AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > November > 27 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USThrasher-Math 101
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(Thrasher-Math 101 class at Blueland University. Prof. Rawhide takes the lectern)
OK, class…settle down… Class? …CLASS? …SHUT UP!
(Ahem)…Thank you.
Now, Russian, CM, MattH and TonyC, put down those hockey sticks and take your seats. Puckjunque, please take off the goalie mask while in class and Buzilla, the apple on my desk will win you no favors seeing that you took it out of Christy’s lunchbox. BaldHeadedThrasherFan, if you don’t mind, please don’t sit next to the window… the glare…thank you, there’s an empty seat next to Kracker in the back. Brendan, sorry, no karaoke tonight, but the silk button-down disco shirt is very nice anyway. And Manley, the tank…next time park it in the back…and not on the azaleas.
First off, I am having ThrasherRyan pass out everyone’s graded papers on the “G>U+U = 2 points” formula. I have to say that I am very impressed with everyone’s high marks. Also, I want to point out Sara’s extra credit work on Recent Draft Picks that I have posted on the bulletin board. Great work, indeed.
OK, today we are discussing certain mathematic formulas that help us gauge the progress of our Atlanta Thrashers. In review, we have discussed the theory that 95 or 96 points would be required for a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Given a six-month season, that breaks down to roughly 16 points needed per month as an average, (discounting the last two games in the month of April).
Bob, I notice you are not taking notes. Did you fail to come to class with an appropriate lead-based writing utensil? Please get one from Jennifer.
Now, as we know, the team got off to a less then par start earning only 8 points in the month of October. However, November has been much more productive as the Thrashers have gone 7-4-0 for 14 points going into Thursday’s game against Toronto. Combined with last month’s points that brings the total to 22 points and an overall average now of 11 per month. Winning Thursday would bring that average to 12.
Am I going to fast for you, Ranallo? No? Good.
Continuing, that brings us to December. This is a very important month seeing as Atlanta will be playing 16 games, the most in any month this season. (For our student from Livonia, Michigan, that means that there are 32 possible points to gain, and I’m glad to see you remembered to wear your hockey helmet to class). So, in order for the Thrashers to get their average up to the 16 points per month level, they will need to earn 24 of those 32 points. (This assumes gaining 2 points vs. the Leafs, if not, that number increases to 26). The official mathematical terminology for gaining such a high percentage of those available points is “a very tall order”. But anything over 16 helps the process.
(Sigh), Rstroz and Brian, I see you sneaking in the back there. Tardy again? Once more and you’ll wind up in Dean Waddell’s office, young men.
Moving along to our next lesson… the Points Earned per Game formula. This is quite simple. If you take the total amount of points gained and divide it by the total amount of games played the resulting quotient is the PEG. This is important because if the Thrashers are to gain the required 96 points to make the playoffs, then they have to have a PEG rating of at least 1.171, (96 divided by 82 games = 1.171). Currently, they have 22 points in 23 games for a PEG rating of .956. While this is up from October’s .667 PEG, you can plainly see that improvement in this area is still needed. That being said, the upward trend is promising.
Now for the class participation part of today’s lesson….
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By puckjunque
November 27, 2007 7:19 AM | Link to this
Winner???
By GaVaHokie
November 27, 2007 8:51 AM | Link to this
Sorry I’m late… Thrashers Earth Science ran a little long. We were studying the effects of a big Northeasterly wind coming through in December, seven occurences to be exact.
By 74
November 27, 2007 9:03 AM | Link to this
It is probably worth noting that in 8th place in the eastern conference, New Jersey has 24 points from 23 games. That is only 1.043 PEG and would put the last playoff position at about 86 points for the season.
However, once you get above the devils most of the teams meet or exceed your average, and 8th place isn’t the best spot to be fighting for.
By Sara
November 27, 2007 9:16 AM | Link to this
I don’t think I’ve ever laughed quite so hard while being depressed at the same time. It seems so daunting to try to make up all those missed points. However, looking at the standings there is still such a log-jam from 4th to 14th (7 pts separate those two positions). In reality, we only have to play slightly better than most everyone else to make it in. In a bigger dose of reality, the surest way to make that happen is to take care of business - depending on someone else to lose to get us in usually ends up not working out (just ask Dawg fans).
