Staal extension a done deal

[nccanes]

I'm stealing SoCal's post from the General Thread to put it here...with a minor correction. ;)

Yep, Media Day has been mentioned in both Walker & Rutherford interviews- Walker sounded slightly frazzled - perhaps the get the kids to school thing? (lol) but he got going and sounded excited about the changes and the new D. and Rutherford - he was asked about the Staal extension; he said they're "Still talking to Eric's agent and we're hoping to have him locked up long term with an announcement before the season opens". Then when he wrapped up the interview with "we'll have alot of good announcements before the camp and the season begins".

Forslund just came into the 99.9 tent and is as chatty and eager to go.

Actually what he said was that he was hopeful to have an announcement about an extension before camp opens. :D I was clapping in the car as I went down I-40. :spin:

[KaniacFever]

That will be awesome. Get the kid locked up so there aren't any distractions through out the year.

[PennsylvaniaCanesFan]

Good news if it's true. Wonder what the rest of the good announcements are?

[puck_it]

kyle prairie is out of a job??

[perfectstorm]

They've outsourced the parking lot attendants?

[Canesluver]

Eric's getting hair extensions?

[caneshockeychick]

^He's negotiating the thought.

[NtheI]

Chad LaRose got an endorsement deal with Enzyte - The Natural Male Enhancement. :toocool:

[puck_it]

Sorry to put an end to the "fun," but I got a pm from someone who thought the hair extension discussion was a touch offensive. There's no hard feelings from the person who asked, but they thought it should be removed. I saw their point and decided it might be better to err on the side of caution.

let's stay on topic.

[SoCalcaniac]

Okay I missed that whole conversation- so I'll follow puck_it's request to get back on topic. :lol:

Was watching WRAL (in HD, finally after a major "Hanna storm drama" woooo it's awesome!!, lol) and they showed the whole Canes media day at Brier Creek thing- the 'feature' story was the "Staal contract negotiations" and the reporter in the piece (Jason Jennings?) says something to the effect of how Eric wants to be here and "Eric & his wife are building a house in Raleigh" and they cut to Eric saying how much they love the area, his team and the org. As per usual, saying the right things, which obviously bodes well for the contract.

Eric mentions his agent and JR are talking, and then the mention again about getting the extension done before camp starts.

[livinthedream]

LOL I was just reading almost those same comments from Eric in Chip's blog:

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/canes-hope-to-sign-staal-before-camp

Carolina Hurricanes general Jim Rutherford said today that the team hoped to sign star forward Eric Staal to a long-term contract in the next week to 10 days.

Rutherford would not disclose the financial figures being discussed, but it is believed Staal could receive a seven- or eight-year contract that will pay him between $7 million and $10 million a year.

"We're continuing to talk and have talked more of late," Rutherford said. "I would expect us to get a deal done soon. We're getting to the point we're just trying to fine-tune it."

Rutherford said it was a priority to reach an agreement before the Sept. 19 start of training camp.

"I don't like to negotiate contracts during the year," he said. "It's a distraction, not only for the player whose contract is being done but other players think, 'Where do I fall in?'"

Staal, called the team's "franchise player" by Rutherford, will make $5 million this season in the final year of his deal and could become a restricted free agent next summer.

"My wife and I dearly love the area, we love the organization," Staal said today."We want to win — that's the thing.

"It's not something I'm stressing about. It's not something that's going to affect my game. I'm just going to play."


ETA: After reading SoCal's post I went out to WRAL.com to see if Eric really did use the word "dearly" (answer - no, not in this interview, although I did notice the new "US Open" hat) and there are several extended interview videos on their website - Staal, Brindy, Lavi, and JR:

http://www.wral.com/sports/video/3515748/

[Caniac]

Sorry to put an end to the "fun," but I got a pm from someone who thought the hair extension discussion was a touch offensive. There's no hard feelings from the person who asked, but they thought it should be removed. I saw their point and decided it might be better to err on the side of caution.

let's stay on topic.

From now on we're going to be doing the "grow a thicker skin" thing and letting stuff like that go. It was harmless and I thought it was fun. Being I pay the bills, I think I'll let that kinda thing go. Those that want to have a say in how things go can make their plea via paypal.

You can rest assured that if it's something I participate in, that I approve of it. Anyone that has any issues with that should PM ME.

There were a couple of posts in there after re-reading that were borderline, so I'm leaving them deleted.

[SoCalcaniac]

LTD, ooh thanks for the links to the extended interviews! Eric did seem genuinely sincere about loving the area did he not?? ;)

Oh ya'll , our Capt. looks ready to go.... that's kinda like saying the Pope is Catholic, but you know what I'm sayin' - tee hee.

[puck_it]

From now on we're going to be doing the "grow a thicker skin" thing and letting stuff like that go. It was harmless and I thought it was fun. Being I pay the bills, I think I'll let that kinda thing go. Those that want to have a say in how things go can make their plea via paypal.

You can rest assured that if it's something I participate in, that I approve of it. Anyone that has any issues with that should PM ME.

There were a couple of posts in there after re-reading that were borderline, so I'm leaving them deleted.
yeah, i soft deleted them to let you ultimately decide what you wanted to do. Meant to shoot you a PM, but got pulled away at work (Actually was on the way out the door) and forgot about it

[livinthedream]

Staaly and his contract are front-and-center with two articles dominating the Sports page today.

The lead article describes how the seven-year limit on the league's insurance plan will drive the length of the contract. I didn't post the entire article here, but it's an interesting read on how the league's insurance plan works, how JR used it last year with Williams' injury to help bring in Samsonov, and a little about the situation with Tanabe.

http://www.newsobserver.com/796/story/1213270.html

RALEIGH - When negotiations conclude on a long-term contract extension for Carolina Hurricanes superstar center Eric Staal, a process that could end soon, there are two certainties about what that contract will look like.

One, it's going to be for a ton of money, the most the Hurricanes have ever paid a single player. Two, it's not going to be for any longer than seven years.

Not because the Canes don't want Staal around any longer than that -- clearly, they do -- but because the NHL's leaguewide insurance plan will only insure player contracts for seven years.
Beyond that, if the player gets hurt, the team is on the hook for the full amount of his contract. Seeking private insurance to cover a longer deal is prohibitively expensive, Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said.

more via link.....


