http://www.jewelsfromthecrown.com/2010/1/20/1262354/i-would-like-to-buy-some-points

Whether any of that will actually be proposed is another matter. Maybe it’s just a bargaining tactic. No coincidence probably that the lowering cap rumor came out while UFAs were negotiating new deals.

Yes, in that context, the IK salary structure makes sense from Lamoriello’s point of view.

Re: 5-5 scoring: Despite the fact that Williams is injury-prone, up until the point where he broke his leg Smyth-Kopitar-Williams was a dominant top line. Who knows? it may be wishful thinking to think the three of them could stay healthy for an entire season, but at this point, it’s our best hope. I sincerely hope DL signs somebody equal to or better than Fro, or Fro himself, but with all the talent, not getting Kovalchuk is by no means damaging. It’s still very early in the game, so I’m just going to relax and think about watching DD, JJ, Kopitar, and Quick/Bernier tear it up.

I really doubt DL would go after Bobby Ryan. He’s great and we have the cash to sign, but it would be only for four years and then he wants to go UFA, and with so many RFAs for the Kings next year, it really wouldn’t be smart, in my opinion.

The problem is 11.5 million and the effect it has on Doughty, JJ and Simmer. I can understand this. This was also the reason behind Cammy’s departure. But wouldn’t it be worth the additional 500k-1 million per player for those 3 to get a net increase of 5-10 goals… (maybe not? I just talked myself out of him again)

Well, that “additional 500K-1MM” is the gift that keeps on giving. Because you have to give it not just to Doughty, Johnson, Simmonds, Bernier and Moller (next year), but to Schenn, Clifford, Muzzin, Loktionov, Hickey, Teubert, etc., not that all of these guys will end up being millionaires on the Kings, but it’s easy to see how that kind of salary inflator quickly gets out of hand.

People are fond of saying, “yeah, but Williams, Handzus and Smyth will be off the books soon.” News flash: those guys will be gone soon, but their cap savings is already spent. So, there is no “savings.” Add Stoll to that list. Those four guys will (must) be dealt over the next two seasons, or else they will just walk away for nothing.

It is no secret that our biggest shortcoming is 5-5 scoring, and a guy who is capable of scoring 35-50 goals who replaces a 20-30 goal scorer is going to increase our PF (while we will have a slight uptick in PA). Therefore increasing our regular season wins (and our seeding). While I believe maturation of our younger roster will result in a rise in 5 on 5 PF, I do not think it will be enough to result in a significantly higher seeding (and therefore a better chance in the playoffs).

There is a big difference between 35 and 50 goals. As I argued last summer re Heatley, you have to factor in the fact that Heatley/Kovalchuk don’t play defense. Kovalchuk scores 50, say, while Frolov scores 30. But Kovalchuk is a defensive sieve. So half of those goals you have to give back. Now you’ve got a 10 goal differential between Kovalchuk/Heatley and Frolov. And Kovalchuk, in particular, plays all two minutes of every power play, and many of his goals are PP goals. So a certain number of his goals are going to come directly out of the pockets of the other power-play players (the ones whose numbers are reduced due to reduced ice-time, and due to the fact that the whole power-play would now revolve around Kovalchuk — otherwise, why get a sniper, right?). Let’s conservatively say that 5 of Kovalchuk’s goals would have been scored by someone else on the powerplay anyway (this assumes that 10 of them would be goals the Kings wouldn’t have scored if he weren’t there — I would have to look closely at the numbers to get a more precise non-guess, but it’s around there). So now Kovalchuk’s added value is about 5 goals.

Five goals.

I’m not sneezing at those five goals. I just don’t think they are worth the price New Jersey had to pay.

Let’s not wait until Smyth’s or William’s contracts end to find additional scoring.

I think Williams, Stoll and Ersberg are tradeable assets right now. Handzus maybe toward the deadline, though I like him and wish he would be re-signed at a discount. Smyth is not really tradeable, and in any case is worth a lot to the Kings in terms of leadership, example, character, all that stuff.

Smyth is interesting, actually. Cap hit of $6MM(+), like Kovalchuk. 34 years old. Only two years left on his deal and that still makes him hard to move. Imagine that Smyth = Kovalchuk at 34. Only Kovalchuk would have 11 more years on his contract. Imagine the conversations we’d be having then!

I remember at one of his breakfasts he almost chewed out a fan for suggesting to go after another’s RFA.

Yes. But a trade is also possible. Anaheim will have to make a decision, if they haven’t already. And, sweet fancy moses, I would so much rather have Bobby Ryan at $5MM+ for 6 years than Kovalchuk at $6MM until 2027.

Williams, Stoll, Teubert and next year’s 1st for Ryan.

And throw a middle pick to Burke for Bill Sweatt’s rights. And that team will kick Kovalchuk’s ass.