Team # : [3] Carl Gunnarsson and Toronto Maple Leafs Representing Carl Gunnarsson
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Team # : [3] Carl Gunnarsson and Toronto Maple Leafs Representing Carl Gunnarsson I. INTRODUCTION AND REQUEST FOR HEARING DECISION 1This brief is filed on behalf of Carl Gunnarsson, defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs in regards to his impending arbitration hearing. The National Hockey League Player’s Association Collective Bargaining Agreement governs this arbitration. (“CBA”). This brief will address Gunnarsson’s reliability as a two-way defenseman, his ability to please the coaching staff as reflected in his high TOI totals, his inherent value to a highly competitive Toronto Maple Leafs club, and his high level of discipline. Based on the findings in the aforementioned areas of comparison, this brief provides evidence indicating that Carl Gunnarsson should be awarded a salary above the midpoint of $3.15 million. II. THE PERFORMANCE OF CARL GUNNARSSON A. The 2012-2013 Season Carl Gunnarsson played in 37 games in the lockout shortened 2012-2013 campaign. He recorded 1 goal and 14 assists while registering 21:16 of average time on ice per game (“TOI”). Gunnarsson’s effective play at both ends of the rink, as well as his high usage by the Toronto Maple Leafs’ coaching staff cement his status as a high quality two-way defenseman. Gunnarsson produced impressive defensive statistics, blocking a staggering 71 shots in only 37 games played; approximately 1.92 blocked shots per game. He also recorded a respectable +5 plus-minus rating Offensively, he was able to produce 15 points in those 37 games for a 0.41 points per game average. Recognizing an effective and versatile player, the Leafs used Gunnarsson in critical special teams situations where he played an average of 0:45 on the powerplay per game, and 2:35 on the penalty kill. He also displayed a great degree of discipline as he received only 7 minor penalties for an average of only 0.19 minor penalties per game. 1All statistics hereinafter presented are from www.nhl.com unless otherwise stated B. Gunnarsson’s Value to the Maple Leafs Gunnarsson possesses a high value for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ in spite of their abundance of defensemen. This is substantiated by the number of minutes he played for the team. During the 2012-2013 season he logged an average of 21:16, which was third on the Leafs, and he finished second with 30.3 shifts per game. Gunnarsson also recorded an average of 2.11 Hits per Game, ranking him fourth amongst Leafs defensemen who played in 30 or more games last season. Despite the high hits per game ratio Gunnarsson only received 14 penalty minutes (PIM). Furthermore, Gunnarsson has never been suspended during his career2. Two of the three defensemen on the Leafs with a higher hit ratio than Gunnarsson had 85 and 65 PIM totals; exponentially greater than Gunnarsson. This demonstrates that Gunnarsson was able to elevate his physical game and manage to stay out of the penalty box. He also ranked 4th of the 10 defensemen on the Maple Leafs in games played, and was second in plus-minus amongst defensemen with his +5 rating in his platform year. The Leafs enjoyed a greater degree of success with Gunnarsson in the lineup than without him. In games where Gunnarsson played, the Toronto Maple Leafs recorded a 0.608 win percentage, while in games where Gunnarsson was not in the lineup, their win percentage was only 0.545. The 6.3% difference in win percentage with Gunnarsson in the lineup, though seemingly minute, would have had significant repercussions on the Leafs’ season. Multiplying Toronto’s 57 points last season by 6.3% will reveal 3.6, or roughly 4 points being deducted from their 57. This would have dropped them to eighth place from fifth place where they finished and would have put them within 2 points of missing the post season. 2 www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=5218 III. COMPARATIVE DEFENSEMEN’S SALARIES Gunnarsson has proven to be an effective two-way defenseman, with a focus on the defensive side of the game. Gunnarsson has spent his entire career with the Leafs and produced strong statistics both offensively and defensively. Due to his continued improvement and consistent play, Gunnarsson has become part of the top defensive pairing on the Leafs. Gunnarsson’s value only increases when comparing him to the following comparable players. A. Kyle Quincey Kyle Quincey is a 27-year-old defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings. After the 2011/2012 season Quincey was eligible for arbitration but managed to reach an agreement with the Wings prior to arbitration. Going into arbitration Quincey was earning $3.125 million3. Prior to the arbitration deadline Quincey negotiated a two-year contract worth an average $3.775 million4. Quincey’s