Crowned wrote:#1/#2 defenseman are making 5+ mil a year now. Don't blame Philly for spending that much on Timonen, talk to the Habs. They set the bar this offseason when they gave Markov his contract. To be honest, I'd take Timonen over Markov anyways. Kimo Timonen isn't an average defenseman, he's actually quite underrated...mainly because he's in Nashville and doesn't recieve the recognition that players like McCabe, Kaberle, Souray, Markov, Redden and Chara recieve. They overpaid by approximately $700,000- $900,000 per for him. So what? They had the money to spend, and needed a top notch defenseman, so they went out and signed one.
I'll take Timmonen over the players that are in bold. I guess Montreal did set the bar for defenseman, but Philly did not need to spend 4.2 million a year on a player that averages 20-25 goals a season. That is a joke. You can blame Philly on that one. I think that is going to set the bar high for players who have some potential. Buffalo is really screwed now because before this Hartnell signing, Vanek would have probably gotten a 4 million a year contract. But I think he'll hold out for 6 million.
