Sheng Peng
How do you get rid of a contract?
That’s been the theme this week, something we’ve been looking at because the San Jose Sharks have five contracts seven years or longer: Evander Kane, Logan Couture, Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Erik Karlsson’s.
Looking at 65 contracts of similar length, going all the way back to 2005-06, we found five ways that teams cut bait: The players complete the contract on the same team — trade, buyout, retirement, or Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) are other options.
We’ve looked at retirement, completion, and LTIR trends:
We’ve examined buyouts:
Now let’s get to trades — the types of deals that teams can make when they want to unload their big contracts. We’ll also speculate on the kinds of deals that the Sharks can make for Kane, Couture, Burns, Vlasic, and Karlsson.
Keep in mind: We’re focusing on the first time a player’s seven-years-or-longer contract is moved, just because that’s the position that San Jose is in — they inked Kane, Couture, Burns, Vlasic, and Karlsson. So for example, Jeff Carter signed an 11-year contract with Philadelphia in November 2010. That deal has been moved three times, but we’re concentrating on the first time, when the Flyers traded him to the Blue Jackets in June 2011.
With that established, let’s look at different categories of trades, and figure out if they apply to the San Jose Sharks’ predicament. We’ll go from least applicable to most…
The One-Year Rental
You know this story: In September 2018, Ottawa sent 28-year-old Erik Karlsson, one year left on his seven-year contract, to San Jose for a package of players and picks.
Karlsson was a superstar about to hit the open market, so Ottawa wanted to get something for him.
This doesn’t apply to the Sharks though — none of their biggest, longest contracts are still in their prime and about to hit free agency.
Similar: Jason Spezza for prospects in July 2014, Tomas Vanek for Matt Moulson in October 2013
Tapping Potential
In September 2020, Florida traded 26-year-old Mike Matheson, two years into his eight-year contract, and Colton Sceviour to Pittsburgh for 33-year-old veteran forward Patric Hornqvist who had three years left on his deal.
The Panthers got the Penguins to bite by offering a swing at Matheson, a talented but underperforming defender in the prime of his career. Florida also took on a perceived diminishing asset in the much-older Hornqvist.
Kane, Couture, Burns, Vlasic, and Karlsson aren’t younger guys with untapped potential, so this type of trade doesn’t apply to the Sharks.
Prime for Prospects
In July 2018, Buffalo sent disgruntled 27-year-old center Ryan O’Reilly for a package of players and picks. O’Reilly was two years into a seven-year contract.
O’Reilly was considered a top-six centerman at the time, so the Sabres were able to command a first, a second, and three roster players.
Essentially, this type of trade is sending a star in his prime, signed to a lucrative contract, for a package of mostly futures.
For the San Jose Sharks, it appears that only 29-year-old Kane, three campaigns into his seven-year contract, may still be in his prime. However, his off-the-ice issues would probably negate some of his value.
Similar: Travis Hamonic for a first-round pick and two second-rounders in June 2017, Martin Erat for Filip Forsberg in April 2013, Rick Nash for Brandon Dubinsky and top prospects in July 2012, Jeff Carter for Jakub Voracek and high picks in June 2011, Mike Richards for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds in June 2011, Scott Gomez for Chris Higgins and Ryan McDonagh in June 2009
Shaking Things Up
These are like-for-like hockey deals where the money has to match with highly-regarded players.
In June 2016, Montreal sent 27-year-old P.K. Subban, two years into his eight-year contract at $9 million per, to Nashville for 30-year-old Shea Weber, four years his 14-year deal at $7.857M per.
Montreal got the older star with a longer contract but a lower cap hit, while Nashville got the younger blueliner with the shorter pact but larger cap hit.
It’s basically a star-for-star swap: For example, sending out 32-year-old Logan Couture, two years into his eight-year contract, for 30-year-old Anders Lee, two seasons into his seven-season pact.
Such a deal still appears to be possible with Couture, Kane, and Burns, who are still playing at relatively-high levels, if you can find the contract fit.
Similar: Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson in June 2016, Zach Bogosian for Tyler Myers in February 2015, Jack Johnson for Jeff Carter in February 2012
Trading Down
In June 2019, Washington sent 32-year-old Matt Niskanen, two years left on his seven-year contract at $5.75 mil per, to Philadelphia for the last year of the 29-year-old Radko Gudas’s $2.345 million ticket (Flyers retained a little over $1 million).
The Capitals needed cap relief and they parted with the more expensive but superior defenseman in Niskanen for the still-useful Gudas.
This is possible for the Sharks: A purely speculative example is the 36-year-old Burns, halfway into his eight-year deal at $8 million per, for say 31-year-old T.J. Brodie, three years left at $5 mil per.
Similar: Roberto Luongo for Jakub Markstrom and Shawn Matthias in March 2014, Brian Campbell for Rostislav Olesz in June 2011
Adding a Sweetener
In July 2019, Toronto traded 27-year-old Nikita Zaitsev, two years into his seven-year pact along with young, productive forward Connor Brown to Ottawa for a host of assets, none still with the team.
The 25-year-old Brown was making $2.1 million at the time, one year left, and has proven to be a reliable middle-six forward. Certainly, his inclusion in the deal made taking on Zaitsev more palatable for the Senators.
For San Jose, this could mean tacking on a younger, inexpensive middle-six forward like Rudolfs Balcers to a bad contract.
Similar: Marc Savard with 24-year-old Reilly Smith for Jimmy Hayes in July 2015, Marian Hossa with Jordan Oesterle and Vinnie Hinostroza for Marcus Kruger in July 2018
Bad for Bad
We’ve talked about like-for-like good-for-good deals, this is a bad-for-bad swap of unappetizing contracts.
In July 2019, Edmonton exchanged 31-year-old Milan Lucic’s bad contract — four seasons left at $6 million per in his seven-year contract — for 31-year-old James Neal’s bad contract — four seasons left at $5.75M per in his five-year deal.
Edmonton retained a little money and sent a third-rounder too.
For the San Jose Sharks, this could consist of sending out Karlsson’s $11.5 million per for Jeff Skinner’s $9M, both six years left. Or Vlasic’s $7M per, five years left for Sergei Bobrovsky’s $10M, same remaining term.
Similar: Marian Gaborik for Dion Phaneuf in February 2018, David Clarkson for Nathan Horton in February 2015
Double-Bad
In June 2015, Philadelphia sent the rest of Chris Pronger’s contract (two years left of his seven-year contract at $4.935 million per) — Pronger hadn’t actually played since 2010 — and Nicklas Grossmann (one season left at $3.5M) to Arizona for Sam Gagner (one year left at $4.8M).
It was a swap of two bad contracts for one with a host of side benefits, described in full here: But basically, the Coyotes got a useful defenseman on a bad contract in Grossmann and got to the cap ceiling, while the Flyers got a useful forward on a bad contract in Gagner and significant cap relief.
The Sharks will have to find a partner that needs to reach the cap ceiling — they will probably also need to wait to get close to the end of Kane, Couture, Burns, Vlasic, or Karlsson’s contracts.