Boston Bruins beat writer Fluto Shinzawa reports that Tim Thomas is heading out of town before playing a game this season. He might still be sitting out for the New York Islanders after the deal, which is initially a confusing element to a trade that featured a second round pick going from a team with a serious lack of NHL-ready depth to a recently-perennial Stanley Cup contender. What does this mean for the future of NHL general managers' moves?
If a team has a player under contract but he is being suspended, any salary he makes is counted toward the team's payroll. The Islanders were below the salary floor before the trade, but a stipulation in Thomas' contract means they can technically spend over the limit while not actually paying him any money. Thomas' guaranteed deal started after his age 35 season, which means that whichever team he's with does not have to pay him. Even if Thomas doesn't play a game for the soon-to-be Brooklyn club, his mere presence on the balance sheet keeps his team out of trouble from the league.
The move nets Boston an extra draft pick and also frees up enough money that Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli can add a star player or a few impact skaters by the April trade deadline if he chooses to do so. In addition to the money taken off of the books by Marc Savard's contract from his concussion history, the Bruins have one of the largest differences between current salary and the payroll ceiling among teams with a chance to win Lord Stanley's Cup this season.
The Thomas trade was approved by the league, which encourages other teams to pursue similar trades. Thomas' situation was a rare one because of his decision to sit this season out, but that could give other older players a chance to be selective about when they return to the game. If teams can find ways to suspend players for part of a season, it could give them the illusion of spending enough money to be above the floor, but still not spend that amount.
It could be a similar situation to what some baseball pitchers have done in past years, but with an added incentive on the team side in hockey. Players such as Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez have signed contracts in the middle of seasons toward the end of their careers to reduce their workload. Baseball has no salary floor or rules about players' cap numbers that would offer that benefit.
The 2012-2013 season features a $60 million ceiling, though that is a pro-rated number from $70.2 million that this year would have if it were a full season. The cap will go back to $64.3 million next year, which is in line with the season before the lockout.
Tim Thomas' Hockey Database Profile is here.
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