Why has Comries trade value dropped?

I am wondering why everone is saying Comrie's trade value is dropping with the hold out. He is a 23 year old center that has scored 33 and 20 goal seasons in a row and the second year he had a broken hand. He has proven to be immensly clutch for the Oilers, he pretty much dragged them down the stretch by himself in 2002. Havlat, Dupuis, and Gaborik are all holding out too and you don't hear how their value is dropping. I am just wondering if anyone can explain this to me.

Much thx..

i think the only thing that could possibly hinder his trade value is the actual figure he's asking for.. it'd mean different things for different clubs.. if a club can add his new salary to payroll, his value shouldn't drop whatsoever, and i'm sure there are several teams that are probably interested, and capable...

i just really believe lowe wants to sign him...

Because he's a hold out, of course. Think about it from a bargaining standpoint: it's a slightly weaker position he puts Edmonton in -- they are clearly less competitive without him, if only a little. He's also asking for a lot of money (well, not huge, but it's all relative).

i think the only thing that could possibly hinder his trade value is the actual figure he's asking for.. it'd mean different things for different clubs.. if a club can add his new salary to payroll, his value shouldn't drop whatsoever, and i'm sure there are several teams that are probably interested, and capable...

i just really believe lowe wants to sign him...
Actually it was reported today that Lowe is taking offers from several teams(r u psychic or just snooping in our forums?) and I think it is in Lowes best interests to sign Comrie then try to make a deal so a team would know what they are dealing with in terms of salary as there has been numerous rumours about him asking for huge sums of money.

Actually it was reported today that Lowe is taking offers from several teams(r u psychic or just snooping in our forums?) and I think it is in Lowes best interests to sign Comrie then try to make a deal so a team would know what they are dealing with in terms of salary as there has been numerous rumours about him asking for huge sums of money.

teams can talk with Comrie's agent while working a deal out with Lowe (comrie's a free agent), they'll have a good idea before they make the trade. In fact they'd probably argee to terms with Comrie before cementing the trade itself with EDM.

teams can talk with Comrie's agent while working a deal out with Lowe (comrie's a free agent), they'll have a good idea before they make the trade. In fact they'd probably argee to terms with Comrie before cementing the trade itself with EDM.
that's true Doug Weight had a fat contract just waiting for him before he even got on a plane to St.Louis, actually if I recall the terms of the contract were given within an hour of the trade being announced.

Actually it was reported today that Lowe is taking offers from several teams(r u psychic or just snooping in our forums?) and I think it is in Lowes best interests to sign Comrie then try to make a deal so a team would know what they are dealing with in terms of salary as there has been numerous rumours about him asking for huge sums of money.

i snoop :)

I'm somewhat doubtful that Comries trade value has taken a measurable drop.The same can be said about Havlat and Gaborik as well.This isnt a case of a signed player refusing to honor his contractual obligations,which IMO is a red flag to gms.Also this hasn't turned into a pissing match being waged through the media,and thats in both party's best interest.I really doubt any serious trading partners have backed off on account of his inability to reach an agreement with the oilers.If he's asking for truckloads of money to sign with anyone,he could be a hard guy to move period nevermind getting a reasonable return.But all dollar amounts i've heard have been speculations,i have yet to hear either Walsh or Lowe name a specific amount.

I am wondering why everone is saying Comrie's trade value is dropping with the hold out. He is a 23 year old center that has scored 33 and 20 goal seasons in a row and the second year he had a broken hand. He has proven to be immensly clutch for the Oilers, he pretty much dragged them down the stretch by himself in 2002. Havlat, Dupuis, and Gaborik are all holding out too and you don't hear how their value is dropping. I am just wondering if anyone can explain this to me.

Much thx..
Because he demanded a trade.

I'm not so sure his trade value was ever all that high in the first place.

1) how many teams would use Comrie as their #1 centre,i think he would be #2 on most teams because of his size.