The keys are going to be (in no particular order):
1 - improve the special teams’ play (actually, that one is in particular order)
2 - no more losing streaks over 2 games (getting a winning streak longer than four games wouldn’t hurt none either)
3 - no more defensive boneheaded-ness, such as scrambling around like chickens and sweeping the puck along the boards (3.1 - limit Zhitnik’s ATOI to < 12 min per game)
4 - the second line has to come to life offensively (someone please explain why a combination of Kozlov, Little, and Perrin can’t find the back of the net - maybe someone needs to install GPS in their sticks??)
5 - Kari needs to get his game on and keep his groin loose
There, that’s easy enough right? Well gotta go - phone’s ringing and I’m sure it’s Don telling me my new office is waiting…or it’s ranallo calling to tell me to quit being such a suck-up and teacher’s pet.
By Brian
November 27, 2007 9:27 AM | Link to this
Does anyone remember back when Prof Rawhide used to teach English to foreigners?
By Russian
November 27, 2007 10:15 AM | Link to this
It was best Lecture I had on my life. I spent 5 years in University and 3 years in ESL classes (Georgia State), but I never saw funniest Professor like Prof Rawhide. Math formula will work in our lives, but not on the Sport. Only one thing will help us a lot 2 points most of the game. Two loses were horrible and kicked our Team record badly. Thursday game will be interesting to see, because both teams have good rest. Thrasher play at Home which is a big plus, but Toronto is very freaking team. They can easily kick our asses. Now come back to Math calculation. We have 22 points for 23 games. Sucks!!! Well, now We have 59 games play and we need 96-22=74 points. IF we take 74points divided to 59game = 1.25 point per game. What can we do, Professor??? We need to keep schedule of rest of the season like this 2 wins and 1 lose. We will be fine and get PO stop with out any problems.
By ranallo10
November 27, 2007 10:35 AM | Link to this
Sara — I guess caller ID gave me away…sorry for hanging up though, Pucks-N-Sage tried to steal my lunch money but Manley got all hoorah on his a*.
Don’t forget to vote for Prom King and Queen. My votes are going to Kovalchuk and Zhitnik respectively.
Hokie — Can I borrow your notes from Thrashers Earth Science? Buzilla, dj and I have to run by the Ice Girls practice to …um… help them stretch.
By Buzilla Baby Blues
November 27, 2007 11:35 AM | Link to this
What is our record when Phillips is sold out? All time…
By Brian
November 27, 2007 1:07 PM | Link to this
Tobias Enstrom is getting some national recongnition, even if it is only as a runner-up. Kovy gets some pub as a runner-up for the Hart, although he wasn’t in the top 3.
By Brian
November 27, 2007 1:17 PM | Link to this
Enstrom’s name shows up again. Gee, looks like our drafting picked a good one…
By RS
November 27, 2007 1:47 PM | Link to this
“Enstrom, playing in a hockey graveyard like Atlanta, has an arguable case here, even though only the most hardcore fans have heard of him”
As soon as a read that line, I thought “this guy’s Canadian” and sure enough…
George Johnson, a columnist for the Calgary Herald, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com
By Brian
November 27, 2007 2:02 PM | Link to this
RS - Yeah, but if you read both stories, they make mention of Enstrom being on a “break-even” team. Don’t these geniuses know that we started 0-6 and have been a totally different team since then?
By Brian
November 27, 2007 2:04 PM | Link to this
RS - all the more reason we need to be doing plenty of write-in votes for Enstrom, just to get his name out there. But if no one here wants to vote, maybe we are a hockey graveyard…
By Brendan
November 27, 2007 2:12 PM | Link to this
A very entertaining lecture, RAWHIDE. But remember, “Disco Stu doesn’t advertise!” (Stu, looking at Homer Simpson’s jacket, for which Homer attempted to spell ‘Disco Stud,’ but pathetically ran out of space, resulting in ‘Disco Stu’ spelled out on the back.)
C’mon Blueland!, let’s get Paul Maurice fired on Thursday night! Okay, they’ll wait ‘til Friday morning. Nothing screams, “Fire me!” like a 6-1 pasting by our Icebirds.
