He don’t want to be “free”, he wants to live and cash in the Great city of St Petersburg one more year, and after that travel to USA and minimize his ELC period. So one more year of the same and let’s hope he will not be traded for “Saad”.
Ballpark, what do you think he's making in the KHL this year and next? I'm curious how competitive it is compared to playing on an ELC.
I believe he's making approximately $1.3M total over this year and next.
If accurate, isn't that a bit less than he'd get if he played a full year on an ELC and got the basic bonuses?
Yes, but him hitting those isn't necessarily a given, they're fairly aggressive even if we offered them. Plus if he were playing in NJ he'd be taxed a meaningful amount more than he is in Russia.
Of course NHL role is much more competitive. But playing 10 minutes or a bench minutes in NHL is worser way for development than 15 minutes in KHL. Ruff would easily sit him on the bench for every mistake or would short his ice time. I believe it would be better for Holtz to actually play in the previous season.
Forgot about the tax difference. And yes, even what I thought would be the category of easy bonuses are no sure thing.
I wasn't clear enough. I meant is the pay scale of the ELC competitive with what he is earning in the KHL. If he plays one year on an ELC is it roughly equal to what he's making now? Exchange rates aside, it sounds like the answer is no.
Yeah, he is having 1.1 mil + bonuses for this two years now, but it is very real to have bonuses for him in actual environment, life is cheaper, small taxes, no AHL with 70K salary on the horizon. And after that, if things will not go well in NHL, he can return to KHL for the next big deal, he is proven KHLer with big deal history. If things will go well in NHL - he will sign good deal in NHL. So it is very reasonable for him from the money point.
I don't see any way Gritsyuk can't step into a third line role if he keeps developing his game. I am skeptical they extend Toffoli despite his hat trick. That will open up a top six wing slot. Even if Holtz grabs it, Grits has to be as good as guys like Lazar and Bastian, etc. Assuming like most young players he keeps working on elements of his game that need some improvement he should be a full time NHL player the day he finally arrives in NJ. I don't think NJ wants him in North America to play in Utica.
Of course and we should analyze it from realities. For now Devils have Mercer, Haula, Holtz, Bratt, Meier, Palat and Toffoli. 7 top-9 wingers. Even if Huala is a center now, its still very questionable how many minutes he will get there now. And if you are act like he could wanna now something about actual realities, than he should know how Holtz is treating by Ruff.
Its interesting question how many he can achive right after the spring. May be he will sign one year deal on the solid price instead of playing one year on ELC deal. And in case of Kuzmenko - even after one ELC year player will not get as many as we can imagine. May be he wants to sign two year deal and making bigger financial fundament and sign bigger longer deal after two years, not after three years like we have in Kuzmenko case. Anyway we will see how Devils and Grits will make it.