Second article, which IMO is more of the headliner, is all about Staal making the leap to elite status.

http://www.newsobserver.com/796/story/1213136.html

RALEIGH - Eric Staal returned to the Triangle last week bigger, leaner and stronger than he was a year ago, enjoying the benefits of a tough workout and nutrition program over the summer.

That's all part of the maturation process for the budding superstar as he approaches his 24th birthday. The Carolina Hurricanes expect it from him.

This fall, they're also expecting the Staal who emerged late last season when Rod Brind'Amour was injured. Filling the void left by the Canes' captain, Staal raised not only his offensive game but also his all-around game -- physically, defensively and mentally.

As Staal and the Hurricanes close in on a long-term contract that will make him among the highest-paid players in the league, the time has come for him to take the next step and join the NHL's elite.

His dynamic play last spring offered a preview of what Staal may look like in his prime. Now, it's time for him to deliver.

"That's the way he should be playing," forward Ray Whitney said. "Is he going to do that every night? No. He's going to have an off night now and then. But I think he realizes if he plays like that almost every night, he's going to be one of the top five forwards in the league."

In his second NHL season, Staal reached the 100-point mark and led the NHL in playoff scoring as the Canes won the Stanley Cup. Over the past two seasons, he has averaged 76 points -- below the level he expects of himself and the Canes expect from him.

But included in last year's 82 points are the 34 he scored in 23 games after Brind'Amour was lost for the season with a knee injury, a pace well beyond that of the 2005-06 season.

"I want to be back in the top five in scoring," Staal said. "Getting back to that 100-point plateau is something to shoot for, I think. The biggest thing is making it to the playoffs. I don't care how many points I have unless we're back in the playoffs. That's where we need to be and should be."

Physically, Staal has never been better prepared to carry that load, although he has missed just one game in four NHL seasons. He weighs 210 pounds, up from 204 last year but with substantially less body fat. Skinny as a scarecrow as an 18-year-old rookie, he is starting to fill out.

Some of that is nature, as he grows into his body. The rest is nurture. Staal spent the summer working out with a personal trainer, changed his diet and cut soda out of his life entirely -- the modified Cam Ward diet.

"It's a process you kind of have to go through," said assistant general manager Ron Francis, who also made his NHL debut at 18. "He's certainly a lot stronger now as each year goes on. Mentally, he should be a lot tougher.

"I think that was sort of what happened last year. When we had the injuries, I remember going to him, but I didn't have to say anything. He knew what he needed to do, and he was ready for the challenge."

For motivation, he can look to preseason hockey magazines. Most predict he will fall in the 70- to 80-point range. Based on the past two seasons, it's probably a fair appraisal. Staal's confident they're selling him short.

"I think I'm a point-a-game or better player," he said. "I proved that the one year, and last year was a good season, but I still think I have more. There's a lot of things that have to go right. We'll continue to work at it and hopefully prove those guys wrong."

The Hurricanes hope to have Staal's new contract in place before training camp opens. He's going to get superstar money, perhaps eight digits in some years of the contract.

Staal is going to have to play pretty well to earn that money, but he's more than capable of doing it.
"He's just going to get better and better," Brind'Amour said. "You're going to talk about him the way they talk about [Sidney] Crosby or [Evgeni] Malkin. There's no reason for that not to happen."

[SoCalcaniac]

Fast fingers LTD! I was just gonna come in and post both articles. I was standing in my driveway this morning before I left for the gym reading away in the dark, with garage lights helping out cause that whole player insurance story is extremely interesting- and I think I'm gonna have to re-read parts of it, because it's insane.

So the Staal on the verge article was quite interesting and Luke made me laugh at :


Physically, Staal has never been better prepared to carry that load, although he has missed just one game in four NHL seasons. He weighs 210 pounds, up from 204 last year but with substantially less body fat. Skinny as a scarecrow as an 18-year-old rookie, he is starting to fill out. :lol:



I was cracking myself up reading that line, cause maybe Luke was within earshot of this exchange that hapepned with a couple of us that were at the RZ the first time we all got a "up close" look at Staal at the pretraining camp thing they had - there was a woman with a very think southern accent at the RZ, which on that day was pretty packed- all wanting to get a glimpse of the kid- and people were jostling for position at the glass, pointing out Eric, trying to figure out which one was Eric- and the accented lady says to a guy who just rolls up - "he's that one right over there- skinny as a damn scarecrow, like his mama hasn't fed him enough! and he's supposed to help us win games?" half the people there were howling laughing at her comment, the other half were like way to put full on pressure on the kid. :lol: Luke used to stand right by the dressing room door, which was not far away from where this happened, so maybe he remembers the scenario too.

other interesting bit:

Some of that is nature, as he grows into his body. The rest is nurture. Staal spent the summer working out with a personal trainer, changed his diet and cut soda out of his life entirely -- the modified Cam Ward diet.


I have always been of the opinion, that Eric had not quite found his way in the whole workout/fill out department as such a young guy, although Tripp had told us after the 06-07 season, Eric spent that summer "working out" I was skeptical - And it showed in some of his games last year early- when he had those "I'm winded" moments and things weren't going well for him. It's good to see him finding his way- and I think for all of us who have watched him since he was 18, me personally, I should say, have to continue to remember he is just a young guy. He's not even at the peak. E will croak when I bring up Lecavalier, but I see Eric maybe slightly ahead of Vinny's rise to where he is now. Burdened by wayyy too many expectations, VL was/is the late bloomer. Eric didn't have to be the end all for our team, luckily he has good veteran support, and it's working out nicely for him.

Interesting that RF "went to him" after the injuries happened. In my next life, I truly want to be the fly on the wall so I can hear how these conversations transpire and what is said. It just fascinates me.

And I'm thrilled that he got his copy of THN Season preview where they have sold him short like Luke says in the article. Do ya'll remember in the SC Champs DVD where they have those sit down player/coach/broadcaster bits- and Eric quotes that article that talked about the Canes finishing last out of 30 teams? You could see him nearly spitting out the words- but he had the article memorized. It was almost like, we showed them.

I expect he'll have a great season. He's fired up again, and that can only mean good things for us.

[CajunCaniac]

Yet another story about Staal and his contract negotiations, this time from CBS Sportsline...

http://www.sportsline.com/nhl/story/10969517

Hurricanes' negotiations with Staal for long-term deal on track
Sep. 10, 2008
CBSSports.com wire reports



RALEIGH, N.C. -- For a change, Eric Staal had a pretty tame summer.


