Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - [Signing] Flames sign James Neal (5 years, 5.75 AAV)

FlamesAddiction · 07-02-2018, 07:16 PM

I am a little surprised that some people (mostly fans of other teams) think this is a bad contract. Neal has been extremely consistent and reliable for several seasons.

Any time you sign a quality UFA, you are going to overpay either on AAV or term (or often both). So pick your poison, or don't participate.

The AAV to me seems very fair for a player that has been this consistent and brings more to the game than just scoring. And people talk like 30 super old. Sure, the odds of him putting up a career year at this point are unlikely, but it would not be odd to see him stay around that 40-45 point range for the whole term of the contract. Even if his production was to decrease in the last 2 years, he is still likely to be contributor if he stays healthy. He has never been a player that has relied on speed and speed is usually the first thing that catches up to players when they age. Such players often have a hard time adapting because they always relied on their speed. Neal's game is about positioning, shooting and grit. Those things are not as affected by age as speed.

Add to that, there are no clauses that prevent him from being traded, waived or demoted in the event he does drop off a cliff, and this contract is a win.

07-02-2018, 07:16 PM	#480
FlamesAddiction Franchise Player Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Vancouver Exp:	I am a little surprised that some people (mostly fans of other teams) think this is a bad contract. Neal has been extremely consistent and reliable for several seasons. Any time you sign a quality UFA, you are going to overpay either on AAV or term (or often both). So pick your poison, or don't participate. The AAV to me seems very fair for a player that has been this consistent and brings more to the game than just scoring. And people talk like 30 super old. Sure, the odds of him putting up a career year at this point are unlikely, but it would not be odd to see him stay around that 40-45 point range for the whole term of the contract. Even if his production was to decrease in the last 2 years, he is still likely to be contributor if he stays healthy. He has never been a player that has relied on speed and speed is usually the first thing that catches up to players when they age. Such players often have a hard time adapting because they always relied on their speed. Neal's game is about positioning, shooting and grit. Those things are not as affected by age as speed. Add to that, there are no clauses that prevent him from being traded, waived or demoted in the event he does drop off a cliff, and this contract is a win. __________________ "A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."