NJ gets DINGED big time!

FROM MICHALLICA:

wow this is a hefty price to pay for the devils. They are fined and will be stripped of draft picks for circumventing the cap.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=333690

The NHL has come down hard on the New Jersey Devils for deliberately circumventing the league's salary cap in their original attempt to sign forward Ilya Kovalchuk.

The league announced in a press release Monday that they have fined the Devils $3 million and that the club will forfeit their third-round draft choice in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft as well as a first-round draft choice in one of the next four NHL Entry Drafts.

It will be the Devils' decision which year they will forfeit the first round choice, they must advise the NHL of their decision by the day following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final in the calendar year in which the pick

My mouth is still agape. I'm stunned. A 3rd + a 1st? Holy moly.

To New Jersey:

Ilya Kovalchuk

From New Jersey:

Nik Bergfors + Johny Oduya + Patrice Cormier + 1st in '10 + 1st in '11 + 3rd in '11 + $3 million

Looking worse by the day, haha.

Wow...Bergfors and 2 1sts is mad overpayment. The rest is just disgusting IMO.

Technically they get to choose which year they give up the 1st in the next 4 years.

I think they'll appeal it, cause that is quite a hefty price to pay for a contract that was never approved by the NHL in the first place.

Are they excused if they send us Zajac?

PKC wrote:I think they'll appeal it, cause that is quite a hefty price to pay for a contract that was never approved by the NHL in the first place.

They can't appeal as far as I understand because an independent arbitrator deemed it a circumvention.

I'm willing to bet they go with the 2011 pick. With the young guys they have coming up coupled with how weak the '11 draft is supposed to be they'd be better to hold off.

Of course this is all speculation because things clearly change and the Devils could fall in love with a defense prospect or two (because they clearly need them).

this is silly though. no one else faced penalties for circumventing the cap. They finally took action against NJ but they should have just warned that next time there will be penalties. Sucks for Lou

SpezDispenser wrote:My mouth is still agape. I'm stunned. A 3rd + a 1st? Holy moly.

Are you really THAT surprised? The NHL wanted to show they mean business.

Michallica wrote:this is silly though. no one else faced penalties for circumventing the cap. They finally took action against NJ but they should have just warned that next time there will be penalties. Sucks for Lou

The minute is was challenged by the NHL and an independent arbitrator was brought it, they were diddled.

Big Ev wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:My mouth is still agape. I'm stunned. A 3rd + a 1st? Holy moly.

Are you really THAT surprised? The NHL wanted to show they mean business.

Very surprised. I thought the NHL would let it lie, but they indeed...did not.

stempniaksen wrote:I'm willing to bet they go with the 2011 pick. With the young guys they have coming up coupled with how weak the '11 draft is supposed to be they'd be better to hold off.

Of course this is all speculation because things clearly change and the Devils could fall in love with a defense prospect or two (because they clearly need them).

The 2011 draft, as it looks today, is not deep. But the top 10-ish is excellent.
I'm NJ, I'd wait til the end of the year to decide because, at this time last year, how many people knew who Ryan Johansen was?

Obviously they wouldn't decide now, but you'd think with the cast they have (Kovalchuck, Parise, Zajac, Elias, Brodeur, ect) that they'll be near the top of the league and will have no trouble giving up that pick in a below average draft.