There were no weddings for the Carolina Hurricanes' All-Star center. No video-game cover shoots or rowdy bachelor parties, either.

Instead, he spent the past five months dealing with the lingering disappointment of missing a second straight postseason while also discussing with Carolina's front office a contract extension to keep the young face of the Hurricanes with them for the foreseeable future.

General manager Jim Rutherford has said he hoped to have a new deal for his 23-year-old star by the start of training camp next week. And while few details have emerged publicly, Staal said the talks are anything but, well, stalled.

"They know I want to be here, they know that I really enjoy the area and love the organization," Staal said Tuesday. "It's just a matter of finding the (common) ground that works. I think we're getting close as we move forward, but it's not something that I am pressing or that's going to bother me when the season starts. It's not. I'll be ready to play as if it was done."

Staal is entering his fifth season with the Hurricanes and the final year of a three-year contract he signed in 2006 that will pay him $5 million in 2008-09 before he is eligible for restricted free agency after the season.

Both sides expect a long-term deal well before then, and naturally, that would be welcome news for coach Peter Laviolette, who has watched Staal blossom from a first-round draft pick in 2003 into a point-a-game scorer, anchor of his No. 1 line and MVP of last year's All-Star Game.

"He's one of the elite players in the game," Laviolette said. "He's young, he's gifted. (Contract talks are) something that happens between management and players, but I don't think anybody would be disappointed to see Eric Staal be here and play out his whole career here."

Staal, who had 100 points three seasons ago in leading the Hurricanes to their first Stanley Cup, bounced back from a disappointing-by-his-standards 2006-07 season with 38 goals and 44 assists in 2007-08. That followed a busy summer in which he got married, endured an embarrassing arrest following his noisy bachelor party and was pictured on the cover of the "NHL 08" video game.

His performance prompted captain Rod Brind'Amour to proclaim of Staal that, "I don't see any reason he can't be talked about with the Sidney Crosbys and (Evgeni) Malkins when it's all said and done, because he is that good, I think."

Still, Staal insisted he didn't spend his offseason thinking about those statistics, but about this one: The two points in the Southeast Division standings that kept Carolina out of the playoffs once again, making the Hurricanes the only team to miss the postseason two straight years after winning the Cup. They frittered away the five-point lead they had with six games left and ended the season by losing three of four to fall behind Washington.

"You've got to have that consistency. Last year, it didn't feel like we had a huge lull in games where we were terrible, but it was one too many lulls than you can have," Staal said. "We were a good team last year that missed the playoffs. You want to make sure you start off well, get ahead and then stay up front the whole time. You can't have any lulls the whole time because there are a lot of great teams, a lot of parity in our league, and you get stuck behind the 8-ball and it's tough to get back."

A bigger, stronger Staal said he expects to play with a more physical edge this season -- "not lots, but when it's needed," he joked -- and expects to continue to carry the leadership role he assumed last season when, a week after the "A" on his sweater was made permanent, he helped pick up the slack when Brind'Amour went down with a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 14.

"We've got a lot of great leaders in our room," Staal said. "Obviously, Rod is the main guy and he's the one everyone falls after. He's got that great work ethic, and he's prepared to play every game. I just want to do the same sort of thing, just kind of follow the same type of footsteps. That's what all players want to do, and you need to have that as a group to be able to be successful."

[puck_it]

i'm guessing we'll see 50m-55m over 7 yrs.

[PennsylvaniaCanesFan]

Is that high? Yep. Honestly I'm thinking even higher then that. Around the 55-60 mil range.

But if you want have top talent and want to keep them, you gotta open the wallet....

[andyt]

There are a couple of contracts to look at for guidance. Crosby's new contract runs 5 years at an average of $8.7 million. Malkin's new contract kicks in next year and it's the same as Sid's average. Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were in the same boat too, with an expiring contract and RFA status, but Richards is at $5.75 million (for 12 years) and Carter is at $5 million for 3 years. While Briere and Gomez cashed in last year, they were UFAs and the average was much lower than Crosby and Malkin, in the $7 - $7.5 range.

If you take Crosby and Malkin as a guide, and maybe give him a $8.5 average over 7 years, it's $59.5 million. So that's my guess.

[aldamon]

I'm excited about the potential length of the contract. I'm not going to worry too much about the money because if the bean counters OK it, then it must be fine. Right? $60 million won't handcuff us will it?

[perfectstorm]

$60 million won't handcuff us will it?

Not after we lose Brindy's contract and possibly make it to the Stanley Cups finals in 3 of those years.

[puck_it]

i honestly dont think he'll have a cap number over 7.5m

[G-Vegas Caniac]

Looks like we will get an announcement about the Staal contract today! :D:D:D

We had so much fun bringing you live coverage of yesterday's press conference that we've decided to do it again today. No, we aren't unveiling a new fourth jersey, although if we did, I'm sure it would have nice shiny stars across the bottom. *

Today's press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m., and if you've been reading this blog you should have a pretty good idea of what it's about. Very good news for the Hurricanes, to say the least.

Exact same drill as yesterday - we'll start the streaming feed a little early to give you time to log in, look at the pretty spinning Hurricanes logo and listen to some music before the conference starts. You'll be able to access the feed right off the front page of our site like yesterday, or you can just find it in our video player.

See you at 2 p.m.

* We here at the RBC Center got a good chuckle out of the "stars across the bottom" rumor when it came out, because, as you can see, it was nowhere close. Why on earth would we have stars on our jersey anyway?

All things considered, I think the team did a pretty decent job of keeping the new design a secret until the unveiling. There was one mock-up out there that was close, but the "secondary logo on a black jersey" thing is pretty standard in the world of alternate uniformdom these days and the rest of the detailing was off. Very good guess by whoever made it, though.

http://hurricanes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=381681

[nccanes]

Yeah - I'm digging the streaming! Maybe they could stream practices too! :lol:

Great week for the Canes! :nanner:

[SoCalcaniac]

Just got out of a meeting and saw this- WOOOOO! this is a great week for the Canes!

[livinthedream]

WOW - WAY COOL!!!

Guess I'll be taking a late lunch break today. :spin:

[G-Vegas Caniac]

It will be broadcast on 99.9 FM also...:D

If you aren’t near a computer to watch the live streaming feed of today’s news conference, 99.9 FM The Fan will air it live beginning at 2 p.m. So for those of you stuck in a car or unable to stream in your offices, there is another way to hear today’s news as it happens.

