Someone help me. Every discussion about acquiring a new player involves not overpaying to get the guy and/or not overpaying said guy in annual salary.
Now I see thumbs up at the idea of backing up the truck to pay Toronto off and let them dump his $49/7 deal on the Wild? That's a lot of time and money to sink into another aging lefty. Fletcher seems to prefer trading for veterans due for a new contract over ones that are already signed to hefty deals. That way he can get a look before letting the guy walk or working out the right deal himself a la Pominville.
I don't care about the salary that much because we can afford to pay players, we have cap space and it's not my money anyway. Some players are overpaid yes, but it's not the end of the world. It's the term that concerns me more, especially with the potential signing of Vanek.
The thing with Phaneuf is that we need another top 4 D, they are not often available because most teams in the league need better D too. Sure, Phaneuf is a little older and more expensive than I would necessarily prefer, but he would be a definite upgrade and there's no way you can escape that. If the price is reasonable, Fletcher should go for it.
This team has a window and I think it's opening next year and will be open for 2-3 years. Phaneuf should be just the right age for that run.
Bad thing is, that he's neither big nor fast...
