Tomas Plekanec, One Of 20 NHL Players Headed for Arbitration
by Robert L on Jul 6, 2009 9:51 AM EDT
22 comments
After having his point totals shute from 29-40-69 in 2007-08 to 20-19-39 in 2008-09, Canadiens center Tomas Plekanec has elected to take his salary discussion to arbitration. The case of Plekanec and 19 others will be heard between July 20 and August 4.
Plekanec earned $1.8M last season, and shouldn't be expecting any type of substancial increase in salary after seeing his totals drop 30 points.
The Canadiens have not been to arbitration in recent seasons with any of their players. Michael Ryder, in three successive years, has elected the arbitration process, only to settle in each instance, before having his hearing heard. In 2007-08, Ryder and Gainey agreed on a one year contract valued at $2.95M. Ryder was coming off seasons of 25, 25, and 30 goals when he settled on that renumeration. The soon to be 27 year old Plekanec has totalled 20, 29, and 20 goals in his three full campaigns with the Canadiens.
In my take, Plekanec and the Canadiens would likely settle somewhere between $2.2M and $2.5M. Anything more than these figures, and I'd colour him goners via trade shortly after this is settled.
I'll maintain the Canadiens would have been better served by retaining long time captain Koivu as a second line centerman.
Incidentally, there are two Koivu related articles - must reads - posted at Habs Inside Out this a.m.
Other players having filled for salary arbitration include
Ryan Callahan et Nikolai Zherdev (Rangers), Travis Zajac (Devils), Milan Jurcina (Capitals), Colby Armstrong (Thrashers), Kyle Wellwood (Canucks), Matt Smaby (Lightning), Matt Hunwick (Bruins), Clarke MacArthur (Sabres), Tuomo Ruutu (Hurricanes), James Wisniewski (Ducks), Aaron Johnson (Hawks), Jiri Hudler (Red Wings), Marc Methot (Blue Jackets), Kyle Brodziak (Wild), Denis Grebeshkov (Oilers), Nate Thompson (Islanders), and Nigel Dawes and Daniel Winnik (Coyotes).The Zajac, Zherdev, Ruutu and Hudler cases should be the most interesting. Ruutu's stats are close to Plekenec's numbers, for comparison purposes.
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Plekanec
Plekanec is so underrated in the notoriously short memories of Habs fans, it’s really quite stunning. Plekanec was the team’s leading 5-on-5 scorer in 07-08 and, Kovalev’s crazy PP season notwithstanding, Plekanec along with Andrei Kostitsyn was the locomotive that dragged the 07-08 to the top of the conference.
I think Plekanec is key to the ongoing youth movement on the Habs, a youth movement that was furthered by replacing the aging veterans with younger players closer in age to key youth like Plekanec. I think that trading him would be a serious mistake. The Habs definitely want to hang onto him for at least one year to see if he can recapture that 07-08 form, as they’re not going to find anything that good in trade for him.
by MathMan on Jul 6, 2009 10:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The key is that one year. The question is, how much patience should the team show. I like Plekanec, but it seems he has plateaued some. Is he going to improve and how much. To add some to what you have said, he is very sound defensively, and always very well positioned. His last season was extremely disappointing. When he should have stepped it up, he took steps back. Perhaps being one of the two top centers again, he will rebound. Let’s hope.
by Robert L on Jul 6, 2009 10:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Let’s hope he does rebound. Last season was the worst of his career so we know he’s capable of better, even if he never quite matches that 29-goal, 69-point effort his agent is sure to bring up in any arbitration hearing.
As for comparables, one obvious one is Andrei Kostitsyn. Over the last 3 seasons, Plekanec was 20-29-20 on goals and Andrei, 21-26-23. Plekanec was 39-69-47 on points and Andrei, 52-53-41. And Plekanec can make the case that he adds extra value being a multi-dimensional, two-way center.
Don’t be shocked if Pleky ends up making similar money to Andrei Kostitsyn.
by MathMan on Jul 6, 2009 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’d fall off my ass if Pleks got over $3M, really – especially if it is settled before arbitration. AK got his raise coming off a surprisingly good season, Plekanec is coming off one in which the subject of conversation about him most often dealt with a seeming lack of confidence.
by Robert L on Jul 6, 2009 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
What would be so odd about Plekanec making 3 million? He’s a perennial 20-goal scorer, 3 years in a row, now. He’s a two-way center. He’s had success at even-strength previously and can play the power play. He has a 69-point season on his resume and you’d think he should generally be good for 50 points, if 40 is a terrible season.
