News
Team Rankings
Interactive Hall of Fame
Chat
Links
Awards
Team Pages
Previous Polls
Daigle is a block head!
To quote a wise comic: "You’re a block head Charlie Brown." Except in this case Alexander Daigle is the block head and everybody except himself seems to realize it. To catch people up to speed, Daigles is making 1.7 million this year which translates into a little bit over 300 grand for each point. Despite the 3 goals and 2 assists he’s produced this year, Daigle appears to still consider himself as a star in the NHL, something which Bobby Clarke does not agree with. Clarke has been trying to trade Daigle since Daigle will become an unrestricted free agent after the year if Clarke doesn’t pick up the 1.7 million dollar option. Apparently, the Oilers and Flyers worked out a Kovalenko for Daigle swap on the condition that Daigle forgoes his option and signs a 1 year, 1 million dollar extension with the Oilers. Then it got weird.
For whatever reason, Daigle said no to the entension. The only logical explanation for this would be that:
a) Daigle thinks whatever team he’s on will pick up the 1.7 million dollar option to keep his valuiable production in the lineup.
b) That some team will pay him over 1 million dollars annualy as an unrestricted free agent.
Now let’s assume that any player is worth 1 million to begin with. But even with the super inflated world of the NHL, there is no way Daigle is worth 1 million dollars per year. Sure, he once was the next Lemieux but no GM in their right mind, and even Mike Millbury, believes that Daigle will show that pottential. Daigle is not a defensive grinder or a tough defeneman, he’s a one way offensive player. One way offensive players need at least 20 goals and 50 points to warrant over a million dollars annualy and Daigle does not appear to be capable of that anymore. Glenn Sather is giving Daigle a gift in the extension and Daigle’s a plain idiot not to accept it.
On top of that, he’s lost the respect of his teamates in Philly and can therefore only do more harm than good there. John LeClair was recently quoted as saying; "Obviously he’s not going to play here anymore. It’s time for him to move on." Added Lindros: "You just want something resolved asquickly as possible for Alex and our hockey club. We don’t need issues like this right now. We want to keep this club moving ahead." These comments hint that Daigle may be sent home from Phily as even his teamates don’t want him there anymore.
The one other possible reason that Daigle may be turning down an extension is if he plans to retire after this season. It’s getting to the point where the NHL may be better off without him.
Have an opinion on the Potvin situation?
Send in your comments and I’ll post most of the clean ones here.
Previous Commentaries
Don't Use the Shoot-Out!
Trade Potvin Already!