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Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:49 pm EDT

Cap problem solved? Nylander agrees to conditioning in AHL

By Greg Wyshynski

Whatever it is about the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins that convinced Michael Nylander(notes) to go there for conditioning -- and it could be something as simple as the promise of voluminous playing time -- it's a positive move for the Washington Capitals and the potential for this messy, overdue divorce to finally occur.

The Capitals announced that Nylander, making $5.5 million this season with a no-movement clause, agreed to a conditioning assignment with the Griffins, who are the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.

Grand Rapids said on its Web site that the veteran center will practice with the team on Thursday and will be in the lineup for their home opener against the Abbotsford Heat. The world waits to see if Nylander is paired with Griffin Dick Axelsson(notes) and Mattias Ritola(notes) for the Swedish Express Line ...

For the Capitals, it gets this lingering headache out of the D.C area and away from the Hershey Bears, where a conditioning stint for Nylander would have meant reduced minutes for the franchise's prospects. It does not, however, take his $4.875 million cap hit off the books, as it's a conditioning stint and not a demotion.

Minor league conditioning lasts a maximum of two weeks, so this move would also appear to put a timetable on Nylander's departure from the Capitals. It's going to be easier to move him if he's in game shape rather than press box shape. Dmitry reported that Dynamo Moscow refused an offer from Nylander's agent for his client's services partly because he hasn't played a game yet this season.

Remember kids: Just say 'no' to 'no-movement clauses' for unrestricted free agents. A public service announcement from GM George McPhee.

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26 Comments

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  1. books
    1. Posted by books Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:57 pm EDT

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    What's really disapointing about this for me is that whole Edmonton contract thing...if only this was Edmontons cap being tied rather than Washingtons I'd be happy.
  2. Dynamo38
    2. Posted by Dynamo38 Wed Oct 21, 2009 4:17 pm EDT

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    Just get him the hell gone. Please.
  3. voiceofreason
    3. Posted by voiceofreason Wed Oct 21, 2009 4:24 pm EDT

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    two words: Jim Paek
  4. JET
    4. Posted by JET Wed Oct 21, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    No movement clauses. Think of them like the Holocaust Lloyd...NEVER AGAIN!!!
  5. Windy City Hockey
    5. Posted by Windy City Hockey Wed Oct 21, 2009 4:34 pm EDT

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    WOW, what a great news week: Huet getting replaced by Niemi, The Nordiques probably making a comeback, Nylander finally on the move somewhere (even if it is only to the "A" for conditioning), Tretiak still loves the Hawks, and Marty Havlat's groin tweeted me that it's still hurting. AWESOME, and it's only Wednesday
  6. Bobby Boucher
    6. Posted by Bobby Boucher Wed Oct 21, 2009 5:23 pm EDT

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    so is he Red Wings property now?
  7. prototype
    7. Posted by prototype Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:02 pm EDT

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    Well bye George. Why in the did you sign him? He took what you were giving. They should have cut him and took the cap hit last year.
  8. HotStacey
    8. Posted by HotStacey Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:12 pm EDT

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    wow, thank you. works for me. he'll teach our prospects to be even better
  9. The Profiler
    9. Posted by The Profiler Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:57 pm EDT

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    sweet GR will take him on
  10. hockey101
    10. Posted by hockey101 Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:29 pm EDT

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    Can anyone explain how this works to me? Why is he going to a Red Wing affiliated team?
  11. Ben D
    11. Posted by Ben D Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:41 pm EDT

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    @ 10 - the Caps loaned him out and GR was willing to bring him in. not much more to it than that i would think.
  12. Joe D
    12. Posted by Joe D Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:54 pm EDT

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    The capitals have handled this situation completely wrong. Why wouldn't you want a guy like Nylander playing? It's also showing free agents that if you don't immediately live up to expectations you won't play and you won't be given a chance. This is why Pittsburgh won the cup and the crapitals didn't come close.
  13. Huckins
    13. Posted by Huckins Thu Oct 22, 2009 12:19 am EDT

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    Have fun Swedish Gretzky.
  14. Slumpy
    14. Posted by Slumpy Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:04 am EDT

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    KHL team doesn't want him, Capitals don't want him and nobody is going to take on his outrageuosly high salary for a 37 year old Swede. He's probably still a really good playmaker but if his own coach has him in his doghouse then it makes you wonder what the guys problem.
    I just hope my Wings don't take him on since we need goal scorers not playmakers at this point.
  15. big audio
    15. Posted by big audio Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:39 am EDT

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    there is nothing wrong with a no-movement clause. The key is to know whom to give it to and whom not to. George McPhee knew what it meant before he agreed to it. He obviously wanted Nylander badly enough to give it .. if he now regrets it, that is his fault, not the clause. He didn't have to sign Nylander, but he did. He wanted him badly enough at the time. You make your bed, you sleep in it.
    Not even Glen Sather's Checkbook would give Nylander what McPhee did. [/eyeroll]
  16. big audio
    16. Posted by big audio Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:51 am EDT