The Fan will also have a special Hurricanes guest on the air at <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><ST1:TIME hour="15" minute="20">3:20 p.m.</ST1:TIME> this afternoon, on “The Insiders” with Mark Thomas and Scott Jackson. I expect there will be additions to the list of radio call-in interviews, and I will try to make those additions here as they come in.

http://hurricanes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=381683

[andyt]

TSN is reporting that it's 7 years and at least $8 million per season.

The headline on the TSN story is "Staying in Raleigh".

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/

[KaniacFever]

Whoo Hoo. What a wonderful week for us Canes fans. The Canes are buzzing with news, I love it.

Since work likes to block our streaming, I guess I'll have to go sit in the car and listen on 99.9. If they were smart, they would put my streaming on so I can continue to work while I listen, but instead they will lose me for 10-15 minutes...LOL. I am not missing this announcement.

[aldamon]

Great news. Staal is homegrown talent and represents the right way to build a team.

[Caniac]

Since work likes to block our streaming, I guess I'll have to go sit in the car and listen on 99.9. If they were smart, they would put my streaming on so I can continue to work while I listen, but instead they will lose me for 10-15 minutes...LOL. I am not missing this announcement.

They do that because streaming audio/video eats massive amounts of bandwidth. If a bunch of people were streaming stuff at the same time, it could bring the entire corporate network down and would be much worse for productivity than losing an individual here or there for 10-15 minutes.

[perfectstorm]

Done.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3581569

[car3hur]

They do that because streaming audio/video eats massive amounts of bandwidth. If a bunch of people were streaming stuff at the same time, it could bring the entire corporate network down and would be much worse for productivity than losing an individual here or there for 10-15 minutes.

K, its 2:00....and all I hear is music....c'mon guys, lets go!!!!

:hyper:

[livinthedream]

Okay this live version of Sweet Caroline is anything but sweet.

Wooo hoooo - finally started! That video montage was quite awesome.

[car3hur]

Okay the Live version of Neil Diamond Sweet Caroline is anything but sweet.

Amen to that!! :lol:

[nccanes]

No audio now that they are ACTUALLY talking (for me anyway).

[livinthedream]

It's off and on even on 99.9.

[puck_it]

um sound?

eta: that's the hurricanes for you... half assed all the way

[nccanes]

Can someone post the real terms, since I'm not a good lip reader.

[nccanes]

Maybe we'll get an email saying we got Fossil watches instead. :lol:

[canesice]

audio hosed here also.. dang it!

I hope they are capturing it local for a rebroadcast.

[Canesluver]

Oh well.... maybe they'll have a file with sound posted later.

[puck_it]

this is kind of like Staal's first goal... nobody can see it :lol:

[nccanes]

I've got it now.

[livinthedream]

7 years, starts at $6m ends at $9.5. Average $8.25m per year.

[nccanes]

Wow - avg 8.2/year.

[car3hur]

um sound?

eta: that's the hurricanes for you... half assed all the way

Unbelievable.

Un-freakin-believable. :thistotallysucks-face:

[nccanes]

I have to laugh about the question about it "not being too hard". Holy Crap, how hard is it when you are paying someone that kind of $$$$$. :lol:

[livinthedream]

Wonder who's Mom and Dad's favorite now? :lol:

Always great to hear how much Eric and his wife enjoy being here.

ETA: Okay I posted the Mom and Dad comment before they asked it in the press conference!!! :lol:

[puck_it]

is it me or does staal looked like he got jacked over the off season

[nccanes]

OMG - LTD is in the presser....and she's a HE! :lol:

[puck_it]

glad to see they're so on top of the friggen music

[livinthedream]

OMG - LTD is in the presser....and she's a HE! :lol:

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Actually I'm really Chip Alexander.

I went back and edited my post to say that I wrote that before it was asked!

Wonder who was streaming LGC.com in the press room?

[SoCalcaniac]

I listened to 99.9- I kept getting an error when I tried to stream, but could stream 99 just fine.

Eric sounds very happy. I liked the story of Jared texting him and saying "you're my favorite brother" after he found out from his parents that he was about to sign the long term deal. The question was "you must really be mom and dad's favorite now" hee hee.

Yeah Eric!

[livinthedream]

Official press release is now posted.

http://hurricanes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=381682

Here's the breakdown:

08-09 $5m (current contract)

09-10 $6m
10-11 $7.5m
11-12 $7.75m
12-13 $8.5m
13-14 $9.25m
14-15 $9.25m
15-16 $9.5m

Total $57.75m
Term 7 years
Average $8.25m/season

[LeslieK]

Terms - http://hurricanes.nhl.com/ext/staal_contractbreakdown.pdf
08-09 $5M (old contract)
09-10 $6M
10-11 $7.5M
11-12 $7.75M
12-13 $9.25M
13-14 $9.25M
15-16 $9.25M

[Caniac]

I guess he can always fall back on sod farming in case this whole hockey thing doesn't work out... ;)

[SoCalcaniac]

LOL, LTD and LeslieK.

[KaniacFever]

That's not a bad deal. When you think what he means to the team as far as promoting the game here, being out in the community, etc, its a fair deal. I'm glad that this is done and we don't have to worry about it. Its very nice when 2 people can get together and both want the samething. Makes life easier..lol

[nccanes]

I'm glad we have him for 8 more years, but those numbers, no matter who is getting them, are still staggering to me. But they always will be.

As far as the ability for both sides to agree, well I don't see how Staal would have had ANY problem agreeing to those numbers. :lol:

[Caniac]

I'd do it for half!

[caneshockeychick]

:nanner::yippee::nanner:

Maybe I'll get a black Staal jersey...hmmm.....;)

[livinthedream]

^ Yeah, I was thinking about that yesterday. I bought my Brindy jersey the day he signed his extension, so that would establish a pattern.

I guess they'd better sell a lot of 3rd jerseys this season! It is an eye-popping number. Looking back through the thread PCF and Andy were right on with their guesses. Just shy of Crosby and Malkin money.

[SoCalcaniac]

Exactly, E. For me, it's like how do you say no to that?