By Hockeyfan
November 27, 2007 2:37 PM | Link to this
Professor Rawhide my head hurts. Can I go see the nurse?
By FormerIslesFan
November 27, 2007 2:54 PM | Link to this
Professor Rawhide, sorry I’m late, but GaVaHokie told me that Thrashers Earth Science would cover all of this…
Seriously, I think Sara’s got it right in that there are a lot of other little equations that have to be met in order for the Thrashers to get the numbers your lecture suggests. There are some others that need to be considered as well:
By kracker
November 27, 2007 2:57 PM | Link to this
Oh my, Teacher, I am very sorry but I, um, overslept…er, 7 hours, sir. No….no, sir, it won’t happen again. I have to what? Fill out 50 All-Star ballots after class…yes, sir, very good. That’s much more enjoyable than last time when I filled the blackboard about not putting chewing gum in Sara’s hair. You told me to get rid of it….
By R. Stroz
November 27, 2007 3:09 PM | Link to this
I would have been on time for class if I wasn’t teaching some hockey goon how to shoot the puck from the point on the power play.
By kracker
November 27, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this
All kidding aside, Sara and FIF have it right of course. The Thrash have to take care of a lot of little parts of their game in order to attain the good Profs. points goals.
I think this mini-break and getting Kari back will put them back on stride. One other thing to consider: The Thrash have 5 OTWs and no OTLs, which is commendable. However, snatching an OTL point here and there (such as this past weekend) will surely be necessary to getting to the 95 points level and then padding that record a bit after we do get into the playoffs. As my English Prof. says: All points is good.
By Rawhide
November 27, 2007 3:42 PM | Link to this
Zilla - “What is our record when Phillips is sold out? All time”? - I don’t know but it ain’t good, I’m sure.
Hockeyfan - Can I go see the nurse? - Make sure you take a hall pass..
GaVaHokie - “We were studying the effects of a big Northeasterly wind coming through in December, seven occurences to be exact”. - Aye, matey..thar be a storm a brewin’ out tharrrrrrrrr.
Sara - “or it’s ranallo calling to tell me to quit being such a suck-up and teacher’s pet”. - Don’t let ‘em be haters, Sara…the smart ones always get picked on!
Kracker - “Fill out 50 All-Star ballots after class “yes, sir, very good”. - Make it 100.
RStroz - “I would have been on time for class if I wasn’t teaching some hockey goon how to shoot the puck from the point on the power play”. - Uh-huh, right! I might have been born at night, but it wasn’t LAST night. You two show up right as soon as the Ice Girls morning practice is over. uh-huh!
By FormerIslesFan
November 27, 2007 3:59 PM | Link to this
Oh, Rawhide, one more thing. Did you really break out a Cheech and Chong Sister Mary Elephant reference???
By Rawhide
November 27, 2007 4:06 PM | Link to this
Very good, FIF…I was wondering if anyone was gonna catch that…
By kracker
November 27, 2007 4:07 PM | Link to this
FIF, that is exactly the reference I thought of to :) That’s pretty appropriate for this class, for sure. (ducking eraser)
By Brian
November 27, 2007 4:29 PM | Link to this
Rawhide & FormerIslesFan - I was a little disappointed no one caught my reference. I knew puckjunque got lucky with the Caddyshack guess last time, but I thought a few others here would have caught this one…
P.S. - the hockey goon is not against shooting it, just shooting it too soon…
By Brian
November 27, 2007 4:33 PM | Link to this
the smart ones always get picked on!. Um, I don’t think that’s the case why someone is sitting up front
By dave
November 27, 2007 4:34 PM | Link to this
Don’t you people have anything better to do. Just go to the games, root for our team, enjoy yourself. Then go on with your life. The players do!!
By dave
November 27, 2007 4:35 PM | Link to this
Don’t you people have anything better to do. Just go to the games, root for our team, enjoy yourself. Then go on with your life. The players do!!
By FormerIslesFan
November 27, 2007 4:39 PM | Link to this
Brian My bad. I thought the Stripes reference was too easy and that most people would have picked that one up. I was going for the more obscure reference from RH.
By R. Stroz
November 27, 2007 4:44 PM | Link to this
Teacher, Teacher…dave is stuttering again.