The hearing is going to be more than about last season. That 29g-69p whopper is going to be part of the ruling, don’t doubt it. Plekanec’s agent can readily argue he as misused by the coach and asked to play a game that doesn’t suit him. It’s probably true, too.
by MathMan on Jul 6, 2009 11:58 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I agree with that. As much as I admit that Pleks was disappointing last season and in the three play-off series we played in the last two years: We would he accept less than the 3.25 million AK46 gets? And then we also have to look at Scott Gomez´ salary. Why would Plekanec be happy wih 2,5-2,8 million when another player who is only slightly better overall (don´t forget that Pleks is a better goalscorer) gets way more than twice as much ?
by Torres on Jul 6, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let’s not exagerate here. I like Plekanec, but he needs to put up a few more of those 60+ point seasons before he gets to the point where we can call Gomez “slightly better overall”. Gomez may not put up as many goals, but on the side of points it’s really no contest. For Plekanec, getting 58 points in 08-09 would have been pretty satisfactory, his second-best season. For Gomez, it’s called a disappointing season.
Gomez isn’t an admissible comparable anyway because his contract is a UFA contract.
by MathMan on Jul 6, 2009 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think he is worth it.
Given that he is a small guy who relies on his speed his best is perhaps in the rear view mirror already, at least with the Canadiens. He is already 27. He is not the power forward type.
He could have “career years” yet to come. What will that be? 25 goals and a +/- of 5?
No physical presence, no real leadership qualities.
So, he is a good player but no way does he provide what the Canadiens will need most right now, which is leadership. Koivu is ironically needed more now than ever.
by nyhabsfan on Jul 6, 2009 1:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
He has the potential to provide one thing, and it just happens the one thing the Habs have been in short supply of for years, and the one thing that he did provide in 07-08 when he and Andrei Kostitsyn dragged the Habs to the top of the conference: even-strength scoring.
Who cares if he’s big, if he’s a leader, if he has a physical presence, if he has any of those qualities that don’t really represent effectiveness but only are means towards it. If he can be the dynamite 5-on-5 player he was in 07-08, then he’s worth it and more.
by MathMan on Jul 6, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
How many of our core players can we afford to lose? I’m certainly no great fan of Pleks ( candyman) but he should bounce back this year. And let’s be honest, we’re still not that great at centre even with our new additions. Let’s sign this guy and give him another chance. In a perfect world, he’s a good 3rd line centre.
by 24 Cups on Jul 6, 2009 10:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I agree, but it’s that number two guy they said was never good enough to be a number that I’ll great miss.
by Robert L on Jul 6, 2009 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Plekanec’s “dynamite” season last year had more to do with Kovalev than anything. Well, Kovalev is gone.
Plekanec’s got speed but not much of anything else, and at his age, he won’t get much faster… He’s not a natural goal scorer. Not a great passer either. Just good. No size or toughness to be able to do the job without a more complete talent (like Kovalev) to work with. Without some proper goal production a player has to make up for it with balls and/or leadership. He’s got neither. Koivu has that.
Also, gotta love our new members of our coaching staff too. I guess Bob asked Carey if he was happy with them first.
It just keeps getting worse doesn’t it…
by nyhabsfan on Jul 6, 2009 11:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
That’s a common misconception.
The reality is that Kovalev’s massive 85-point season was built almost entirely on power play improvement. He was slightly improved 5-on-5, but really his results were in line with those from the year before and those from the year after (this year). His power play totals, on the other hand, were completely otherworldly. But at even strength, he was largely same old, same old.
The offensive dynamos of the Montreal team at even-strength were Kostitsyn and Plekanec. Their ES scoring rates were very high, much higher than Kovalev’s, . They were pulling Kovalev along, not the other way around. Plekanec was the team’s top even-strength scorer, and while having Kovalev didn’t hurt, it wasn’t the big Russian’s doing, either. His dynamite season was very legit.
by MathMan on Jul 7, 2009 1:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m with MathMan on this one: Pleks is definitely tilting the ice the right way on 5-on-5, especially when paired with Kostitsyn. He will still make less than AK46 tough; focussing on ES performance, which is what sets these two apart from the rest of the 0708 and 0809 rosters, he is older, less of a goal scorer and probably doesn’t have much room to grow. He is what he is now, a two-way speedster who will give you 45+ points and 20+ goals. At 2.5 mil/year, he is a decent bet to cover his salary at worse and outperform it some season or another. Against 1st pairing D, he is sometimes overwhelmed. With Gomez et al. in town, he’ll match against 2nd pairing, where he will get that split second back and get an opportunity to set up more, driving his assist total back up.
But he isn’t Kostitsyn either; his last 3 seasons, he had 13, 15 and 11 ES Goals (at 24, 25 and 26 yr old); AK46 had 14 and 17 and 22 and 23, and he wasn’t exactly pampered last year (highest qualcomp on the team). There is a very real argument about Akost trending upward toward some very, very nice territory when it comes to offensive production, and Bob probably saw that when betting a couple of those 3 seasons at 3.25 will be 20+ ESG seasons, which would be pretty good bang for the buck.
A fun fact I love bringing back, and then back again: Only Kovalchuck, Ovechkin and Heatley cleared the 20+ ESG mark over each of the last four seasons. Parise, Lecavalier, Crosby, Nash, Datsyuk, Iginla, Zetterberg, Stall and Alfredsson did it 3 times. Aside from the 18 goals effort in 0708, as a hab, Kovy topped at 14 twice and 10 once.
