Forget the dekes, because once in a while a fourth liner can try some Midget AAA move that works for whatever reason...
Guerin can't move like that through the neutral zone with that speed.
I remember watching that play at a sports bar one Sunday afternoon. I believe my Jets were playing the Colts in the AFC title game that day...so close, so close...but I digress.
I wouldn't give him a NMC or NTC unless his cap-hit was Pen-tastic. IOW, if his legs go south in two years I don't want a guy who is a liability on both the ice and the balance sheet. Either way, it's a lot easier to make a "Whitney at ~$3M" decision than a "Superstar at $8 or $9M" decision.
"Shero: Can I speak to Kovy, please?
Kovalchuk: Is Kovy.
Shero: Ray Shero, Pittsburgh Penguins here.
Kovalchuk: I know.
Shero: Kovy, we wanna be in the Ilya Kovalchuk business.
Kovalchuk: I know.
Shero: We believe we have everything you need, right here. We have the ideal center for you. We have a captain to take the heat off you, and we have Stanley Cup pedigree for you. We also have a brand new arena. We would love to inaugurate it with a brand new superstar. What do you say.
Kovalchuk: How much?
Shero: We can probably go as high as $7 million annually, if you take a long-term deal.
Kovalchuk: Does Sidney hate Kovy?
Shero: Sid? No, not at all. Sid's ultra-competitive though so sometimes people may get the wrong idea.
Kovalchuk: Zhenya is happy?
Shero: When I told Geno we were going to make you a serious offer, he hung up the phone after a loud screaming noise. Is that a good thing?
Kovalchuk: Da.
Shero: So what do you say, Kovy?
Kovalchuk: Can I wear No. 17?
Shero: You would have to work that out with Michael Rupp.
Kovalchuk: Rupp...Rupp...is big dude no?
Shero: Yeah, he's a big guy but he is a great guy. He'd listen to you. So, do we have a deal, Kovy?
Kovalchuk: You want destroy Devils?
Shero: How did you guess? We're also talking to Paul Martin.
Kovalchuk: Martin. Good player. Not good Prime Minister of Canada."
"Shero: Can I speak to Kovy, please?
Kovalchuk: Is Kovy.
Shero: Ray Shero, Pittsburgh Penguins here.
Kovalchuk: I know.
Shero: Kovy, we wanna be in the Ilya Kovalchuk business.
Kovalchuk: I know.
Shero: We believe we have everything you need, right here. We have the ideal center for you. We have a captain to take the heat off you, and we have Stanley Cup pedigree for you. We also have a brand new arena. We would love to inaugurate it with a brand new superstar. What do you say.
Kovalchuk: How much?
Shero: We can probably go as high as $7 million annually, if you take a long-term deal.
Kovalchuk: Does Sidney hate Kovy?
Shero: Sid? No, not at all. Sid's ultra-competitive though so sometimes people may get the wrong idea.
Kovalchuk: Zhenya is happy?
Shero: When I told Geno we were going to make you a serious offer, he hung up the phone after a loud screaming noise. Is that a good thing?
Kovalchuk: Da.
Shero: So what do you say, Kovy?
Kovalchuk: Can I wear No. 17?
Shero: You would have to work that out with Michael Rupp.
Kovalchuk: Rupp...Rupp...is big dude no?
Shero: Yeah, he's a big guy but he is a great guy. He'd listen to you. So, do we have a deal, Kovy?
Kovalchuk: You want destroy Devils?
Shero: How did you guess? We're also talking to Paul Martin.
Kovalchuk: Martin. Good player. Not good Prime Minister of Canada."
See Zip, it wouldn't be that hard.
This whole business about complicated decisions and negotiations is clearly overblown. I am a believer. Home town discount to play with Zhenya and Sid who doesn't hate!
No kidding. They don't call Whitney "The Wizard" because he's incredibly slow, can't process the game well, and fumbles and bumbles the puck every time he's within 3 feet of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WVP
So many or just Jags? (no offense Jags)
Seems to me there were a fair amount suggesting it, but that could've just been Jags a bunch of times.
Let's get down to the nitty-gritty here. If Whitney's camp wants a NTC or NMC, do you give him one? If they insist on three years, do you give in? If they want more than $3 million, how high are you willing to go?
It's easy to jot him into our lineup, but it's a lot harder to make these uber-tough decisions.
For the record, I'd go as high as 2 years, $6 million...no NTC or NMC of any kind. I guess he's older than 35 so the NMC is not a factor I guess. Still, my point stands.
I'm 100% on board with your contract offer here. You won't get any better deal in terms of talent per dollar than this to help out our desperate winger situation. I mean we're all penciling Dupuis into the top six now without a second thought! What would we have all said about that last year during the offseason?
I think this one is really difficult. There's certainly a lot of things to like about Whitney, except for the fact that he is 38 years old - with the consequences that has.
Once a forward loses a step... no less so the smallish ones... their efficiency takes a big hit, and it is quite hard to think of comparable players who just kept on trucking until they were 40, I think.
On something completely different, if Whitney is our guy on the left half-wall, where he is ace, don't we look like a team with no net presence? Because Malkin would be on the right and Crosby would be down low. There's little Sid cannot do, but an ideal guy for screening goalies on the PP, that he is not.
Imagine the orgy of gibberish that would be spewed forth by Steigy in the last year of his contract, in an attempt to impressive the media executives.
"... Geno, back to Kovalchuk, he shoots... SCORRRES... holy cow Bob did you see that powerful wrist action by Ilya Kovalchuk?! Arguably the greatest shot in NHL history, Bob... wow that was something. I think I need to use the restroom and soak up some of this fluid in my shorts Bob... better than Luca Caputi!"
Imagine the orgy of gibberish that would be spewed forth by Steigy in the last year of his contract, in an attempt to impressive the media executives.
"... Geno, back to Kovalchuk, he shoots... SCORRRES... holy cow Bob did you see that powerful wrist action by Ilya Kovalchuk?! Arguably the greatest shot in NHL history, Bob... wow that was something. I think I need to use the restroom and soak up some of this fluid in my shorts Bob... better than Luca Caputi!"
"Come on, Steigy. It's the water. The FIJI Water, Steigy. That's why his wrists are so powerful. The Water!"
I'd like to see us offer a middling prospect for his negotiating rights. Whitney - like no other reasonably-priced UFA winger - could be an answer to so many of our issues right now.
I'd like to see us offer a middling prospect for his negotiating rights. Whitney - like no other reasonably-priced UFA winger - could be an answer to so many of our issues right now.
Yeah, I can't see many people being willing to do that around here, but I would without question look into it. We need him that bad.
I'd like to see us offer a middling prospect for his negotiating rights. Whitney - like no other reasonably-priced UFA winger - could be an answer to so many of our issues right now.
I'd like to see us pick up his rights too, I'd offer the rights to Eaton & Poni or something in that regard before I give up a prospect. But if we had to I'd add someone like Wallace to the mix, I wouldn't add much more.
