Ted Leonsis on Facebook / Hawks/Coyotes swap forwards
My world just got a bit smaller today. I noticed through Eric McErlain from Off Wing Opinion that Washington Capitals, Wizards, etc owner Ted Leonsis is on Facebook. So I took the opportunity to ask him a question there that has plagued me about the Caps just to see if he'd answer it.
I know the Capitals have signed Nylander this year to center Ovechkin and that was a good start. However, with all of the Cap space you have, why wouldn't you have made a pitch at Briere or Gomez?To my suprise, he answered my question within a few hours.
Are the Caps slowly building from within and not dishing out big bucks on UFA's?
I'm sure you've heard that question a million times.
I dont intend to use my Facebook as yet another way to answer Caps fan's questions-- if you would like--please email me at Washingtoncaps@aol.com and I will be glad to answer.However...Points well made. I guess my question would have been better off asked last summer. This is the first summer in a while that the Caps have actually made a bit of noise in the signings of Nylander, Poti and Kozlov. All 3 players I would not have chosen, but that is just my opinion.
Why do you think signing Nylander at $5.5 million; and Poti at $ 3.5 million; and Kozlov at $ 2.5 million not dishing out big bucks? That is $11 million in new salaries out the door. We will sell $2 million more in tix next year for those signings:-). We pay Olie $ 5.5 million. We will soon have to pay Ovechkin and Semin huge dollars-- and there ya go-- the entire salary cap will be spoken for.
But the way Ovechkin (naturally) and Semin are playing, they will get big paydays next summer, and you can tack on about another $10 million at least to the Caps' salary expenditures next summer. They currently sit at about $32 million.
But this is all beside the point. The best part is that Leonsis makes himself readily available to fans online and that is both smart and admirable. See Ted's Take as an example.
The Black Hawks have added gritty checking center Kevyn Adams to their roster today from Phoenix in exchange for winger Radim Vrbata. Points-wise Phoenix wins, as the streaky Vrbata put up 14 goals and 41 points last season. But Adams is one of my faves because he gives 100% every time he is on the ice. He is a defensive and faceoff specialist. So really, both teams win, because both players address specific holes in both rosters.
T Tags: Ted+Leonsis Facebook Coyotes+trade+Adams Hawks+trade+Vrbata
Labels: Black Hawks, Capitals, Coyotes
4 Comments:
I think you asked him a perfect question, since it cuts to the very chase of what a GM is all about: building a team, making money, and managing salary. The fact that he said "We will sell $2 million more in tix next year for those signings" is pretty revealing (though I think he is overstating Nylander's drawing potential with fans in Landover, Maryland!). If I was a big Caps fan, I'd be pleased that he is committed to keeping Semin and Ovechkin. Briere and Gomez be damned, it's #8 and #28 that will bring and keep fans.
It's very cool that he was so prompt. I would have asked him how his plans to get Pete Peeters out of retirement are going! I would let Olie Kolzig walk and go with a Johnson/Peeters tandem :-0
As an aside, can you imagine the questions if Nonis were on Facebook?
totally unrelated note... thought you might find it interesting to know that the Canucks intra-squad game sold out in 4 minutes this morning. It'll be held in the 7000 seat arena here in Victoria.
that's the only bit of Canucks-related news I've seen recently, so I figured I'd pass it on.
Jin: I had the same thoughts about Nonis or higher Canucks management.
It is a really good thing. But I'm sure very few CEO's share the same love for online anything that Leonsis has.
Mike: Thanks for that. What pisses me of is that I was just in Victoria a week ago, and missed out......Are you going? If you are, take pics and I'll post them for ya if you don't have your own site.
I won't be able to go, I'm going to miss training camp and the first part of the season while I bash around the Balkans for 2 months. Victoria's getting pretty worked up about having the team over here though.
cheers,
Mike
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