Question: Are the Sens right to give Havlat a 24-hour "sign or sit" ultimatum?
I think this could really backfire on the Sens if Muckler sticks to his guns. When they played hardball with Yashin he had already peaked; they got more for him then than, say, the Islanders would get for him now. These next two years are supposed to be the bargain years with Havlat. Even if they give him what he wants (about 2.5 a year, up from the 1.9 they offered) that's a great bargain for what they're likely to get. Havlat is still on the way up, and while his next contract (barring big changes in the new CBA) will likely be too rich for the impoverished Sens, this one surely isn't. I find it ridiculous that a team who was one goal away from going to the Stanley Cup final last year is going to let a rising star the calibre of Havlat sit out rather than play for the sake of saving a couple hundred thousand bucks a season. If I'm a Sens fan I'd be colossally pissed right about now. This isn't Yashin, who I think they were right to let sit. Havlat should get paid and he should play.
Then again, I'm a Flyers fan, and a weakened Sens team is certainly in my best interest. If they're stupid enough to keep Havlat off the ice, it doesn't really hurt me.
I went to a Sens practice a year ago and Havlat is probably the fastest guy I have ever seen on the ice. I have never seen a player move with the speed and grace he does (sans Gretzky)
I really believe he will end up to be one of the top 10 players in the NHL and the Sens are on crack not to have this guy under contract.
Why would you pay Havlat the same money that Marian Hossa is getting....doesn't seem fair to me.
You pay Havlat what he wants you open up a can of worms that noboby wants to have open.
"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named 'Bush', 'Dick', and 'Colon. Need I say more?"
Here's another can of worms you don't want opened....you've got a new billionaire owner that is supposed to be the financial saviour of the franchise, but the first time something comes up where money is an issue the team goes cheap and lets the player go home. That's a fine message to send your fans.
Havlat just signed today, terms of the deal were not given. Click here (TSN.CA) Ottawa is truely stacked now. If only my Canucks could resign Bertuzzi....