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504Heater wrote:PKC wrote:Why can't we just forget this guy? A 30-year-old goon, with diminishing skills, diminishing health, and stats that have rocketed downwards since the lockout...and you guys are talking 3 years/$1.6-million per. Am I missing something here? Is there another Chris Neil playing for the Ottawa Senators that I have somehow managed to miss over the course of the 70+ games I watched last year?
Welcome to the cap world ladies and gentlemen. Guys who put up 10 points in a contract year get league minimum contracts, not raises.
The reason why I entertain the notion of spending 1.6 on a guy like this is because he hits hard every shift, softens up opponent's D - not to mention their forwards, can be used on the PP to create havoc in front of the net - which is a philosophy in the NHL that every team needs to employ. We have other guys that can park their butts in front of the net, but Neil is a guy who will do what he's told by Clouston and never question it. He'll fart in the goalie's face, rub him, get in his grill, create traffic. And on shifts where it's not the PP, he can drive hard towards the net. He's like a Holmstrom, but not as good obviously. He has character, he has grit, he has determination - and he's been loyal and good for the Sens. He's also a fan fav. and a good community guy. If you can get all these things for 1.6, then I think you do it personally.
Absolutely agree 100% Heater...
Add to that the fact that his toughness and ability to play a regular shift is extremely rare in today's game. There are a few who can do it but as fighting is slowly weeded out, a guy who can do both is very valuable... until the tree huggers get their way and the players start wearing figure skates...
