Report: Sheldon Souray On Re-Entry Waivers
Jonathan Willis
February 19 2011 10:19AM
As per Nick Kypreos, the Edmonton Oilers have finally taken the next inevitable step in the Sheldon Souray saga: they’ve placed the veteran defenceman on re-entry waivers.
For other clubs, this means that the total cost to acquire Sheldon Souray is as follows:
- $2.25 million in actual salary pro-rated over the rest of this season, as well as $2.25 million in actual salary next season
- $2.7 million in cap hit pro-rated over the rest of this season, as well as a $2.7 million cap hit next season
If claimed, the Oilers will pay the identical amount in salary and cap hit so that Souray can play for another NHL club.
Despite the doom and gloom we’ve heard this season about Souray – that he hasn’t been placed on re-entry waivers prior to this because Steve Tambellini feared he would clear, that the New York Rangers scouted him and didn’t want him – I would be surprised if he cleared. The fact is, as Lowetide has said time and again (and pointed out in his article this morning) that NHL defenceman have exceptional value at deadline day. Generally, they cost a lot. Interestingly, Tambellini has decided to gamble here that someone will be interested - according to Bob McKenzie, a deal has not been pre-arranged.
In this case, for the league’s other 29 teams there is the possibility of acquiring a top-four defenceman (and the certainty of acquiring at the very least a power play specialist) for no assets. Teams looking to make noise in the playoffs are sure to value that. The difference between Souray’s cap hit and actual salary is also bound to appeal to smaller market teams – they can make up part of their obligation to get to the salary floor without paying all the money to get there.
I remember these sorts of deals well from back when the Oilers were a small budget team that always struggled to stay competitive. The fact is that teams hard up for cash and talent sometimes need to take chances, and one has to think Souray will appeal to at least one of them. The fact they need to take on an additional year is certainly somewhat worrisome, but it is a calculated risk, and the potential for gain is there.
Either way, this will mark a turning point. If Souray is claimed, this ugly story comes to an end, at the cost of some cap hit and a few million from the Oilers. If Souray goes unclaimed, it will be abundantly clear to everyone (not least of all to Souray himself) that his stature has fallen to the point where the player needs to move heaven and earth to get himself back to the National Hockey League.
JW
So what do you think this means ?
wonder if he finishes the year in edmonton
not a chance in hell. What would make you even think that?
@Diamond
My guess: it means exactly what the oilers have said it was going to mean. Someone for sure is going to put a claim on him. Tambo said he wouldnt put Sheldon on reentry unless he knew for sure someone was going to pick him up.
He will never play as an oiler again. Either some team has said they will take him or ST is watching all the trade action and will put Souray out there during the feeding frenzy and see if someone twitches and picks him up.
I'm guessing the Oil Brass realized that he won't have much value in the off-season with that contract and it would be pretty hard to move (we'd probably have to attach another asset).
He'll probably get claimed, then we end up paying half his salary next season instead of the full deal.
Lowetide has GOT to talk about this on his show at noon. I really don't understand this step in Tambi's mind. The oilers could be subject to paying 1/2 for his salary should a team claim him rather than trade him. I doubt Sourpuss Souray survives the waiver wire.
He's going on at a pretty good clip too 13 points in 26 games, but he's been injured a couple times this season in Hershey
It's about time that moron no good for nothing tamb put his ego aside.If this team was not stuck in re build mode with a rich drug owner he would n't have the guts to send Sheldon down he's an idiot who like his predecessor is bringing this team down because of a huge Ego. To bad the fans have to sit there and endure a bunch of fools run a lousy team into the ground while there high owner pats them on the back.
@Oiler Country
Its not as though the Oil can't afford the $2.7M cap hit next year... they have the room and aren't likely to use it.
Still.... so.... sexy.... *
*I wish I could quit you!*
I'm wondering if Blues take him at half Brewer's price as replacement.
Matty threw out Dallas.
Wouldn't count out the Rangers either.
I just wounder if something has been prearranged.
Souray at half price + Something else = a young ranger... I wish
@ Rocksteady
My guess is them not having to pay Souray half the REAL money is more important than having to pay hafl the cap hit as we have so much cap space that using that is not likely to actually prevent any moves made over the next year and a bit.
Just made a minor update. As per Bob McKenzie, nothing's been pre-arranged.
I wonder if San Jose might grab him.
At this point IF Souray clears waivers he's an upgrade to Gilbert and Vandermeer and Foster COMBINED
Good news that this will finally be over with. Nice article, Willis.
You know he isnt going to put on an oilers jersey. If no one claims him hes getting put right back on waivers.
LOL, i so called this last week. After Glen Sather pee'd in the toilet water so others would stay away. It will be none other than the Rangers who put in that claim for him. A motivated Sheldon Souray at half price, we all know how Slats likes his reclamation projects. The Oilers stand alone in the how not to run a hockey club department. It'll be interesting to see if someone ruins Sathers plans before the Rangers get a shot at him.
Nice bit of colour around the report, Willis.
I just hope he doesn't get picked up by a Western Conference team. He'll be ornery to play against.
I hope he lights it up and shows what we all know is true that is how unqualified tamb and Lowe.
Does anyone think Souray would be more likely to get picked up now than he would have been before an injury plagued, ineffective AHL seaso
Doing this now instead of October makes no sense, unless they somehow felt his trade value might somehow go up between last summer and this up coming one
This is very cool. Does Montreal grab him?
(and who follows Nick Kypreos on Twitter???)
DOESN'T SHELDON LOOK SEXY AS F**K IN THAT HERSEY JERSEY?
Ok, enough capslock. Lol.
