Sobotka Returning With an Extension?

[cardsfan04]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/p ... fd68e.html

With his KHL season over, sounds like he is coming back this season. And Blues are apparently willing to use up their 1 year of control on a week plus playoffs because they might have an extension. Like all things Sobotka, I'll fully believe it when I actually see him playing here, but seems possible.

[theohall]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/p ... fd68e.html

With his KHL season over, sounds like he is coming back this season. And Blues are apparently willing to use up their 1 year of control on a week plus playoffs because they might have an extension. Like all things Sobotka, I'll fully believe it when I actually see him playing here, but seems possible.

He'd be a better option at C than Lehtera, at least. One big problem... the Blues currently only have 1.184M in cap space. Sobotka's salary under that contract is 2.275M. Room has to be made. Even if he signs an extension, that doesn't affect this year's cap space. Waiving Yakupov would fix this.

[cardsfan04]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/p ... fd68e.html

With his KHL season over, sounds like he is coming back this season. And Blues are apparently willing to use up their 1 year of control on a week plus playoffs because they might have an extension. Like all things Sobotka, I'll fully believe it when I actually see him playing here, but seems possible.

He'd be a better option at C than Lehtera, at least. One big problem... the Blues currently only have 1.184M in cap space. Sobotka's salary under that contract is 2.275M. Room has to be made. Even if he signs an extension, that doesn't affect this year's cap space. Waiving Yakupov would fix this.

Twitter seems to think that the contract is prorated based on games played, so it won't be a cap issue. Either way, definitely a better option than Lehtera.

[gaijin]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/p ... fd68e.html

With his KHL season over, sounds like he is coming back this season. And Blues are apparently willing to use up their 1 year of control on a week plus playoffs because they might have an extension. Like all things Sobotka, I'll fully believe it when I actually see him playing here, but seems possible.

He'd be a better option at C than Lehtera, at least. One big problem... the Blues currently only have 1.184M in cap space. Sobotka's salary under that contract is 2.275M. Room has to be made. Even if he signs an extension, that doesn't affect this year's cap space. Waiving Yakupov would fix this.

Twitter seems to think that the contract is prorated based on games played, so it won't be a cap issue. Either way, definitely a better option than Lehtera.

Better option, sure. Will Yeo see it that way?

Are we really sure all this Sobotka drama is worth it?

[evil roy]

Looks like the deed is done. 10.5 mil for three years.

Linky

[Toasted Oates]

3rd line centers for dayzzzz and a lot of coin invested in said 3rd line centers. Good one, Doug.

[glen a richter]

Lehtera may suck, but Armstrong is a freakin' moron for this move. Let's be realistic. We have center depth forever because of last years draft. Even if only Thompson and Kyrou pan out (which is likely to be the case), there's still also Lehtera who they'll probably never get rid of, Barbashev, Stastny, Brodziak, now Sobotka for three more years? What the hell is he doing? As usual, he's addressing a non-need, just like he did when he traded for Ryan Flippin' Miller. Is this the Blues credo? Always do deals that don't need to be done?

[cardsfan04]

Lehtera may suck, but Armstrong is a freakin' moron for this move. Let's be realistic. We have center depth forever because of last years draft. Even if only Thompson and Kyrou pan out (which is likely to be the case), there's still also Lehtera who they'll probably never get rid of, Barbashev, Stastny, Brodziak, now Sobotka for three more years? What the hell is he doing? As usual, he's addressing a non-need, just like he did when he traded for Ryan Flippin' Miller. Is this the Blues credo? Always do deals that don't need to be done?

I'm on the fence about the move, but I don't think this will be the reason the move is bad if it turns out that way.

-Lehtera is only here 1 more season, and that assumes they don't buy him out this offseason (and I don't see how they don't buy him out)
-Brodziak is gone after next year
-Stastny's contract is done after next year. I could see him moving on for business reasons.
-Of the draft picks, for most of them it would be nearing the end of his contract before they are ready to play here, which would be after Brodziak, Lehtera, etc. have moved on.

Why we're paying a 3rd line center $3.5 mil when we have cap issues, OTOH, I'm not too sure on.

[theohall]

$3.5 mil

That's what bugs me. 3.5 mil for 25 points a year?? Really??? Classic over-paying. They should have had him play out his contract and if he produced, then worry about an extension based on performance. Basically, Sobotka won the arbitration over the long term with the Blues giving him the contract he wanted in the first place.

[glen a richter]

I forgot Glenn Gawdin and Adam Musil who are also both shaping up nicely as possible 2nd or 3rd line centers. I just don't see where this was necessary for anything other than the remainder of this season. I'm not against Sobotka playing for the team again this year, I'm just confused why there had to be a 3 year extension, and like was said already, why it was for so much money.

[flyingnote38]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/p ... fd68e.html

With his KHL season over, sounds like he is coming back this season. And Blues are apparently willing to use up their 1 year of control on a week plus playoffs because they might have an extension. Like all things Sobotka, I'll fully believe it when I actually see him playing here, but seems possible.

He'd be a better option at C than Lehtera, at least. One big problem... the Blues currently only have 1.184M in cap space. Sobotka's salary under that contract is 2.275M. Room has to be made. Even if he signs an extension, that doesn't affect this year's cap space. Waiving Yakupov would fix this.

Isn't the cap basically irrelevant after the deadline?

[theohall]

Yeah, I was wrong. Wasn't the first time, won't be the last.

Consider - Sobotka is going to be making more per season than Berglund and Sobotka's total career goals is 29. Horribly over-paid.

[gaijin]

Expansion draft bait?

[theohall]

Expansion draft bait?

That doesn't make sense. Why would Vegas want a guy whose scored 29 career goals at 3.5M per season? It's almost like Armstrong over-paid on purpose to ensure he wouldn't be taken.

[glen a richter]

Armstrong overpaid because that's his thing. I wonder how they'll manage enough money to pay Parayko. I'm sure the loser of the Shattenkirk sweepstakes would love to offer sheet young Colton away from us since we won't be able to match.

[theohall]

I wonder how they'll manage enough money to pay Parayko.

Buy out Lehtera. Problem solved.

[cardsfan04]

When is Parayko up for a new contract? If it's not this season, Stastny's $7 mil will be off the books which frees up a ton of money. Army does some questionable things, and maybe this is one of them. But, I can't imagine Sobotka being the difference between keeping and losing Parayko.

[theohall]

When is Parayko up for a new contract? If it's not this season, Stastny's $7 mil will be off the books which frees up a ton of money. Army does some questionable things, and maybe this is one of them. But, I can't imagine Sobotka being the difference between keeping and losing Parayko.

Parayko is an RFA after this season. I would expect his contract to be the equivalent of what Shattenkirk was being paid which wound up being around a 4M/yr cap hit.\

Not that worried since Yakupov's 2.5M goes away and I highly doubt he is re-signed by the Blues.

[theohall]

Sobotka's 3.5M/yr reward for these Career Statistics


<sarcasm>Given what Reaves has done this season, Army should be paying him the same.</sarcasm>

[gaijin]

Someone told Army that Sobotka's 35 NHL goals in a cumulative career total, not per season, right? That's a lot to pay a guy who scores less than 10 a year.