Blues sign Halak (4 years)

[Winning Unlimited]

There is no indication of how much over 4 years the Blues have committed to Halak.

http://blues.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=5 ... twt-070610

ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Blues Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced Tuesday the club has signed goaltender Jaroslav Halak (Yahr-roh-slav, HAH-lak) to a four-year contract.

“Jaroslav will be a big help for our organization moving forward,” said Armstrong. “He has made a great commitment to the Blues as he enters the prime of his career.”

“I’ve been looking forward to playing in St. Louis ever since the trade was announced,” said Halak. “I believe in my abilities and hope to do some good things for the Blues.”

Halak, 25, was 26-13-5 in 2009-10 for Montreal and ranked 4th in the NHL in save percentage (.940), 9th in goals against average (2.40) and was tied for 5th with five shutouts. In his 26 wins this season he had a GAA of 1.68 and a save % of .948. He was 4-2-0 vs. the Western Conference with a GAA of 2.19 and a .928 save percentage.

The 2009-10 “Molson Cup” winner as team MVP was 44-27-6 over the last two seasons in Montreal with a save percentage of .924 and GAA of 2.59.

In the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he took the Canadiens to the Conference Finals by winning two Game Sevens and eliminating Washington and Pittsburgh. He was the talk of the playoffs at one point when he won three straight games and eliminated the Capitals in Round One by stopping 131 of 134 shots, which included his stellar 53 of 54 shots saved in Game Five.

The 5-11, 182-pound, Bratislava, Slovakia native was acquired by the Blues from Montreal in exchange for Lars Eller and Ian Schultz on June 17, 2010.

He was was originally drafted by Montreal in the ninth round, 271st overall in the 2003 Entry Draft.

[Nayrb]

3.75 per.

edit: 2.75/3.5/4.25/4.5

[Winning Unlimited]

3.75 per.

edit: 2.75/3.5/4.25/4.5

[strocklen083]

4 yrs/15 mil.

That's totally acceptable. I especially like the way it escalates in accordance to the rising salary cap (assumuption based on previous years and increasing league revenues).

[glen a richter]

Great contract. The saved monies can be used to pay Gagne when they trade for him.

[Winning Unlimited]

This puts the Blues approximately $3.8M away from the salary cap floor, where they would qualify for revenue sharing. Perron, come on down!

[philco_3]

Must be Blues signing day.

[DaDitka]

Solid signing. If this kid is as good as many think, he could be a steel. At worst, you're paying him what you were going to pay Mason.

[philco_3]

Reading the comments from the TSN signing link there are mixed emotions.

Some are happy he is gone because he's a ones hit wonder. Others believes he is the Hasek.

[cprice12]

4 yrs/15 mil.

That's totally acceptable. I especially like the way it escalates in accordance to the rising salary cap (assumuption based on previous years and increasing league revenues).

The structure really has nothing to do with anything when you're talking about money against the cap. The cap hit this year will be his average salary per year over the length of the contract.

So the cap hit this year will be $3.75 million, not the $2.75 million he will earn this year.
Where this will be nice is in the 4th year of the contract when he is making $4.5 million and the cap hit will still be $3.75 million.


Good solid signing. The money is fair, if not a bargain for the Blues.

[WaukeeBlues]

This puts the Blues approximately $3.8M away from the salary cap floor, where they would qualify for revenue sharing. Perron, come on down!

Erik Johnson too. I'm VERY interested to see what the Blues offer EJ and/or what he accepts.

Of any two players on the team, EJ and Perron I would have the least problem with signing to one of those loophole multiple-decade contracts.

[DaDitka]

Of any two players on the team, EJ and Perron I would have the least problem with signing to one of those loophole multiple-decade contracts.

I think the Blues have ZERO interest in giving Perron a long term deal......it disgusts me........but there are certainly not sold on him what-so-ever (for some unknown reason).

If they low ball him and he breaks out......it's going to burn us in the azz.

[strocklen083]

4 yrs/15 mil.

That's totally acceptable. I especially like the way it escalates in accordance to the rising salary cap (assumuption based on previous years and increasing league revenues).

The structure really has nothing to do with anything when you're talking about money against the cap. The cap hit this year will be his average salary per year over the length of the contract.

So the cap hit this year will be $3.75 million, not the $2.75 million he will earn this year.
Where this will be nice is in the 4th year of the contract when he is making $4.5 million and the cap hit will still be $3.75 million.


Good solid signing. The money is fair, if not a bargain for the Blues.

Gotcha! Now it gets us closer to the cap floor this year, but gives us more space to work with in the years up coming. Solid job all around.

[strocklen083]

I think the Blues have ZERO interest in giving Perron a long term deal......it disgusts me........but there are certainly not sold on him what-so-ever (for some unknown reason).

I'm not sold on him either. I would rather package him in a deal with a pick to get a proven scorer. Everyone keeps saying he's got all this offensive potential. But all I've seen is a scrawny little speed demon with nice hands who refuses to pass the puck. I agree that he's got LOTS of potential and could be poised to have a break out year. But until he understands his talent and accepts that someone else on the ice might be in a better position to handle the puck then he'll only be limiting himself.

[SIU LAW]

]

[Leedog]

4 yrs/15 mil.

That's totally acceptable. I especially like the way it escalates in accordance to the rising salary cap (assumuption based on previous years and increasing league revenues).

The structure really has nothing to do with anything when you're talking about money against the cap. The cap hit this year will be his average salary per year over the length of the contract.

So the cap hit this year will be $3.75 million, not the $2.75 million he will earn this year.
Where this will be nice is in the 4th year of the contract when he is making $4.5 million and the cap hit will still be $3.75 million.


Good solid signing. The money is fair, if not a bargain for the Blues.

Not to mention the actual cash laid out this year, when there is an apparent money crunch due to the ownership situation, is less.

[Krigloch the Furious]

[Winning Unlimited]

SIU LAW just had the hadouken of posts.

[richtedm]

Even if in hindsight this deal blows up, the Blues just traded for a goaltender who has franchise potential for a forward who might be a decent top 6 forward someday and then signed him for four years at less than a $4 million cap hit. Can't argue with the logic, have to love it.

[ViPeRx007]

Excellent signing. Hopefully it pays off. I'm pretty sure it will, he's my sponsor after all. I took care of Lars Eller for a couple of seasons and raised him from a fledgling to a Halak.

Time to fly, my boy. Time to fly....