In Predators-Blackhawks battle, Nashville is really the high-dollar team

by Dirk Hoag on Apr 21, 2010 9:49 AM EDT

The typical take on the Nashville Predators-Chicago Blackhawks series is that a pesky, rag-tag bunch from a small market is overachieving against a high-priced juggernaut from one of hockey's great cities.

When you actually look at the numbers, however, you'll find that these Nashville Predators are loaded with talent as well, and when you compare who's actually playing, it's Nashville which is the higher-paid team...

The following data comes from NHLNumbers.com (all numbers in million USD):

NASHVILLE	Cap Hit	09-10 Salary	CHICAGO	Cap Hit	09-10 Salary
Erat, Martin	4.5	5.25	Hossa, Marian	5.233	7.9
Legwand, David	4.5	5	Sharp, Patrick	3.9	4
Arnott, Jason	4.5	4.5	Kane, Patrick	3.725	0.875
Dumont, Jean-Pierre	4	4	Bolland, Dave	3.375	3.375
Sullivan, Steve	3.75	3.75	Versteeg, Kris	3.083	3.083
Ward, Joel	1.5	1.5	Byfuglien, Dustin	3	3
Tootoo, Jordin	0.975	0.975	Toews, Jonathan	2.8	0.85
Wilson, Colin	1.725	0.875	Madden, John	2.75	2.75
Smithson, Jerred	0.738	0.725	Ladd, Andrew	1.55	1.65
Goc, Marcel	0.55	0.55	Kopecky, Tomas	1.2	1.2
Spaling, Nick	0.892	0.738	Brouwer, Troy	1.025	1
Boyd, Dustin	0.65	0.65	Eager, Ben	0.965	0.965
Weber, Shea	4.5	4.5	Fraser, Colin	0.7	0.7
Suter, Ryan	3.5	4.5	Seabrook, Brent	3.5	3.5
Hamhuis, Dan	2	3.5	Sopel, Brent	2.333	2.5
Bouillon, Francis	0.75	2.5	Keith, Duncan	1.475	1.9
Klein, Kevin	0.65	0.75	Hjalmarsson, Niklas	0.643	0.666
Franson, Cody	0.694	0.8	Hendry, Jordan	0.625	0.65
Rinne, Pekka	0.725	0.525	Niemi, Antti	0.827	0.827
	41.1	41.8		42.7	41.4

Thanks in large part to Brian Campbell's injury ($7.1 million) and the fact that Cristobal Huet is refilling teammates' water bottles and holding down the bench ($5.6 million), Chicago's big-market financial advantage is basically neutralized. When you consider the 18 skaters who are playing, along with the starting goaltender for the Predators, their current salary is actually about $400,000 higher than the equivalent Blackhawks.

Sorry, Chicago, I sympathize, but sometimes life ain't fair.

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Good to see

Leggy and JP earning the $$ this series.

by Sam Page on Apr 21, 2010 9:57 AM EDT reply actions

Big plays for (comparative) pennies

Pekka Rinne, Francis Bouillon, Jerred Smithson and Marcel Goc are making mighty contributions. Big bucks don’t necessarily buy big hearts.

by Hockey Hillbilly on Apr 21, 2010 11:21 AM EDT reply actions

"Big bucks don’t necessarily buy big hearts"... I love that.

What an amazing game last night, that building was rockin’!!!!!

by hockeydekefreak on Apr 21, 2010 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions

the real question is....

how long can we keep these guys? i believe Goc and Boyd were just 1 year contracts, right?

TN Sports fan in Hoosier Country....

by Evanbio on Apr 21, 2010 11:29 AM EDT reply actions

Goc has already been signed for another year, at $775K I believe.

More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators.

by Dirk Hoag on Apr 21, 2010 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Goc got resigned. I believe they will sign Boyd, too. Boyd seems to like it here, and we sure like him.

by cisar on Apr 21, 2010 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions

boyd?

i dunno about boyd. if horndog is healthy he hasnt seen the ice yet and we hopefully have a few in milwaukee waiting to step up like horndog

by predswilrule on Apr 21, 2010 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Don’t know about boyd, meaning you don’t think we should resign him? He has played like a rockstar since we got him. He is quick, forechecks great, is a good passer, he hustles, he shoots. Based on what he has done so far, he deserves, at least, another year with us. I think they will give it to him.

by cisar on Apr 21, 2010 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Wow. Who knew?

Well, besides Dirk, I mean.

by LuvthePreds on Apr 21, 2010 2:24 PM EDT reply actions

Hey, Puck Daddy links this story!

by LuvthePreds on Apr 21, 2010 2:28 PM EDT reply actions

Comment after Puck Daddy story

18. Posted by Evil Spoon Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:54 am EDT Report Abuse
Yeah, I hate to tell Blackhawk fans this, but the fact is… Nashville is pretty darned good. They have been all season. Anyone who has watched them knows that they are well-coached, play hard, have a lot of experience, and a lot more talent than they are given credit for. And they are built like a real playoff team… from the blue line out. Sydney Crosby isn’t facing Olympians Weber and Suter every night. I don’t blame fans for calling their team out, but the fact is that the Blackhawks are playing no more entitled than the fans are blogging entitled. They have a tough opponent and it is going to go to the wire.

by LuvthePreds on Apr 21, 2010 2:31 PM EDT reply actions

Misleading

HIgher salary means nothing. The blackhawks are clearly more talented on paper, the fact that they pay their players less just means their management has done a better job. I mean Toews and Kane are being paid less than Jordin Tootoo and Colin Wilson. Seabrook and Keith are being paid pennies compared to Weber, Hamhuis and Suter.

by MDG on Apr 22, 2010 4:24 AM EDT reply actions

What? Kane and Toews make quite a bit more money than Wilson and Tootoo, and Duncan Keith just signed a huge extension which made him higher paid than any of our players.

On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber

by Chris Burton on Apr 22, 2010 9:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Wilson is under a rookie contract...

and Tootoo is making a whopping 1.5 mil (or something close). Are you serious?? The drugs must be real good where you live MDG. I really like this quote:

“the fact that they pay their players less just means their management has done a better job”

Uhh…which team gave Huet the contract from hell???

Remember the Preds entire team salary is LESS THAN the league median. Last time I checked, the Hawks were skating real close to cap-hell (especially next year). Better check your facts…

by TitanPredBearFan on Apr 22, 2010 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions