LaRose agrees to terms with Canes

I'm not sure I understand all of the negativity being spouted about on this thread, especially since I'd expect it to be for fans of the Hurricanes.  Regardless, I'm no expert in talent evaluation, but I am a fan and this thread had me thinking about the validity of this contract being given to LaRose as well as the one given to Pitkanen, so I did a little digging based on how I think about valuation in my own business.  

For starters, the salary cap is going up almost $6 million next year and has gone up ~10% since LaRose signed his last deal.  So, the fact of the matter is that the Canes are getting him for a 10% pay cut when simply viewed thru the eyes of league salary inflation.  

Now, is LaRose worth paying 3rd-line money at $1.7 million per year and is the 10% inflation impact enough of a discount over his last deal?  I don't know.  What I do know is that he was the Canes' 6th-leading scorer last year.  What's more is that he was the 4th-leading scorer when you take away power play goals, since he really never plays on the PP.  (In fact, LaRose in the top 125 forwards in the league in 5-on-5 goals, so it doesn't seem to be only that he's good relative to our non-playoff team.)  Anyway, that production outside the power play was better than Jokinen.  Better than Ruutu.  Speaking of which, Ruutu scored a grand total of 19 goals last year (7 on the PP) in 82 games, so I looked up his salary.  $4 million.  So, either Ruutu sucks (which I don't think at all) or LaRose is a bargain.  (And, I get that Ruutu was 2nd in the league in hits, but I saw LaRose was 14th).  

Regardless of how the Canes fill the "salary slots" for Cole, Jokinen and Stillman or how long the Sutter deal goes, LaRose will be the 6th or 7th-highest paid forward on the team.  (We get Skinner at a ridiculously cheap $1.4 million because he's still on his entry-level deal).  Based on LaRose's production, that seems about right.  Whether or not JR has this slots weighted properly is another question I can't answer.

Next, I tried to look for quick comparables and it didn't take long to see a great one who signed today as well - Tomas Kopecky.  He's born one month before LaRose and has played 338 NHL games (LaRose has played 406).  In that time, he's scored 37 goals and has 58 assists (LaRose has 64 goals and 80 assists).  Last year Kopecky scored 15 goals (LaRose had 16).  I think this seems like a pretty good comp.  So, what did Kopecky sign for?  $12 million over 4 years.  From the production, that seems nuts to me, but it does represent a market-based price for a 29-year-old two-way forward who scores ~15 goals per year.  

For Canes fans, I think we all remember Craig Adams quite well since he was on the Cup team.  He was also a teammate of Jason Karmanos' at Harvard and had those "family ties" to the organization.  Anyway, Craig is the true definition of a "4th-line" player who kills penalties and bangs with, basically, no skill.  He scored 4 goals last year, 2 of them short-handed.  Craig just re-upped with Pittsburgh for $700K per year.  

So, LaRose's deal pays him almost right between Craig Adams and Tomas Kopecky.  It also pays LaRose in line with his relative rank of our forwards.  From what I can tell, it seems reasonably fair, which is not shocking.  JR is a professional.  He understands market value.  If Kopecky can get $3 million a year, I'm sure JR loves LaRose at $1.7 million, regardless of how much he personally likes LaRose or not.  

We scream louder when Rosie is on the ice. We screamed pretty loud today when we saw that he'd be a Cane for a while longer. 

thanks AD for the explanation

LaRose is worth the money, people. He's the only one who really gets underneath the opponent's skin and irks them with his gametime chatter. He's talented, fires up the team when they're down, and gets the fans excited with his antics. Rosie is a fun fireplug player and solid contributor. Well done, JR; if anything you've underpaid laRose.

Does anyone know why Brandon's agent has come out and said he only wants a 2 to 3 year deal and not long term?

Perhaps my numbers are a bit off, but the Canes still HAVE to spend ~$10M to get to the FLOOR this year, no?

You can either look at this as a waste of money or a way to pad the payroll.  I agree it's a bit much to pay for the role LaRose is likely going to fill, but given the economics, the Cap/Floor has risen to the point where PK/JR have to spend more than they would otherwise choose to.  They also have the 'luxury' to overpay to keep a guy they have always liked, and who is, in fact, a fan fave.

$10M-12M is plenty to get Sutter done short term, and at least 2 of Cole/Jussi/UFA.

Rosie is alot like MO, home bred in the junior system, a fond little soldier for General PK and Colonol JR, likeable, chatty, a lifer!!!  In Jimmy's words "Rosie drives this team baby"...or is it drives this golf cart since that is usually what this team does in April anymore?  Rosie at $1.7 million is overpaid, Rosie on anything other than a fourth line is insane, but hey...insanity is indeed defined as doing the same things over and over and over and expecting different results.  Jimmy start thinking with your dipstick!     

The forward lines start to take shape with LaRose and Dwyer signing.  The issue does remain about the lack of size on the third and fourth lines.  Assuming neither Cole nor Jokinen re-sign, here are some possibilities:

Skinner/Staal/Ruutu

Boychuk/Sutter/Dalpe

Bowman/UFA/LaRose

Tlusty or Samson/Brett Sutter, Carter, Nash/Dwyer and Bodie

I am convinced Boychuk and Dalpe are ready for top six minutes.  The question is how find a third line and fourth line center.  Rask and Nash are natural centers; but they may need time to develop.  I would not be shocked to see Rask do well enough on face-offs and on defense to steal a spot.  He has already played in a men's league in Sweden.  Brett Sutter had a great year in Charlotte and is physically strong enough to play fourth line center if he can win enough face-offs. 

Another approach to the lines would be:

Boychuk/Staal/Ruutu

Skinner/Sutter/Dalpe

Bowman/Bret Sutter or UFA/LaRose

Tlusty or Samson/Nash, Carter/Dwyer and Bodie

It looks as if the Hurricanes are in the market for at least one center.

Good Lord. Way too much.

I see this signing this way. Rutherford probably decided that Cole and Jokinen were gone, so he threw a little extra money at LaRose so he could keep somebody the fans like.

Paying LaRose 1.9 mil made sense when he was a 19 goal scorer looking to break into the 20s, but it's too much to pay a 15 goal scorer who seems to have found his level.

I love LaRose. I was happy to see the headline of his signing. But when your team has an owner who refuses to spend to the cap, every dollar matters.

Should've spent that $ on Jussi ,at least he can play ,and don't lead the team at -21 ,what's next signing Stillman for 3mil a yr ,because his son play's youth hockey here lol...sheesh!

But I'm sorry, he's overpaid.