Whitney No-Trade

[x]

I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere, but I thought it was the biggest news of the day. I am disappointed that we were unable to make a deal for a good young player and/or a 1st round pick. It would take a miracle for us to make the playoffs this year, so it does no good having Whitney on the team for the rest of the season. In fact, it will probably only cause us to end up with a lower draft pick. It now looks like we're planning on bringing Ray back next year. In & of itself, that's not a terrible thing. However, it's almost certain to be a multi-year deal, I shouldn't have to remind anyone here how quickly a player's skills can deteriorate once they head into their late 30's. I wish I knew what really went down behind closed doors. Did Ray nix that deal a couple of weeks ago? Or did JR hold onto him just because he wants him back next year? And what would've happened here without our recent winning streak? We may never know.

Thoughts?

[Shell]

I am so freaking thrilled that Ray will be here for the rest of the year.

We may be out of the playoff hunt, but I still have to go to the games lol.

[WillLikeWhoa091]

Pretty sure I read somewhere that JR went to Ray with a trade to a western conference team (LA) about a month ago and Ray said he would prefer not to do that.

[nccanes]

I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere, but I thought it was the biggest news of the day. I am disappointed that we were unable to make a deal for a good young player and/or a 1st round pick. It would take a miracle for us to make the playoffs this year, so it does no good having Whitney on the team for the rest of the season. In fact, it will probably only cause us to end up with a lower draft pick. It now looks like we're planning on bringing Ray back next year. In & of itself, that's not a terrible thing. However, it's almost certain to be a multi-year deal, I shouldn't have to remind anyone here how quickly a player's skills can deteriorate once they head into their late 30's. I wish I knew what really went down behind closed doors. Did Ray nix that deal a couple of weeks ago? Or did JR hold onto him just because he wants him back next year? And what would've happened here without our recent winning streak? We may never know.

Thoughts?

It's very hard to judge what transpired without know exactly....what transpired.

It's very hard to judge what kind of deal Ray gets without knowing exactly.....what Ray gets.

By all accounts, Ray wanted to finish the year here and perhaps his career. There's value in that and there's value in him playing along side Eric Staal and on the PP. There's value in keeping a player that has been your leading scorer for a number of years - particularly when he'd prefer to stay.

Sure a 1st round pick would have been awesome, but I don't think we know if we were even offered one.

[superdave]

I'm bummed that we didn't rent Ray out simply becaused we were led to believe that Ray would be moved and he was our big ticket item and would get the big return. I wished J.R. would have played this a little closer to the vest and hadn't built our hopes up.

I'm extremely scared of a multi year deal at Ray's age. Ray will be 38 at the end of the season. We don't need to be reminded how quickly a player's skills can desert him as a player edges closer to 40. If they reached a gentleman's agreement to do one year deals like they did with Wesley, I think hanging on to Ray is great.

[c-girl]

This tells me all I need to know. From Chip:


For much of the last month, trade speculation has centered on winger Ray Whitney, due to be an unrestricted free agent. But Rutherford said no offers "made sense."

"Ray did not want to go anywhere," Rutherford said. "I think at the end he would have if it was in the best interests of the organization. It was in the best interests of the organization to finish the season here."

Whitney has a no-trade clause in his contract, but Rutherford said that was not a factor in nixing any potential deals in the past few days. What was a factor, he said, was the Canes winning their last six games and 10 of 12.

"Based on how we've played over these last 12 games, it probably did change our position on Ray Whitney a little bit," Rutherford said.


And in another report I read, JR said they only presented ONE deal to Ray (a few weeks ago) which he nixed as was his right under his NTC. Since I don't throw back any benefits I get from my employer, I can't really fault Ray for using one of his benefits.

So the bottom line for me is that things changed, they didn't get any deal that they wanted to take, that it was the organization's decision not Ray's and all parties who are really involved in the issue are happy with the result.

As a fan, I'm glad Ray is still here. I want our players to really want to be here and when it's a guy who is one of our best players, so much the better. The team has 11 picks in 7 rounds for the 2010 draft. It's quite possible that JR will be able to use some of those picks to move up. Let's let the man do his job.

