The Details of Meszaros's Deal

rooneypoo wrote:

towelie112 wrote:

Ya but Murray was offering 3.5M/year for 5 years so this contract really isn't that big of a stretch but i do have faith in Murray so i think theres more to the contract.

I know that this is what Garriock was reporting, but I can't think that that's the case. If the difference between the two parties was only $500,000 and 1 year, I think we would have reached an agreement back in July and things wouldn't have come to this pass. I tend to think that Murray was offering something in the $2.5 range for 2-3 years, max. There's no way we shipped Mesz out over such a small difference. The negotiating gap had to be much, much bigger.

Again: Its Wang....thats all that really needs to be said.
Someone on this site or another said, after the trade, that Murray had offered as much as 2.2-2.3 million and gave a final number of 1.8 as his "take it or leave it" contract offer. Personally, I will take the word of this completely anonymous poster over Wang because the anonymous posters numbers actually make sense...
Murray said he wouldn't feel right about paying Mez more than Phillips and Volchie (which, ironically, Wang quoted in his own article) yet we're left to believe that he offered as much as Phillips makes, on a long-term contract, to him? Are you kidding me? And then Mez turns around and signs a contract for .5M more, somewhere else? Nope. Not buying it.
Personally, I know pretty much everything about this team (other than all of the inner workings) and I cannot read an article written by that know-nothing fool without finding multiple erroroneous statements, falsities, and simple mistakes.
I can only imagine what it would be like for one the Murray's or Eugene or Mlakar to suffer through that garbage.

I honestly think that Garrioch makes his articles up. Not only does he make them up, but the few legitimate facts he presents (ie. contract terms/salary, etc...) are erroneous. The guy is a failure of a journalist, and I for one am uncertain how he remains in the employ of a newspaper that is trying to gain credibility in the city behind the Ottawa Citizen and the Globe and Mail. Baffling...

PKC wrote:I honestly think that Garrioch makes his articles up. Not only does he make them up, but the few legitimate facts he presents (ie. contract terms/salary, etc...) are erroneous. The guy is a failure of a journalist, and I for one am uncertain how he remains in the employ of a newspaper that is trying to gain credibility in the city behind the Ottawa Citizen and the Globe and Mail. Baffling...

The whole newspaper is just tabloid news. None of their reporters, in any division, actually cover stories...they report the simplest of facts on the most complicated of issues and present boneheaded opinions and bias.
Its nothing more than toilet paper and I wish it would just go away.
(and I doubt that a newspaper with "Sunshine girls" is all that worried about credibility)

towelie112 wrote:
Ya but Murray was offering 3.5M/year for 5 years so this contract really isn't that big of a stretch but i do have faith in Murray so i think theres more to the contract.

Says who?

says the Ottawa Sun.........................

wprager wrote:

towelie112 wrote:
Ya but Murray was offering 3.5M/year for 5 years so this contract really isn't that big of a stretch but i do have faith in Murray so i think theres more to the contract.

Says who?

Pretty much everyone is reporting the $24, 6 year deal now, towelie. I don't think there's anything else to learn.

Given that, we can't have been offering $3.5 mil / 5 years. That's only a difference of $500,000 / year and 1 year extra from what he got. The gap there is too small. There's no way you negotiate for 2 full months, end up in a stalemate, and then ship out a home-grown player over that kind of small potatoes. No, I think the numbers KLee is reporting -- deals in the range of $2.5 mil -- probably better reflect the types of offers we were making. It just doesn't make sense any other way.

Agreed. Murray isn't the type of GM who would get strong-armed into overpaying for a player due to stale negotiations. But, I also doubt he's the type of GM who would trade a young defenseman with very good upside because of $500,000. I also believe the $2.5 million range offers that we heard about because its about in line with what everyone believed he is currently worth.

Is it possible that Murray had no intention of resigning Mez at all?

Given the rumblings (or semi-confirmed statements) regarding his character, Murray may have simply been stalling to see what the best deal available was, then pull the trigger. The numbers thrown out there don't make sense, but even odder is the idea that his "final offer" was $700K lower than the preceding offer. To me, this smells more like a "f--- you" rather than a "we really want you".

Don't forget that, to a certain extent, Murray had to know that he was in control of Mez's future (since Mez really didn't want to go back to Russia).

Mez has now been relegated to a team where he is going to have to step up due to the pressure of a huge contract, while being paired with a partner just as (in)effective as the one he could blame for the last two years. And the offence that he is making those passes to aren't going to be all that helpful either...

Ottawa, on the other hand, now has two more-than-decent defencemen, as well as two late first-round draft picks, and some extra cap space that we hadn't counted on.

Point to Murray - That's Game, Set & Match.

Its very possible. There was a lot of chatter before this site started and all of us used to talk hockey over at HB that there would be several characters on their way out because of the things that happened off-ice last year and even dating back to 2 years ago.

Some members brought up stories that identified several individuals on this team that were affiliated with this behavior. Also a reason I believe Spezza was involved in so many rumors as well.

Its definitely nice to have a GM with some big time cajones to send a message to the rest of the guys in the room (a predominantly classy, hard-working group of guys) that he isn't afraid to send you shipping if you don't bring a good attitude to work as well.

I was thinking the same thing yesterday, Acrobat.