2) 5'9 players wanting 3+ mil a year better show major durability over quite a few years,fact is these type players get hurt alot.

3) and of course every GM knows the rumor about Comrie and his attitude with his teammates...they would want that rumor to be proved false before even looking at him.

I am wondering why everone is saying Comrie's trade value is dropping with the hold out. He is a 23 year old center that has scored 33 and 20 goal seasons in a row and the second year he had a broken hand. He has proven to be immensly clutch for the Oilers, he pretty much dragged them down the stretch by himself in 2002. Havlat, Dupuis, and Gaborik are all holding out too and you don't hear how their value is dropping. I am just wondering if anyone can explain this to me.

Much thx..


I think it's down for a few reasons.

1.Teams tightening their belts financially,getting ready for a cap.How many want to add a $2m-$4m a yr salary?

2.Comries's size.He's what 5'9 or 5'10.

Comrie's trade value is lower than what a lot of Edmonton fans feel it should be. It is somewhat related to his holdout, but it's a bit more complex than that I feel.

Edmonton has a long history of trading players that no longer fit their salary structure, so at first glance, you would think that Edmonton shouldn't have too much problem dealing from this position, since they've done it before. The problem is the age and status of Comrie. Usually, the Oil trade guys who are nearing UFA for a guy who is about the same age as Comrie. This puts them in a bind, because by demanding a trade, he limits the teams options.

Comrie is a talented NHL player. There's no denying that. His 33 goals in a season are impressive. His age and experience seem to indicate that he will only get better as well. Now we have to look at who is willing to trade him.

It's easy to say that every team would want a player like him, because of his talent and upside, but very few are willing to pay any significant price to get him. Any team that is already small down the middle will be a little weary. If they do have a need for a very talented, yet smaller centre, you then need to look at where these teams are in their team development.

Teams that are contenders right now do not want to weaken their current roster. Therefore, they will only move younger prospects or a player or players similar in age, but less skilled. Teams in this situation that do need a center will also have the option to go after more expensive players with respect to salary, but will cost them less in trade assets.

Teams that are rebuilding would want him, however, they usually do not want to part with their younger, cheaper players which a team like Edmonton needs. They usually want to move their older, more expensive players. Edmonton is not looking for that though. These rebuilding teams would consider moving some prospects to land Comrie, but his high salary demands probably turn them off.

As for the comparison with Gaborik and Havlat, the situations are a little different. The Comrie situation seems to have escalated to a point that the other two negotiations have not reached. He is reported unhappy with playing in Edmonton in general, and wants out. The other two situations seem to be based more on money at this point.

The Gaborik situation is a little different as well, since he is a notch above Havlat and Comrie in my opinion. If he was moved, many of the rebuilding teams would be willing to move more with respect to prospects and younger players to land him than they would Comrie. He's a rarer commodity, and if he hit the market, there would be more interest.

The Havlat situation also differs because Ottawa is gunning for a cup, and has the salary room to take on an older player. If the Havlat situation deteriorates, Ottawa will have more trade options.

I hope that Edmonton does reach a resolution with Comrie, since I do not see enough of a market for his services. I think Edmonton will be a much better team if they can resolve these issues with Comrie. If they don't, I recommend that remain patient, and hope that some team has injury problems. Even still, they will need to embrace the fact that if they do trade Comrie, that the team will be weaker because of it.

Part of it has to do with the fact that so few teams are willing to take on any salary right now. The looming CBA crisis does not help out Edmonton. It also hurts Edmonton that they would be looking for low cost high value components, at a time when most teams view them as an important commodity.

A team like the Rangers or Red Wings would have many more options when it comes to moving a player like Comrie.

I am wondering why everone is saying Comrie's trade value is dropping with the hold out. He is a 23 year old center that has scored 33 and 20 goal seasons in a row and the second year he had a broken hand. He has proven to be immensly clutch for the Oilers, he pretty much dragged them down the stretch by himself in 2002. Havlat, Dupuis, and Gaborik are all holding out too and you don't hear how their value is dropping. I am just wondering if anyone can explain this to me.