By Brian
November 27, 2007 4:53 PM | Link to this
Teacher, teacher, there’s a bunch of kids giving dave a wedgie!
By Matt H
November 27, 2007 4:53 PM | Link to this
I never was one for math. That’s why I carry the stick, so I can get all Hollweg on teach when he/she starts looking in my direction.
Well done on the numbers, tho. A post worthy of the Falconer.
I pay more attention to the ethereal elements that go into a team; not because they’re more important, just because I’m better at it. I think that’s why baseball just never clicked with me.
Anyway, it doesn’t take an empath to recognize the team’s gotta pick it up from the past two games, which I’m hoping to liken to a collapse after a long-distance run. Hopefully on Thursday, the fellas will pick up where they left off in the third period of the Washington game.
My two remedies? Fourth-line play and special teams. Everything else after that should fall enough into place.
By Buzilla Baby Blues
November 27, 2007 5:01 PM | Link to this
Zilla - “What is our record when Phillips is sold out? All time”? - I don’t know but it ain’t good, I’m sure.
…wouldn’t that be UN-good Professor?
By R. Stroz
November 27, 2007 5:03 PM | Link to this
Teacher, Teacher…PJ is looking at those Maple Leaf pictures again.
By Brian
November 27, 2007 5:08 PM | Link to this
Teacher, teacher, dave just took PJ’s Maple Leaf pictures.
By Baldheaded Thrasher
November 27, 2007 5:21 PM | Link to this
Prof Rawhide it is obvious to the class that if the Thrashers play the rest of the season the way they played against Carolina on the 16th they will make the playoffs, but…if they play like their oldselves against the Penguins then put a fork in it and fire Dean Waddell.
Don’t need no stupid quadratic equation to figure this problem out!
Okay, I’ll pick up books and report to the Dean’s office.
Great post. I caught myself laughing outloud at the office.
By Hooky Bob
November 27, 2007 5:39 PM | Link to this
According to S Wraight in SI’s power rankings the Thrashers are 3-9-2 in sellouts since last Oct-06. Interesting that someone else has noticed this. Didn’t mgmt purposely not sell one ticket (or sell and not use) towards the end of last season?
By kracker
November 27, 2007 5:59 PM | Link to this
Hooky Bob 3-9-2 in sellouts this year and last sounds about right. We played pretty well at the end of the 05-06 season trying to make the PO after all that goalie he** we went through, and we just fell short. It is amazing that someone keeps the W-L record if there is a sellout or not.
I don’t know if that was actually the case about withholding a couple of tickets at the end of last year, if there are no recorded sellouts I guess they really did it.
By Nix
November 27, 2007 6:23 PM | Link to this
Prof, I’m auditing this class and am just wondering what are chances are of getting those 24/26 points necessary in December given that we’re playing most of those games against Atlantic and Northeast teams? Even if we’re playing our best, will our skill-set match up well against those teams?
By dj
November 27, 2007 7:12 PM | Link to this
hmm…ice girls…..stretching…….i love blueland.
By Rawhide
November 27, 2007 7:44 PM | Link to this
MattH - That?s why I carry the stick, so I can get all Hollweg on teach when he/she starts looking in my direction ( .|. ) < Looking in your direction!
Zilla & Hooky Bob - 3-9-2 in sellouts in last 13 months…that’s indeed UN-Good. UN-Gooder is that we have only sold out 14 games in that time frame.
Nix - Even if we?re playing our best, will our skill-set match up well against those teams? - It will HAVE to…..however, maybe that’s a question to pose in Thrasher Phylosophy-101.
Brian & RStroz - Tattle-tales!
dj - yes,…Blueland Good!
By Sara
November 27, 2007 8:07 PM | Link to this
Brian my extra credit work is publishable, thank you very much. ;)
By Brian
November 27, 2007 8:25 PM | Link to this
Sara - I wouldn’t publish extra credit work from Rawhide’s class, other wise puckjunque will forever be staring at those published photos of you doing “extra credit” for Rawhide…
By off the post
November 27, 2007 8:57 PM | Link to this
there’s no way they get 24 points in December, too many teams that are fighting for a spot going up against us.
