Let's Go Blues

Like Stevens the year before, Shanahan was a restricted free agent, and thus the Devils were entitled to compensation. As per the collective bargaining agreement in effect at the time, this ordinarily would have been five first-round draft picks; however, the Blues had already given up these picks to the Washington Capitals for signing Stevens and still owed four to the Capitals. As such, other compensation had to be negotiated, and the Blues and Devils could not agree on what the compensation was; the Blues offered goalie Curtis Joseph, forward Rod Brind'Amour, and two draft picks, but the Devils wanted Stevens.[14] The case went to arbitration, and a judge ruled that he was to be awarded to the Devils in September 1991.[

cprice12 wrote:I've always thought five first round picks was a ridiculous standard for signing a type-whatever RFA.

In what universe is five first rounders fair compensation for signing a player that his last team was considering not resigning anyway?

Stupid.

WaukeeBlues wrote:

cprice12 wrote:I've always thought five first round picks was a ridiculous standard for signing a type-whatever RFA.

In what universe is five first rounders fair compensation for signing a player that his last team was considering not resigning anyway?

Stupid.

It's just punitive damages for screwing with another team that, in principle, should have every full and fair opportunity to get their guy signed without the intereference of other teams.

WaukeeBlues wrote:

cprice12 wrote:I've always thought five first round picks was a ridiculous standard for signing a type-whatever RFA.

In what universe is five first rounders fair compensation for signing a player that his last team was considering not resigning anyway?

Stupid.

It's just punitive damages for screwing with another team that, in principle, should have every full and fair opportunity to get their guy signed without the intereference of other teams.

JWatt (formerly PMS) wrote:

WaukeeBlues wrote:

cprice12 wrote:I've always thought five first round picks was a ridiculous standard for signing a type-whatever RFA.

In what universe is five first rounders fair compensation for signing a player that his last team was considering not resigning anyway?

Stupid.

It's just punitive damages for screwing with another team that, in principle, should have every full and fair opportunity to get their guy signed without the intereference of other teams.

Agreed. Who said Washington was considering not resigning Stevens? They just weren't going to pay him as much money as we offered. Do you think that Buffalo wanted to pay Vanek $50MM over 7 years? No, they would have probably signed him to a 4 year deal worth $16-20MM. Now, because of the Oilers driving up the cost of retaining their own players, they had to drastically overpay him or lose him for draft picks. In hindsight, the should have taken the draft picks which would have included Sam Gagne, Jordan Eberle, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, Taylor Hall, and probably another top 5 pick, but they were coming off a President's trophy winning season and a trip to the Conference finals. They also lost Briere and Drury the same offseason, so losing Vanek would have further crippled their team.

The Vanek offersheet is the reason that tons of guys are now making $5+MM/yr coming out of their ELCs. Restricted free agents no longer have any measure of cost control. It used to be that players didn't make the big bucks until they were UFAs.

cprice12 wrote:

WaukeeBlues wrote:

cprice12 wrote:I've always thought five first round picks was a ridiculous standard for signing a type-whatever RFA.

In what universe is five first rounders fair compensation for signing a player that his last team was considering not resigning anyway?

Stupid.

It's just punitive damages for screwing with another team that, in principle, should have every full and fair opportunity to get their guy signed without the intereference of other teams.

Not sure I follow.
The Blues weren't "screwing" with anyone. It is perfectly within the rules to sign a RFA.
Washington and NJ had every opportunity to sign Stevens and Shanahan before they became a RFA...but they couldn't or wouldn't, and they in turn became a RFA and fair game to sign.

JWatt (formerly PMS) wrote:

cprice12 wrote:

WaukeeBlues wrote:

cprice12 wrote:I've always thought five first round picks was a ridiculous standard for signing a type-whatever RFA.

In what universe is five first rounders fair compensation for signing a player that his last team was considering not resigning anyway?

Stupid.

It's just punitive damages for screwing with another team that, in principle, should have every full and fair opportunity to get their guy signed without the intereference of other teams.

Not sure I follow.
The Blues weren't "screwing" with anyone. It is perfectly within the rules to sign a RFA.
Washington and NJ had every opportunity to sign Stevens and Shanahan before they became a RFA...but they couldn't or wouldn't, and they in turn became a RFA and fair game to sign.

Just you wait until some big market team comes in and tries to poach EJ with a 15 year deal (assuming he only signs a short term deal) and then you'll be singing a different tune.

cprice12 wrote:Then teams should sign players before they become RFA's. Then they wouldn't have to deal with other teams tossing high offers sheets at them.

JWatt (formerly PMS) wrote:

cprice12 wrote:Then teams should sign players before they become RFA's. Then they wouldn't have to deal with other teams tossing high offers sheets at them.

That's why Kopitar is now making $6.8MM/yr, Stastny is making $6.6MM/yr, and Eric Stall is making $8.25MM/yr. We better hope that some of our guys don't pan out because otherwise we won't be able to afford them all and will have to break up the team and rebuild again.

ViPeRx007 wrote:

JWatt (formerly PMS) wrote:

cprice12 wrote:Then teams should sign players before they become RFA's. Then they wouldn't have to deal with other teams tossing high offers sheets at them.