[ButtersSaysNo]

Would have it been great to get a 1st round pick, etc. and sign him again after the season? Absolutely, but we may have also lost him for good and I think he still has 2-3 good yrs of helping this team and I am pretty sure there will be an extension coming. I have no issue with a 2-3 yr deal and have no issue with Ray not waiving his NTC.

[nccanes]

As a fan, I'm glad Ray is still here. I want our players to really want to be here and when it's a guy who is one of our best players, so much the better. The team has 11 picks in 7 rounds for the 2010 draft. It's quite possible that JR will be able to use some of those picks to move up. Let's let the man do his job.

Have I told you lately that I love you? :kiss: :) :lol:

[caneshockeychick]

To be honest, I'm quite relieved Ray is staying.

As several have pointed out:

1. Ray had a NTC, given in good faith by this org. He did not waive it to go out West.

2. None of us know what the Canes could have or would have received for Ray. Maybe a 1st rounder, maybe not. The organEYEzation probably set a "price" on him. As good as he's been here, they wanted something good in return for him.

3. Hate on Ray all you want. At this point in time, He's a Hurricane. Blame it on him. Blame it on JR for not taking a crap deal, whatever. I'm really tired of the piling on Ray is getting. I know yesterday I read a couple people say we should take whatever we can get. Why? I mean, if you put it into a different situation, you are selling a house that's worth is $1,000,000. Your best offer is $500,000. Do you take that deal?

[nccanes]

And let's recognize that it appears Ray was in play until the last minute (based on JF's comments at 2:45) so it's not like JR didn't keep an open mind.

[TheReaper49]

As long as Rutherford resigns Ray to an affordable deal than it makes it total sense not to move him. Out of all of the older players and UFA's, Ray's the guy who seems to still have some value. However, the deal needs to be reasonable. 2 years with a declining salary at significantly less than he makes now.

[Canesluver]

I'm very pleased that Ray's still a Hurricane.

And my reasons why are varried and mostly personal. :D

[toastmasterbone]

I know we speculated that there was a first rounder on the table, but Luke says:

Rutherford confirmed Whitney used his no-trade clause to block a deal last month, with the Los Angeles Kings reportedly offering a second-round pick and a defensive prospect. But on Wednesday, Rutherford maintained the Hurricanes decided to hold onto Whitney rather than take less than the asking price.

If that's the case, I don't see how we're any better off trading Whitney other than the additional second rounder adds to our cache of picks to trade up, unless the prospect was a stud.

[SoCalcaniac]

As a fan, I'm glad Ray is still here. I want our players to really want to be here and when it's a guy who is one of our best players, so much the better. The team has 11 picks in 7 rounds for the 2010 draft. It's quite possible that JR will be able to use some of those picks to move up. Let's let the man do his job.

I'll heartily concur with you c-girl. I'm a Whitney fan and I was secretly harboring (after the whole LA Kings thing started to shred) hopes that it was all done, and I'm glad he'll stay here. I'll say I've blindly or otherwise put my trust in our GM who clearly is willing to gamble, take risks and all that being an executive entails. I admire that.

We plan to be in Hell-ay for the Draft as a draft roadie/vacation thing, and the original plan was to just do the first round that Friday night, visit with friends in LA for the weekend then go home to San Diego-- well I know we gotta stay for day 2 at the Staples Center because Round 2 alone is gonna be off the chains. I'm happy about that, especially because day 2 of the draft can be a little less glam in my experiences; lol. :lol:

I'll also add, and this may not be popular, but I've thought about it a ton given the other situations around the league and NTC's and specifically with Whitney and to an extent Nic Wallin. I'm going to take the Brian Burke tack; and I realize Burke can be a lightening rod for many people, but I wholly agree with him on this matter---- The player with a NTC has received that No trade for a reason; a team should honor it. They shouldn't go to a player, and ask him to waive it. You sign that NTC in good faith, and the team that gave it to the player, should not be doing anything to go back on it. I get the guys that have approached the team and said, I'll do this to help the team, help the situation, etc., but even in that sense, I'm a little torn on it; because you then say- well now you wanna go because the ship is sinking. HOWEVER, if it's that last kick at the can, player winding down career (i.e. Doug Weight, Scott Walker Ray Bourque, etc) then it's more palatable perhaps. I don't think a player should be asked multiple times to waive. That's just my opinon, but given how these situations can bring on bad feelings (which I think has since happened in Toronto to T. Kaberle; from the previous regime, not current)But I do get that JR wanted to strengthen the opportunity at the draft table, but on further review, he decided that in the end, (based on his press conference comments) it was best not to trade #13.