By pucksnsnot
November 27, 2007 9:05 PM | Link to this
oh thank you professor Rawhide, I just love your class
By puckjunque
November 27, 2007 10:09 PM | Link to this
Prof. Rawhide First of all, the goalie mask stays on until you confiscate the peashooters. Second, Rstroz, I’ll be needing those pictures back for Hockey Anatomy class, I might actually ace a class. who has them again? Brian You owe me twenty bucks for the photos, where should I send them?
By R. Stroz
November 27, 2007 11:37 PM | Link to this
punkjunque - You know you received those Maple Leaf pictures from the X at Slapshots as proof of her prior conquests.
By Capt. Caveman
November 28, 2007 2:50 AM | Link to this
My question is when will we have another game viewing at Taco Mac??
Just curious, I was looking forward to one after all the fun we had at the last one.
By ranallo10
November 28, 2007 3:36 AM | Link to this
dj — I saw you helping them with their “guten tagen”…lucky devil.
Brian — Stop flirting with the resident minister, it’s weird.
R. Stroz — Speaking of prior conquests, where’s Buzilla been with his cubic laden fiance? I sure do miss her now that the itch has cleared up.
By Brian
November 28, 2007 9:22 AM | Link to this
puckjunque - ???
ranollo - I think you are confusing things, puckjunque is all about someone north of the border.
caveman - there are 23 Taco Mac locations in the metro Atlanta area. I believe any of them would have the game on tomorrow night.
By Waffleboy
November 28, 2007 10:44 AM | Link to this
Lehtonen stopped 27 of 28 for the Wolves last night. Only goal was scored with ten seconds left, Wolves win 4-1 over the Quad City Flames. He also assisted on a goal. Good news.
By puckjunque
November 28, 2007 11:04 AM | Link to this
Waffleboy Thanks for the info. Brian It’s all part of the research I need to do to prepare, PLEeeasse………….now can I get them back from X or has that bridge been burned??
By Rawhide
November 28, 2007 11:34 AM | Link to this
WaffleBoy - Thanks! That is good news, indeed!
PJ & Brian - Am I going to have to separate you two??? I mean, HONESTLY!!
Caveman - You bring up a good point! Lemme check the schedule and see if a good game can be picked out for such a class outing…
By puckjunque
November 28, 2007 11:39 AM | Link to this
Prof. Rawhide HE started it!
By Brian
November 28, 2007 1:00 PM | Link to this
Prof Rawhide - I think we need another group outing to explain that X had nothing to do with me and her. And no, the bridge has not been burned (yet)…
By Brendan
November 28, 2007 1:04 PM | Link to this
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Braydon Coburn’s extension will last two years and is worth $2.6 million, paid out over the next two seasons as $1.2 million and $1.4 million, respectively. The salary cap hit to the club will be $746,100..
What I don’t understand it, why isn’t the cap hit $1.3 million? The the average value of the contract? No?
By Sara
November 28, 2007 1:13 PM | Link to this
Brendan that would be a case of “the writer at tsn.ca can’t read english very well.” The original article cites the $746,100 as Braydon’s current cap hit.
This is such a bad deal for Atlanta this year - although last year it looked better. Problem is, Coburn would never have developed under Hartley, but under Don now likely would have come of age quite nicely. Shame.
By Brian
November 28, 2007 1:16 PM | Link to this
Brendan - it’s an extension of the current deal (allowed under the original), not a whole new contract. Hossa’s next one will be a whole new contract, so unfortunately we won’t get that benefit with him…
By Sara
November 28, 2007 1:24 PM | Link to this
This is too funny. Typical Flyers fans I swear. Since I was at the Philly Inquirer’s site, I figured I’d nose around a bit. Fans on the blogs up there are incensed that people are referring to the franchise as the “Broad Street Bullies” again. Well, let’s see, four players suspended for dangerous on-ice hitting incidents at the quarter marker of the season, and a player who has spent only 7 more minutes skating on the ice than he has sitting in the box this season (that would be Riley Cote, btw - 58 min total TOI, 51 PIMs). I’m sorry, but at some point, with that many infractions, you have to start pointing fingers at the culture of the organization. While I know the individual players in the incidents didn’t necessarily mean to seriously injure anyone, I still think the style of play they are after is leading to recklessness.
