The John Tavares Saga Continuing and Confusing
Michael Farkas | Juniors
Oct 25, 01:04 PM | Hype this story!
Seventeen-year-old hockey phenom, John Tavares, has been pushing hard to get into this year’s NHL entry draft. However, the league’s collective bargaining agreement mandates an age cut-off date of September 15th. Tavares was born September 20th, 1990, making him ineligible until the 2009 NHL entry draft.
However, much-maligned Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. might have a little loophole in store for the league, as reported earlier today by Faceoff Factor’s Jesse Marshall.. The Leafs will attempt to sign Tavares to an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies according to a Toronto Star article.
The Tavares camp, headed by agent Brian MacDonald, feels he’s ready to move on from the major junior ranks. As a 16-year-old, Tavares scored 72 goals and 134 points in 67 games last year. This season he’s on a similar pace, 12 games, 15 goals and 28 points.
The Star article goes on to mention a scenario in which the “Leafs would sign him to a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract and then arrange to trade his rights to whatever NHL team drafted him.”
However, the Leafs may not sign a player that they did not draft, at least, not until he is 21 years of age and undrafted.
Article 8.4 (iv) [NHL CBA]:
“a player age 21 or older who: (A) has not been selected in a previous Entry Draft and (B) played hockey for at least one season in North America when he was age 18, 19, or 20 and shall be eligible to enter the League as an Unrestricted Free Agent pursuant to Article 10.1(d);”
However, Tavares will certainly be drafted, so this scenario is, to put it lightly, not likely.
The “multi-year, multi-million dollar contract…” part is not going to happen either.
According to Article 9 of the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement:
“…covered by the SPC for every rookie…” (SPC meaning, standard player contract)
Signing Age: .................... Length of Contract
18-21 …........................... 3 years
22-23 …........................... 2 years
24 …............................... 1 year
The annual salaries are also limited within the Entry Level System. Without overwhelming our readers with numbers, it ranges from $875,000 per season in 2008 to $925,000 in 2011. These numbers do not include bonuses, but Tavares, still, would not be able to climb over $4 million even if he manages to meet every bonus (some of which include Stanley Cups, Art Ross’, Calder’s, 50-goal plateau’s and the like).
Furthermore, this is a “drafted or not” scenario. Meaning that even if Tavares waits it out until 21, he is still within the entry level system.
Article 9.3 (d) [NHL CBA]:
“Draft-related unrestricted free agents will be subject to the maximum aggregate compensation limits set forth in this section 9.3 (above)...”
It should also be noted, that the Leafs and the Marlies, for these intents and purposes, are separate entities. Players signed directly and exclusively to the Marlies may not be traded to any NHL team and vice-versa. There is no transfer agreement as such, that is laid out between the AHL and the NHL in that fashion. The Maple Leafs, as it is apparent to me now, would have no leverage in this deal at all as they would have no rights to Tavares.
Currently, Tavares does not meet the AHL’s minimum age requirements. Players must be 18 by September 15th of the given season. Which would make him ineligible next season as well, sound like a familiar set of requirements?
More to follow on this story as the day progresses.
Comments
Ashley
Oct 25, 04:00 PM
Ahhh…John Tavares. The OHL’s “John Tavares Rule”, which allows teams to draft younger players that are deemed exceptional, was probably the worst thing that could have happened to him. Now he’ll be in the OHL for four years before being drafted, instead of the usual 2 years.
I understand that Tavares is a great player – I mean, he broke one of Gretzky’s scoring records last year, which is no easy feat. And yeah, he’s doing very well in the CHL and could probably use more of a challenge. That being said, he was not a dominant force in the Super Series earlier this year, which was with and against other Junior-aged players. He got a bunch of assists and a goal or 2, but you just didn’t really notice him on the ice, and when you did, it was often for something bad (turnovers, skating, defence, etc). Players like Gagner and Sutter had the spotlight in that series, and deservedly so. Give Tavares another year and he’ll probably be the dominant force in that type of tournament. Or even a few months, because he’ll be at World Juniors in late December. However, my point is this: if JT is not a dominant player right now when playing against the best of the best junior players, how can he legitimately say that he deserves to break the NHL’s rules and enter the draft a year early? My feeling is that he should wait until he proves that he can dominate the top junior players before saying that he’s good enough to break any rules. Sure, it will probably be too late to enter the 2008 Entry Draft anyway, but at least he would be able to legitimately say, “Hey, I’m here and I’m good enough to play in the NHL.”
A lot of people don’t like how this whole JT situation is playing out. They think that he’s whining and should just wait his turn. I don’t necessarily think that he’s whining, but I don’t think that he should be pursuing this so publicly, if at all. He should just quietly go about, scoring goals in bunches, and also working hard on his overall game because he is far from a complete player. If he keeps pushing this, I believe that he will make enemies on and off the ice.
Finally, how is the NHL supposed to determine which player is truly exceptional, and which player looks great but will not live up to ‘exceptionally’ high expectations? Just because someone shows great promise in Junior doesn’t mean that he will become a franchise player. For every Sidney Crosby, there is an Alexandre Daigle.
To let JT into the League early will just open a can of worms. I honestly can’t see the NHL letting it happen next year. He’ll have to wait his turn.
Too bad he wasn’t born a week early, then we couldn’t even be thinking about this and I wouldn’t feel the need to plague you all with my long-winded comment.
Matt Bodenschatz
Oct 25, 04:31 PM
Wow Ashley, great insight!
Michael Farkas
Oct 25, 05:06 PM
Couldn’t agree more Ashley, if I inserted any opinion into this piece it would have certainly been what you said, exactly.
I think the Super Series is a good barometer, if Tavares played like David Perron, well, then maybe he has a case for attention…but in no way, at no point now or in the future should the NHL or AHL waver on these rules…it just sets a bad precedent…
Thanks, as always, for the comments Ashley
DaBich
Oct 26, 08:13 AM
I wasn’t aware of this drama unfolding. Again, this is one of the reasons I love reading this site. Good work, Michael.
Ashley, this is why I miss you when you don’t post! You voice a coherent, honest opinion, that is INTELLIGENT! =D
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