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    And with this whole "demotion" to the AHL not counting against the cap, what kind of crap is that loophole? Get rid of the cap already, it's a farce. Teams look for ways to circumvent it, agents look for ways to circumvent it, which gives higher-revenue teams an advantage ... can you imagine say the Predators clearing 5 million a season and filling it with another 5 million worth? Either you have a cap, or you don't. This league is in such a ridiculous position ethics-wise on so many different fronts, it is hypocritical and deceitful and shows absolutely no loyalty to anything but the almighty $$$.
    And some people still think saying "Glen Sather's Checkbook" is a valid and legitimate criticism.
  17. big audio
    17. Posted by big audio Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:55 am EDT

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    one more thing ... all this cap-circumventing, ultra-long-term contracts, and the like, will result in the owners shutting the league down again because the players again have gotten too much $$$ even though the cap was supposed to prevent that from ever happening again ... the players will be forced to give back even more, because they didn't give back enough the last time, I mean, this league is a disgrace, and the people who run it are borderline criminal in their total disdain for the players and the fans who just happen to be the two most important parts of the whole hockey industry. Ugh the way this league is run makes me sick.
  18. zuzankak
    18. Posted by zuzankak Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:00 am EDT

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    Caps signed him, they should just suck it up. If they do not want him and cannot trade him, they have an option to waive him. It will cost them 2/3 of his salary and there may be some cap hit, but he will be gone. I really do not like Caps attitude towards him it is like they want him to leave on his own. Teams always require players to fully fulfill the contracts, why should players not insist on teams fulfilling their obligations? So either play him on 4th line or something, try to trade him, or waive him.
  19. zuzankak
    19. Posted by zuzankak Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:00 am EDT

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    Caps signed him, they should just suck it up. If they do not want him and cannot trade him, they have an option to waive him. It will cost them 2/3 of his salary and there may be some cap hit, but he will be gone. I really do not like Caps attitude towards him it is like they want him to leave on his own. Teams always require players to fully fulfill the contracts, why should players not insist on teams fulfilling their obligations? So either play him on 4th line or something, try to trade him, or waive him.
  20. Ronald W
    20. Posted by Ronald W Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:30 am EDT

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    The conditioning assignment does nothing to the salary cap. If the Caps put Nylander gets loaned to a foreign team, then he would be off the salary cap. I do not like how the Caps have handled Nylander any better than they handled Eminger and certain other players who did not fit in their plans.
    The Caps have tried to trade him but one team blaked at the last minute. They can't waive him (No Movement Clause) until next year when that clause expires.
    There are veteran Dmen who would be 5 or 6 D-Men at best on other teams that could be waived and sent to Hershey for salary cap reasons. INitials of one is BP.
  21. Anthony
    21. Posted by Anthony Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:09 am EDT

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    the whole reason Pronger is not a Cap is because of Mr N. Give us the cap space to get a D man
  22. fricknout
    22. Posted by fricknout Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:48 am EDT

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    @ big audio:
    Nice comment.. moron.
    The caps signed him, and have sucked it up. They are still paying him, and have honored his contract. The contract does not require that the player have ice time, so they don't need to give it to him. Playing Nylander on the 4th line didn't work last year, why would it work this year? Is he really an energy player? Is he a grinder? Does he fit on the 4th line? NO.... stupid.
    Better yet, he's not even a good top-6 on this team under this system. When the caps play a transition game, Nyls does donuts near the boards and brings the game to a stand still. He's good at setting up power forwards and point defenders... but that's not how the caps are set up. So... they don't play him.. but are still paying him.
    If Nylander wants to play, he can back out of the contract. If not, he gets paid to sit. The choice is his. Makes more sense for washington to not play him, than to eat 2/3 of his cap for many years if they don't have to.
  23. Chad
    23. Posted by Chad Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:30 am EDT

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    He wasn't working on the top two lines and who in their right mind would put Nylander on a grind/ energy line??? They DID try to trade him and obviously at least one potential deal fell through. He doesn't really fit in anywhere and I'm sure they didn't want to risk injury in hopes a deal could still be made. Give the players you intend to keep through the season a chance to play, maybe even some young guys (you know, the future) instead of watching Nylander do circles... Hopefully this is the 1st step in getting this ugly business put to bed for good.
  24. big audio
    24. Posted by big audio Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:45 am EDT

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    @fricknout
    nice comment .. you moron ...
    Where did I say Nylander deserved ice time? Comprehension struggles you are having eh? Put down the budweiser and re read what I said. I was commenting on Wysh's "PSA" from "George McPhee" about no-movement clauses. I don't give a rat's bunghole what they do with Nylander, I just think that the whole "demote a player and his salary comes off the cap" loophole. So that the George McPhee's of the world can get out of having to suffer from bad signings ... and while i'm at it, you mentioned all Nylander's shortcomings, why did they bother signing him in the first place .... but i'm a moron ... ooooooooooook sparky, you must come from the greg wyshinsky school of logic and common sense ..... and the league can thank George McPhee's Checkbook [/eyeroll] for overpaying someone and helping cause the next lockout-player givebacks-salary cap scenario that will soon play out again, with the NHL's promotion machine once again blaming the "greedy players" for causing the problems within the league .....
  25. big audio
    25. Posted by big audio Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:52 am EDT

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    the lesson here is that maybe, just MAYBE, if the GM's of the league WERE more careful who they give contracts to and for how much, that maybe the league would be a better business for the players and the fans which would in turn be better business for the teams and the league itself ...... the existence of loopholes in the CBA and the willingness of teams and players to circumvent them shows just how ridiculous this league is .....

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