Kings lock up Brown for 8 years>? Is this smart?

[Buffalo Rick]

I know that one of the key issues on the table at the CBA was the limit on contracts. Well the Kings have locked Brown in for life. But is this wise business? You have to ask yourself how good he will be in 5 years and then the last 3 on his contract? I suppose when you compare it to baseball and basketball hockey players certainly deserve more money than they have gotten. But the cap space is a huge problem. You make one mistake, a GM makes one mistake, and the paying fans who support this sport and all others, pay the price watching their team have to wait years to win again. Let me look at my own team. It is well documented I want Miller and Vanek to remain Sabres. Do I think an 8 year contract is what it will take to get them to stay? I sure hope not, but when they see deals like this go down, its going to make it tougher for all of the other teams to try and get their players to sign for a fair amount of time. These damn agents are holding a gun to the heads of GM's in some ways. But it stems from baseball and basketball first. I am not including football because your career can be over on one play and one hit. Not so likely in baseball or baskets but more likely in hockey than those two. There should be more of an even keel; in handing out contracts. I know Crosby is going to make more money than your average Joe grinder who does the dirty work and goes into the corners. But I think its a bit too much of a glaring difference in contracts. There has to be a limit. The economy is terrible in this country. The ticket prices will rise, and the greedy players will want more and more. It cannot go on forever. I did not see the fine print enough to understand exactly what was agreed to on contract term limits. So by all means enlighten me.

I would like to turn on my PC tomorrow and read the Sabres have come to an agreement with Miller and Vanek for 4 yrs each. I know I am dreaming and its not happening. More likely to read "Oilers offer Vanek 8 yrs, 57 Mill, and the keys to the city".

[flyercanuck]

I thought the Brown deal worked out the way a smart gm would handle it. He took less money for longer term. That's how it should be (see Claude Giroux/Holmgren for how it shouldn't). If he wants top dollar per year (see Claude Giroux/Holmgren) he should settle for a lesser term. Then there are the idiots (see Claude Giroux/Holmgren) who give the player top dollar for full term and throw a NMC as the cherry on top.

[Polaris922]

Long term contracts that end in an injury to the player present no risk to the team except the money itself, not salary cap. Having said that, Brown is a banger, so I'll be impressed if he last 8 more years without a serious style change.

[flyercanuck]

@Polaris922

And if the player gets injured, insurance pays.

[yave1964]

Took a discount for long term security, but still seems like AN AWFUL LOT OF MONEY for a 55 point a year player. Wow.

[jammer2]

Love Brown's game, one of the very best captain's in the entire league. Work ethic is unquestionably one of the best. The length is a bit scary, but that is the cost of doing business. At least the money part makes up for the length. Take some notes Homer!!!

[JR Ewing]

Most interesting is that Brown negotiated the contract himself: no player agent. According to articles I've found around on the internets, the average commission is 4%, so he saved himself a little under $2M. Not so bad.

Oh, and the term is almost assuredly too long for the Kings, but GMs will always do this: 8 years is probably longer than you'll have the job, so the contract will most likely be the next guy's problem.

JR

[AndyS]

Does anyone know how much money he got in this new deal? All I have seen reported so far was the length of the contract.

[jammer2]

@JR Ewing " 8 years is probably longer than you'll have the job, so the contract will most likely be the next guy's problem."

That's a great way of looking at it.

[JR Ewing]

@JR Ewing " 8 years is probably longer than you'll have the job, so the contract will most likely be the next guy's problem."

That's a great way of looking at it.

For the GM or me? LOL

I'm pretty convinced that's why GMs do it, anyway. You get to look good by locking up a key player, and even if the term is way too long (David Clarkson.......) then you most likely won't be the guy having to clean it up.

In that sense, it's completely like federal politics, where people make decisions are made far less in terms of what would be good in the long term, and much more so on a 4-year cycle. It's a shame, but it happens all the time.

JR

[jammer2]

@JR Ewing "For the GM or me? LOL"

ha ha...the GM. Your point has a lot of validity, the average GM is not around to see the back end of these long deals come to fruition.

[NRH]

8 year deals are horrible, the NHL should have looked to the NFL to fix many of the problems that the NHL keeps recreating for itself with each CBA. The players in the NHL have options overseas from leagues begging for American lockouts so they can grow.

[flyercanuck]

8 year deals are horrible, the NHL should have looked to the NFL to fix many of the problems that the NHL keeps recreating for itself with each CBA. The players in the NHL have options overseas from leagues begging for American lockouts so they can grow.

The NHL should hire more murderers and rapists?

[NRH]

@flyercanuck

Dany Heatly did so well though

[flyercanuck]

@

Heatley is obviously an idiot and a bad driver. I don't think he ever set out to kill his best friend. Heck even Mike Jeffersons attempt to hire a hitman to eliminate David Frost from his life forever was justified, IMO.

There's a huge difference between that and what a lot of NFL players have done. There's so many loose cannons in that league it's scary.

[brelic]

Does anyone know how much money he got in this new deal? All I have seen reported so far was the length of the contract.

$47M.

$5.875M per season.

[jammer2]

Just as a starting point, don't think I've ever heard of an NHL player taking a gun to a nightclub. They seem to have a whole different set of morals and ethics than NFL players, in general anyways. You also rarely hear about an NHL player being arrested for failure to comply with child support payments. That's a monthly thing in the NFL.