You want a ****ing quote? Are you serious? You think any player that is under contract with another team says "I want to play for X"
Reality check. Doesn't happen.
Yet, reliable media outlets have printed that, through sources, Gaborik wants to play in LA. If I recall, Vancouver was also on that list.
It isn't in quotes, so it must not be true...give me a ****ing break.
So give me a link to these "reliable media outlets"
Otherwise, it's all ********. He's never once said he was interested in playing in Los Angeles, in any way, shape, or form. a MPLS beat writer for the Star Tribune that was NOT Russo said that Gabby had a quote where he said LA was a good up and coming team. Everyone would said that. It only translates into OMFG HE WANTS TO PLAY HERE in the mind of a moron.
7.5 is a million too much for Gaborik plus its for 5 years.... a bit to long...if the cap hit would be lower I would say the years are ok... but thats too long...
Note to everyone....free agents get paid lots of money....to think that a top tier free agnet is going to take less money to play in Los Angeles is just retarded.
He did? He handed out a HUGE contract to Kopitar before Kopitar had proven much.
Cammy had shown just as much as Kopitar and he let Cammy walk
He handed out a huge contract to Lubo after many years of excellent service. Lubo had one off season and Lubo was gone.
He handed out a huge contract to Zeus, after he was coming off a serious injury and before he saw Zeus play a single game coming off the injury
He handed out to Blake a monster Hossa / Heatley / Gaborik contract after Blake said "**** you" to the team, tore off a C, left and was at the tail end of his career.
You want me to keep going?
Facts are stubborn things.
Here's some more facts for you:
1) I already said that Lombardi's #1 job is to identify the young players that he wants to keep and sign to big money, long term deals. He had a whole year to get to know Kopitar, judge his talent and character, and he pulled the trigger. If Kopitar doesn't pan out, that's a major mistake by Dean.
Are you ready to evaluate the Kopitar deal already?
2) Cammalleri / Shmammalleri, I'm not going to flog that dead horse again.
3) He made a tactical error with Lubo. Fortunately he was able to correct the mistake without it turning into a strategic error. Lubo crapped the bed so bad his last season here there was no way Dean could stick with him. We got two good players in return.
4) I don't think the Handzus contract was huge. Four years and $16M makes him a little overpaid. The guy is a warrior and works his tail off. He is the epitome of a bridge player, and guys like Simmonds are learning a lot by playing with him.
5) Yeah, I wasn't happy about the Blake deal either. Another short term tactical error. That had Leiweke's fingerprints all over it and I didn't like it at all. By the time it was over you know Dean was hating it too.
You don't need to keep going, how are my "facts", or are they really just opinions.
And now RDS.ca is reporting Gionta's getting 5 years, 25 mil from Montreal. All I can say is thanks for the years of great service, best of luck, and I certainly don't blame you for taking that deal.
As long as Gaborik didn't have a NMC/NTC I don't see why Lombardi couldn't match that. Could hide his contract in minors if he's injured severely. If you need to trade him for cap space, you'll always find someone take him on (see Gomez, ahahaha).
No one else was missing, . . . 'cept of course the Jack of Hearts.
This sucks and no amount of apologista justification can cover up our lack of action at all today.
I can't wait to hear DL say we just could'nt offer him that much or for that long. We might lose (insert name of unproven prospect).
Why does he have to justify anything? Maybe he offered Gaborik the exact same deal and he chose NY over LA? Ever thinkn of that? Jeez you guys, think before you post....
And now RDS.ca is reporting Gionta's getting 5 years, 25 mil from Montreal. All I can say is thanks for the years of great service, best of luck, and I certainly don't blame you for taking that deal.
Wait...how are the Canadiens, the Rangers and the Blackhawks signing all of these players? They are all in Cap Hell and the Kings have more cap room then all of them.....
First really retarded deal of the day, that Gionta one.
As for Handzus..
Pahlsson for 2.65 million to a playoff team
Handzus for 4 million to what at the time was the worst roster in the NHL probably after having not played more than a handful of games that year (and we still suck)
This is what we're up against when it comes to the free agent pool.
Its going to be like the Lollipop Guild out there.
