SMYTH DEALT OVER $100K GAP?
EDMONTON SUN: Terry Jones reports a source claims only $100,000.00 seperated the Oilers from re-signing Ryan Smyth. "The Oilers had agreed to go up to $5.4 million (all terms US) per year. But Meehan, according to the source, said refusd to move from $5.5 million per year over five years with a no-trade contract", writes Jones.
Spector's Note: It was this unwillingness to budge on both sides that leads me to conclude Smyth won't be re-signing with them this summer. Here's what I wrote to one of my readers about this: "The Oilers had until June 30th to negotiate exclusively with Smyth. So why did they allow , or force, deadline day to be the deadline day for Smyth? It makes no sense...
Second, just how quickly Smyth was dealt. It all came down to the 11th hour,
and the return was, quite frankly, disappointing. It all went down way too
fast, because Lowe knew Smyth would walk to free agency if the Oilers
wouldn't meet his price. He knew Smyth and his agent weren't coming down
from their asking price and that Smyth would walk after this season. Lowe
didn't want to lose him for nothing, as he knew ownership wouldn't approve
Smyth's asking price."
I realize that Smyth has left open the possibility of re-signing, but if he wants that to happen, he'll have to come down considerably in his asking price, because I doubt the Oilers will offer him $5.4 million (or whatever the hell it was, there's so many numbers flying around of late on this) in June.
http://spectorshockey.tripod.com/spectors_trade_rumours.html
In today's Star, there is a picture of Ryan crying at the airport on his way to NY. What an idiot! With the salary cap in the new CBA, stars are going to have to learn that when they demand $6 million a year, there is nothing left to pay the rest of the team. So they can continue their greedy ways, go into the free agent market and squeeze every dollar they can get. Or they can suffer through a long term $5 million contract and stay with a team they have had a rewarding relationship with for a number of years. That would have been so rough for Ryan...$5.4 a year for 5 years with a no trade clause. Ryan has no one to blame but himself and his own desire to prioritize $$$ over everything else.
EDMONTON SUN: Terry Jones reports a source claims only $100,000.00 seperated the Oilers from re-signing Ryan Smyth. "The Oilers had agreed to go up to $5.4 million (all terms US) per year. But Meehan, according to the source, said refusd to move from $5.5 million per year over five years with a no-trade contract", writes Jones.
Spector's Note: It was this unwillingness to budge on both sides that leads me to conclude Smyth won't be re-signing with them this summer. Here's what I wrote to one of my readers about this: "The Oilers had until June 30th to negotiate exclusively with Smyth. So why did they allow , or force, deadline day to be the deadline day for Smyth? It makes no sense...
Second, just how quickly Smyth was dealt. It all came down to the 11th hour,
and the return was, quite frankly, disappointing. It all went down way too
fast, because Lowe knew Smyth would walk to free agency if the Oilers
wouldn't meet his price. He knew Smyth and his agent weren't coming down
from their asking price and that Smyth would walk after this season. Lowe
didn't want to lose him for nothing, as he knew ownership wouldn't approve
Smyth's asking price."
I realize that Smyth has left open the possibility of re-signing, but if he wants that to happen, he'll have to come down considerably in his asking price, because I doubt the Oilers will offer him $5.4 million (or whatever the hell it was, there's so many numbers flying around of late on this) in June.
http://spectorshockey.tripod.com/spectors_trade_rumours.html
In today's Star, there is a picture of Ryan crying at the airport on his way to NY. What an idiot! With the salary cap in the new CBA, stars are going to have to learn that when they demand $6 million a year, there is nothing left to pay the rest of the team. So they can continue their greedy ways, go into the free agent market and squeeze every dollar they can get. Or they can suffer through a long term $5 million contract and stay with a team they have had a rewarding relationship with for a number of years. That would have been so rough for Ryan...$5.4 a year for 5 years with a no trade clause. Ryan has no one to blame but himself and his own desire to prioritize $$$ over everything else.
