he's a Shark for what remains of his career. Niedermayer will have probably two solid seasons before declining, after which the Jackets will have the flexibility of keeping him on or trading him for a reasonable return. Niedermayer's age is certainly an issue but it comes with decent hitting ability (for a mainly offensive defenseman) and exceptional leadership, which would have placed his value in the 6+ range were he just a year or two younger. It would be unfair to ignore his age and the Lidstrom/Pronger comparables entirely, so he won't make the full 6M.

Adam, you can accept/reject both deals as usual.

I'll accept both.

Mason for 4 @ 4 and Niedermayer for 5.65M for 4.

Default offers to:

Phillip Danault*
Adam Rehak*
Heikki Liedes*

ELCs offered.

Signed: Danault, Liedes.

Danault double boosted (!!! WOOOOOO!) so 500,000 will be added to his salary.

Signed: Rehak.

ELC slot deals to Connor Murphy and Anton Saveliev.

ELCs offered.

John Moore (83/74 fastsim): 4.9M (4.75 base + 250k CON - 100k HI) (4 yrs)
Stuart: Arbitration (2 years)
Beauchemin: Arbitration (1 + TO)
Paille: Arbitration (2 years)

Holden: 992,188 (25% inc) (3 yrs + TW)
Sestito: 1.25M (25% inc) (3 yrs + TW)

ELCs to Jordan Binnington and Barclay Goodrow

Contracts offered.

Barclay Goodrow has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Tommy Sestito has signed a $1,200,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

Jordan Binnington has signed a $400,000 per year, 3 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced.

John Moore has signed a $5,000,000 per year, 4 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Detailed terms of the deal were not announced. (to be adjusted to 4.9M)

AN AWARD HAS BEEN DETERMINED FOR BRAD STUART!!

Terms: 2 years + TO
GM: $3.25M per; comps: Morris, Keith
Agent: $3.85M per; comps: Morris, Ballard, Kuba

All these contracts were signed pre-EHEC financial policy reform. Kuba and Ballard are overpaid (contracts given out by the NHL and not EHEC), while Keith is underpaid (lucky for Femur he doesn't get any E5 bonuses). Interesting to note that Stuart's formula contract had he been under 28 is $3.725M (90% x $3.75M falling in the 72OA bracket + $350K DF specialist - which is pretty much his old salary. Morris is the closest comparison, both GM and agent used him as a comp; IMO a number close to $3.5M is reasonable. Morris is nearly identical to Stuart in important categories (LE, HI, OF), and although Morris had better offensive numbers (29 points vs. 19 points), but Stuart has a higher CON, a slightly better in-game rating, and played very well in CBJ's run to the Western Finals.

BY THE POWERS VESTED IN ME BY THE LEAGUE, I AWARD BRAD STUART $3.65M PER YEAR FOR TWO YEARS PLUS A TEAM OPTION FOR A THIRD YEAR - BOSS, YOU CAN ACCEPT OR REJECT THIS AWARD

Contract entered.

Columbus extends slot ELCs + booster surcharge to:

Cristoval Nieves
Cody Corbett
Nikita Kvartalnov

Slot ELC to:
Brendan Gaunce
Anthony Stolarz

Contracts offered.

Columbus invites Matteau and Pouliot to camp.

Columbus will send Pekka Rinne and Colby Armstrong to arbitration.

Donskoi: 2.3M (100% inc)
Elsner: 1.5M (250% inc, +100k PE)
Forney: 3.4M (300% inc, -400k PL, PO, SK, PE)
McIlrath: 3.2M (100% inc., 350k def spec, 250k CON, -300k SH, PL, ST, +100k PE)

Team option on Chris Stewart

25% inc to David Savard, Evan Brophey down on the farm.

Donskoi: check.
Elsner: (PIT) 250% ok, add in his 1 E5. $650K * 3.5 = $2,275,000 Supplemental: FI 83 (+100k) = $2,375,000
Forney: Fast sim: 80 (77+83 / 2) 400% 5x * .950 = 4.75M Less: PL, POS = $4.55M
McIlrath: $3,100,000 no bonus for PE rating.

4.55M for Forney? JFC. If I'm going to keep him, I better learn how to use him.

An award has been determined for the Colby Armstrong arbitration hearing.

Terms: 2 years
GM proposed: 3.25M AAV; comps: Clowe, Cole, Morrow
Agent proposed: 3M AAV; comps: Lapierre, Artyukhin, Latendresse, Gaustad

BOOM 2 years at 3.25M per. Adam, you can accept/reject this award.

The Rinne hearing will follow within the next 6-12 hours.

Son of a bitch. I could have used that 250k. I backspaced the .25 twice and then left it thinking I might be able to get it if the agent said 3.5.

Fuck.

Yeah, I'll take it. And Colby Armstrong is now on the block!