[Signing] Wild sign Mikael Granlund to a 3-yr/17.25M deal

[StrykerSteve]

News Update

Sources say #mnwild has signed Mikael Granlund to a three-year, $17.25 million contract (5.75M AAV)

5.25M, 5.50M, 6.50M annually

Interesting, gets him to UFA in 3 years. Can't imagine MIN is pleased with that length.

[Karl]

Money is spot on. This is fair. Good signing.

[Oling_Roachinen]

At the same time, that's quite a low cap-hit for a player who put up 70 points and can play center. Wild may not have wanted to invest into a "Ryan Johansen" type contract with him after only highly productive year.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by StrykerSteve

Interesting, gets him to UFA in 3 years. Can't imagine MIN is pleased with that length.

I'm not so sure. UFA years are expensive, regardless of whether or not they're included in long-term deals. With the length being capped at 8 years, there's no discount given by players in this age group for UFA years. You can't slap on extra UFA years at the end to spread out the cap-hit of those prime UFA years anymore. So you're always paying slightly more in the earlier years to have a slightly lower cap-hit in the later years.

I understand the idea of wanting to maintain control of the player, but I think the Stamkos situation illustrates the modern era quite nicely. If you're a good player, and the team has good management, then the player will have a good relationship with the organization and will want to stay regardless of RFA/UFA status. The modern NHL is all about how organizations handle players. GMs and their relationship "equity" they build up with their players is important.

On the flip side, look at how Colorado handled the Stastny, O'Reilly and Duchene situations. Poor player/management/ownership relationships are toxic to the on-ice product and need to be handled correctly.

[DropIt]

Pretty good look at a Mikael Backlund compareable. I would imagine this has Backlund in the 5.0 range.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by DropIt

Pretty good look at a Mikael Backlund compareable. I would imagine this has Backlund in the 5.0 range.

Apples and oranges.

Gradlund's deal includes zero UFA years, Backlund's will be all UFA years.

Grandlund's deal was the perfect length for the player in regards to control, but it kept the cap hit down.


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[Gaudfather]

Actually I could live with this type of deal for Backlund, but I'm sure Backlund's camp is looking for more term than three years on any extension.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Gradlund's deal includes zero UFA years, Backlund's will be all UFA years.

Granlund's deal includes one UFA year.

[DropIt]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Apples and oranges.

Gradlund's deal includes zero UFA years, Backlund's will be all UFA years.

Grandlund's deal was the perfect length for the player in regards to control, but it kept the cap hit down.


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Apples and oranges aren't that different really. I mean they're both fruit. Their weight is extremely similar. They both contain acidic elements. They're both roughly spherical. They serve the same social purpose. With the possible exception of a tangerine I can't think of anything more similar to an orange than an apple. If I was having lunch with a man who was eating an apple and-while I was looking away-he replaced that apple with an orange I doubt I'd even notice. So how is this a metaphor for difference I could understand if you said 'That's like comparing apples and uranium ' or 'That's like comparing apples with baby wolverines ' or 'That's like comparing apples with the early work of Raymond Carver ' or 'That's like comparing apples with hermaphroditic ground sloths.' Those would all be valid examples of profound disparity.

-Chuck Klosterman

Point is both these players are quite compare able in their styles of play and what they brig to their team. Both finished top 5 in Selke voting and are similar in age (3 years). I would expect Backlund's deal to look quite similar to his one

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by DropIt

Point is both these players are quite compare able in their styles of play and what they brig to their team. Both finished top 5 in Selke voting and are similar in age (3 years). I would expect Backlund's deal to look quite similar to his one

I would be shocked if Backlund, one year from reaching UFA, signs a 3 year deal.

I'd be quite pleased, as it would give Calgary his prime years.

The biggest difference is that Gradlund will be still young when he hits UFA. Backlund, if he signs only a 3-year deal, likely misses his biggest payday window.

I would expect Backlund to give more on AAV than term if it comes to that.

And Kudos to the apples/oranges quote.

[bax]

Originally Posted by DropIt

Point is both these players are quite compare able in their styles of play and what they brig to their team. Both finished top 5 in Selke voting and are similar in age (3 years). I would expect Backlund's deal to look quite similar to his one

Granlund wasn't top 5 in Selke votes. He wasn't even top 10. He finished 13th in the voting with 1 second place vote, 1 third place vote, 6 fourth place votes, and 3 fifth place votes.

While Backlund finished 4th in Selke votes with 3 first place votes, 12 second place votes, 26 third place votes, 16 fourth place votes, and 18 fifth place votes.

[DropIt]

Originally Posted by bax

Granlund wasn't top 5 in Selke votes. He wasn't even top 10. He finished 13th in the voting with 1 second place vote, 1 third place vote, 6 fourth place votes, and 3 fifth place votes.

While Backlund finished 4th in Selke votes with 3 first place votes, 12 second place votes, 26 third place votes, 16 fourth place votes, and 18 fifth place votes.

My mistake. Had him and Koivu backwards for selke and byng awards