2013 Hockey Arbitration Competition of Canada

Transcription

1 2013 Hockey Arbitration Competition of Canada Carl Gunnarsson vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club Submission on behalf of Toronto Maple Leafs Midpoint Salary: $3.15 million Written by Ahad Ahmed and Garett Harper (Western 1) 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION... 3 II. OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF THE PLAYER... 3 III. NUMBER OF GAMES PLAYED AND INJURY HISTORY... 5 IV. OVERALL CONTRIBUTION TO THE CLUB... 6 V. SPECIAL QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP OR PUBLIC APPEAL... 7 VI. COMPARABLE PLAYERS... 7 A. Kyle Quincey... 7 B. Anton Stralman... 9 VII. CONCLUSION

3 I. INTRODUCTION This brief analyzes the past performance and contributions of left-handed defenceman Carl Gunnarsson (the Player or Mr. Gunnarsson ) of the Toronto Maple Leafs (the Club or the Maple Leafs ). Mr. Gunnarsson was drafted in the 7th round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He signed an entry-level Standard Player Contract ( SPC ) with the Club on June 1, On September 15th of that year, the Player was 22 years of age. Having acquired more than three years of professional experience, the Player is eligible for salary arbitration pursuant to section 12.1 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement ( CBA ). 1 The CBA allows for the following evidence to be tendered in the determination of a player s salary arbitration award: the player s performance in the season prior to the arbitration, overall performance throughout his career, contribution to the club s success and his performance compared to comparable players. 2 This brief will evaluate each of these criteria for Mr. Stewart. The aim is to demonstrate that Mr. Gunnarsson has developed into a defenceman that is capable of playing on both the offensive and defensive sides of the puck while excelling at neither. While he is an asset for the Maple Leafs, it is the Club s belief that awarding Mr. Gunnarsson a salary above the midpoint figure of $3.15 million is not justified given his performance and past contributions. As such, the Maple Leafs seek an award of $2.75 million. II. OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF THE PLAYER A. Career Performance Exhibit A: Career Offensive Statistics for Carl Gunnarsson 3 Season GP G A P +/ PIM PPG SHG GWG S S% NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, 2013, s. 12.1(a)-(c) 2 Ibid, s.12.9(g)(ii)(a)-(g) 3 3

4 Season GP G A P +/ PIM PPG SHG GWG S S% * Career The Maple Leafs drafted Mr. Gunnarsson in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Before being signed to his entry-level SPC by the Maple Leafs, Mr. Gunnarsson spent an additional two years with Linkoping of the Swedish Elitserien ( SEL ). In addition, Mr. Gunnarsson also spent a period of time with the Maple Leaf s American Hockey League affiliates, the Toronto Marlies. Over his career, Mr. Gunnarsson has scored 12 goals and contributed 57 assists for a total of 69 points over 224 games for the Maple Leafs. Translated to a point per game statistic, the Player has scored approximately 0.31 points per game. Mr. Gunnarsson is active on the Maple Leafs power play unit spending approximately 1:20 of ice time per game in this capacity over his career. While on the power play however, Mr. Gunnarsson has only scored 12 points (1 goal and 11 assists). This represents only one point per 25 minutes of power play time. However, being a defenseman, Mr. Gunnarsson is not relied upon solely for his offensive output. In order to fairly assess Mr. Gunnarsson s abilities, his offensive output must be weighed heavily against his contributions to the defensive aspects of the game. B Regular Season Performance Exhibit B: Statistics for Carl Gunnarsson Season GP G A P +/ PIM PPG SHG GWG S S% * Mr. Gunnarsson appeared in 37 games for the Maple Leafs in the season, as well as seven playoff games. The Player was hampered by a reoccurring hip injury that caused him to 4

