The whole Bobby Clarke drama is fascinating to me. He makes a move, pisses people off, makes his case in a blunt way, then gets people back on his side. The funniest thing to be is how people say how the Canucks can not let this guy go, but go on about him being only a 10 goal scorer. Sure, he's still a prospect, but come on. If he isn't worth it, let him go.
What the real impact should be is a lesson to the rest of the GMs. Here is your lesson: sign your RFAs. That seams really simple, but there is more to that. This is something I wrote about a month ago, after posting a short version on Kukla's Korner Forums. I'm putting this up in it's entirety, because I believe it to be true. Bobby Clarke should remind other GMs how important it is to sign the people they value, not just let them dangle. One minute you are a top prospect, the next you are swinging in the breeze wondering where your hockey career takes you.
Let's be honest. If we really understood the ramifications of the new CBA, we'd be way ahead of the curve. The new CBA is like the old CBA, it will take time to play out. Nobody understood what the old CBA would like until there was a lot of money lost. Just like a Broadway musical, all of the planning and thinking in the world will not cover every base. So the pendulum swings the other way, and eventually (not last year, not this year) it will settle.
For a GM to do well right now, it isn't about the UFAs you sign, it's about your good RFAs you resign, and maybe even lock up. Hey, GMs, remember those guys you traded away, the ones who were expendable for the short term gain? Remember those guys toiling in the minors, the ones you drafted and forgot, because some big gun came along like a puppy in the window, the one you just had to have? The one you said if we got you would take out and walk, but you never did walk them, so who is stuck out in the snow, walking your UFA that I never thought was a good idea? Then, someone comes along and thinks they are so cute, and they ask their name, and I'm the one telling them, "Chara." How embarrassing. Yeah, those guys you drafted? They are your new franchise. They are your bread and butter, and not because they are cheap, but because they can be kept around for longer. They are the ones you can teach your system, and then keep them around for a while. You won't be playing against them in a year, because you couldn't afford their services.
If you have a moneyed team (Detroit, NYR, and yes, the Avs for instance), rejoice. Sing glory, glory, Khabibulin. This is where you can put that good money to use. Down in the minors. Listen up. This is important. The real reason the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup was on the strength of their minor league system. Cam Ward, Eric Stall, and yes, even Mike Commodore (Calgary shared affiliations with the Canes) came from the Lowell Lock Monsters. Can you imagine the Canes run without Cam Ward? I saw him get lit up in Lowell. Lit Up. It's bound to happen, and that was the place for it. I saw Commodore knock the stuffing out of Craig Thompson of the P-Bruins in one punch. (Know where Thompson was next season? Asst. Coach in Peoria.) They learned lessons there, and those lessons led to a Cup. Speaking of the P-Bruins, where do you think Tim Thomas or Hannu Toivonen came from? Where did Ryan Miller come from? Most wins with the Rochester Americans since Gerry Cheevers. The future of the Washington Capitals is being built in Hershey, PA, with the Calder Cup winning Bears. The list can go on and on.
Math time: Draft Picks = Longevity = Franchise. Better yet: Draft Picks = Trained Entry Level Contracts = Cap Space for UFAs. Place the right amount of importance on UFAs, and don't underestimate the true value of an RFA.
If you don't know anything about the minors, which is not too tough around these parts, go find out. Most of the teams are too far away from the average fan. Wild fans won't be going to Houston, TX on a whim, San Jose fans aren't hopping the vacation plane to Worcester, MA, and the Avs fans aren't going to Lowell, MA Albany, NY for this years new location for the AHL affiliate. But, there is hope for some. Flyers fans can skip a game to go across the parking lot to see the Phantoms, Blues fans can travel a scant 167 miles to see who will be the next goalie for the rotation, and Islanders fans can go see the cost savings of less repeat uniforms by taking a ferry, if they like. The East Coast has it better in this respect. If the Bruins need a call up, he can drive an hour from Providence, RI to Boston (avoiding the Big Dig, of course). Hell, it's only 2 hours from Hartford to the Rangers on a good day.
Go see who your new stars are. Buy their jerseys at the game, or, after the season, pick up a game worn for cheap. You can say you knew of them when. And you will be watching the best hockey of tomorrow right now.
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