Nikolai Khabibulin - Career or Season Ending Back Injury?

Today, rumors and speculation about Nikolai Khabibulin's back injury have been flying around the internet. It sounds like a someone within the Edmonton Oilers organization, possibly even a player, may have leaked news that Nikolai Khabibulin is out for the season and headed for surgery on a herniated disc in his back. It's possible that this rumor is just a hoax, but given that Khabibulin's now missed nine games with what was initially described as, "back spasms," it's certainly fueling speculation about his actual injury.

There's certainly a discrepancy between this recent rumor and Pat Quinn's quote on the Oilers website today:

"Apparently he had a good day two days ago in his workouts, although he's still not ready to step on the ice at this point."

If there's any validity to this rumor about Khabibulin having a herniated disc, it does raise a number of questions. Given that Khabibulin signed his contract when he was over the age of 35, it certainly complicates the salary cap situation. From what I understand, when players are signed over the age of 35, their contracts are not eligible for a buyout and if they retire, their contract stays on the salary cap for its duration. Further, if you try to send the player down to the minors, their contract minus $100k still stays on the team's salary cap.

Apparently, one potential loophole in this contract situation is if the player is placed on the Injured-Reserve list. I'm certainly not a capologist or even an attorney. The actual wording of the CBA is sufficiently vague for a layperson. Article 50.5 of the 2005 CBA suggests the following with respect to calculating a team's cap space:

All Player Salary and Bonuses earned in a League
Year by a Player who is in the second or later year
of a multi-year SPC which was signed when the
Player was age 35 or older (as of June 30 prior to
the League Year in which the SPC is to be
effective), but which Player is not on the Club's
Active Roster, Injured Reserve, Injured Non Roster
or Non Roster, and regardless of whether, or where,
the Player is playing, except to the extent the Player
is playing under his SPC in the minor leagues, in
which case only the Player Salary and Bonuses in
excess of $100,000 shall count towards the
calculation of Averaged Club Salary; plus

From reading this article, some have interpreted the language as suggesting that an over 35 player contract won't count against the salary cap if they are on the injured reserve. Again, I'm no attorney, but this article at least suggest to me that this is a possibly. I would strongly question whether or not this language is sufficient to make this definitive. Others have cited the Alexander Mogilny example as another possible loophole. However, my previous understanding was that there was no cap relief for players signed over the age of 35 who incur injuries. Either way, there's still the matter of actually paying Khabibulin $3.75 million dollars for the next three years whether or not he actually plays again.

In short, signing a player over the age of 35 who has a history of back and groin problems was a risky endeavor.

Comments (10) Add Comment

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written by Racki, December 15, 2009

The 2nd or later year part is interesting... so that means if he retires this year, we're off the hook? Thats what it sounds like, and others are saying. But I don't think he's going anywhere.

I have to say, I would absolutely flip my lid (in a good way) if he retired now, and we were free and clear, and we picked up Vokoun.

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written by Jay-, December 15, 2009

Hey Racki,

Yeah, Bulin's injury is certainly a concern for more reasons than one. As for the cap issue, I'll be interested to see how it actually pans out if he's out for the season. I noticed the 2nd year or later part too and it may actually suggest that there's an out if something happens this year.

Haha, Vokoun's expensive, but yeah he's been super consistent for the past five or six years.

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written by ChrisKontos, December 15, 2009

"In short, signing a player over the age of 35 who has a history of back and groin problems was a risky endeavor."

You said it! This had Bad Idea jeans written all over it.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/10310/saturday-night-live-bad-idea-jeans

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written by JonathanJoyce, December 15, 2009

Bad idea jeans are the official jeans of the Edmonton Oilers brass in the offseason. Maybe that is why we keep signing small forwards? They look solid in a pair of jeans where the big lumbering guys struggle to find that perfect fit.

"Yes Comrie left on bad terms, yes the fans hate him, and of course he is a selfish player. Sure he is another small forward for us, but I'm pretty sure he won't make us a worse team. Where else are we going to spend that million dollars?"

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written by Jay-, December 16, 2009

@Jonathan/Chris lol...

Lots of a bad ideas... don't get me started Jonathan, lol... smilies/grin.gif

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written by Jay, January 06, 2010

Update: January 16th, 2009 is the date set for Oilers management to make a decision regarding Nikolai Khabibulin. They will either decide that he's out for the season for surgery on the herniated disc in his back or that he'll return to play at some point. It sounds like things are leading towards the former rather than the latter. It's therefore likely that Nikolai Khabibulin's headed for season-ending back surgery.

In terms of this rumor, it looks like it turned out to be true after all.

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written by MendozaLine, January 09, 2010

Yeah, it looks pretty definitive already. I guess that Oilers management is hoping for a miracle to try to save face on the Bulin signing. smilies/angry.gif

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written by FlyingFridge, January 13, 2010

Today, Dan Tencer confirmed that Nikolai Khabibulin has decided to opt for microsurgery on his herniated disc. He will undergo surgery today in Los Angeles.

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written by Jay, January 13, 2010

It's official today! Nikolai Khabibulin will be out for what's expected to be 12 weeks, though it's not known if he will play at all this season.

The Nikolai Khabibulin signing was regarded as the worst free agent signing from the onset given his age and the implications on the salary cap. It was also a soft market for goalies this summer, so there was absolutely no reason to sign an aged, injury prone goal to such a lucrative contract.
Some already suggest that the failed contract signing should cost Steve Tambellini his job which I would tend to agree with.
Today, Steve Tambellini indicated that he knew of the disc problems prior to the signing but minimized the significance of knowing this.
It's an egregious error as Jonathan Willis referred to over at Oilers Nation.