By Brian
November 28, 2007 1:48 PM | Link to this
Sara - nice post, but I am a little surprised. After dealing with many Sabres-Flyers playoffs series, I always thought that Flyers fans revelled at the thought of being called the Broad Street Bullies. why the sudden change of heart?
By Rawhide
November 28, 2007 2:02 PM | Link to this
Yeah Sara…I have the same question Brian just asked….have Philadelpha fans subjected themselves to the metrosexual, hyper-sensitive, wuss-ification mindset????
Surely not!
What’s next? Saber fans sipping wine and sampling cheese??? Ranger fans reading books??? Bruins fans speaking in clear, complete sentences??? Islander fans seeing dentists???
By Sara
November 28, 2007 2:03 PM | Link to this
Not sure Brian, why they seem to object - that’s why I found the whole thing so funny. As a general rule, Philly fans are the rudest bunch out there, and are proud of it. I guess because at this point they are losing so many players to suspensions, versus just racking up the PIMs?
By ranallo10
November 28, 2007 2:10 PM | Link to this
Toronto fans coloring inside the lines???
By Sara
November 28, 2007 2:10 PM | Link to this
Oh wait, forgot something. The other typical fan responses - every team plays this way but only the Flyers are getting called out for it. Or - it’s the player’s fault for going to his knees along the boards trying to get himself hit.
Morons.
Having a reputation for being a dirty team isn’t what it once was, and maybe some of the fans are figuring that out. They aren’t scaring other teams (although I wonder how many players are willing to go the boards and turn their backs on them at this point) and are only shooting themselves in the foot. At this point, any questionable hit by a Flyer is likely to go against them with the refs…and the league.
By Brian
November 28, 2007 2:24 PM | Link to this
Rawhide - you ate chicken wings last time we were out, what’s with the jab at Buffalo fans??? Couldn’t you just say Livonia fans dating something that isn’t inflatable?
On a side note, it was just posted that Enstrom has almost 4,000 write-in votes!!! That is ~1/2 of what Kozlov has. Let’s keep that show of support continuing.
By Rawhide
November 28, 2007 2:37 PM | Link to this
Ranallo - Toronto fans coloring inside the lines??? - They KNOW their colors now???
For the love of Lord Stanley…next thing you know you’ll be telling me Montreal fans dine with forks and knives!!!
By ranallo10
November 28, 2007 3:19 PM | Link to this
Rawhide — They know three colors: Blue, White, and Pansie.
By Tony C.
November 28, 2007 5:11 PM | Link to this
ranallo-Blue, White and Pansie?
classic
By Brendan
November 28, 2007 5:13 PM | Link to this
Thank you for the clarification. The operative word was “extension.” Sara, you make an interesting point about Braydon Coburn’s development under Waddell, as opposed to Hartley. Since Waddell drafted him, I bet he’d put in extra effort to nurture him along. That’s only speculation, however.
Even if Coburn’s deal were a “brand new one” and his cap hit reached $1.3 million, that’s what we’re paying Exelby, and this guy was a former 1st round pick, 8th overall.
But, I promised myself, and others, that I wouldn’t cry about his loss. So I’m going to shut up right frekkin’ now. Braydon Coburn may turn out to be 3/4 type defenseman, for a good number of years. But is that the investment you’d hope for from a high 1st rounder? (Shaking head, “no.”) At the time we acquired Zhitnik, his contributions were necessary and he delivered. The purpose of that trade was to get the team into the playoffs and provide some playoff-tested leadership on the blueline for the coming years. I’d say that trade did that. What about the salary?? $3.5 million? Actually, that IS Zhitnik’s “fair market” value. For a guy whose NHL tenure is as long as it is, and his minutes played, and production, that’s about right. The trouble, as I pointed out when it happened, is that Zhitnik is in his mid-30’s and will slow down and become ever more susceptible to injury at this age. Luckily, Tobias Enstrom has been a heckuva find.
What’s the better bang for the buck? An 8th overall pick who is a 3/4 type defenseman or an 8th round pick who is playing the “lion’s share” of the 1st pairing minutes? The answer should be “self-evident.”
