Lecavalier Bought Out

[moon111]

So, there's a list:

Pierre LeBrun ‏@Real_ESPNLeBrun 27m
Also a Lecavalier update: he met today with Philly, Dallas, Montreal. St. Louis, Toronto, Washington and Boston ... (con't)
Slated to meet with Calgary and Detroit on Sunday morning, while Vancouver is possibly interested.

The fact that he's meeting with four of the six Canadian teams kinda makes me think the whole "He doesn't want to play in Canada" thing is a myth.

Or he's willing to let anyone buy him a big expensive lunch.

 

[gilmourthegreat]

So, there's a list:

Pierre LeBrun ‏@Real_ESPNLeBrun 27m
Also a Lecavalier update: he met today with Philly, Dallas, Montreal. St. Louis, Toronto, Washington and Boston ... (con't)
Slated to meet with Calgary and Detroit on Sunday morning, while Vancouver is possibly interested.

The fact that he's meeting with four of the six Canadian teams kinda makes me think the whole "He doesn't want to play in Canada" thing is a myth.

Or he's willing to let anyone buy him a big expensive lunch.

The Star was able to get a picture of Lecavalier leaving his 10th big lunch of the day.

A reporter overheard him his whisper to his agent "avec les oeufs en haut". Hockey experts feel this could be a critical clue to where he ends up.

 

[Bullfrog]

I'd give him 11 years, $85M.

;D

I see nothing wrong with this suggestion.

 

[Peter D.]

Initially I thought Lecavalier would be going for a cheaper price at around $5M a year, a price I was hoping the Leafs could swoop in on.  Now, I can't see him getting less than 6, and it would not surprise me if he ends up getting upward of 7.  He instantaneously became the cream of this year's UFA crop.

 

[mr grieves]

I thought it was Brad May reporting what someone "close" to Lecavalier said. Sounded vaguely reputable to me, though maybe because I already believe Vinny doesn't want the limelight or the tax burden.

You know, usually, I have absolutely no problem with Athletes wanting to make as much money as they can. It's a business and they have no less right to chase dollars than anyone else. Doing so doesn't make them "disloyal" or say anything bad about them as people.

That said if Vincent Lecavalier, who is going to be getting paid an average of 2.3 million dollars over the next 14 years by the Lightning not to play hockey, is taking the "tax burden" into consideration...well, that's as close as I'd come to saying something mean about someone.

Not that this addresses Lecavalier's thoughts about whether some portion of his salary should go to roads, public health services, and schools, but Friedman today:

10. Dallas is making a hard pitch here and one agent said there is a hidden benefit to the Stars chase. Like Florida, Texas is a no income-tax state. If Lecavalier chooses this destination, all of his earnings, including the Lightning buyout, will continue to be taxed at the same level. That's a huge benefit, especially if he keeps a primary residence in Tampa. If you've ever faced these kinds of issues, you know they're an enormous pain in the derriere.

11. That would benefit the Florida Panthers, too, if they decided to make a serious run at him. Michael Russo of The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, who used to cover the Panthers, reminded me that the pick Tampa Bay used to draft Lecavalier was originally Florida's. In November 1997, it was sent to the San Jose Sharks with Dave Lowry for Viktor Kozlov. Four months later, the Sharks sent it to the Lightning with Andrei Nazarov for Bryan Marchment, David Shaw and a first-rounder.

I guess an agent would think like that. And, if Lecavalier does too, let's hope his offspring are as athletically gifted as their father.

 

[Kin]

I love the idea that this would be a huge hassle for Lecavalier. Like he doesn't have an accountant who would handle this.

Anyways, I don't doubt that the taxes represent a big chunk of money, I'd just grapple with the mindset of someone who used that as the determining factor.

 

[Redleaf]

Per Kypreos...
Hearing Lecavalier could decide which #NHL he'll sign with as early as tonite. Told #Canadiens were in the final running but are now out.

Per Dreger
Further to @aaronward_nhl report on Lecavalier, I have also been told by a Stars source, Lecavalier has eliminated Dallas from contention.


My guess is an American team, far away from the 'fishbowl'

 

[MetalRaven]

Stars are out as per LeBrun...and I dont mean the ones in the sky
Confirmed by Stars GM

 

[pmrules]

Dreger just reported on TSN radio that he got a text from a flyers source that lecavalier will go to flyers.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Dreger just reported on TSN radio that he got a text from a flyers source that lecavalier will go to flyers.

And they're already over the cap right?

 

[Deebo]

5 years, 23.5M

 

[L K]

Dreger just reported on TSN radio that he got a text from a flyers source that lecavalier will go to flyers.

How?

 

[pmrules]

Confirmed now at 4.5 per for 5 years.

 

[Redleaf]

Dregs is now tweeting its Philly. Just waiting for confirmation.

 

[Kin]

I'm guessing that the Flyers have a home for at least two of Coburn, Mezaros, Schenn or Grossman.

 

[L K]

Confirmed now at 4.5 per for 5 years.

Again, how?  It's really amazing how they keep managing to squirm out of terrible cap situations.

 

[pmrules]

This sucks....I really wanted him.

Something tells me though that I will be glad that the flyers got him in a few years....especially since...you know...that it's the flyers.

 

[pmrules]

Confirmed now at 4.5 per for 5 years.

Again, how?

I think there has to be other shoes to drop.  He is not officially signed yet so they may have time to fix their situation.

 

[#1PilarFan]

I like Lecavalier and I think he would have helped the Leafs, but for 5 years? Not ideal.

 

[Deebo]

I would have liked him on our team for that contract, but I'm having trouble understanding it from a Flyer point of view.