It's quite simple, actually... Mike Comrie is the player of the aforementioned that is actually on trade block.

None of Gaborik, Dupuis or Havlat have either requested to be traded, or had the club they are negotiating with open up the trade avenue. In their cases, their club fully intended to (eventually) resign them.

In Comrie's case, from both sides of the equation, all indications are that his Oiler days are finished.

A player with a contract demand deemed to be out of whack with his performance will see his value drop. Additionally, a situation where a team is forced to trade a player his value will drop. When the team you are talking trade with knows that you have a key player NOT IN YOUR LINEUP, they know, to some degree, you are over a barrel to get that player dealt and get some assets back that you can put in your lineup.

This situation is made worse in Edmonton, where a playoff berth is precarious, and the money from said berth is vital. They simply cannot afford to wait until January to find the best deal for Comrie. They need to get something usuable back, and in the lineup, quickly.

All of these circumstances add up to his value dropping because no team, knowing that the Oilers are in this bind, are going to help them out by offering up fair value.

None of Gaborik, Dupuis or Havlat have either requested to be traded, or had the club they are negotiating with open up the trade avenue. In their cases, their club fully intended to (eventually) resign them.


I fail to see how a GM listening to offers from other clubs lowers a player's trade value.

But I think this year, Lowe can afford to let this run as long as possible in order to do what he's done since he got here - make the team as good as he possibly can for life with a new CBA.

Whether Comrie's playing or not, he's still an asset with value, and Lowe is only going to trade him if he thinks he's getting full value back. He might not sacrifice Comrie for something less just because of this one season. Out of the next 5 seasons for the Oilers, this appears to be the least important one.

These are my choices for conclusions to the Comrie situation (in order of preference):

1) Signed (but not at any cost - a reasonable amount)
2) Traded for full value
3) Sat out until one of #1 or #2 happens.

Comrie's value has not dropped. He's 23, has a world of potential, has already accomplished a whole hell of a lot for his age and, most importantly, he's got no arbitration/bargaining rights. Unless Edmonton loses 15 of it's first 20 games, Comrie doesn't have a leg to stand on. Lowe will wait for him to "come around" or until a highly enticing offer is set in his lap.

...no worries.

I don't think it has dropped. At this site, there have been some "interesting" proposals that have been beat to death. In the real world, maybe those proposals haven't been discussed yet. Maybe lowe and detroit are just starting to talk about a fischer deal (this is just an example).

I am wondering why everone is saying Comrie's trade value is dropping with the hold out. He is a 23 year old center that has scored 33 and 20 goal seasons in a row and the second year he had a broken hand. He has proven to be immensly clutch for the Oilers, he pretty much dragged them down the stretch by himself in 2002. Havlat, Dupuis, and Gaborik are all holding out too and you don't hear how their value is dropping. I am just wondering if anyone can explain this to me.

Much thx..

There is a feeling that Comrie/Oilers wants to be traded. In the other three cases there is no real indication that either the player or the team wants a trade.

So, wanting a trade in this situation will lead to dimished value. If Comrie signs a contract and then gets traded, Oilers should get full value. The reason why a holdout doesn't have full value is that the ones who trade for him has to enter contract negotiations with him, and seeing as he was a holdout with his previous team it might prove to be a headache, thus they need a big rebate on the actual trade, for taking on a potential headache.

And the drop in value shouldn't be exaggerated. If his salary demands are somewhat reasonable for a player of his age and skill, Edmonton should get 95% of his full value, perhaps even more. It's not like we will see a Tucker for Comrie trade or anything. There are so many factors to a trade. Him holding out is a small factor that might affect what Edmonton get for him.

There is a feeling that Comrie/Oilers wants to be traded. In the other three cases there is no real indication that either the player or the team wants a trade.

