Blackhawks
Registered User
- Jul 25, 2007
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Instead of signing a reasonable bridge contract like almost all the comparable RFAs have done in the recent years, he asked for ridiculous amount and got himself traded to a fringe playoff team with lots of cap space.
Now Columbus has all the leverage in negotiation with Saad. Unlike the Hawks, they have cap space to match virtually any offer. No team will give him an offersheet knowing it will be 100% matched since all it does is piss off Columbus and make an enemy. Longer this drags on, less he will get.
Then this is bad negotiation tactics by Bowman, for instance Saad was apparently shocked by the trade meaning he was not given a proper firm warning. It's simple all he could have done is tell Saad listen here bud if you don't take 5Mill then we will have no choice but trading you and this is no bluff, you are easy to trade, there are 30 teams that want your services and I have no problem with it as I believe I will get a good return, I won't hold on to you till you get offer sheeted so that is not happening so make your decision now. Also if you decide to stick to your number, what will happen is that you will get traded to a team that has cap space and will play hardball with you and you won't get the offer sheet that you wanted anymore and will still get around 5 million that we are offering you but you won't be playing for a cup contender anymore. All this stuff that I listed here as an NHL GM, Stan should have been able to for see it. So why was not all this brought to the negotiation table? And for one second I don't buy that Saad's agent is responsible for him not knowing what was up, agents try to do everything to get a player cash but they are obligated by the agreement between player and agent to tell the player what is happening and periodically. I believe Saad was present at all negotiations either way. Bottom line is that Stan did not want Saad, doubt he was even offering him 5 million, I think he was offering him 3.5? I wish I was at those negotiations because of all the information that we have, it really does not add up.
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