Except you are comparing the guy signing a 5 year high cap hit deal at a critical point during the rebuilding process of this team versus acquiring him for next to nothing in terms of assets and only paying a prorated portion of half his salary. Context helps but you like to speak/write in absolutes.
I wanted Gaborik but felt the 5 years $7.5M was too steep at the time and understand why DL wouldn't go past 3 years. It was a big risk. The Kings now buy low and see where it goes. That is a typical shrewd DL move. Gaborik IS NOT the type of player the DL would build a team around. He is the type of player that is the last piece of the puzzle.
Gaborik didn't silence anyone by coming here. The terms are right and the time is right. Simple is that.
I said nothing about the contract in that part of the post.
That was just the opinion of Gaborik from many people on this board back when he was discussed a few years ago. Not even mentioning contract or anything like that, he was called soft, not a DL player, horrible defensively and worst of all, a longtime poster here said he was worse than Ryan Smyth.
You have been around for awhile, I'm sure you remember. Some people here just wanted nothing to do with a soft, one dimensional scoring winger until we get one and then suddenly those people love it.
And just switching back to contract, I still don't get how paying Smyth $19 over three years was fine but Gaborik $35 over 5 was so insanely bad and a huge risk. Once again, I think AEG had a big say in that Smyth/Gaborik debacle because in real money they saved something like $30 million. But that is why I am thankful that AEG is hands off with the Kings.
Oh well, it was years later than I hoped, but everything worked out. Smyth quit on the Kings freeing up money to get pieces needed for the cup which the Kings ultimately won and Gaborik gets a chance at a cup run in 2014. I am very happy with this trade, I think Kopi and Gaborik will be really good together.