NHL SALARY ARBITRATION
BETWEEN:
KYLE QUINCEY
– AND –
BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF THE DETROIT RED WINGS
Team 14
Salary Arbitration Between The Detroit Red Wings And Kyle Quincey
Introduction1
In accordance to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL and the NHLPA set out in Article 12, Kyle Quincey of the Detroit Red Wings has elected to pursue salary arbitration to determine his compensation for the 2012-13 season. In response to this request for arbitration, it is Detroit’s position that Kyle ought to be compensated $3,500,000 for the upcoming 2012-13 season. Based on Kyle’s performance throughout his career, his platform year, and as measured against comparable players, $3,500,000 is fair for a player possessing the statistics and attributes of Kyle.
1) An Overview of Kyle Quincey’s Career
Exhibit 1 - Kyle Quincey’s NHL Career Regular Season Statistics Year Team GP G A Pts Pts/G +/- PIM TOI/G Blocks/G Hits/G 2011-12 Detroit 18 2 1 3 0.17 0 29 22:38 1.33 1.83 2011-12 Colorado 54 5 18 23 0.43 -1 60 21:26 1.30 1.26 2010-11 Colorado 21 0 1 1 0.05 -5 18 19:34 1.24 1.33 2009-10 Colorado 79 6 23 29 0.37 9 76 23:36 1.81 1.46 2008-09 Kings 72 4 34 38 0.53 -5 63 20:58 1.04 1.61 2007-08 Detroit 6 0 0 0 0 -3 4 13:58 1.17 2.00 2006-07 Detroit 6 1 0 1 0.17 0 0 11:25 0.00 0.17 2005-06 Detroit 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11:37 3.00 1.00 NHL Total - 257 18 77 95 0.37 -5 250 18:09 1.36 1.33
Kyle is a 6’2, 207 lbs defenceman with the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings selected
Kyle in the fourth round of the NHL entry draft. In his final year in the OHL, Kyle scored 46 points in 59 games, was selected to the OHL All-Star team, and placed third in voting for the
1 All statistics used, unless otherwise noted, are obtained from www.nhl.com
1 OHL’s top defenceman award.2 Kyle’s first full season3 in the NHL was a success. In 2008-09,
Kyle played 72 games for the Los Angeles Kings and accumulated 38 points. This point total, at
0.53 points per game, is a threshold that has never been met again by Kyle throughout the duration of his career. Moreover, Kyle’s decline in points cannot be attributed to his allotted time on ice, as it has remained fairly consistent throughout his career.
a) Playoff Experience
Kyle has participated in three different Stanley Cup playoffs. In 2006, Kyle was brought up from the minor leagues in April and dressed for 13 playoff games. Throughout the playoffs,
Kyle failed to register a point. However, Kyle’s ice time was very limited. It is important that
Kyle used this playoff run as a learning experience which can be applied for future seasons. In
2009-10 season, while playing for the Colorado Avalanche, Kyle was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs after just six games. Kyle failed to register any points, despite ranking third on Colorado for defensive time on ice. Although he was +2 throughout the six games, as an offensive defenceman Kyle is expected to contribute offensively. In his platform year, Kyle played in five playoff games before being eliminated in the first round by the Nashville
Predators. In these five games, Kyle registered two assists and was a -2. Based on his poor performance in the regular season, Kyle’s ice time in the playoffs was reduced to an average of
16 minutes per game.
2 http://www.nhlpa.com/news/headlines/details/2011/07/05/Quincey-Ready-For-Colorado-Challenge-19204 3 Based on playing in 10 or more NHL regular season games
2 b) Durability
Exhibit 2 – Kyle Quincey Injury History4 Year Injury Games Missed 2011-12 Groin 1 2011-12 Groin 3 2010-11 Shoulder 53* 2010-11 Concussion 8 2008-09 Undisclosed 7* 2008-09 Back 3 2007-08 Hand 10 Total - 85 *Ended Season on Injured Reserve List
Throughout Kyle’s career, he has missed numerous games due to several injuries. Kyle’s first major injury took place in 2007, when he broke his hand during training camp. This injury prevented Kyle from potentially starting his first full season at the NHL level.5 In April 2009, underwent season ending surgery to repair his second major injury, a herniated disk.6 Lastly, in
2010, Kyle missed 61 games due to a severe shoulder injury. Not only did Kyle dislocate his shoulder, but he also suffered nerve damage to the point where he lost feeling in his arm.7
Although less serious, in 2012, Kyle suffered a groin injury while playing for the Red Wings.
Therefore, throughout Kyle’s career, he has proven to be injury prone.