I'm sure his humble beginnings and the whole sod farm thing came into play, but it is sports, and he has an agent and agent will do all he can to get even more. But it's not a stretch to say this is more money than Eric will ever need. Simple. So it's a relief that it's done for sure, only because the unknown, i.e. waiting for next summer, was not appetizing to me at all; cause like JR said, he would be prime for an offer sheet.

So I will now be the owner of all 3 colors of Staal jerseys + a 2008 All Star Game jersey, Mr. MVP. I'm on a roll....... heehee.

[Caniac]

You got it. It was imperative that they get this done now. He's also very deserving of the amount of money in regard to what the other players of his caliber are getting. Although that amount of money after the lockout and the cba and all seems RIDICULOUS for anyone, but I digress...

^ That's not a problem until you start calling your husband Eric and have a lifesize doll of Eric dressed in uniform to put in your passenger seat and drive in HOV lanes... ;)

[SoCalcaniac]

^ That's not a problem until you start calling your husband Eric and have a lifesize doll of Eric dressed in uniform to put in your passenger seat and drive in HOV lanes... ;)

:laugh: Caniac. Hey now, I'm no crazed stalker.... heehee- I still have to laugh at how fast the 5 years have gone by since me and hub went to NSH to see the Canes draft "the Staal kid from the sod farm", and seeing JR, JK and the scouts out at a restaurant in NSH after and they were giddy- like kids, so happy they got him. soooo much has happened since then!

Did anyone else catch JR's comment about locking Staal up long term, and how when the Whalers traded Ronnie away 'the Whalers were never the same'? The way he was so emphatic about that, said alot.

[OilerFan]

Decent deal...don't think it's a rip off for the team and I don't think the player sacrificed much in the way of market value. It seems under this new CBA, most teams choose which elite talent they are prepared to attach their wagon to on a long term basis and Staal is a good choice to do so (Much like Edmonton was prepared to offer Marian Hossa, who is just below elite IMO...but still one darn fine player...upwards of $8.5-$9mil/yr on a long term deal this past off season).

[nccanes]

Why no, I didn't hear that. :lol: I think the person who screwed up the audio should donate today's pay to Eric's salary fund. It'll cover a cup a coffee he drinks next season. ;)

[car3hur]

:

Did anyone else catch JR's comment about locking Staal up long term, and how when the Whalers traded Ronnie away 'the Whalers were never the same'? The way he was so emphatic about that, said alot.

Yeah, he has said that many times before....and even today, it is still very true. After that trade to Pittsburgh, the Franchise slowly declined year after year.

But today, this team...this CANES team, is on the up and up, and will only get better. I'm just damn proud to be a part of it. *Holds back a tear or two* :)

[livinthedream]

Hey yo - we need a mod edit on the thread title.....slackers.....

More comments we couldn't hear from today's press conference:

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/staal-signs-7-year-deal

"This won't change the way I play hockey. I play to win," Staal said. "This won't change my game. I'm a competititve guy. The numbers won't be in my head. I'll do my thing.

"I want to be successful. I want to raise the Stanley Cup over my head. That's my main goal, my main focus."

Said Canes coach Peter Laviolette, "It's great. He's one of the top players in the game, but even from a coaching point of view he's somebody you want because he wants to win and he can win.

"He's one of the guys you can count on. It's all wrapped up in a guy you want to work with on a daily basis. I'm happy for him. It's well-deserved. "It's really big for the Carolina Hurricanes, the organization and the area.

[Caniac]

Hey yo - we need a mod edit on the thread title.....slackers.....

Don't make me pull this thing over! ;)

[SoCalcaniac]

Eric is on 99.9 right now.

I just dug this up on that Canes blog by Paul Branecky:


(javascript:openTVTeamPlayer(20562, TV_TAB_INSIDER, null, false, 'hurricanes'))Here's the tribute video that was played before the press conference (javascript:openTVTeamPlayer(20562, TV_TAB_INSIDER, null, false, 'hurricanes')) n case you missed it. Some of you who caught the streaming feed may have experienced some audio problems - sorry about that. We'll get everything fixed for the preseason.

(javascript:openTVTeamPlayer(20562, TV_TAB_INSIDER, null, false, 'hurricanes'))

[nccanes]

I enjoyed the highlight clip. Neat to recall that O assisted on his first goal.

[puck_it]

I enjoyed the highlight clip. Neat to recall that O assisted on his first goal.

and that nobody could see because ESPN had trouble.

[SoCalcaniac]

Interesting interview with Eric on 99.9; he said his phone was full of texts from current and ex-teammates giving him a hard time (They said, "you're the richest hockey player in Raleigh, how is it going so far?" ) and they asked him "What is it about the Triangle" and he talked about how much Mrs. Staal loves it here, and he does too, from Day one he was made comfortable, and they took care of him, and it's perfect for them.

They asked him, "It would have to be them coming here since you're here for the next 8 years.... but what about playing with your brothers" and he gave an interesting answer- about how he would LOVE to play with one or all of his brothers "in my career"...... you could tell it's something he has thought alot about. I'm not trying to bring up Marc Staal or anything..... :lol: but we have Timmay, so I can't be too upset, but ya'll know my stance on that whole 2005 draft.....I've beat it into the ground so I'll shut up. ;)

It would be something to see another Staal play for us.

The tribute video was nice. He really does look so much "older" now.

[andyt]

Well, Jordan is a RFA after the season... :evil:

[Canesluver]

The 99.9 spot is up on-line now:

http://www.wral.com/sports/999thefan/audio/3530705/

[livinthedream]

CL, thanks for the link!

is it me or does staal looked like he got jacked over the off season

Hells yeah! I just saw him in HD on the WRAL news. Dude is sporting some major guns.

(I have to admit I had to look twice at your post cause I read it way wrong the first time).

[puck_it]

lol i was like... wonder who's gonna read it the wrong way, first :lol:

[StormShaman]

She wasn't the only one that had to doubletake, yo.

*goes to clean Diet Coke off the monitor*

[Caniac]

8.25 million a year will get you those kind of possibilities. :D

[StormWarning]

Good deal for both sides on this one. I'm quite pleased.

[SoCalcaniac]

Interesting read in the paper this morning on Eric:

http://www.newsobserver.com/796/story/1215851.html

This caught my eye:


That's a total of $57.75 million and more than enough for him to afford the black Maserati he had parked outside the building


Wow. No wonder on the sound bites in the evening newscasts, when asked if he'd buy any "special toy" he says "no, I think I'm good". yeah.

