Confirmed with Link: Fontaine re-signs for 2 years - 1 million AAV

[Hall of Faber]

http://m.startribune.com/?id=269062901

Click to read more...

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I like it.

Gives us options in the bottom 6.

Can either go...

Cooke - Haula - Nino
X - Brodziak - Fontaine

or

Nino - Haula - Fontaine
Cooke - Brodziak - X

 

[Jarick]

Yaaayyyyyy.

 

[Minnesota]

Not bad for a depth scorer.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Seems about right. I figured he would squeeze 1.25 out of them with Arbitration looming. Good to get him at 1 million.

 

[Engebretson]

Not bad at all. I was actually expecting a lot more than this with the arbitration hearing.

Nino - Haula - Fontaine
Cooke - Brodziak - Almond

 

[nickschultzfan]

Still very "eh" on Fontaine. He had some timely goals, but other than that, he was a "jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none" in a not-so-great kind of way. Plus, he's too old to be considered to have "untapped" potential.

He adds roster flexibility, like Almond, but I rather Zucker be given a 3rd line shot, and also bring in a bigger body on the wing for the bottom-6.

 

[Loopy0ne]

I like Fontaine, this is good. Is it a two way deal?

 

[ThatGuy22]

I like Fontaine, this is good. Is it a two way deal?

I'd imagine its 1-way. If the Wild were only offering a 2 way deal, they would have went to Arbitration and he would have been awarded one there.

 

[Sharppi]

I'm okay with this. Solid 4th liner with tweener upside in case of injuries.

 

[Gaps]

Not bad at all. If they'd gone over 2 mil per season, I would've been raising my eyebrows.

 

[BusQuets]

Good deal for a NHL level player who can play anywhere from 1st line to 4th line. Injuries will come and that is when Fountaine is very valuable.

 

[DANOZ28]

good for us but again bad for player. both zucker & fontaine deserved 1.5 imo. if you dont pay people fair why should they hang around?

 

[Engebretson]

good for us but again bad for player. both zucker & fontaine deserved 1.5 imo. if you dont pay people fair why should they hang around?

Fontaine had arbitration coming, so if he felt the offer he signed wasn't fair, he'd definitely had gone to the arbitrator. I don't think he would have accepted this offer if he felt it was unfair, nor would his agent let him "settle" for a less than "fair" offer.

It's definitely lower than I expected, but it's probably right around what he deserves for the role he's going to have going forward.

 

[Eagle Claw]

Didnt expect fonzy to stay around for that cheap!!

What does this tell us?

He rather gets payed a little less and stay on an contender team than go to a team like buffalo, islanders, columbus with a few others and collect the paycheck

 

[MNWILDFAN001]

Still very "eh" on Fontaine. He had some timely goals, but other than that, he was a "jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none" in a not-so-great kind of way. Plus, he's too old to be considered to have "untapped" potential.

He adds roster flexibility, like Almond, but I rather Zucker be given a 3rd line shot, and also bring in a bigger body on the wing for the bottom-6.

Agreed. When he's not scoring I hardly ever notice him. 1 million is okay but I wouldn't want to pay him more then that.

 

[TaLoN]

Not bad at all. I was actually expecting a lot more than this with the arbitration hearing.

Nino - Haula - Fontaine
Cooke - Brodziak - Almond

Russo had the pulse of the situation the whole time and said the arbitration filing was nothing more than a formality that likely had little to no impact on negotiations. Was just a security blanket just in case.

 

[TaLoN]

I like Fontaine, this is good. Is it a two way deal?

At this point I think that would be irrelevant, he wouldn't pass through waivers anyway...some team would jump on him quick. He's all but locked on the roster.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Didnt expect fonzy to stay around for that cheap!!

What does this tell us?

He rather gets payed a little less and stay on an contender team than go to a team like buffalo, islanders, columbus with a few others and collect the paycheck

What choice did he have?

 

[Wild48]

Good price for the 4th liner he is. I don't understand all the talk of him replacing Cooke on the 3rd line. It's not gonna happen. Cooke was solid in that role and outside of the Barrie incident he was perfect for what he was signed for.

Fontaine is a 4th liner who can fill in where needed and not embarrass himself.

Parise - Koivu - Coyle
Vanek - Granlund - Pomminville
Cooke - Haula - Nino
Fontaine - Brodziak - Almond/Bulmer/?

 

[Paul Bunyan]

Excellent news, now just wrap up the other two...

 

[Nharris31]

Excellent news, now just wrap up the other two...

They will get done but they will take a while.

 

[Lapa]

Good. Nice money, nice term. I'm not a big fan of Fontaine, but he's a decent bottom six player.

 

[Swervin81]

No problem with money or term. Speedy depth scorer. This means Zucker is likely back in Iowa to start next year (still waiver exempt for one more season).

Vanek - Granlund - Pominville
Parise - Koivu - Coyle
Nino - Haula - Cooke
Almond - Brodziak - Fontaine
Scratches: Schroeder, Veilleux

I'm alright with that.

 

[rynryn]

i don't see how $1m is underpaying him. or that it really matters a great deal if he sticks around. He's proven he can do something, sometimes, in a bottom six role, as a pretty old "prospect". I'd say $1m is about right.