4 http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=3471 5 http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2007/09/quincey_out_with_broken_hand.html 6 http://kings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=456769 7 http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=600527
3 2) Platform Year – 2011-12
Exhibit 3 – Kyle Quincey’s Platform Year Regular Season Statistics Year Team GP G A Pts Pts/G PIM +/- TOI/G Blocks/G Hits/G 2011-12 Detroit 18 2 1 3 0.17 29 0 21:26 1.33 1.83 2011-12 Colorado 54 5 18 23 0.43 60 -1 22:38 1.30 1.26
Exhibit 4 - TOI/G: Platform Year Regular Season Niklas Nicklas Ian Kyle Brad Jonathan Brendan Kronwal Lidstrom White Quincey Stuart Ericsson Smith 22:51 23:46 22:58 21:51 21:03 17:05 15:37
In his platform year, Kyle started off the season with a slight decline in points per game from the previous year. On February 21, 2012, Kyle was traded to the Detroit Red Wings from the Tampa Bay Lightning in an attempt to improve the Red Wings’ defensive corpse. Although given every opportunity to thrive on the Red Wings, Kyle’s performance was disappointing. In the 18 games Kyle played for the Red Wings, he only scored three points while maintaining the minutes of a top four NHL defenceman – 21:51 minutes per game.
a) Suspension
On April 2, 2012, The Department of Player Safety suspended Kyle for one game for leaving his feet and elbowing Tomas Kopecky in the head.8 Therefore, Kyle is now considered a repeat offender under the current CBA.9 This past year, Brendan Shanahan created a precedent of suspending repeat offenders for an extended number of games. The risk of signing a repeat offender to a new contract should be taken into consideration by the Detroit Red Wings.
8 http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60 9 NHL CBA Article 18 (3)(b)(ii)
4 3) Searching for Comparable Players
Since Kyle is considered an offensive defenceman, two filters were used when selecting comparable players: time on ice per game and points per game. When applying these filters to players who filed for arbitration over the past two years, Andrej Sekera was the only comparable player who met the criteria. The search field was then expanded to include players who filed for arbitration over the past three years, and Dan Girardi was selected as a second comparable player.
a) Comparable Player: Andrej Sekera
Platform Year
Exhibit 5 – Kyle Quincey Vs Andrej Sekera Platform Year Statistics Player Year Team GP G A Pts Pts/G PIM +/- TOI/G Blocks Hits Kyle Quincey 2012 Detroit 18 2 1 3 0.17 60 0 21:26 24 33 Kyle Quincey 2012 Colorado 54 5 18 23 0.43 29 -1 22:38 70 68 Andrej Sekera 2011 Buffalo 76 3 26 29 0.38 34 11 21:05 85 61
Kyle and Andrej had almost identical platform years. With respect to games played,
Kyle dressed for two fewer games than Andrej did. During their platform year, both players played top four defensive minutes on their respective teams, varying by less than one minute per game from each other. However, during these minutes, Andrej was more effective at generating goals, as evident by his +11 rating. With regard to points, Andrej accumulated three more points than Kyle. Moreover, Kyle struggled to maintain his points per game after he was traded to the
Red Wings, and his overall season points per game dropped to 0.36. While it is uncertain whether Kyle will strive offensively in the Red Wings’ defensive system, Andrej has proved that he can be successful for years to come on the Buffalo Sabres. Although Kyle accumulated more
5 hits and blocks than Andrej, this is balanced out by Andrej’s comfort and proven performance in the Sabres’ system.
Career
Exhibit 6 – Kyle Quincey VS Andrej Sekera Career Statistics Player Seasons GP G A Pts Pts/G PIM +/- Hits/G Blocks/G Kyle Quincey 7 257 18 77 95 0.37 250 -5 1.46 1.35 Andrej Sekera 5 233 12 55 67 0.29 80 5 0.80 1.19
Although Kyle appears to be a better player over the durations of his career than Andrej, these numbers are deceiving. Despite the fact that Kyle dressed in seven NHL seasons, three of those seasons ended with a demotion to the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate after only six or less games. Similarly, Andrej was sent down to Buffalo’s AHL affiliate after two games in his first
NHL season. Therefore, when you calculate net seasons played with a minimum of 10 games dressed in the NHL, both Kyle and Andrej have participated in four NHL seasons.
Based on raw numbers, it is evident that Kyle has outperformed Andrej throughout his career. However, in order to provide a better understanding of how both players accumulated their numbers, it is required to calculate points per game on a year-to-year basis.
Exhibit 7 - Career PPG 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 Andrej Sekera 0.1 Kyle Quincey 0
6 As shown in Exhibit 7, Kyle has been inconsistent his entire career. After posting a very impressive 0.53 points per game in his first season over 10 games in the NHL, Kyle has never been able to match his output. In contrast, Andrej has been consistent in increasing his points per game as he gains more experience in the NHL. Moreover, as shown in Exhibit 7 and Exhibit 8,
Andrej’s points per game are closely correlated to his time on ice. The same trend cannot be attributed to Kyle’s points per game. Therefore, while Andrej has a lower career points per game than Kyle, Andrej is more likely to continue to improve on his totals as he continues to play during the prime of his career, and his ice time increases. It is uncertain whether Kyle will ever achieve his rookie numbers again.
Exhibit 8 - Career TOI 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 Andrej Sekera 0.2 Kyle Quincey 0
Contract
Exhibit 9 – Kyle Quincey VS Andrej Sekera Contract ($) AAV 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 Kyle Quincey 3,500,000* - 3,500,000 - - Andrej Sekera 2,750,000 4,250,000 3,250,000 1,750,000 1,750,000 *Requested Contract Value
The Detroit Red Wings request that Kyle be compensated $3,500,000 during the 2012-13 season. This number reflects that, while Andrej seems to be more consistent, Kyle had an above average rookie season and might be able to bounce back in the upcoming NHL season.