[caneshockeychick]

I was wondering what kind of "toy" he had. I was talking about it with someone yesterday. :lol:

[livinthedream]

Thanks for posting the article - I didn't have time to check out the paper-paper this morning and of course I stop here before I hit the N&O website. :thumbsup:

I enjoyed the article, but two items caught my eye.

It's also the kind of money that heightens expectations, even for an NHL All-Star center who has had a 100-point season, has played in 254 consecutive games and who led the Canes in nearly every offensive category last season.

Staal seems to be the kind of player (or person) who plays "up" to the level of expectation. I remember last year when he got the 'A' there was question as to whether or not he was ready and he moved into that role quite fine. Then when The Captain went down he stepped it up yet another level on the heels of a very fine ASG performance. He's just had another big level of expectation heaped on him. Personally I think he's up for it.

"This is my home," he said. "This is where I feel comfortable.

"I've always felt this was the place I was supposed to be -- from the organization, from the guys in the locker room, from the people on the street. That's a good feeling to have, and it's good to know I'm here for a long time."

As a self-professed North Carolina "homer" and sports fan this kind of stuff just warms my heart and is a big reason why I'm so attached to this team.

[nccanes]

I'm going to post my complaint about the N/O over in the Chip Alexander thread. :lol:

[SoCalcaniac]

I'm going to post my complaint about the N/O over in the Chip Alexander thread. :lol:

Ruh-OH. I think I know what the complaint is, so I'm goin' to go look.

LTD- The Homer/NC thing- I'm with ya- I obviously am not a native, but I love this place like everyone else here does, and I love it more when I hear and read these pro players, most of them Canadian who didn't no a THING about NC, come here, and it's everything to them to be here. Eric sounded sincere on the radio/tv and in print, and that certainly helps our profile as a community, but it also just confirms what all of us already know. Cheers for the transplants! :) (and the future NC born Staal children, heehee)

[IceSun]

Awesome! I'm with CHC and LTD - time to pull the trigger on a black Staal jersey :D

Great timing on this deal - right after the articles on how he's back fitter and tougher than ever...

[nccanes]

If you want to do something REALLY depressing.... Take Staal's avg salary for the next 7 years (well, not counting this season...use the 8.25) and then divide that by how much you make in a year. See how many years you would have to work to equal ONE YEAR of his new contract's average. THAT is staggering.

I think the NHL needs to adopt that old Ben & Jerry's rule where the highest NHL player can't make more than 9 times the lowest. :lol: And I bet all the Eric Perrin's of the NHL are with me! :lol:

[Caniac]

Well thanks for that... I AM depressed. If I lived to be the world's oldest man and sustained what I make right now I still won't make it that high...

[PennsylvaniaCanesFan]

And to be only 24 and have that much cash coming to you? I'm glad he is locked up long term though. He will be the face of the franchise for years to come. Perhaps when it's all said and done, both him and Francis will be around the same of importance to the franchise (name recognition wise.)

[OswegoExpress]

way,way,way overpaid :mad:

[puck_it]

you're crazy, right?

[nccanes]

Well, I agree he's overpaid. But so is everyone else that's signed a contract that big imo. So I guess I can live with it.

[Canesluver]

I think of professional athletes the same way as I think of professional actors -- if there are people getting wealthy off of them (owners... or producers, in my example), then I don't blame the players/actors one little bit for wanting a piece of the pie.

[SoCalcaniac]

Of course he's overpaid.

But then so is the Elf In Philly, the second coming of Bobby Clarke in Philly, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechikin and down the list it goes. But this is only true, if I'm comparing my corporate recruiting/consulting job, with that of a professional athlete/hockey player. Which I would never do, as has been duly noted in other posts, it would be downright depressing so I don't even go there. :lol:

But a statement that Staal is "overpaid" because another player isn't on our team and we could have paid him that money, or to compare him to Elf, Bobby Jr, etc. etc., well then, that's in the eye of the beholder.

Eric is the franchise player. Legitimate, star- power type franchise player. This is what I would expect him to be paid, and if I'm going down the list of players who are in the Staal class, then he's not 'overpaid'.

So if Thomas Vanek is being paid what he's being paid, The Elf is being paid what he's being paid, and Scott Gomez is getting paid what he is getting paid, then who in their right mind isn't paying Eric what we just signed him to?

We can go into the whole look what these guys make versus the school teacher, policeman, EMS worker, etc. but we know that would be futile. The old cliche is 'it's a business' isn't a cliche as much as it is the truth. What is God-given talent worth in dollars & cents? I guess we kinda know, based on what people are offering up.

[puck_it]

yep, you want overpaid, See: Jeff Finger

Staal got the contract he earned. And nobody else on the team can dare ask for more.

[andyt]

I think of professional athletes the same way as I think of professional actors -- if there are people getting wealthy off of them (owners... or producers, in my example), then I don't blame the players/actors one little bit for wanting a piece of the pie.

Forbes compiled a list of the most overpaid actors in Hollywood. It was based on their salary compared to the gross income of their most recent films.

1. Nicole Kidman - $1.00 in gross for every dollar in salary
2. Jennifer Garner - $3.60
3 (tie). Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz - $4.00
5. Jennifer Lopez - $4.10
6. Jim Carrey - $4.11
7. Nicolas Cage - $4.16
8. Drew Barrymore - $4.38
9. Will Ferrell - $4.67
10. Cate Blanchett - $4.97

According to imdb.com, Kidman got $15 million for "The Golden Compass" and $17.5 million each for "Bewitched" and "The Interpreter". That's $35 million for 2 movies in 2005. That's overpaid.

[Canesluver]

Well, there's an exception to every rule.

[nccanes]

Wow - Nicole's really hit the skids in so far as box office draw. :lol:

[ssangste]

I don't think my opinion of the Staal contract is completely about just this signing. I don't like a lot of the contracts that have been signed. I think the CBA has failed miserably to do what the owner's wanted it to do. At least what they were publicly saying they wanted it to do. The only thing it did was to tie salaries to overall revenues. The cycle of overpaying for players is even more prevalent now than it was pre-lockout. It's just that even more teams are doing it. The current economic framework has done nothing yet to penalize teams that screw up on one of these contracts. The dramatically escalating salary cap has bailed them out each year. Fans have paid part of the price for this...... and will continue to do so given the length of some of these deals being handed out and that GMs are either unwilling to curtail their spending or are having their hands forced by the precedents set by the current signings. Who would have thought that the 15 year DiPietro deal doesn't look all that outrageous right now. I still think it was a stupid deal.. but it doesn't look like something to point at Wang and laugh out loud quite as hard as I would have a couple years ago. The woeful US dollar has paid for it as well.

