FanHouse NHL Contracts

Robert "Bobby" Holik is known for two things: (1) Being a hard-nosed defensive center in the mold of Joel Otto, and (2) being one of the most overpaid players in NHL history.

It speaks to the stupidity and desperation for SIZE that certain NHL GM's were convinced to part with mega millions for a 2nd-3rd line center just because he was 6'4" 230lbs. Never mind the fact that the guy had only three seasons where he put up more than 60 points, and never put up a 30-goal season, Holik somehow managed to earn more money than most small countries, as we can see in his salary history.

2001-02 $3,500,000
2002-03 $9,600,000
2003-04 $8,850,000
2004-05 Lockout :(
2005-06 $4,250,000
2006-07 $4,250,000
2007-08 $4,250,000


Oh, but it gets even better! Per TSN.ca, we learn that the Rangers will have to pay Holik another $3.5mil for not playing during the lockout. Hrm?

Sources tell TSN that the New York Rangers will have to pay former Ranger and current Atlanta Thrashers forward Bobby Holik $3.5 million over a contract dispute in 2004-2005.

Because of the lockout that wiped out the 2004-2005 season, the Rangers argued that Holik needed to play to earn his signing bonus.

An arbitrator disagreed and made the ruling in favor of Holik.

Let's not forget that the Rangers bought out the last two years of his contract, so he was getting even more money not to play for the Ranger$.

Nice work, if you can get it.

It seems that the New York Islanders signing of top prospect Kyle Okposo wasn't simply about filling the hole left by Chris Simon's suspension. At least, that is what the Isles would like you to think.

In the usual amount of class shown by the New York Islanders organization, GM "Party On!" Garth Snow took the low road, and criticized the University of Minnesota for their supposed failure to develop their top prospect to the Isles' liking.

"Quite frankly, we weren't happy with the program there," Snow told the paper. "They have a responsibility to coach, to make Kyle a better player, and they were not doing that."

He continued, "[Okposo] just wasn't getting better - bottom line. And to me, that's the frustrating part. We entrusted the coach there to turn him into a better hockey player, and it wasn't happening. We feel more comfortable in him developing right under our watch."

"Whether it was Kyle or another player, until things change in that program we'd probably make the same decision," Snow told the Star-Tribune. "There should be a coach there that looks in the mirror. ... I don't think we'd be at this point if he was being coached properly."

Wow! Those are some pretty strong words pointed at Minnesota's hockey program and coach Don Lucia. NHL teams rarely criticize a junior or university team for the way their prospects are handled, especially when said prospect gets loads of ice time. Sure, many NCAA fans are rather jealous of Minnesota and their 'arrogant' style, but that has more to do with the program's success and mentality than their ability to develop prospects.

Every July, various team owners and GM's, despite their better judgment, lustily rush out to sign whatever slab of UFA meat they can catch to the biggest, longest contract that they possibly can afford.

Salary inflation? Dimishing returns? Chemistry concerns? Cap issues? Those factors mean little when a fairly good player is on the free agent market, and a bevy of other teams are vying for the same player.

So, which of these unrestricted free agent players have actually been a good investment thus far?

Chris Drury - 2007 salary of $7.1 mil (28GP 6-13-19 -2)
Despite the fact that Drury has never proven himself to be more than a pretty good second liner, the Rangers decided to fork over superstar money without a second thought. I wouldn't say Drury's production has been disappointing, given that it's in line with previous totals of his, it's just that Drury is definitely overpaid for the type of player he is.

Scott Gomez - 2007 salary of $10mil (28GP 5-16-21)
Gomez is definitely one of the better playmakers in the league, but has always had consistency and coachability issues. Again, the Rangers forked over large amounts of money for somebody who is not a superstar (he had only 60 points last season), and they aren't getting rewarded for their investment. Gomez just doesn't have the same chemistry with Jagr that Michael Nylander had, and will probably never live up to his huge contract.

Of course, it's always easy to pick on the Ranger$, so let's look at some other squads.

David Legwand had the blessing and curse of being the first player ever NHL Entry selected by the Nashville Predators, 2nd overall waaaaaaay back in 1998.

Despite the fact that the sale of the Preds is in limbo, and many other contracts were slashed and traded to greatly reduce payroll, the Preds seemingly had no problem coming up with the cash to lock Legwand down to a 6-year/$27mil deal.

"This is the first step moving forward under new ownership and is a sign of commitment, a desire to win and a desire to keep the core of our young team together in Nashville," said GM David Poile in a team statement.

Legwand is tied for second on the team this season in points (21) and assists.

Last season, he posted career-highs in points (63), goals (27) and assists (36), helping the Predators to their best finish in franchise history

$4.5mil per season for Legwand? That seems pricey, especially for someone know to have been a career underachiever.

Well, under the radar of most hockey fans, including myself, Legwand has greatly improved and developed over the past season-and-a-half, and has put up 84 points in his last 104 games.

From 1999 to mid-2006, Legwand was basically a guy with a lot of tools, but no toolbox to put them in. Putting up about a point every two games, Legwand was far from the franchise player that he was drafted to be, and was basically ye olde average player. Then, last season, Legwand finally found the spark and made the leap to being an impact player offensively, as well as a dependable defensive presence.

Legwand isn't a star by any stretch of the imagination, but he is important to the Nashville franchise, and his production merits a long-term deal of this nature. Let's not forget that Legwand is only 27 years of age, and still has many productive years ahead of him. Perhaps, he'll bring his game to another level and get to where he can reach the 70-point plateau.

Brian Burke is a man of action, and avoided any potential Dustin Penner-like debacles by locking down Ryan Getzlaf, who was set to become a restricted free agent, to a hefty five-year contract extension worth $26.625 million US.

"We are extremely pleased to be able to sign Ryan to a long-term deal," Burke said in a statement. "He's demonstrated great character and work ethic to complement his talent, a rare combination at such a young age."

Wow, that is some coin for a guy who is just 22 and has just 158 NHL games under his belt!

That said, Getzlaf is one of the fastest rising stars in the game, and has quickly become the offensive leader for the Ducks after the departure of one Teemu Selanne. At 6'4", 211lbs, Getzlaf has the size to go with his great speed, and is far from reaching the peak of his talent. Already, Getzlaf has 21 points in 19 games this season, and has been improving at a fairly steady rate. When I see Getzlaf play, I get jealous that my Canucks don't have someone similar in their system.

While it isn't the 15-year deal that our colleague Earl Sleek was hoping for, I would think that Ducks fans are quite pleased, and that this contract is a good one for both sides. Kudos for Burke for locking down his best star before other GM's pounced on this slab of fresh meat.