7 b) Comparable Player: Dan Girardi
Platform Year
Exhibit 10 – Kyle Quincey VS Dan Girardi Platform Year Statistics
Player Year Team GP G A P Pts/G PIM +/- TOI/G Blocks Hits
Kyle Quincey 2011-2012 Detroit 18 2 1 3 0.17 60 0 21:26 24 33 Kyle Quincey 2011-2012 Colorado 54 5 18 23 0.43 29 -1 22:38 70 68 Dan Girardi 2009-2010 NY Rangers 82 6 18 24 0.29 53 -2 21:28 178 180
Dan Girardi registered 0.29 points per game in his platform year. Although this production is slightly lower than Kyle’s 0.36 points per game, Dan was given less opportunity to accumulate points. While Dan averaged only 19 seconds of power play ice time per game, Kyle was given an average of 2:21 power play ice time per game. Furthermore, Dan only started
47.9% of his even strength shifts in the offensive zone,10 compared to Kyle starting 57.6% of his shifts in the offensive zone.11 This stark difference in scoring opportunity accurately reflects
Dan’s lower points per game. Dan has proven to be a more complete player defensively in his platform year. Although registering 23 seconds less of ice time per game, Dan sacrificed his body to rank sixth in the NHL with 180 blocked shots - 84 more shots throughout the year than
Kyle. Lastly, Dan was a much more physical and disciplined player than Kyle. Despite the stark difference in total hits, Dan only accumulated 53 penalty minutes compared to Kyle’s 89 penalty minutes.
10 http://www.behindthenet.ca/nhl_statistics.php?ds=63&f1=2009_s&f2=5v5&f4=D&f5=NYR&c=0+1+3+5+4+6+7+ 8+17+18+19+20+63+67+57+58+59+60+61+62+64+65+66 (Aggregated data from www.nhl.com full play-by-play) 11 http://www.behindthenet.ca/nhl_statistics.php?ds=63&f1=2011_s&f2=5v5&f4=D&f5=DET&c=0+1+3+5+4+6+7+8 +17+18+19+20+63+67+57+58+59+60+61+62+64+65+66 (Aggregated data from www.nhl.com full play-by-play)
8 Career
Exhibit 11 – Kyle Quincey VS Dan Girardi Career Statistics Player Seasons GP G A Pts/G Pts/G PIM +/- Hits/G Blocks/G Kyle Quincey 7 257 18 77 95 0.37 250 -5 1.46 1.35 Dan Girardi 4 280 20 60 80 0.29 128 -9 2.14 1.52
As previously outlined, based on Kyle’s net of four total NHL seasons, both Kyle and
Dan have played in the same amount of NHL seasons. Dan is more durable player than Kyle having not missed a single game since he was called up to the New York Rangers midway through the 2006-2007 season.
Contract
Exhibit 12 – Kyle Quincey VS Dan Girardi Contract ($) AAV Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Kyle Quincey 3,500,000* 3,500,000* Dan Girardi 3,325,000 3,100,000 3,400,000 3,400,000 3,400,000 *Requested contract value
The Detroit Red Wings are requesting the Kyle be compensated $3,500,000 for the 2012-
13 season. Kyle and Dan should be equally compensated. Although Kyle has more potential for scoring points, Dan is much better defensively, and is a more durable player. This salary also accounts for contract inflation as the average salary increased $201,089.13 from Dan’s platform to the present time.12
12 http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/hockey/nhl/salaries/team/2009, http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/hockey/nhl/salaries/team/2011
9 Conclusion
After 4 full seasons in the NHL, Kyle has proven to be an unpredictable player. Despite a very impressive rookie campaign, Kyle has yet to replicate this performance throughout his career. Moreover, Kyle has sustained several injuries, putting his durability in question.
With respect to comparable players, the Detroit Red Wings value Kyle as an equal to Dan
Girardi. Although Kyle has registered more points per game over his career, Dan is a much better defensive player, and has a track record of proven durability. Despite his unpredictability,
Kyle deserves to be compensated more that Andrej Sekera, as Kyle has put up a higher amount of points per game over the duration of his career. However, it must be noted that Kyle’s platform year was almost identical to Andrej’s. The Detroit Red Wings offer to Kyle of
$3,500,000 over one year will make Kyle compensated by $750,000 more than Andrej, an amount that is fair and equitable.
The Detroit Red Wings are willing to offer Kyle a one-year contract of $3,500,000. This value represents a raise, despite a decline in Kyle’s points per game production during the duration of his previous contract. At the age of 26, the Detroit Red Wings recognize that Kyle still has many years left to play in the NHL, and has the possibility to return to his rookie season production. Therefore, the Red Wings are compensating Kyle accordingly, and taking a calculated risk by offering Kyle a one-year contract worth $3,500,000.
September 17, 2012 All of Which Is Respectfully Submitted,
On behalf of the Detroit Red Wings Hockey Club
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