I admit... I'm a little too old school when it comes to what I think a player is worth. I look at teams' payrolls and see where some teams are getting a deal on players, some are properly paid, and a whole lot of folks that are overpaid.... some woefully so.

Unless you are Wayne Gretzky or someone of his ilk, you shouldn't be making superstar money. I do think contracts should be more heavily weighted upon past performance instead of potential future performance (don't even get me started on the rookie contracts of NFL players taken high in the draft). I'm not saying they should totally be dependant on that... but a track record of performance should be rewarded, while at the same time a team shouldn't be overpaying because they hope a player will eventually be good two seasons from now. There are exceptions, of course for "special players" who outperform from the get go their original rookie deals and seem to bring more than just performance on the ice to the team and the league. I think a long term guaranteed contract is just plain stupid on the part of any team. I don't like how teams are being forced to do it out of fear because of the way agents have taken advantage of the CBA loopholes. No, GMs don't have to do it... but can you imagine the uproar if we let Staal be signed to an offer sheet next offseason and let him go? At least we traded Eric Cole and got something in return for him in Pitkanen. We can argue whether or not we got fair value. But a lot of fans aren't going to like losing a player and just getting draft picks back.

Unrestricted Free Agency is a completely different ballgame. That's the chance for players to cash in. When I look at contracts and see Lidstrom making $7.5M, I think he's worth every single penny and then some because of the value he has to that team. When I see $7.1M to Brian Campbell I see someone cashing in on free agency and a bad contract for the Blackhawks. I really really really like Commie. I think he was great for the game because of the character he added in an age of vanilla faces trying not to offend anyone or stand out from the crowd too much. He was a great representative for our team, he was a riot to have a beer with even though he had shy moments. But he is *not* worth $3.75M over 5 seasons IMO. That's a cash in by him because of his UFA status and good for him for getting someone to pay it. You're not going to convince me it's good for the game, though no matter how much I like the guy.

I look at the Brindy contract and Martin Brodeur's contract as my ideal of a guy putting the team first while still getting paid. I can say a lot of things about Marty, not a lot of them good. He is a very good goaltender that has benefitted over the years from the system that is played in front of him. But I just don't like the guy... and the fact that he's played for the Devils doesn't help his case in my books :) hehe However, he took quite a bit less than market given his prestige and performance to allow the team flexibility to bring in other players. One can argue they then wasted that flexibility on some of the subsequent contracts they signed (Elias isn't worth $6M per season, imho). But the deal he signed was good value for the organization and Marty isn't exactly going to be eating food scraps out of dumpsters any time soon either. Brindy's contract was a lot of risk for the Canes to take on given he signed it after his 35th birthday. We have had injury issues with him over the past couple seasons, some known (knee), some seemingly unknown that he's played through but seemed to affect his performance at times. Yes, you can argue that given the person involved, how good of shape he is always in, his committment, etc. that there was no way he wasn't playing out the contract. But given the nature of the game, any player could have a career ending injury in an instant and we would have had his whole salary counting against our cap for the life of the contract. At the time, that was a big deal to me given where the salary cap was... it's less so now given how much the cap has climbed and the knowledge that in our market, we aren't going to go all the way up to the cap in a season. But a Selke winning Captain who just lead the team to the Stanley Cup (we can argue about Staal having more points, the surprising run by Ward, a collective team sacrifice, etc. But Brindy walked the talk during that playoff run with some timely moments of his own) and who was still contributing offensively could have demanded and gotten more than his $3.6M per year contract. But he took less than market to stay here and allow the team flexibility to sign the other guys.

So having said all that above, my opinion on Staal's contract is that a) I'm happy we have him signed for a while instead of losing him to an offer sheet, but b) it was for too much money, both because of my opinion above about everyone getting overpaid, and compared to others around the league. Yes, they've annointed him the face of the franchise. Yes, he's put up some points playing first line minutes every night. Yes, he certainly has the potential to become an even better player than he's shown to date. He did step up at the end of last year and took on some more responsibilities. But I still don't see him as an elite superstar yet. Maybe he'll prove me wrong this season. But to date I see a player that has defensive issues and needs complimentary players to score. He doesn't have the best hands I've ever seen, has a decent shot, but isn't the most creative with the puck. He's gotten better with the physical side of the game and doesn't get knocked off the puck as much as he did in his first few seasons. But he's never going to lead the league in hitting.

They're completely different players and we got a cheaper second contract out of Staal, but I'm not convinced Staal is in the Crosby and Ovechkin contract league yet. Sid makes the players around him better and Ovie can make his own offense and pretty much was the Capitals offense at times last year (he scored 27%+ of their goals last year). They are exciting to watch players when they're on the ice. They provide production and an exciting product and marketing revenue beyond just their on ice performance. Even within the confines of the Lemaire system with the Wild, Gaborik is an exciting player to watch and makes things happen. Datsyuk and Zetterberg do all the little things and are still incredibly flashy and produce results. Staal isn't quite that kind of player.... yet.... or maybe ever?

We got our franchise player locked up for 7 additional years. Good. He also counts a significant portion against our cap, thereby limiting the amount of money to go around for other future signings. The players and management were right. If Cole had a halfway decent year this year, we wouldn't have been able to afford him in free agency given what we are giving Staal for his first line role.

I'll happily eat crow if Staal blows up this year, or a couple years into the contract. But it takes a whole team effort to win the Cup and you need a lineup of talent to go all the way. That means players playing to or above their contract value. My opinion of course. But you have to be pretty stacked with talent from folks that play for a little less money. $8.25M is not really a home team discount, imo and will set the bar for everyone else. This signing just assured ticketholders of a price increase next season.... and likely many seasons to come. The salary cap is going to need to go up to keep the level of complimentary players we have on the team. You think if Babchuk has a great season and shows he's not the immature kid that refused his minors assignment he's going to re-sign for $1M next year? If Ruutu has a great season alongside Staal, he's going to do another one year deal at a comparitively cheap price? I'm not convinced this market has the financials to support an $8M per year player and all the other contracts necessary to ice a Cup threatening team. Unless we catch lightning in a bottle with some young players or great find players outplaying their existing contracts, that silver lifting experience from a few years ago is going to be a rare occurance here in Raleigh...