Pleks aint going nowhere, especially with the kind of money Bob put on the top line.
by Olivier on Jul 7, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
AK46 isn’t the only budding ES goal-scorer on the team. Have a look at Latendresse’s numbers some of these days. Here’s a guy who’s well past due for a shot on a top 6 line with a coach who doesn’t insist he play like a grinder.
Latendresse-Plekanec-Kostitsyn? It certainly looks like it might work.
by MathMan on Jul 8, 2009 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We all know what happened....
Plekanec has been the only Hab to steadily and impressively improve every season until last year. Anybody else remember his two attempts between the skates against Carolina in the 2006 play-off? Talk about confidence!
Then he made a huge mistake; he got quoted saying “I play like a girl”… Besides the inneficiency of his wingers, I think he got so taunted over it last year that he lost focus. Heck, I know I would have picked on him if I’d been on the opposite team.
Between all that centennial stuff , youngsters attracting negative attention and thinking out loud, I think the man had an accelerated course about gaining precious experience and won’t get fooled again.
I say sign the man for more than a year. 3M for 3 years sounds fair to me.
Or we could kick him out as we did with Ribeiro…
Just get the D going!
by FrenchFreak on Jul 7, 2009 8:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
errors?
correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe there are some errors in the second paragraph…
the small stuff: the CBA, not the NHLPA, requires the QO to be ‘tendered’ by the later of June 25 or the first Monday after the entry draft… the CBA doesn’t specify when it considers the QO tendered — when the overnight courier (this means you, Hawks) accepts it for delivery or when delivery is first attempted at the player’s address… either way, July 1 isn’t the deadline, it’s actually before that… July 1 is just the date the QO can be accepted/signed by the player…
the medium stuff: the Habs weren’t under any deadline to sign Pleks… if he didn’t take them to arbitration, they could have taken as long as they wanted to re-sign him, though, if he hadn’t signed by Dec 1, he couldn’t play in the NHL this season… the July 15 deadline is just when the QO automatically expires, i.e. the safety net the club offers the player in exchange for the Right of First Refusal / right to compensation right is withdrawn, that’s all…
the big stuff, i.e. what happens at 5pm, July 15, when the QO automatically expires: the player does NOT become an unrestricted free-agent — he remains a restricted free-agent, and the club retains the right of first refusal or compensation… if not, teams would simply wait until after 5pm, July 15, to file the paperwork when signing another team’s RFA to avoid paying compensation … the Dustin Penner case shows you the player is still a RFA, and the original team retains RoFR/ right to compensation — Penner signed the Oilers offer sheet in August… also, for the team, since the QO has expired, it is allowed to unencumber the amount of the offer from their salary cap…
by wayne61 on Jul 8, 2009 5:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for the clarification Wayne, the CBA is many tentacled and misunderstood document. I’ve actually read it once, and remembered a few things.
For readers: The paragraph Wayne is referring to has been removed from the main post, but is copied below in respect to his comments and clarificication.
By NHLPA stipulation, a restricted free agent must receive a qualifying offer from his team by July 1 in order for his team to retain the right to match any contract offer by another team. Plekanec was qualified by the Canadiens in the last week of June, and the Canadiens would have had until July 15 to negotiate a deal with the player, after which time, if the player is not signed to a contract he would become an unrestricted free agent. By choosing the arbitration route, Plekanec has essentially bought time for both sides to reach a contract agreement.
Again sir, this is much appreciated. Would you have a link to an online CBA document? There is much second hand info that is locatable, but unreliable.
by Robert L on Jul 8, 2009 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
online CBA
no problem Robert…
both the NHLPA (http://www.nhlpa.com/ link is in the lefthand column) and NHL (link is in the very bottom righthand corner) sites have online .pdf copies of the CBA…
I would suggest using the NHLPA’s version because it appears the NHL.com’s version is missing the last 3 pages of “Letter Agreements” (which clarify or and sometimes even supercede the Articles of the document proper) and the NHLPA’s version is indexed which makes looking for specific articles and exhibits a lot easier…
by wayne61 on Jul 8, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thank-you. The link is in my favorites, and next time I allude to anything, it should be more concise!
by Robert L on Jul 8, 2009 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
When I started teaching back in the late 60’s, our contract was about five pages on 81/2 by 11 paper (including pay grids) and was held together with a staple. Near the end, it was over 100 pages (double sided) that came bound as a small book which also included eye glasses so you could read the small print. Regardless, I know one thing – Gomez makes 7.3M per year (cap space) and he has only ever scored 20 goals on one occasion in his entire NHL career. So please tell me, who won the lockout!
by 24 Cups on Jul 8, 2009 4:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
….the fans lost!
I think Toronto – those pension plan puppets – would have won the Stanley Cup that year. I take great pleasure in agreeing with every Leaf fan on that one. And maybe your TPP would have kicked in a little extra too!
by Robert L on Jul 8, 2009 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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