I bet with all the moves they've made and because of some injuries to their top D-man I thik Atlanta might pick him up considering the salary and cap hit discrepancies within his contract.
@Oilcruzer
My thoughts exactly. (Re: the Habs)
On the other hand, if Tambi has deals in mind regarding some of our current blueline, perhaps they do swallow their pride and allow Souray back on the blueline for the rest of the season to try and bring his trade value up. If Lowe and Burke can bury the hatchet, perhaps Souray and Tambi can too. You have to think that the point has been made by now. He's passed through waivers multiple times already, if Big Sexy hasn't learned the lesson of burning bridges by now, he never will.
Maybe, but Tambo always struck me as disingenuous. (maybe just a flat out liar.)
Either way I really hope someone claims him.
That's what I was thinking. They are pretty desperate on the back end.
I think you're missing the bigger picture here inept, at 4.5 million dollars a year, it doesn't matter what jersey you wear for 2 1/2 hrs a day.
Oh don't get me wrong, I would love to see him plucked off waivers and gone ...
Calgary takes him. Souray goes into the stands looking for Tambo, next time we meet the Flames. Commences to kick some sense into Tambo. Tambo assesses the beating, trades 5th rounders with the Islanders in the 2014 draft.
Colin Campbell hands down a ten minute misconduct to Souray, as Tambo had it coming.
Meanwhile at Oilersnation we discuss the situation and all agree we could have used a second rounder for Souray in the 2012 draft because this is a weak draft.
And back at the Pillbox, the stands are full, as we are ok with the Harold Ballard rebuild plan.
Both Sportsnet and Spector state that it's a given the Oilers will buy him out this summer if he's not claimed (and they can't trade him after the season).
Why would the Oilers buy him out to have a $2.4M cap hit next season AND a $1.5M cap hit in 2012/13? That $1.5M could be valuable pretty valuable with Omark, Dubnyk and Gagner RFA's, Hemmer and Penner UFA's.
Makes way more sense to just send him back to Hershey (or another AHL squad) next year and get him off the books the following the year even if it does cost Katz and extra $1.5M.
I know I'm dreaming but please don't ruin it for me.
Caps claim Souray. Caps and Edmonton swap Hemsky for John Carlson.
if the caps wanted hemsky id want backstrom or mike green
@a lg dubl dubl
John Carlson would be the ideal return. It won't happen, but it would be ideal. Backstrom/Green is utter fantasy.
Might as well throw in Ovechkin for Penner and Smid while you're at it.
@a lg dubl dubl
I would take Gilbert over Souray. Gilbert is underrated in my opinion. He's a number 3/4 defenseman who keeps being put into a 1/2 position.
But I would be lying if I didn't admit I miss the SOURAY SMASH slapshot.
Tambellini did say, that the only way Souray was going to be put on re entry waivers was if someone was going to claim him,If Souray clears and the Oilers do not put him on the roster, then Tambellini needs to be held accountable.
Accountable to whom? This team has been a shambles since after 2006 and then they waited until 2009-2010 to actually start a legit rebuild. As a fan I want to see the Oil win but there is more to life then spewing vitriol at the teams management for every decision. This situation is as much Souray's fault as it is Tambellinis. The Oilers are paying for it every time they write Souray a paycheque. Souray is paying for it as he watches his career slowly spin around the toilet bowl. As already been stated here Souray never dons the Oilers colors again, if there was even a chance of that he would have been in Oklahoma and not Hershey.
@BigE91
To the organization,the season ticket holders and the fan base for mismanaging a asset.Tambellini and the rest of the Oilers have made this mistake with players how many times over? and we wonder why we are in 30th place.what a joke!!!
Souray has been injured for the last two games for the Hersey Bears and hasn't played. Is he still injured, and if he's still injured why place him on re-entry waivers
Maybe just maybe Tambo's auditioning Sheldon for next year. Any reports out there that Souray's started attending Sunday School?
Perhaps Horcoff told Jimmy Tambellini that he could handle the Big Sexy and management is giving him a little job for a month to see about next year...
What's the mistake here? An oft injured player on the downside of his career blames the organization for his problems. The only mismangaing that can be documented is the recruiting and aquisition of players that have a bigger than the team attitude, Pronger, Souray et al.
And we aren't in 30th place the Oilers are.....
Hmm, sounds like someone wants to visit Sheldon up the Hershey hi-way..
The possibility of Big Sexy holding Lord Stanleys cup over his head this year makes me cringe.
Anyone blaming Tambellini for separating Souray from the team and farm are the same people shouting at him for not putting this jerk in his place in the name of team pride if Souray would have played for us this year.
If I recall right, Souray's injuries and game play didn't get us out of the basement when he was on our team, so suggesting that ST's decision to part with him tanked us is pretty dramatic.
We can all agree with Kevin Lowe when he said he would have sat Pronger if he had a second chance in that situation. Now that we're sitting Souray, it's pretty easy to blame our first rebuild year on that, and on Tambellini.
I hope he gets claimed by Tampa and Souray AND Roli win the cup.
I for one liked Souray and thought that no one even tried to investigate his claims about being pushed into playing hurt.
That Sh*t doesnt fly with me and I doubt anyone here would stand for their boss trying to force them into working under dangerous conditions.
He didnt insult the fans or the city, he called out the same crap management that created this lottery bound train wreck. Whatever.
****facepalm****
Please keep in mind Souray's rant last year about Lowe and Tambi was a desprate move to try to force a trade prior to his partial no-trade expired. Do anyone think any organization in any walk of life would allow an employee back after that kind of abuse?
I concur.
souray we know its you writing this! don't be mad at tamb he's just trying to figure things out. Every job has a learning curve.