Denis Grebeshkov heads to KHL after Preds decline his discount

by Dirk Hoag on Jul 28, 2010 12:34 PM EDT Comment 11 comments

Multiple hockey reporters are confirming that free agent defenseman Denis Grebeshkov has signed a two-year deal with SKA of the KHL, but this bit from James Mirtle is worth the attention of Preds fans:

Other sources indicate Grebeshkov offered Preds small discount on last year's salary to stay, but Nashville declined.

How small was the discount? Who knows, but it was pretty well understood early on that Grebeshkov's $3.15 million salary from last season was too costly for a team clearing salary space for guys like Patric Hornqvist this summer, and Shea Weber coming up.

All the same, Grebeshkov's unique offensive skill-set would have been useful to a Predators team which needs some punch both on the power play, and the left side of the defense.

UPDATE: James Mirtle writes at the Globe & Mail that teams were looking for a 30- to 40-percent reduction in Grebeshkov's salary, so instead he's getting a deal from SKA which includes a slight increase instead.

Denis Grebeshkov

#37 / Defenseman

Height: 6-0

Weight: 209

Born: Oct 11, 1983

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And In Other Russian News

This was posted on Paul’s blog:

http://www.russianhockeyfans.com/khl/alexander-radulov-i-never-regretted-my-choice-222.html

by Predaceous on Jul 28, 2010 1:12 PM EDT reply actions

Yup, Chris posted that a little while ago.

Radulov sounds as confused as ever.

More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter at @Forechecker.

by Dirk Hoag on Jul 28, 2010 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions

heh

Thats exactly the vibe I got from it. Dude still doesn’t have his head screwed all the way on.

On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.

by Chris Burton on Jul 28, 2010 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I figured as much, since no one was biting. I liked him out there on the ice, but the Preds just have too many of their “big names” to re-sign.

by DonBorvio on Jul 28, 2010 1:12 PM EDT reply actions

horrible news.

guy was good. way to good to be wasted in the KHL. I can’t believe no NHL team was interested.

"It's gonna be fun on the bun."

by flyalder on Jul 28, 2010 2:12 PM EDT reply actions

I’ll have a story on Grebeshkov on our site later today with the details. My feeling is he really wanted to stay in Nashville.

Blogging on hockey at Globe on Hockey

by James Mirtle on Jul 28, 2010 2:30 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks, James. I’ll post it on the front page or have this post updated when you publish it.

On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.

by Chris Burton on Jul 28, 2010 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Too bad...

We really could’ve used Grebeshkov. He made our power play a whole lot better…much better QB than ANYBODY we have. Maybe give Ellis a try?

AND, for what its worth, I support Radulov’s decision. Imagine being a 22 year old, in the US, not speaking the language, 6,000 miles from home, and you get offered an obscene amount of money to go and play in your home country instead of playing for a team in the US that won’t give you a well-deserved pay raise?

Of course you would’ve done the same thing. Just like I would’ve. Just sucks it had to be him, and us that get screwed…

by Blood Red Pred on Jul 28, 2010 6:48 PM EDT reply actions

Poile couldn't renegotiate Radulov's contract

This isn’t the NFL. You can’t have option years and you can’t renegotiate valid contracts. In fact, you can’t even start talking about a new contract until a certain point in the final year of your current deal, and no, I wouldn’t have done the same thing. That money was still going to be there in one more year if he had fulfilled his contract. One more year and none of this stink would have ever been brought up because he would have been well within his rights to go home.

If he ever wants to play in the NHL again he’ll have to play for the same amount. There will be no raise until he’s fulfilled the terms of his current contract with the Predators.

by Predaceous on Jul 29, 2010 8:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Weber...

is getting his contract re-negotiated this summer with one year left, just like they could’ve done with Radulov. Not that he’s Weber, but he was a potential 40 goal guy who deserved to make more than 850k…or at least a committment to get paid more after his contract was up.

by Blood Red Pred on Jul 29, 2010 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Weber's is not getting renegotiated

Once a player enters his final season (after July 1), he and the team can work on an extension. Radulov bolted for Russia in mid-July.

Given his progress, it made no sense to give him an extension right away. For both sides, it made more sense to wait into the season and see if he was truly headed towards being a 30- to 40-goal scorer.

Anyways, it’s still bizarre to hear Radulov speak so much about “of course” honoring the final year of his KHL deal when he obviously didn’t care to honor his Nashville contract.

On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter at @Forechecker.

by Dirk Hoag on Jul 29, 2010 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions