Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Twofer
Word:
Pffft:
This would be defensible if we hadn't all observed Giordano come out of training camp as a legit NHL rookie last year, then outplay Zyuzin for the entire season, and still get scratched nearly every time there were 6 other healthy defenseman.
7 D on one-way contracts this season, plus Giordano. If you were him, would you think you'd play every day so long as you were one of the top six? Would you have confidence that you'd be handled based strictly on merit? If I were his agent, I would have advised him that by agreeing to a two-way deal, he'd be guaranteeing himself multiple trips back and forth to Moline, regardless of how good his camp was. Hey, you're signing a deal that treats you as the 8th defenseman -- why would you expect anything else?
Sutter's penchant for filling the roster with veterans over rookies, despite the fact the young players in question are a) cheaper and b) likely to outperform (or at least provide greater cap value than) the incumbent vet is proving to be a damaging strategy. The result is the draining of future assets as they bolt due to the perception that there is no room for them on the roster.
This is not an encouraging trend, to say the least.
Pffft:
"Basically, by the player [Giordano] not agreeing to terms with us ... it's saying that he didn't think he could play in the NHL this year." - GM Darryl Sutter
This would be defensible if we hadn't all observed Giordano come out of training camp as a legit NHL rookie last year, then outplay Zyuzin for the entire season, and still get scratched nearly every time there were 6 other healthy defenseman.
7 D on one-way contracts this season, plus Giordano. If you were him, would you think you'd play every day so long as you were one of the top six? Would you have confidence that you'd be handled based strictly on merit? If I were his agent, I would have advised him that by agreeing to a two-way deal, he'd be guaranteeing himself multiple trips back and forth to Moline, regardless of how good his camp was. Hey, you're signing a deal that treats you as the 8th defenseman -- why would you expect anything else?
# posted by Matt @ 9:28 pm 
Comments:
The trouble with Giordano's 'solution' to the problem of being the no. 7 defenseman with a two-way contract is the proposition of whether going to Russia improves a)his game and b)his contract status. It seems pretty clear that more ice time can't hurt, but whether thats going to translate as improving his NHL abilities is really debateable. If this is some kind of power move to force the Flames to move him, that seems weird too, because (correct me if I'm wrong dear readers) without a transfer agreement, Mark's 'time' in Russia isn't going to count towards the glorious day when he becomes an FA, is it? Does he have an out in his Russian contract? If the Flames suddenly have a couple of injuries can they get him back? I understand his frustration but I really wonder if he and his agent thought this all the way through.
Oh for Christs sake! More freakin' whining about Giordano.
I can't stand this anymore ... its a waste of the internet!
Get over it.
Oh for Christs sake! More freakin' whining about Giordano.
I can't stand this anymore ... its a waste of the internet!
Get over it.
The only "waste of the internet" around here is you.
This post is about Sutter's handling of young prospects in the Flames system, with the Giordano situation being indicative. Don't like the free content provided by Matt? Feel free to go piss off.
Sheezus.
I agree that it's a (very) open question as to whether Giordano's decision will help his NHL career or not. Some of his decision had to be out of frustration -- he thinks he's proved he should be an everyday player, and sees this as the only way it'll happen (and make some decent coin at the same time).
As to rights, the canada.com piece says that the Flames have his NHL rights for 3 more years. I'm relatively certain that *not signing* an RFA contract does not extend this time; this isn't the same thing as Yashin, where he held out in the middle of an existing contract.
The problem with Sutter's rhetoric -- "hey, if he had any balls, he'd come make the team" -- is that it hasn't been applied very evenly. The comparison with Hale is impossible to avoid. The Devils thought so highly of him that they gave him away for a slight improvement in mid-round draft position (and he was on a 2-way min. deal, so it was NOT a salary dump). Giordano was a better option in the playoffs. And yet, apparently he doesn't have to prove himself in the same way.
I'd be a lot more accepting of Sutter wanting to run his business Old School if I saw or understood the payoff. Right now, all I see is that the D corps is worse with Hale in the 6/7 slot than Giordano. I guess Sutter stuck to his guns, proved his point... but what's the upside? How does this benefit the team mid- to long-term? If young players are obligated to keep proving themselves more, then it necessarily follows that veterans are obligated to keep proving themselves less. Is this beneficial?
Also, why is it that Anonymous commenters always have the worst grammar and punctuation? (No offense to Comment #1, you're fine.) Do they post anonymously because they know their command of English is poor, and they're embarrassed by it, or is it simply that people who post anonymously are much more likely to be morons?
The trouble with Giordano's 'solution' to the problem of being the no. 7 defenseman with a two-way contract is the proposition of whether going to Russia improves a)his game and b)his contract status.
I think it's simpler than that. Gio had the choice of shuttling back and forth between Calgary and Moline and playing for a $90,000 salary most of the year OR playing in one place for a guaranteed $800,000.
In addition, Sutter's unwillingness to give Gio some at-bats despite his decent play last year speaks to an organizational bias that may prohibit him from ever getting a decent shot at making the roster. With such an uncertain future, the playing time in Calgary coupled with the exponential raise in Russia, the move was a no-brainer.
Post a Comment
<< Home
The trouble with Giordano's 'solution' to the problem of being the no. 7 defenseman with a two-way contract is the proposition of whether going to Russia improves a)his game and b)his contract status. It seems pretty clear that more ice time can't hurt, but whether thats going to translate as improving his NHL abilities is really debateable. If this is some kind of power move to force the Flames to move him, that seems weird too, because (correct me if I'm wrong dear readers) without a transfer agreement, Mark's 'time' in Russia isn't going to count towards the glorious day when he becomes an FA, is it? Does he have an out in his Russian contract? If the Flames suddenly have a couple of injuries can they get him back? I understand his frustration but I really wonder if he and his agent thought this all the way through.
# posted by 
: September 05, 2007 11:44 pm
: September 05, 2007 11:44 pm Oh for Christs sake! More freakin' whining about Giordano.
I can't stand this anymore ... its a waste of the internet!
Get over it.
# posted by : September 06, 2007 8:57 am
: September 06, 2007 8:57 am Oh for Christs sake! More freakin' whining about Giordano.
I can't stand this anymore ... its a waste of the internet!
Get over it.
The only "waste of the internet" around here is you.
This post is about Sutter's handling of young prospects in the Flames system, with the Giordano situation being indicative. Don't like the free content provided by Matt? Feel free to go piss off.
Sheezus.
I agree that it's a (very) open question as to whether Giordano's decision will help his NHL career or not. Some of his decision had to be out of frustration -- he thinks he's proved he should be an everyday player, and sees this as the only way it'll happen (and make some decent coin at the same time).
As to rights, the canada.com piece says that the Flames have his NHL rights for 3 more years. I'm relatively certain that *not signing* an RFA contract does not extend this time; this isn't the same thing as Yashin, where he held out in the middle of an existing contract.
The problem with Sutter's rhetoric -- "hey, if he had any balls, he'd come make the team" -- is that it hasn't been applied very evenly. The comparison with Hale is impossible to avoid. The Devils thought so highly of him that they gave him away for a slight improvement in mid-round draft position (and he was on a 2-way min. deal, so it was NOT a salary dump). Giordano was a better option in the playoffs. And yet, apparently he doesn't have to prove himself in the same way.
I'd be a lot more accepting of Sutter wanting to run his business Old School if I saw or understood the payoff. Right now, all I see is that the D corps is worse with Hale in the 6/7 slot than Giordano. I guess Sutter stuck to his guns, proved his point... but what's the upside? How does this benefit the team mid- to long-term? If young players are obligated to keep proving themselves more, then it necessarily follows that veterans are obligated to keep proving themselves less. Is this beneficial?
Also, why is it that Anonymous commenters always have the worst grammar and punctuation? (No offense to Comment #1, you're fine.) Do they post anonymously because they know their command of English is poor, and they're embarrassed by it, or is it simply that people who post anonymously are much more likely to be morons?
# posted by : September 06, 2007 9:41 am
: September 06, 2007 9:41 am The trouble with Giordano's 'solution' to the problem of being the no. 7 defenseman with a two-way contract is the proposition of whether going to Russia improves a)his game and b)his contract status.
I think it's simpler than that. Gio had the choice of shuttling back and forth between Calgary and Moline and playing for a $90,000 salary most of the year OR playing in one place for a guaranteed $800,000.
In addition, Sutter's unwillingness to give Gio some at-bats despite his decent play last year speaks to an organizational bias that may prohibit him from ever getting a decent shot at making the roster. With such an uncertain future, the playing time in Calgary coupled with the exponential raise in Russia, the move was a no-brainer.
Post a Comment
<< Home