statistics entering his arbitration year are comparable to Gunnarsson’s on a per game basis. Regular Season Statistics GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GWG S HITS BKS TOI/G Carl Gunnarsson 37 1 14 15 +5 14 0 0 0 28 78 71 21:16 (2012-2013) Kyle Quincey 72 7 19 26 -1 89 4 0 1 168 101 94 21:51 Time On Ice Statistics Carl Gunnarsson Shifts/Game 30.3 Goals/Game 0.03 Assists/Game 0.38 Points/Game 0.41 TOI/Shift 0:42 TOI/Goal 787.27 TOI/Assist 56:14 TOI/Point 52:29 Kyle Quincey Shifts/Game 28.3 Goals/Game 0.10 Assists/Game 0.26 Points/Game 0.36 3 http://capgeek.com/player/1008 4 Id TOI/Shift 0:46 TOI/Goal 224:50 TOI/Assist 82:50 TOI/Point 60:32 Even Strength, Power Play, and Shorthanded Statistics Carl Gunnarsson ES Goals 1 PP Goals 0 SH Goals 0 ES Assists 14 PP Assists 0 SH Assists 0 ES Points 15 PP Points 0 SH Points 0 ES Point % 100.0 PP Point % 0-0 SH Point % 0.0 ES TOI/Game 17.55 PP TOI/Game 0:45 SH TOI/Game 2.35 Kyle Quincy ES Goals 3 PP Goals 4 SH Goals 0 ES Assists 11 PP Assists 6 SH Assists 2 ES Points 14 PP Points 10 SH Points 2 ES Point % 53.8 PP Point % 38.5 SH Point % 7.7 ES TOI/Game 17:12 PP TOI/Game 2:21 SH TOI/Game 2:18 When comparing both players it is beneficial to analyze production levels on a per game basis, since Gunnarsson player fewer games in the lock-out shortened season. When averaging production in this manner, Gunnarsson had better numbers then Quincey. Gunnarsson produced 0.405 points per game, while Quincey produced 0.361 per game. Quincey did produce more goals then Gunnarsson, however he spent more time on the power play per game. Gunnarsson saw less power play time and was used more in penalty killing and even strength sitations than Quincey. Nonetheless, Gunnarsson still produced more points per game than Quincey. The defensive statistics show that Gunnarsson is a more defensive player than Quincey. Quincey only delivered 1.4 hits per game, while Gunnarsson registered 2.1 hits per game. Despite the superior totals, Gunnarsson still managed to play a cleaner game, receiving only 0:38 PIM per game, while Quincey received 1:24 PIM per game. Gunnarsson also blocked an average 1.9 shots per game, while Quincey managed to block only 1.31 per game. Furthermore, Gunnarsson boasted a positive five plus/minus rating, while Quincey was a negative one plus/minus rating. Gunnarsson also missed fewer games over his career due to injuries and suspension. For purposes of this brief we are considering only major injuries that resulted in the player being unable to play for five or more games. Gunnarsson through his career had two major injuries resulting in 30 games missed and was never suspended, while Quincey had three major injuries resulting in 69 games missed and a one game suspension on April 2nd, 2012. These numbers illustrate that Gunnarsson was the more durable and disciplined player. Despite being less productive defensively and offensively than Gunnarsson, the Wings gave Quincey a salary increase of approximately $650,0005. Based on Gunnarsson’s performance when compared to Quincey, it is clear that he has earned a similar raise and a contract above his mid-point of $3.15 million. B. Erik Johnson Erik Johnson was eligible for arbitration at the end of the 2011-2012 season. As a 24-year- old defenseman he signed a 4-year deal worth $3.750 million6 per year. This new contract gave Johnson a $1.150 million7 raise. Johnson’s platform numbers warranting the increase in salary were inferior to those of Gunnarsson this past season. In order to accurately compare Gunnarsson to Johnson it is beneficial to look at the time on ice statistics and statistics on a per game basis. Regular Season Statistics in Platform Seasons GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GWG S HITS BKS GVA TKA TOI/G Carl 37 1 14 15 +5 14 0 0 0 28 78 71 32 11 21:16 Gunnarsson Erik Johnson 73 4 22 26 -7 26 1 0 1 155 123 94 44 35 20:50 Even Strength, Power Play, and Shorthanded Statistics Erik Johnson ES Goals 3 PP Goals 1 SH Goals 0 ES Assists 11 PP Assists 11 SH Assists 0 ES Points 14 PP Points 12 SH Points 0 ES Point % 53.8 PP Point % 46.2 SH Point % 0:0 5 Id 6 http://capgeek.com/player/1280 7 Id ES TOI/Game 16:57 PP TOI/Game 2:19 SH TOI/Game 1:34 Carl Gunnarsson ES Goals 1 PP Goals 0 SH Goals 0 ES Assists 14 PP Assists 0 SH Assists 0 ES Points 15 PP Points 0 SH Points 0 ES Point % 100.0 PP Point % 0-0 SH Point % 0.0 ES TOI/Game 17.55 PP TOI/Game 0:45 SH TOI/Game 2.35 Time on Ice Statistics Carl Gunnarsson Shifts/Game 30.3 Goals/Game 0.03 Assists/Game 0.38 Points/Game 0.41 TOI/Shift 0:42 TOI/Goal 787.27 TOI/Assist 56:14 TOI/Point 52:29 Erik Johnson Shifts/Game 27.3 Goals/Game .05 Assists/Game .30 Points/Game 0.36 TOI/Shift 0:46 TOI/Goal 380.2 TOI/Assist 69.09 TOI/Point 58:30 Gunnarsson is counted upon to be a defensive workhorse for the Leafs and his numbers reflect his defensive ability.