That's why Kopitar is now making $6.8MM/yr, Stastny is making $6.6MM/yr, and Eric Stall is making $8.25MM/yr. We better hope that some of our guys don't pan out because otherwise we won't be able to afford them all and will have to break up the team and rebuild again.

Rebuild again?! We have yet to build in the first place!

cprice12 wrote:

WaukeeBlues wrote:

cprice12 wrote:I've always thought five first round picks was a ridiculous standard for signing a type-whatever RFA.

In what universe is five first rounders fair compensation for signing a player that his last team was considering not resigning anyway?

Stupid.

It's just punitive damages for screwing with another team that, in principle, should have every full and fair opportunity to get their guy signed without the intereference of other teams.

Not sure I follow.
The Blues weren't "screwing" with anyone. It is perfectly within the rules to sign a RFA.
Washington and NJ had every opportunity to sign Stevens and Shanahan before they became a RFA...but they couldn't or wouldn't, and they in turn became a RFA and fair game to sign.

Portland Blues wrote:

ViPeRx007 wrote:

JWatt (formerly PMS) wrote:

cprice12 wrote:Then teams should sign players before they become RFA's. Then they wouldn't have to deal with other teams tossing high offers sheets at them.

That's why Kopitar is now making $6.8MM/yr, Stastny is making $6.6MM/yr, and Eric Stall is making $8.25MM/yr. We better hope that some of our guys don't pan out because otherwise we won't be able to afford them all and will have to break up the team and rebuild again.

Rebuild again?! We have yet to build in the first place!

Hey! We won the damn Presidents' Trophy once!

HOCKEY; Arbitrator Sends Stevens To Devils for Shanahan
By ALEX YANNIS
Published: September 4, 1991

Not a single puck has been dropped yet, but the Devils are already big winners in the National Hockey League as a result of an arbitrator's decision.

Judge Edward Houston sent shock waves through the hockey world yesterday by awarding Scott Stevens to the Devils as compensation from St. Louis for the loss of Brendan Shanahan, who had signed with the Blues as a free agent.

The judge's decision to award one of the league's premier defensemen as compensation for Shanahan may have a large impact on free agency in the league. Teams will now have second thoughts about signing free agents with compensation for fear of losing someone better if the case goes to arbitration.

The decision apparently didn't spread much fear among the Rangers, who signed Edmonton's Adam Graves as a free agent with compensation in a move that is not expected to go to arbitration. 'I'm Just Delighted'

Judge Houston, of the Ontario Court of Justice, is the league's only arbitrator for disputes involving the signing of free agents with compensation. When he notified the teams of his decision from his Ottawa office in mid-afternoon yesterday, the Devils were celebrating and the Blues were mourning.

"I'm delighted about the decision," said Lou Lamoriello, the president of the Devils, who had submitted to Houston that Stevens should be the compensation for Shanahan. The Blues had submitted a package of lesser players. "I'm just delighted to have Scott Stevens at our blue line," Lamoriello said. "His record speaks for itself."

The sentiments of the Blues were well conveyed last night by Mike Caruso, a team spokesman who said, "We've got a 22-year-old prospect in Shanahan and we lost our captain." Stevens, who is in Toronto for the Canada Cup, was not taking any telephone calls at his hotel.

The 27-year-old Stevens played eight seasons with the Capitals and was signed as a free agent by the Blues last summer for five first-round selections in the draft. His physical presence makes him effective defensively and offensively. He is regarded so highly in the league that the Blues made him captain in his first season with the team.

Shanahan, a forward, had also been pursued by the Rangers, but Neil Smith, the Rangers' general manager, decided against signing Shanahan for fear of losing one of his more talented players, like Brian Leetch or James Patrick, to the Devils.

Smith's fear was substantiated by Houston, but Smith still took a gamble yesterday, although a somewhat smaller one, by signing Graves from the Oilers. Like Shanahan, Graves is a Type I free agent, which means the Rangers will have to pay compensation to the Oilers.

Smith likes Graves a great deal. He scouted Graves as a junior when Smith was with Detroit in 1986. The Red Wings made Graves their second choice in the draft and 22d over all in 1986. He was sent to Edmonton in 1989 in a package deal that brought Jimmy Carson to Detroit. Pursued by Other Teams'

The acquisition of Graves, or someone who could play center like him, became almost imperative for the Rangers after the loss of Kelly Kisio in the expansion draft and last week's injury to Darren Turcotte, who fractured his wrist playing for the United States in the Canada Cup.

What prompted Smith to sign Graves was the fact that Graves was vigorously pursued by the Flyers and the Kings, among other teams. He is considered a good character player with strong defensive abilities and leadership qualities. If the Rangers fail to work out a compensation agreement with the Oilers and the case goes to Houston, the Rangers could conceivably lose a player of higher value than Graves.

Although Graves had only 7 goals and 18 assists in 76 games last season and has 23 goals in 217 regular-season games in the league, his contract with the Rangers is believed to be triple his $115,000 salary with Edmonton last season.