Maybe Harry Sinden Was Right After All

Hey Peeps and anyone else checking in. A special "Hey" goes out to Hazel Mae.

I don't know about you - but I'm lovin' what the new NHL is doing to some of the league's biggest whiners. In the vain of be careful what you wish for because you just might get it, I present the case of the Buffalo Sabres. Over the past few years Sabres management cried about not being able to compete with big speading teams in the NHL - the Sabres went to arbitration with forward Daniel Briere and lost, meaning that in order to keep Briere they will have to pay him $5M for the upcoming season. The New Jersey Devils suffered the same fate when they went to arbitration with Scott Gomez - $5M per season to keep him.

Briere and Gomez are both good players - no question, but to commit 12% of your payroll to either of them? In the case of Gomez, the Devils just signed Patrik Elias to a huge contract - and overpaid for Colin White...throw in Martin Brodeur's contract and you have a lot of money already committed. I don't know how they are going to sign Gomez - it will be interesting.

There was a theory that winning the Stanley Cup never fit into Harry Sinden's business model. The theory went that in order to maximize profits, Sinden's team needed to make it to the second round of the playoffs, that way the team could collect five or six home gates (pure profit) and not have to deal with players looking for a raise based on the team's performance.

Daniel Briere is a good player, a very good player, but is he a $5M/year player? I don't think so - I'm sure his playoff performance was a factor in the decision to award him that big contract. In a situation that would have made Harry cringe - the Sabres are going to have to pay a player big money, for what amounts to nothing. The home gates the Sabres had during this playoff run will undoubtedly be eaten up by Briere's contract and others yet to be signed. I guess Harry had it right all those years ago.

Have a great one peeps.

HAZEL'S WEDNESDAY HOROSCOPE
You'll have everything set to go but that doesn't mean the people closest to you will agree with what you are doing. Doing things with children or your peers may be fun but costly. Consider a professional change. 5 stars

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

Song of the Day on Hazelspeeps - for the new NHL

Money - Pink Floyd

Peesth Out...Buh Bye!