[OswegoExpress]

He's overpaid for our market. When I heard extension, I was thinking $6.8, maybe $7.2million per year. Now with this $8.2 million signing and the rest of our salaries, I wonder if Karmanos will make a decent profit, if any at all.

Basically, I won't be surprised if parking goes up and if concessions go up. Which just adds more pain to the season ticket prices that I'm paying.

[KaniacFever]

^well parking is going up to $10 but thats a different story.

My 2 cents: I'd rather overpay our franchise player by $1M, than have KLowe or some other GM throw an offer sheet his way in the $9.5-10M range, and yes, it would happen.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Some of you might not like this deal, and I can't blame you because it is a lot of money. But as others have mentioned, can you imagine the backlash if they hadn't signed Staal this summer and waited and then lost him to an offer sheet next summer?

Then all of the "experts" around the league would be able to climb up on their respective perches and proclaim to the world.....see, I told you that hockey would never work down south. They can't even keep their franchise player. He couldn't wait to get out of there. blah blah blah...

Sometimes you have to do what you have to do, and Karmanos and Rutherford did it this time. Kudos to them.

[wa10]

You think if Babchuk has a great season and shows he's not the immature kid that refused his minors assignment he's going to re-sign for $1M next year? If Ruutu has a great season alongside Staal, he's going to do another one year deal at a comparitively cheap price? I'm not convinced this market has the financials to support an $8M per year player and all the other contracts necessary to ice a Cup threatening team. Unless we catch lightning in a bottle with some young players or great find players outplaying their existing contracts, that silver lifting experience from a few years ago is going to be a rare occurance here in Raleigh...

I think this contract pretty much guarantees Ruutu will not be here next year. Babchuk has a lot to prove before he'll be offered a bigger long term contract by anyone.

According to NHLnumbers, we already have 45 million tied up (against the cap) next year with both goalies signed, 6 defenseman (assuming we keep Kaberle) and 8 forwards.

[sandstorm]

Some concessions are going up a little (25-50 cents here and there) but beer and soda prices are staying the same.

[livinthedream]

^^^ Agree 100% with Cool Hand Luke.

Thanks to WilkesCanesFan, this was posted in the media alerts thread, insightful comments as expected from Johnny Sideburns.

http://www.wral.com/sports/blogpost/3541497/

[SoCalcaniac]

Thanks for posting LTD.

Just when you thought JF was down for the blog count, he surfaces unprovoked. :lol:

[Bob-in-Alberta]

As per TSN - Sept. 15, 2008

The National Hockey League rejected the Carolina Hurricanes' contract extension for centre Eric Staal on Monday, citing issues with the no-trade clause in it.

The issue with the contract pertains to the wording of the clause.

Staal's contract specifies the year in which the no-trade clause kicks in, but the actual year can't be specified because his free agency is based on years of service and not his age. Thus, the team will tweak the language to state that the no-trade clause kicks in after a certain number of years in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.

The language technicality is expected to be amended and approved.

The Hurricanes locked up Eric Staal to a $57.75 million deal last Thursday.

Staal is entering his fifth season with the Hurricanes and was in the final year of a three-year contract he signed in 2006 that would have paid him $5 million. He was slated to become a restricted free agent after the season.

The native of Thunder Bay, Ontario who had 100 points three seasons ago in leading the Hurricanes to their first Stanley Cup, tallied 38 goals and 44 assists in 2007-08.

[WilkesCanefan]

:eek2:

[livinthedream]

Hmmmm.......no doubt the parties will get it all worked out, sounds like a minor technicality, but did we previously know he has a NTC? I don't remember that being mentioned before.....

[SoCalcaniac]

Yes, this is a technicality, nothing to be alarmed at- and since the league is supposed to sign off on all these things before the player signs, I'm surprised it made it that far and got rejected. Channel 11 thought it so significant, that it was the lead sports story and it's not a story at all. I remember there was some technicality in the DiPietro contract that had to be re-written, this isn't a biggie.

LTD- no you didn't miss anything-we weren't told of a NTC; I just presumed he got one, just based on the number of years and his peers with the long contracts also have them, so his agent would likely be mimicing the same look to his contract.

So when we're mere days away, and there is nothing to talk about, this is news, lol.

[StormChaserBH]

Just a thought, might it have been nice for one of the media in attendance at the signing press conference to maybe inquire of the presence/nature of any NTC or NMC and report on it though? I listened as best I could to the audio and video feeds and didn't catch it if they did.

[corylav]

Just a thought, might it have been nice for one of the media in attendance at the signing press conference to maybe inquire of the presence/nature of any NTC or NMC and report on it though? I listened as best I could to the audio and video feeds and didn't catch it if they did.

That was my first thought as well ... no one asked.

[Mona2006]

A minor stumbling block...

http://www.wral.com/sports/story/3551580/

[SoCalcaniac]

Back to the local media angle that Stormchaser & Cory mentioned- So if you click on the wral link that Mona posted, you get all this "Sources from TSN in Canada" and the links next to the article are TSN's.............:crazy:

HEL-LO? Eric is here? Canes are here? why are we quoting TSN? can't someone call up Sundheim and get a quote from our GM LOCALLY?? Not one quote from our GM to clear up/follow up the story. OY!

[c-girl]

Chip has a quote from JR about the contract issue:

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/staal-contract-issue-resolved




Staal Contract Issue Resolved

A snag over the wording of Eric Staal's new seven-year contract extension has been resolved, Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said today.

Under the terms of the $57.75 million contract, which Staal signed last week, a no-trade clause was to go into effect July 1, 2010, the date the Canes center is to become an unrestricted free agent. The NHL found issue with that date, Rutherford said. The contract was changed and will be sent back to the league office.

"It was just the wording of the clause," Rutherford said. "Eric must accrue so many games and be a certain age before the clause goes into effect."
The new wording of the contract will specify that the no-trade cause will begin when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Staal must play each of the next two seasons for the clause to go into effect in 2010.

"These things happen at different times but most don't become public," Rutherford said. "We'll get it in writing today. It's not an issue."

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[andyt]

Never mind. I was beaten to the punch by c-girl.