5 miss 11 games over the course of the season. Mr. Gunnarsson recorded 1 goal and 14 assists for a total of 15 points over the regular season. In addition to his offensive output, Mr. Gunnarsson recorded 78 hits, 71 blocked shots and spent approximately 2:35 of ice time per game on the penalty kill unit. 4 However, Mr. Gunnarsson also had 21 more giveaways then takeaways this season, 5 a statistic that is perhaps indicative of a player that is unable to hold on to the puck or make the first pass, a necessary skill for an effective, puck-moving defenseman. III. NUMBER OF GAMES PLAYED AND INJURY HISTORY Mr. Gunnarsson has played in 224 games with the Maple Leafs over the course of four seasons and 12 games with the Maple Leafs affiliate in the AHL. 6 However, he has not proven to be a durable player, as indicated by his numerous injuries over the four seasons. During the regular season, the Player played in a total of 43 games with an average ice time of 21:26 minutes per game after being called up from the AHL. 7 Mr. Gunnarsson suffered a hyperextended elbow during the season, causing him to miss 20 games. 8 During the regular season, Mr. Gunnarsson appeared in 68 games with the Club, averaging 18:14 minutes per game. 9 He did suffer a hand injury this season, causing him to miss one game, 10 but the majority of the time missed was due to being a healthy scratch. During the regular season, Mr. Gunnarsson appeared in 76 games with an average ice time of 21:42 per game, 11 a substantial increase from the season prior. He suffered Ibid

6 two separate injuries this season including an ankle injury on February 14, 2012 and a separated shoulder on April 5, 2012, causing him to miss the remainder of the regular season. During the regular season, Mr. Gunnarsson appeared in 37 games with an average ice time of 21:16 minutes per game. 12 Mr. Gunnarsson again missed time due to injury after suffering a hip injury that caused him to miss a total of 11 games over the season. 13 Mr. Gunnarsson has suffered an injury every season that has caused him to miss some period of time. However, it is not the amount of time missed that is concerning; it is the nature of the injuries themselves. Mr. Gunnarsson has suffered mainly soft tissue injuries, a type of injury that always lingers and presents an ongoing concern due to the potential for reoccurring injuries. The Club submits that the propensity of the Player to suffer soft-tissue injuries is a characteristic that must not be overlooked. IV. OVERALL CONTRIBUTION TO THE CLUB Mr. Gunnarsson is a capable defenceman that is able to play both the offensive and defensive aspects of the game. However, Mr. Gunnarsson has not shown the productivity expected of a second-pairing defenseman. Mr. Gunnarsson has displayed a propensity to turn the puck over as well as having a lengthy, and concerning, injury history. Mr. Gunnarsson has made no notable independent contributions to the success of the Club. He is a dependable and capable piece of the puzzle, but alas, is not the missing piece of the puzzle. Though he has filled in notably on the first pairing as necessary, this need arose by virtue of often being the only left-handed defenceman capable of playing substantive minutes. In his four seasons, the Maple Leafs have not had a veritable degree of success, finishing in the bottom half of league standings for the first three seasons of Mr. Gunnarsson s career. In his 12 Supra note Supra note 4. 6

7 platform season, the Maple Leafs qualified for the postseason but the amount to which he contributed cannot be overemphasized. V. SPECIAL QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP OR PUBLIC APPEAL As his career has progressed, Mr. Gunnarsson has not developed any qualities or traits of note that would denote the potential for compensation due to leadership abilities or public appeal. Mr. Gunnarsson has participated in three separate World Hockey Championships, representing Team Sweden at 2009, 2010 and 2011 tournaments. 14 During this time, he has played in 24 games, registering three goals and three assists. However, seeing as how this tournament does not itself boost his public appeal, it is submitted that an evaluation of Mr. Gunnarsson s salary entitlement cannot consider his involvement in said tournament. VI. COMPARABLE PLAYERS Given Mr. Gunnarsson s past performance and injury history, finding comparable players is difficult. Any appropriate comparison would have to take into account two-way play. A. Kyle Quincey Kyle Quincey is a left-handed defenceman with the Detroit Red Wings. As a steady twoway defender, Mr. Quincey is capable of providing offensive and defensive skills. But like Mr. Gunnarsson, he excels at neither, making him a suitable comparable player. Exhibit C: Career Statistics for Kyle Quincey 15 GP G A P +/ PIM PPG SHG GWG S S% Mr. Quincey has played parts of seven seasons in the NHL, although he has only been a full-time player for four seasons. Like Mr. Gunnarsson, he did not secure a roster position until the age of 23. Offensively, Mr. Quincey is comparable to Mr. Gunnarsson. His point per game

