Quote:
Originally Posted by dissentowner
Then you look at the silver lining. A guy who prioritizes being close to mommy and daddy at age 28 over winning and his hockey legacy is not a guy you are winning with anyhow. I am not saying if that is the route he did choose that it is wrong, it is right for him but there is a long list of players who chose location over winning. Those guys retired with their hockey legacy being they put location first and winning and competing second. See Shane Doan for example. You don't win championships with guys like that. I don't think Johnny is like that though and I believe he was bring totally honest when he said he wants to be here, win here, and wants to stay here. I can't see a guy who seems as competitive as he is throwing his entire hockey legacy down the crapper just to be closer to mom and dad.
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I basically agree. I love watching Johnny play and would love for him to sign a long-term deal at a price that works to build a contender around him and for him to retire with a cup banner to match his jersey in the rafters, but if his decision making isn't driven by an urge to win and leave a legacy of greatness then he's not worth paying the big dollars to. Basically, if he's motivated by anything other than winning he's not worth a huge salary, and if he's primarily motivated by winning he should be willing to compromise a bit on salary to have the team build a contender around him to achieve those goals.