I have been thinking about this, pouring over other blogs, listened to both sides of the debate, and I still don't get it. What did Bobby Clarke do that was so bad?
From NHL.com, because I shouldn't have to type it:
Facing the impending retirement of captain Keith Primeau later this week, the Philadelphia Flyers have moved to find a replacement, offering Group II restricted free agent Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks to a one-year offer sheet.
The Canucks can now match the offer from Philadelphia or accept a second-round draft pick in compensation.
So, let me see if I understand. Clarke, who is looking for a player, sends an offer sheet to an RFA, which the RFA signs (accepts, whatever), and now the Canucks have to match the offer, or get a second round draft pick in return. Yep, still not seeing it. Let me try to logic this thing out.
The Canucks do not sign an RFA, another team offers more money for him, and so everyone is pissed off, and all of it is legal within the CBA. Still don't get it. Hang on, let me give this another try.
Bobby Clarke offers a 10 goal scorer a lot of money to come to his team, which is still under the salary cap. Everyone gets pissed. Nope.
Look, this is hockey business. If the Canucks are so hot on this guy that they will match an offer of $1.9 million, why did they only offer him a minimum qualifying offer of $564,000, instead of getting him locked up for a little more? Is everyone pissed because it's too much money for a 10 goal scorer? Then they should let him go. It's Clarke's money, and he is allowed to spend it as he sees fit. Or is it because the Canucks are too close to the salary cap? Then they should have made a few other deals less expensive.
Seriously, folks, let's get a grip. The pundit's are talking about salary inflation like it's 2002. We have a cap for a reason. If Clarke uses the cap to wrestle away a player left dangling, good for him. Maybe that is what it will take to get other teams to spend responsibly. If they can't spend within limits to get players signed, they can lose them. That's life. This is no more stupid than the ridiculous waiver system the NHL has in place. That is stupid. Go bitch about that.
What this should do is teach teams the importance of RFA's. They are your new mainstay, ones you CAN keep, if you want to. I feel a post coming up about that, which will delay my Red Wings ranting. Just a few more days, and then, oh, yes...
BTW: About a month ago, I typed up a post I never put up. It had to do with two players and what team should go for them. I never put it up, and today, half of that post was fulfilled. I'm not going to say who or what, because that would sound like I was either making it up, or like I wanted to be right more than just being in the conversation. This is what I learned: with a hockey blog, it is better to just stick your neck out there, and occasionally get it chopped off, as opposed to just shutting up because you may be wrong, or it may sound dumb. I don't know everything about the game, but I learn more by sticking my neck out than by just thinking about it. So endeth the lesson.
1 comment:
RC - here are my questions.
If the Canucks are not willing to lose Kesler, and know he can be taken, why not lock him up earlier?
If Clarke is going to play schoolyard bully, why play it with the Canucks? Why not do it where it is usefull to him (Devils, any NY team, or anywhere in the East)?
Is he bitching that the Wild got Johnson or that he is paying Minnesota to do it (revenue sharing)?
If he wants Kesler, he is going to manuver to get him. And the only way is to play the cap against the Canucks, who have spent some big money elsewhere on their team. They did put themselves in this position, with having a cheap RFA this close to camp. I think Clarke had every chance to get him. He may still. That's the position the Canucks are in, and they put themselves there. If Clarke were really smart, he would have done the same to Marek Svatos.
A serious question: Would it have made a difference if it were another GM doing it? If it were Bob Gainey, or Giguere?
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