Thursday, June 12, 2008

Morrison and agent have not talked to the Canucks yet


















From The Province:

"As of yet we haven't talked, but there's probably a chance before the end of the week," said Morrison, 32, who is set to become a UFA on July 1.
Morrison is still limping from a torn ACL injury he suffered last season, even though he had surgery on it on April 7. He also had surgery on his wrist because of a damaged tendon. Word is that he will be ready for training camp. Question is: which team will he be playing for?
There are stories out that Morrison and his agent could meet with the Canucks at the end of the week. There are still 18 days left until Mo would become an unrestricted free agent. So what should Mike Gillis do? What would you do? Let him go? Sign him up?
The injuries come on the heels of a Iron Man streak that saw Morrison play 542 consecutive games. That is the 11th longest streak in history.
(Doug Jarvis holds the Iron Man record at 946 consecutive games.)
So Morrison managed 9 goals and 25 points in 39 games this past season. That is a .64 points-per-game pace. The previous year? .62 points-per-game. The year before that? .68 points per game. You see the trend there. Morrison's value was driven by playing on the West Coast Express Line with Bertuzzi and Naslund. He had 71 points in that lines' best year. That would be .87 points-per-game.
So given that B-Mo didn't have the same chemistry or talent on his lines after Bertuzzi left, he is limited to about a 20-goal and 50 point season in 82 games. Is that worth $3.2 million per year? What is Morrison's camp thinking...a raise? Same dollars?
Morrison's PPG pace ranks him near guys like Mike Comrie, Jamie Langenbrunner, Wojtek Wolski, Chris Kunitz, and Martin Straka. Comrie makes $3.375 million, Langenbrunner makes $2.8 million, Wojtek Wolski makes $984,000, Kunitz will now make $3.725 million and Straka makes $3.3 million. Huh. So where do we guage Morrison's performance? Comrie underachieved. So did Straka. Is Kunitz overpaid? They will be expecting more of him in Anaheim as he ages.
And I guess that's the bottom line. Morrison is decent, but a lot more is expected of him. He's still 32 years young. He should be in his prime.
I like Langenbrunner's salary. That is a great deal for what he puts out and brings to the team. In my opinion, if Morrison can't step it up and put out 70 points, then he is not worth $3.2 million. The Pitt Meadows BC native will need linemates that can score in order for him to do that. Mo did not have that last year.
Bottom line? I have no idea what Gillis is going to do here. Personally, I'd offer the $2.8 range and not budge. If he doesn't like it, then send him packing. We can spend the extra money on someone else.
Agree?
Notice how there is no talk about Naslund yet?

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2 Comments:

At June 16, 2008 at 2:42 p.m. , Blogger RevTrevK said...

I say send Morrison packing. Free Agency is where he should belong. Let some other team pick him up for $3.5 million and waste their cash on him.

We can find someone to replace him with that $. Plus since the iron man stretch he's been Mr.Walking Wounded.

 
At June 17, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. , Blogger Sean Zandberg said...

True that. I think the same thing happened to Mark Recchi.

 

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Waiting For Stanley was created in June 2006.