and you guys that think hemsky is an option-what makes you think the oil will deal w/ us after the cole fiasco there? not going to happen! i'm sure we are far down their list of trading partners! though a player of hemskys skill is exactly what we need--our current skill level is pathetic! my bet w/ JR's history he will ship boychuk or/and bowman to the kings for jwill! remember you heard it here first!
We've already made another trade with them since then (Riley Nash for a 2nd)...
Pretty much the quote we will be hearing in the second week of the season when talking about Chad LaRose gunning for his average amount of goals a year.
Cole article from this morning's paper with some insight into how things happened on Friday.
Quote:
On Friday, as free agency began, Cole said the Hurricanes and the Canadiens initially offered three-year contracts.
"Carolina's was for $11 million and Montreal for $12 million," Cole said.
Had the offers stayed roughly the same, Cole said, "I think I'd still be a Hurricane. I said all along I would listen to offers. All things being equal, we were definitely going to stay. I had talked to Paul (Maurice) about that.
"Deep down, my wife hoped at the end point Carolina would come through with the same thing and we'd stay. That didn't happen."
Montreal upped the ante. As Rutherford put it, "The numbers started to skyrocket."
Montreal was willing to add a fourth year and go to $18 million, with a no-trade clause. Carolina could not match that.
__________________
Not for everyone . . . for madmen only.
Over at 99.9's studios, it seems the Adam Gold suicide watch intensifies. I caught the last 10 minutes or so of the program where he insisted, against al logic and the very definition of what "negotiations" are, that the entire problem lay at Rutherford's feet because if the 3 year, $11M package we offered was our best offer, we should have opened with that prior to free agency beginning and compared it to buying a home at a bank sale when it's in foreclosure where you have to give your best offer. He also stated that no fan minds when you overpay for your player, but it's another matter when you overpay for somebody else's.
Dear Adam,
In no negotiation I've ever been a part of does one open with their best offer. The whole point of the negotiation is that you want to secure a desired good, no matter what that good is (a knicknack on eBay, a car, a house, a hockey player) at as low a cost to you as possible. While you may have a maximum amount you're willing to pay you never open with that - you always open with something lower and then bargain upwards until you get, to a price you'd like to pay and that the seller is willing to part with that good for. Starting with higher bid just inflates the price of that good!
Further your comparison to a short sale is ludicrous - in that example the seller wants to part with an item that they know they'll know they'll lose money on for as much money as possible in order to reduce their losses. It's the other way around where a player wants to hold out for as long as reasonably possible in order to get the best deal possible, especially in as thin a free agent market as this year's is.
I realize Gold has his mancrush on Cole. I had one too - both the wife and I have autographed Cole jerseys in our collections. I bear no ill will to Erik because he got a nice, fat contract that I'm glad he didn't get from us - given that contract term. Adam's continued pissing and moaning about it, however, is getting old. It's a business transaction, not some personal rejection. Leave it at that and moe on.
Gold is becoming an absolute joke. And his partner even points out that it's happening. But alas Gold runs the place so he can act as childish and illogical as he wishes
I am very happy with the signing and the contract. Cole rounds out the top 6 perfectly and we finally have a player who plays the powerforward role and brings real leadership. Cole used to kill us all the time, hopefully Pleks can be the centre that gets him into the 30goal range again
If we can move Gomez next year we will still have a pile of cap room after signing everyone.
So Cole with Staal as his center, given ample PP time, couldn't reach the 30 goal range. But Cole with Pleks as his center, given far less PP time, can?
So Cole with Staal as his center, given ample PP time, couldn't reach the 30 goal range. But Cole with Pleks as his center, given far less PP time, can?
I would be pleasantly surprised for Montreal if he hits 20. No hate at all in my heart when I say that. So many things went right for Cole last year that usually don't go right.
Cole had 3 powerplay goals last year, with one of those being an empty netter. Two powerplay goals in 41 games the year before. Five powerplay goals in 80 games the year before that.
On a team that has a good powerplay every year, they aren't going to waste time forcefeeding Cole gobs of PP time so he can score 10 powerplay points over a full season. It took about five games before Edmonton realized he completely blows on the PP before they took him off the first unit.
That means about 25-28 ES goals a year to hit 30. Cole had his best season in years last year and had 22 ES goals in 82 games. Not happening.
Cole had 3 powerplay goals last year, with one of those being an empty netter. Two powerplay goals in 41 games the year before. Five powerplay goals in 80 games the year before that.
On a team that has a good powerplay every year, they aren't going to waste time forcefeeding Cole gobs of PP time so he can score 10 powerplay points over a full season. It took about five games before Edmonton realized he completely blows on the PP before they took him off the first unit.
That means about 25-28 ES goals a year to hit 30. Cole had his best season in years last year and had 22 ES goals in 82 games. Not happening.
This is what make it a great signing for the Habs, we can't score 5on5, our power-play is always top 10. And to be honest, Most Habs fans expect just 20-25 goals, 45-50 points with 180-200 hits from Cole, and I think his presence is going to improve the numbers of Pleck and Cammy for us.
Yeah I don't get it either. Apparently he tried to make a deal with Gorges for 26, via Gionta but but Gionta never got back to him (which implied the number was non-negotiable) http://www.cjad.com/Blog/HabsNews/bl...tryID=10260200. Apparently 72 was his number when he played Junior B hockey
