Of some relevance to the Capitals is the option year left on the contract of former Cap, Jaromir Jagr. He can trigger that option if any of the following scenarios occurs:-- If the Rangers win a playoff round this season and Jagr scores 40 goals during the regular season.
With five goals in 24 games -- that's right, five -- he is on a pace for 17, which would be 10 fewer than his lowest total for a season (27, in his rookie year -- 1990/1991).
-- If they win a playoff round and he scores 84 points during the regular season.
He is on a pace to go 17-44-61, which would be the lowest total of his career since that rookie year (27-30-57).
-- If he wins the Hart (MVP), Art Ross (scoring title) or Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) trophies.
He is far off the pace for a Ross Trophy, which means he won't get consideration for the Hart. And as for the Smythe, if a Ranger wins that one, it is more likely to be Henrik Lundqvist than Jaromir Jagr.
If the Rangers had picked up the option, how much money would the Caps have been out next year?
ReplyDeleteThe Caps still would have picked up the portion of the salary that they are obligated to pay now, but the whole cap hit would have been on the Rangers' books -- all $8.36 million of it. The club simply didn't want that cap hit on their books.
ReplyDeleteright, right, I figured as much, I was just wondering how much money that might free up for the Capitals in the offseason b/c I think it's unlikely Leonsis would spend to the cap
ReplyDeleteUpdating this on 1/7/08:
ReplyDeleteClause 1: Rangers win a playoff round, and Jagr scores 40.
Jagr has 11 goals in 42 games this season. To get the clause, he'd need 29 goals in 40 games. That's a near 60-goal pace, so it's looking very unlikely.
Clause 2: Rangers win a playoff round, and he scores 84 points.
Jagr has 11-26-37 right now in 42 games. To get the clause, he'd need 47 points in 40 games. That's a 96 point pace, which is unlikely, but not out of the question.
Clause 3: Jagr wins the Hart, Ross or Conn Smythe.
Hart and Conn Smythe as PP said will almost definitely go to Lundqvist if the Rangers do well. As for the Ross, he's 25 points behind Vinny Lecavalier with 40 games played. So he would basically have to outscore Vinny and Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk by half a point or more a game from here on out.