Ok...I posted this on my blog but I want to post it here to see what you guys thought.
I have gone back and fourth on this stupid Ryan Smyth trade. He is my friends favorite player so I do have a certain amount of knowledge about him…and what he was to the Oilers and what he meant to that team. You saw last night the Oilers were lost without him…getting shut out at home to one of the worst teams in the NHL. So, here's what I now think about it.
Could it be that "Captain Canada" really is just another money hungry hockey player…like Zdeno Chara or Jaromir Jagr? I think it's quite possible. You look at a guy like Smyth and you think oh the face of the Edmonton Oilers right? Every team has the face of the franchise…for Columbus it's Rick Nash…for Washington it's Alexander Ovechkin…and for the Devils…it's Martin Brodeur. The first two are so new to the hockey world that I can't really talk about how they compare to Ryan Smyth because quite frankly we don't know that they will be franchise players. Martin Brodeur however will never play for another team. He made sure of it. Brodeur in fact on the last contract he himself negotiated took LESS money in the beginning so that his team could have more money to build a stronger team. Now, granted towards the end of his contract he says he will be making more money than what he is worth. (In my opinion you couldn't give this guy enough money but that's just me) But, Smyth wanted too much money. He is in his prime right now…and 5 years from now he'd be far into a down hill spiral. I am not trying to take away from Smyth at all. He is an amazing player and a great player who plays all heart every night. If Smyth really cared about this franchise don't you think he'd be willing to sacrifice some money so that the Oilers would be able to sign other skilled guys? I do. I really don't think that Smyth will go back to the Oilers. It's a nice thought but highly unlikely. He will go to whoever offers him the most money. So now I wonder…is this the end of all the heart and soul players? Are there any more left other than Marty? I don't think so…and that's a sad thought. I do wish Smyth the best of luck on the Island…and for the Oilers fans…I'm really sorry you lost him.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Ryan Smyth
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11 comments:
I can't pretend like I know what was going through Smytty's head obviously, or that of the organization, or that I understand any of what went into this trade, really, and I'm don't know enough about who we got to make any claims as to the trade itself being good or bad. But still, and I could be completely wrong in saying this, too - and in no way do I want to be one of those fans who insists that I know things there's no way I could, I mean who's to say. But I honestly, truly, cannot look at a picture like this, and think anything but that it hurt him as much as it did us.
Steph...where/when is that picture from?
Ryan Smyth let his agent handle everything. He is not money hungry. Wanting to earn market value wouldn't make him money hungry, that's just getting what you've earned. Plus, if you let them lowball you, then you've done an injustice to all the other players in the league. When you know they have the money available, it's not unreasonable to think it can be better used in your hands than in theirs. THEY were the money hungry ones, not Ryan Smyth.
Kristin - It's from today as Smyth left Edmonton, there's others on Yahoo! Sports' Photos page.
I got it, and a few others, from Sportsline, and like HG said, they're from the airport this afternoon when he was leaving Edmonton.
I'm not trying to say that Ryan Smyth is a bad person...or isn't a hockey player who doesn't give it his all every single night...but HE makes the final decision not his agent. His agent is his puppet. Read this 4 year $5.5 that he and his agent denied? I just can't seem to shake it that he wants money. **AND just a note...I cheered and hoped that Edmonton won the cup last year**
From what little I've read, it sounds like the organization played a part as well, feeling like maybe it was time to start moving in a different direction. And I know Smyth has said he really wanted everything settled earlier than this and wanted more pieces in place by this point. So while I'm sure money did come into play, it sounds like maybe there were some other things going on too. The desire to stay together has to be there on both sides. I give a ton of credit to Marty Brodeur for working things out so he can stay in NJ long-term, but I'm torn on stuff like this. On one hand, once you've hit the millions, I think it's tough to complain about money. But on the other hand when you're in a line of work that involves retiring so young, possibly with a lot of aches and injuries, it would be hard to not go for the big bucks that could set up your family for life, especially when there's a big difference between offers. The Sabres allegedly offered Jay McKee a little over 2 million. The Blues gave him 4. I don't blame the Sabres for not matching the offer and I don't blame Jay for taking it. It's tough though for sure. As a fan, I think we want to feel like the team, and the city, and the fans are important enough to the players that they'll do everything they can to stay with us.
I'm holding out hope for Chris Drury taking a little less money to stay in Buffalo and be our heart and soul player for the rest of his career.
And that picture Steph linked to is completely heart-breaking. Ouch.
If you think that picture is heartbreaking...the press release just went up. I didn't think this whole thing could hurt any worse until I heard that last line out of his mouth.
I can't say if Ryan wanted money he couldn't get and if that was what did this - and I don't hold it against anyone for thinking that could be it, either. But to say something like that with the emotion he did...I just don't think you could unless you'd honestly tried. I just can't imagine it.
I think he undersold himself for so many years to stay with the team, that it was not unreasonable for him to want his market value. I just don't get why the Oilers took the hard line with HIM. Shane Doan, who is half the player Smyth is, wanted market value and he got it (I think he got more than he's worth, but that's just me). Because he is the face of the Coyotes and has been loyal. I don't think Smyth or his agent ever thought it would come down to a trade. I think both figured that if they didn't reach an agreement b y the deadline, then they would sign in the summer.
Don't forget your friends in the West - for Calgary, it's Jarome Iginla... for Colorado, it's Joe Sakic... for Phoenix, it's Shane Doan... for Vancouver, I'm assuming it's Markus Naslund.
I'm pretty sure CBJ has high hopes that Nash will be their guy - drafting him 1st round (1st overall) in '02 makes me think they will be putting the pressure on.
your on crack to think smyth is money hungry. did you not see him during his interview, he was balling his eyes out just like every one else. smyth loved edmonton (my home town), he even painted his basement oilers colors. i saw smyth try out for the oilers and no one else has the heart like him. players now a days are all about endorsements, you tell me a commercial were smyth is trying to sell something and i'll be dissapointed.
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