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Josh Bailey Re-Signed, It's Time for Islanders Training Camp

By Dominik Updated

The reports of Josh Bailey signing for two years, $2.1 million ($1.05 million salary) strikes me as a sign that the agents lost this one.

Pat Morris (Bailey's reported agent) and Newport Sports (überagent Don Meehan's agency) appeared to stretch this all summer long to see if the Islanders would bend, but in the end a sensible contract -- even cheaper than I expected -- was reached: Bailey gets a decent above-qualifying-offer raise over the $875,000 base salary of his ELC.

If Katie Strang's source is precise on the salary, then Bailey's cap hit is actually lower now than the $1.725 million of his ELC. Which was to be expected: Though a top 10 pick in 2008, Bailey's trajectory is still more of an unknown than his fellow methodical classmates Drew Doughty, Luke Schenn and Zach Bogosian. This deal takes him up to his arbitration years (pending any changes in the next CBA), where he'll cash in royally if he performs as well as his agent no doubt told Garth Snow he already has.

There are differing opinions on this -- and we don't know without witnessing negotiations ourselves -- but when a negotiation lingers this long I interpret it as a sign the agent is, as is his wont, trying to see if a GM will fold and reach beyond his budget. Garth Snow did not fold.

Newsday's Arthur Staple reported the two sides as "fairly far apart all summer." With a salary of just $1.05 million, who do you think gave in?

Meehan's group is known for representing a ton of NHL players, for representing them well, and for using the collective power that implies to create a bit of a ruckus every now and then. Certainly they're doing the latter with the Doughty negotiations. For a client in Bailey who had zero leverage this summer, Newport certainly gave it its best shot. In the end, more GMs are much smarter than they were when Meehan was wielding power in a cap-free world.

Now we can get on with the business of the season so many are hopeful about.

 

Islanders News

A.M. Updates

More since this was originally published:

  • CBS Local on what the Tavares contract means.
  • The Post on Bailey. Newsday's fuller story. And heh, the official site's announcement titles it "In Before the Wire."
  • Isles cuts via FanShot: "Brenden Kichton and John Persson will return to their respective Western Hockey League (WHL) teams, while Andrey Pedan will return to his Ontario Hockey League (OHL) club. The Islanders have also released Art Bidlevskii from his Amateur Tryout Contract (ATO)"

 

Other Stuff

Speaking of agents and the players they guide, Quisp has an interesting thought exercise on what, exactly, is at stake for Drew Doughty. Of course, the Kings don't have a Wang rule, so for Meehan and Doughty, not showing up for the start of camp is all part of trying to make that GM bend...

FanShot: Meanwhile, the Sabres got their deal done with Tyler Meyers.

And Luke Schenn gets 5 years at a reported $3.5 million.

The Hurricanes will remember Josef Vasicek with a #63 patch this season. Miss you, JoVas.

Okay, this is close to why I am vocal about nostalgia, about the Islanders' original colors, about not fidgeting with things just to sell more jerseys: Traditions should be nurtured by fans, not by marketers. I spend a lot more money on NHL merchandise when marketers play on my already existing sense of tradition, rather than trying to force new ones down my throat. (Yes, I'm looking at you, RBK.)

Incomes: Decent look at franchise incomes as reported by Forbes. This five-year chart may be the better snapshot (though teams usually dispute Forbes' numbers). The big takeaway for me from these is always a reminder that this league stands on a very few mega-profitable teams. It doesn't make sense to have a six-team league, so somebody's gotta share. But as revenue disparity widens ... well what then? Share even more?

 

John Tavares with the Media

Here's part of Tavares' scrum with the media yesterday. Wow, he looks and sounds so grown up compared to his draft year.


Garth Snow on Tavares

Here's Snow talking about Tavares and the overall lineup yesterday. They talked about "several different scenarios."


Calvin de Haan Mic'd Up

Nothing jaw-dropping, but still fun. Such a smooth skater:


Tyler McNeely Workout

Finally, from JP (VA chapter), a training promo video with Tyler McNeely from his Northeastern days:


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