what is so hard for you to accept? It has zero to do with the budget in the year he got his arbitration award and everything to do with the future.
Are you rewriting history here? Do you not acknowledge that prior to the summer of 2012 we had to worry about money? And that a Weber offer sheet that summer might not have been able to be matched??
My explanation (that Poile was afraid Weber would get an offer sheet that he couldn't match) makes a whole lot more sense than yours(that Poile is just a doofus who wanted to/didnt care if he pissed Weber off).
Quit being absurd. I never claimed any such nonsense about Poile. I'm not the one rewriting any history. In fact, I have made no claims at all outside of saying the agent change threw a huge wrench into negotiations. You are the one that is creating a storyline. You are the one making conjectures. I am simply stating these comments, which seem to downplay your commentary to some degree (at least from my interpretation):
1) With Webers 7.5 million award, we were still a cap floor team.
2) Shortly after the award, Poile still maintained he wanted all three (Rinne, Suter, and Weber) to sign long term deals.
3) Poile backed that up by signing Rinne relatively quickly to a 7 year 49 million dollar deal. This in addition to Weber already being at 7.5 million.
4) rumor was that Suter was given the same contract or similar and had agreed without signing to the terms ...
Do I think Poile was budget conscience and money and offer sheet protection issues were being considered and all of the other financial considerations played a role in the arbitration process - of course they did. Do I think Poile was unable to give Weber a large contract and long term deal? No. Evidence says he was.
I can't refute your claims nor am I saying they are false, but I am not convinced Poile's hands were completely tied. That is all I am saying.
Lastly, as a disclaimer, I don't remember the timeline of events of ownership change, nor the Rinne contract date exactly. Also, was the Weber award 7.5 or 7 ? Either way, the team was not shocked by the award pubicly afterwards.