What a difference a few short months can make, eh?
Just a year ago, Mike Komisarek was one of the most popular members of the Montreal Canadiens.
It was to such an extent that just this past season, loyal Habs fans mass voted the shot blocking, hard hitting blueliner onto the starting lineup in the 2009 NHL All-Star Game.
Granted it was not his best year, especially after an errant punch hit Milan Lucic’s helmet and put him out of action for a few weeks early in the season.
Many began to see Komisarek’s play become ineffective with injuries to fellow defenceman Andrei Markov late in the season.
Without a contract and a quick exit from the playoffs by Lucic and the Boston Bruins, fans now began to wonder if the pending free agent would return to Montreal.
Well folks, we got our answer and boy did it make our jaws drop!
Many expected the American-born Komisarek to look to the pastures closer to home.
Komisarek was involved in the Habs 5-0 comeback game 02/19/2008
With Komisarek being a native of Long Island, the New York Islanders, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils were considered the top contenders for the 27-year-old with the Philadelphia Flyers as a dark horse.
It was then revealed last week, after the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, that the Canadiens had offered Komisarek a new contract.
It was figured that the contract was in the vicinity of $20 million overe four years. Not bad for a guy who made $1.9 million last year and is not an offensive minded rearguard with a high giveaway ratio.
Many would not be surprised if he turned it down, figuring he would go for a five to six million a year deal.
Late Wednesday afternoon however, Canadiens fans got a real kick in the puck bag.
Out of nowhere, it was announced that Mike Komisarek was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Outrage!!! Joining the Canadiens’ greatest rival.
What makes it worse is the terms of the deal, five years for $22.5 million. That’s one extra year for just $500K more per season.
Mike Komisarek at the 2001 NHL Entry Draft
Maybe not a big deal on a player who has played elsewhere in the NHL, but Komisarek was drafted and brought through the ranks by the Canadiens.
Why Mike, why?
What went wrong?
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