By Brian
November 28, 2007 5:26 PM | Link to this
Brendan - I originally thought what Sara stated, that it was a typo and they meant current cap hit. The only thing is that the current cap hit is $785,000. But I still think it is due to his being an RFA and getting the extension.
As for missing out on a young D-man, we have Enstrom who is our true #1, Popovic and Exelby are both going to be solid players, just not #1, and we still have others in the system coming up. So by all means, let the guy go to get in this year. Look at what we have now, is Coburn going to do THAT much better than Zhitnik/McCarthy/etc.? In future years Lewis or Denny will be up, so we should be covered…
By Brendan
November 28, 2007 5:43 PM | Link to this
For all we know, Zhitnik could be moved at the trade deadline. It all depends on what our situation is. There could be a Western Conference team that needs a playoff-tested D-man for the remainder of this year and has cap room for next year for Zhitnik.
The fans of the other city will look at Zhitnik’s plus-minus and think, “Well, look at Atlanta’s GA? It’s not surprising that the 2nd worst team in the NHL for Goals Against has a group of players who are in the negative.” That’s true. Zhitnik is not have a stellar year, but he’s still “serviceable” Defenseman who has a lot of playoff experience. And at the trade deadline, Zhitnik looks a whole lot better than he does right now, if you’re a Western Conference team that is “thin” along your blueline.
By ranallo10
November 28, 2007 5:50 PM | Link to this
Havelid has more value at the deadline to teams looking for veteran defenders.
Don’t yell at me, I’m just saying…
By Redneck
November 28, 2007 6:38 PM | Link to this
I think we should try to send Zhitnik to Siberia, also known in the NHL as Edmonton.
By Sara
November 28, 2007 7:12 PM | Link to this
Fellas - tsn.ca made a mistake - plain and simple. It is not mathematically possible for Coburn to sign an extension for twice his previous contract and maintain basically the same average cap hit. That $746,100 is his cap hit this year. It should move to $1.3 million starting next season, for two years. Extensions aren’t going to be retroactive. And even if they just averaged it in to the current contract, it would still move Coburn’s cap average to over $1.1 million for this season and the others following. (You couldn’t go back to prior already played seasons to average in a new extension number, completely illogical.)
To make that work as tsn.ca suggests it does would mean a major loophole in the CBA that I cannot see small market owners or Bettman having allowed.
By Tony C.
November 28, 2007 7:20 PM | Link to this
ouch.
Can’t disagree though-look how badly they dicked up keeping the core of the team that made that great run at The Cup. Aside from Mrs. & Ms. Pronger, everybody on that team wanted to stay in Edmonton.
Siberia indeed.
By Sara
November 28, 2007 7:54 PM | Link to this
Darn you guys - you made me do it. Made me go read that @$#!% CBA.
Section 50.5 (f) discusses contract extensions. An “extension” is considered to be a new Standard Player Contract (SPC) that takes effect when the current SPC ends. There’s further explanation of the parameters of what an extension can be signed for (basically, you can’t sign a player for more money than you have cap space committed for the next season, which is kind of a “duh”). Doesn’t apply likely in this case.
Either way, Braydon’s “extension” is technically a new contract that begins next season, making his cap hit $1.3 million.
By Tony C.
November 28, 2007 9:15 PM | Link to this
Goodness Sara, what kind of work do you do? I’m just amazed by your willingness/desire to crunch data. It’s awesome. I hated reading the CBA don’t think I will re-read it.
how many more rehab starts yall want for KL??
GO BLUE !!!
By dave
November 28, 2007 11:40 PM | Link to this
Yall need to step back and actually read dribble you write. Thank God you have time to entertain this blog with your hockey wisdom. Could you imagine if you were the folks who made the decisions for our team? Wow, thats a scary thought. Go watch a hockey game, you eggheads.
By dave
November 29, 2007 12:28 AM | Link to this
I’m a dribbling idiot.
By dave
November 29, 2007 12:31 AM | Link to this
I should stop talking to myself before the little green men lock me up again on their flying saucer.
By Sara
November 29, 2007 6:26 AM | Link to this
Tony C. I’m an accountant.
By Brendan
November 29, 2007 11:31 AM | Link to this
I’m “grateful” for all the work Sara puts in. She makes the blog better.