8 ratio is 0.36, only slightly above Mr. Gunnarsson s Mr. Quincey has also played substantive minutes during his four seasons, averaging nearly 20 minutes per game since securing a full-time position. 16 Like Mr. Gunnarsson, he is relied upon for his defensive play. Exhibit D: Regular Season Statistics for Kyle Quincey 17 GP G A P +/ PIM PPG SHG GWG S S% Mr. Quincey s platform season came during the season, when he split time between the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings. In 72 games, Mr. Quincey scored 26 points for a point per game ratio of 0.36, a number below Mr. Gunnarsson s 0.40 from his platform season. However, it should be noted that Mr. Quincey has had greater success on the defensive side as evidenced by his takeaway and giveaway numbers. Between the Avalanche and the Red Wings, Mr. Quincey had 24 takeaways compared to 35 giveaways 18 while Mr. Gunnarsson had 11 takeaways compared to 32 giveaways. 19 Mr. Quincey s rate is indicative of a player with a stronger handle of the puck. Mr. Quincey also has extensive playoff experience, playing in 38 postseason games, 20 effectively increasing his value. On July 18, 2012, Mr. Quincey signed a two-year deal worth $7.55 million, 21 for a cap hit of $3.775 million. Based on his longer length of service, playoff experience, grasp on the defensive side of the game, as well as comparable offensive statistics, Mr. Quincey is a superior player. Mr. Gunnarsson must settle for less than Mr. Quincey s salary. The Maple Leafs atus=&viewname=rtssplayerstats and us=&viewname=rtssplayerstats 19 atus=&viewname=rtssplayerstats

9 respectfully submit that since Mr. Gunnarsson is not as defensively sound as Mr. Quincey and more prone to injuries, that he be awarded a lesser salary. B. Anton Stralman Anton Stralman is a right-handed defenceman with the New York Rangers. Hailing from the SEL, along with fairly limited NHL experience, Mr. Stralman serves as a natural comparison for Mr. Gunnarsson. Exhibit E: Career Statistics for Anton Stralman 22 GP G A P +/ PIM PPG SHG GWG S S% At the time of signing his contract, Mr. Stralman had amassed five years of professional experience, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs during the season. Over the course of his career, he has scored 91 points in 265 games for a point per game ratio of This is very comparable to Mr. Gunnarsson s career point per game ratio of However, it should be noted that Mr. Stralman has never competed in a full 82 game schedule, often missing time due to injuries, playing in the AHL or being a healthy scratch. Mr. Stralman has also participated in 20 playoff games, registering three goals and three assists. 23 Exhibit F: Regular Season Statistics for Anton Stralman 24 GP G A P +/ PIM PPG SHG GWG S S% Mr. Stralman s platform season took place in , scoring 18 points in 53 games for a point per game ratio of This number is well below Mr. Gunnarsson s ratio. Combined with the fact that Mr. Stralman did not miss time during this season due to injury leaves the

10 impression of a player that is not as reliable as Mr. Gunnarsson. Though Mr. Stralman certainly had a strong playoff campaign during the season, this did not incentivize the Rangers to sign him to a substantive figure. Mr. Stralman signed a two-year deal worth $3.4 million, for a cap hit of $1.7 million per season. 25 It is submitted that such a figure recognizes Mr. Stralman s deficiencies. Mr. Gunnarsson, though prone to injury, has shown significant improvement over time, particularly in terms of offensive ability and consistently solid play. In essence, this entitles him to a reward that is higher than Mr. Stralman s salary. VII. CONCLUSION Mr. Gunnarsson is far from a core piece for the Maple Leafs defence corps. However, he does provide significant value as a left-handed defenceman and has shown the capability of playing substantive minutes. Unfortunately, injury concerns and a lack of demonstrated excellence in either the offensive or defensive side of the game should play a decisive role in determining his salary arbitration award. Mr. Gunnarsson is not as experienced or relied upon as Mr. Quincey, but has shown to be a more consistent performer than Mr. Stralman. As such, he is entitled to a salary arbitration award that falls between the two figures. The Toronto Maple Leafs respectfully submit to the panel that Mr. Gunnarsson be awarded a salary of $2.75 million million-deal-avoids-arbitrati 10