[NCCaniac42]

^ :yeah:

[caveman]

If I could go back and undo the Wesley and Francis "rentals" I probably would. (Particularly Francis, since Wesley got to come back for the festivities to follow and retire more on his own terms here.) Though that is being said not remembering what we got and who we drafted. But Francis and Wesley are on a higher "Hurricanes Hall of Honor" notch than Ray, despite how great he has been for us for several years now.

I don't begrudge Ray one MOMENT for exercising the NTC clause he had in his contract. He (hopefully?) took a little less money on the contract to get the NTC and JR signed the contract as well. If the Caps or Pittsburgh or Boston or similar had come calling it would still be well, well within Ray's rights and I wouldn't begrudge him a moment turning down 8 first round picks even for the team next door because it's HIS life and HIS contract he worked his butt off to get.

Now, on JR's end, I have to say it really feels like he went through a "NTC phase" where he was handing these suckers out left and right. In this case maybe it burned us a bit, maybe Ray would have signed for similar dollars last contract without an NTC, maybe he wouldn't have. I don't know, I wasn't party to negotiations, etc.

But it's absolute BS to decry a player for their NTC. Decry the GM who gave it to him. (Or, dare I say, the fanbase who pressured the GM to give it to him because "If you don't re-sign X I won't be re-upping my tickets WAAAAAHhhmmbulance.")

Random mind dump, apologies, etc.

edit to add: a second "yeah that" to the above. And a second "yeah, I have to go with Brian Burke" on this one as well. The org. doesn't get to come to the player asking about NTC's in a public fashion. The player if he demands to get traded needs to list 10 teams he'll OK a trade for or don't bother.

[caniac97]

Given that we got a second rounder for Cullen I was all for a first rounder for Ray. I think had a Eastern Conference team offered that up then ray would have been gone. I can understand NOT wanting to go to a Left Conference team unless they were willing to give him a three year extension.

What I foresee happening to Ray is the same thing we did for Wesley, he gets one year deals for as long as he wants to play.

[MoBigRed]

If the Caps or Pittsburgh or Boston or similar had come calling it would still be well, well within Ray's rights and I wouldn't begrudge him a moment turning down 8 first round picks even for the team next door because it's HIS life and HIS contract he worked his butt off to get.


+1

[KaniacFever]

With Whitney, I'm glad he's here. I'm glad JR didn't trade him just so he can say he traded him. If the deal wasn't right then there is no need to trade him. Ray Whitney should ONLY be traded for his worth, nothing less, IMHO.

As for ones (not necessarily on this board) who are pissed at Ray, you are pissed at the wrong guy. Be pissed at JR, but Whitney did nothing wrong. He earned the NTC and he earned the right to exercise that NTC. Quite frankly, it makes me damn happy knowing that a guy like Whitney WANTS to be here and doesn't want to be anywhere else. When a guy of his caliber doesn't even want to leave during a crappy season, it makes me happy and don't think it doesn't go unnoticed around the league, which can help in bringing in free agents.

Ray Whitney is a valuable asset to have on your team with all the intangibles he brings to the table.

[livinthedream]

What y'all said.

Sent from Blackberry

[Fghtr4jc]

If JR can get Whitney to agree to consecutive 1 year deals like he did with Wesley, this will end up being his best decision BY FAR at this trade deadline.

[guinevere]

I'm thrilled Ray is still here. While i like the idea we are going younger, some veteran experience from someone who is still amazing almost every night makes me very happy. Agree with almost everything said here so wont repeat.