Kukla's Korner Hockey
Next entry: Rangers Thin At Center & Defense
Previous entry: Would Kessel Be Comfortable In Toronto?
Money Won’t Change Versteeg
by Paul on 09/17/09 at 06:42 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Lacy J. Banks of the Chicago Sun-Times,
As a restricted free agent, Versteeg would have been given a 10 percent raise on his $490,000 salary from last season. But when the offers weren’t received in time—which eventually led to the ouster of former general manager Dale Tallon—Versteeg was paid millions more. He signed a three-year deal worth $9.25 million, meaning he’ll earn more than Patrick Kane ($875,000), captain Jonathan Toews ($850,000) and defenseman Duncan Keith ($1.9 million) this season.
‘‘I still took less money,’’ Versteeg said. ‘‘If I had gone onto the open market, I could have gotten much more. But I signed for less money to stay with the Hawks because I love the Hawks, I love my teammates, my fans and the city of Chicago.
‘‘But I don’t see myself not working harder and taking this season serious just because I got more money. I’m here to win, and I want to win really bad. That’s why I’m going to continue to work as hard as I can.’‘
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Kris+Versteeg,
Comments
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Video- Flyers Lose 5-2 At Home To Rangers
Video- Lars Eller Goal, Good Offense Or Bad Defense?
Hockey Talk In the Middle Of February
Video-Shane Lehman, Always A Hockey Player
About KK Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
When learning from experts it’s best to learn personally from them, or from their blog. We can provide that with poker lessons blog, your home to learn poker personally.
Do you get shocked from the luck in the game of poker? Stop getting shocked and start being a Poker Shoker
Make extra cash while playing online poker. Rakeback is free and comes with rake races.
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.
Mr. Banks’ article implies that Versteeg would have earned only $539,000 this season if the Blackhawks had properly filed a qualifying offer. Versteeg quite possibly would have attracted an offer sheet well in excess of $539,000 from another team, which the Hawks would have had to match to keep his services. None of us know for certain how his salary for this season under that scenario would compare to the $3.08 million he will earn under his new three year deal. But to suggest that the Hawks’ error cost the team roughly $2.5 million extra to retain Versteeg’s services this season is simply misleading. Further, a full assessment of the situation would recognize that the qualifying offer would only have been a one year deal. The Hawks signed him to a three year deal. Once Versteeg becomes arbitration eligible, he would be able to reject future qualifying offers and take the team to arbitration. Again, we do not know what the outcome would be, but it is not inconceivable that an arbitration award for 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons would exceed the $3.08 he will make under the three year deal.
Posted by George Urban from Charlottesville, Virginia on 09/17/09 at 11:29 PM ET