Various reports have confirmed the exact structure of the massive offer sheet the Philadelphia Flyers have signed with defenseman Shea Weber. According to a number of reports, the most detailed from Sportsnet, here’s a look at the entire deal:
| Year | Salary | Signing Bonus | Cap Hit |
| 2012-13 | $1,000,000 | $13,000,000 | $7,857,142 |
| 2013-14 | $1,000,000 | $13,000,000 | $7,857,142 |
| 2014-15 | $1,000,000 | $13,000,000 | $7,857,142 |
| 2015-16 | $1,000,000 | $13,000,000 | $7,857,142 |
| 2016-17 | $4,000,000 | $8,000,000 | $7,857,142 |
| 2017-18 | $4,000,000 | $8,000,000 | $7,857,142 |
| 2018-19 | $6,000,000 | $7,857,142 | |
| 2019-20 | $6,000,000 | $7,857,142 | |
| 2020-21 | $6,000,000 | $7,857,142 | |
| 2021-22 | $6,000,000 | $7,857,142 | |
| 2022-23 | $3,000,000 | $7,857,142 | |
| 2023-24 | $1,000,000 | $7,857,142 | |
| 2024-25 | $1,000,000 | $7,857,142 | |
| 2025-26 | $1,000,000 | $7,857,142 |
And that report from TSN last night that said Weber would get $26 million in a calendar year? Yep, it’s possible. Under this structure, he’d get $13 million as soon as the deal is signed, $1 million over the course of next season and then $13 million again next July 1 as Year 2 of the deal goes into effect. Really, it’s $27 million in less than one calendar year, and as we’ve mentioned, that’s a whole lot of money to a team that’s only worth $163 million in total.
The Flyers, meanwhile, have basically all the money in the world. No problem handing out $27 million to a guy in one season. Never doubt Ed Snider’s crazy, insatiable desire to win, guys, even if sometimes that may lead us astray.
Maybe this is a bit of shady dealing by Paul Holmgren and the Flyers. Well, no. It is a bit of shady dealing. It’s walking the line of salary cap circumvention, but in terms of what Weber will be worth in each year of the deal, it might be about right. You can make a sound argument that he’s indeed worth $14 million over the next four years, just as you can argue he’ll be worth $1 million per year as he’s nearing 40. That’s the argument against circumvention, and based on precedent it will likely work.