PKC wrote:Its very possible. There was a lot of chatter before this site started and all of us used to talk hockey over at HB that there would be several characters on their way out because of the things that happened off-ice last year and even dating back to 2 years ago.

Some members brought up stories that identified several individuals on this team that were affiliated with this behavior. Also a reason I believe Spezza was involved in so many rumors as well.

Its definitely nice to have a GM with some big time cajones to send a message to the rest of the guys in the room (a predominantly classy, hard-working group of guys) that he isn't afraid to send you shipping if you don't bring a good attitude to work as well.

Co-sign

Acrobat wrote:Is it possible that Murray had no intention of resigning Mez at all?

Given the rumblings (or semi-confirmed statements) regarding his character, Murray may have simply been stalling to see what the best deal available was, then pull the trigger. The numbers thrown out there don't make sense, but even odder is the idea that his "final offer" was $700K lower than the preceding offer. To me, this smells more like a "f--- you" rather than a "we really want you".

Don't forget that, to a certain extent, Murray had to know that he was in control of Mez's future (since Mez really didn't want to go back to Russia).

Mez has now been relegated to a team where he is going to have to step up due to the pressure of a huge contract, while being paired with a partner just as (in)effective as the one he could blame for the last two years. And the offence that he is making those passes to aren't going to be all that helpful either...

Ottawa, on the other hand, now has two more-than-decent defencemen, as well as two late first-round draft picks, and some extra cap space that we hadn't counted on.

Point to Murray - That's Game, Set & Match.

Very nice! Well said.

PKC wrote:Its very possible. There was a lot of chatter before this site started and all of us used to talk hockey over at HB that there would be several characters on their way out because of the things that happened off-ice last year and even dating back to 2 years ago.

Some members brought up stories that identified several individuals on this team that were affiliated with this behavior. Also a reason I believe Spezza was involved in so many rumors as well.

Its definitely nice to have a GM with some big time cajones to send a message to the rest of the guys in the room (a predominantly classy, hard-working group of guys) that he isn't afraid to send you shipping if you don't bring a good attitude to work as well.

always great to see the GM calling the shots, instead of the ego's

Acrobat wrote:Is it possible that Murray had no intention of resigning Mez at all?

Given the rumblings (or semi-confirmed statements) regarding his character, Murray may have simply been stalling to see what the best deal available was, then pull the trigger. The numbers thrown out there don't make sense, but even odder is the idea that his "final offer" was $700K lower than the preceding offer. To me, this smells more like a "f--- you" rather than a "we really want you".

Don't forget that, to a certain extent, Murray had to know that he was in control of Mez's future (since Mez really didn't want to go back to Russia).

Mez has now been relegated to a team where he is going to have to step up due to the pressure of a huge contract, while being paired with a partner just as (in)effective as the one he could blame for the last two years. And the offence that he is making those passes to aren't going to be all that helpful either...

Ottawa, on the other hand, now has two more-than-decent defencemen, as well as two late first-round draft picks, and some extra cap space that we hadn't counted on.

Point to Murray - That's Game, Set & Match.

That is very possible and probably the case actually. There is one more guy that has walked that thin line on this team and that is Schubert. I don't think he's nearly as bad, but could be made part of a deal to bring in a top 6 forward.

jamvan wrote:
That is very possible and probably the case actually. There is one more guy that has walked that thin line on this team and that is Schubert. I don't think he's nearly as bad, but could be made part of a deal to bring in a top 6 forward.

I know...I'm nervous. I want to keep him very, very badly (200 hits is nice, good shot etc.), but I keep hearing the same kind of thing about him that I heard about Mez. He has the tools, but his dedication is questionable.

504Heater wrote:

jamvan wrote:
That is very possible and probably the case actually. There is one more guy that has walked that thin line on this team and that is Schubert. I don't think he's nearly as bad, but could be made part of a deal to bring in a top 6 forward.

I know...I'm nervous. I want to keep him very, very badly (200 hits is nice, good shot etc.), but I keep hearing the same kind of thing about him that I heard about Mez. He has the tools, but his dedication is questionable.

shubie isnt asking big money though

Tukker wrote:
shubie isnt asking big money though

I know, but Jam's point is valid. I had heard he and Mez were two peas in a pod - neither wanting to commit fully to working hard.

If Murray axed Mez for that reason, why wouldn't he axe Schubert - especially now that we have a natural replacement for him - making the exact same salary.

504Heater wrote:

Tukker wrote:
shubie isnt asking big money though

I know, but Jam's point is valid. I had heard he and Mez were two peas in a pod - neither wanting to commit fully to working hard.

If Murray axed Mez for that reason, why wouldn't he axe Schubert - especially now that we have a natural replacement for him - making the exact same salary.

Scooby could snatch us a 3rd, or even a 2nd deadline day

504Heater wrote:

Tukker wrote:
shubie isnt asking big money though

I know, but Jam's point is valid. I had heard he and Mez were two peas in a pod - neither wanting to commit fully to working hard.

If Murray axed Mez for that reason, why wouldn't he axe Schubert - especially now that we have a natural replacement for him - making the exact same salary.

Well you know where I stand on this one Heater. Schubie's salary, for everything he brings to the ice, is a freakin' Bargain; but if since I too have heard the stories of he and Mez being one in the same, perhaps Murray has trading plans for him which makes me REALLY nervous, depending on the return.