So, wanting a trade in this situation will lead to dimished value. If Comrie signs a contract and then gets traded, Oilers should get full value. The reason why a holdout doesn't have full value is that the ones who trade for him has to enter contract negotiations with him, and seeing as he was a holdout with his previous team it might prove to be a headache, thus they need a big rebate on the actual trade, for taking on a potential headache.

And the drop in value shouldn't be exaggerated. If his salary demands are somewhat reasonable for a player of his age and skill, Edmonton should get 95% of his full value, perhaps even more. It's not like we will see a Tucker for Comrie trade or anything. There are so many factors to a trade. Him holding out is a small factor that might affect what Edmonton get for him.

The indication has been clear....if a wife asks a husband "Does my ass look fat in these pants?" she will get a clearer answer than the media gets from Comrie when asked if he still wants to be an Oiler.

Here is my post on the Oilers board....

If anyone caught the Gene Principe scoop interview on Sportsnet this morning, my powers of deductive reasoning have a fairly clear picture of where things were, are and will be when it comes to the Comrie situation.

*Gene*
Mike, do you think that a contract will be done soon so you can come back to the Oilers?

*Mike*
Well, Gene, we've decided that the discussions are going to be kept silent between Kevin Lowe and Winter.


*Gene*
Do you still want to remain an Oiler?

*Mike*
Well, like I said, the business side is between Kevin and my agent and my job is to prepare myself and hopefully I will be back in the NHL soon.

The tone again is not to be an Oiler but to be playing soon. Everything this guy says comes down to one thing. I want to play but I am not going to tell you that I want to be an Oiler.

I haven't seen anyone directly say it but the negotiations have got to be....

Mike doesn't want to play here. Mike has asked Winter to ask Lowe to move him. Lowe obviously says that Mike is a great player and has a lot of value and unless he gets that value, Mike isn't going anywhere. Lowe probably has a predecided figure that has been stated to Mike and Winter and regardless of that dollar amount, Mike won't sign until he and Winter are confident that Lowe explored every reasonable possibility of Mike going elsewhere.(I don't think that Mike's contract is an issue here at all.)

All the doublespeak from Comrie is only a safety net that if a month or two down the road there still is nothing materializing on the trade front then he will have to bite the bullet and come back to Edmonton.(Obviously concerned about fan backlash.)

The way Mike Comrie carefully chose his words in the interview he did everything in his power not to lie and say he loves it here and wants to be an Oiler. He also has enough respect to not say it sucks playing in your hometown and have people ragging on you all the time.

Regardless of the outcome I have 1000 times more respect for Mike Comrie than I ever will for a guy like Curtis Joseph.(who did the opposite of Mike) He is handling this as well as anyone possibly could.

Whatever happens I wish him well.

I think that this argument on Comrie's trade value depends on whether you think trade value is what's being offered for him, or what he will be moved for.

While other GM's might be trying to lowball KLo, because they know MC wants out of Edmonton, KLo will not be moving Comrie for less than he's worth, no matter how long it takes...

This means that Comrie's trade value hasn't diminished, but that other GM's haven't offered anything worth moving Mike yet.

I think that this argument on Comrie's trade value depends on whether you think trade value is what's being offered for him, or what he will be moved for.

The Value is what you get in the final deal. What another team is willing to offer and what you are willing to accept are two different things. It is usually a compromise (think of buying a house).

Seller may want 150K but you may be willing to pay 130K. Depending on the situation (legnth of time on market, financial situation, number of other offers, etc...). The seller may be stuck w/ 130K or 160K if there are a lot of offers and will inflate the value.

Right now, Comrie is an asset (as are all players/employees) that isn't being used. The longer he holds out, the lower his value becomes because this asset will not increase in value as it sits and because of his importance to the Oilers. Lets face it, if the Oilers stink up the first couple of months (a possibility if he is as good as the Oiler fans believe) and they still haven't signed this guy, pressure will increase to move him and get some help.