As reported by Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the contract offer that was made to Sean Avery by the New York Rangers has finally been made known.
On July 1st, Rangers' President and General Manager Glen Sather offered Avery a four year deal worth $12 million. It was this offer that he rejected only to join the Dallas Stars for a four year deal worth $15.5 million.
Sean Avery, who had openly stated how much he loved the Rangers and the city of New York and said that he "bled blue" apparently didn't love them that much as he took the next highest offer, that the Stars made, and signed there.
There has been much speculating among fans about the offer that Sather gave him, if any, and now it's officially known that Avery was in fact offered a deal, a very fair deal, that he rejected.
Fans had nothing to do but blame Glen Sather for Avery's departure since Sean can NEVER be in the wrong. Well this goes to show that Sather did all he could and Avery still chose to leave. Looks like your golden boy didn't quite bleed blue after all...
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2 months ago
Big surprise that he wasn't as honorable as he seemed...
2 months ago
Sather definitely didn't do all he could. He spent ALL season refusing the negotiate with Avery and openly gave him the cold shoulder. Offering a four year deal worth one million per less than your nearest competitor was aimed at allowing Sather to say he did all he could when that wasn't the case.
Whatever your opinion of Avery it can't be said that Sather pulled out all the stops to return him to the Garden this season.
2 months ago
If Sather REALLY felt that Avery was as important as everyone kept making him up to be all season, he would have offered more. Lets be honest, the Rangers arent cheap when they want something.
from 2 months ago
Sather offered him a fair deal, which was ctually a raise (up from 2.5) that he was making this season.
Don't you think if he really wanted to say here he would have taken the $3 million instead of $3.5 in Dallas?
from 2 months ago
Absolutly, if he wanted to stay he would have taken it. But I honestly think Avery wasnt getting along with his teammates as well as everyone says and maybe it was time to go.
I think Avery and Shockey would get along. They both seem like the type of player that isnt going to last too long on any team, no matter how good they are.
2 months ago
Great article Greg. I agree, I feel that Avery's quotes were all phony, and this contract rejection proves it.
2 months ago
How many of you would reject a contract worth an additional four million dollars to re-sign with a team and a GM that have made it clear throughout the process that they didn't really want you back? I'm not saying Sean Avery is a saint I'm saying that he did what every other player who promises a hometown discount does when they get a bigger offer. Why hold him to a higher standard than any other player?
from 2 months ago
Trust me, I dont hold Avery to any standard. I'm just saying that based on his interviews and play, he isnt the team player the Rangers fans modeled him to be. We heard quotes from Valiquette (dont know the proper spelling) saying he HATED practicing with Avery, I'm sure a lot of other players felt the same way. So what I'm saying is, he wasnt as loved by NY as he may have thought. The Rangers are always willing to shell out big $$ for players they want...and they didnt even bother trying to move money around for him. He is easy to replace skill wise, and they can do it without the headaches
2 months ago
How does this surprise anyone? Do you know the player you're talking about? He's self-centered and arrogant. Let him model cowboy hats and boots in Dallas and melt in the heat. Here's a prediction: Sean Avery will be in trouble in Dallas by December.
from 2 months ago
$20 says he gets in trouble on Halloween stealing candy from Brendan Morrow's kids.
BT
2 months ago
i think that when millions of dollars come around, players forget where they come from. i know i wouldnt be thinking straight if i was offered a couple more million dollars to work somewhere else
from 2 months ago
An extra $500 thousand isn't really that much more.
2 months ago
what are you talkinggggg about, $3M a year is a jerk off offer. Its below his market value, it was very clear Sather did not want him there even before the summer. He bad mouthed him at arbitration and then refused to budge and sign him during the season when he inked Hank and Tuytin. Sather didn't want him there, why would he want to stay after that. His market value is at least $3.5M a year probably more. You just have a problem with Avery and some conjured up connection with him and 'bandwagon' fans. Is Avery a complete asshole on the ice? of course. Is he a good locker room guy, on a veteran team no not at all. And 500k over 4 years is 2M that is a lot. When it comes down to everything, it's a business and after Sather clearly showed he wasn't welcome there wasnt anything left for him to do but walk. Take a realistic few of things and put your biases aside. Do I blame him? No I understand its a business and this is probably his last shot at a big contract in his career. Do i blame Sather for not budging on a lousy 2M over 4 years. You bet I do, but then again the teams taking a new direction that in the end may be better without Avery. Only time will tell.
from 2 months ago
I liked Avery and I wanted him back, but not at the price he wanted. The guy will never score more then 20 goals/40 points in a season and just because he agitates he's supposed to get more money? Sather recognized that and Avery had worn out his welcome. Ever wonder why he never lasts more then a few seasons with a team? It's because he's a cancer in the lockerroom, a detriment to his team mates. In this salary cap world, we can no longer just piss away money at people, and Sather did the right thing, he let him walk.
As for my reference to "Bandwagon Fans" and Avery, it was just seen by me that some fans are already saying that they aren't going to follow the team any more because he's leaving. I wasn't talking to the fan base as a whole, just a small part. That's something that no one on Bleacher Report has understood.
2 months ago
you want to talk about pissing away money, take a look at redden or rozsivals contract. avery had worn out his welcome with glenn sather, not the team. in LA he wore out his welcome because of dispute with marc crawford, not his mates. Avery can play the power play, he can penalty kill, he can play the role of enforcer, he can score, hes a very underrated playmaker and hard forechecker. well worth $3.5M dollars.
from 2 months ago
And if we didn't sign Rozsival and Redden, do you know what our defense corps would look like this season? A powerplay quarterback and pointman were more important then an agitator so Sather spent the money there, as I would have.
2 months ago
he basically is now paying two defenseman #1 d money. which makes no sense considering Rozsival is better suited for the second pair and Redden has been on the decline. your taking what i said out of context. that rozsival contract was absolutely absurd giving him that much a year. you know what would have been a better option sign Rozsival and stay the course with sanguinetti and del zotto. The Rangers just signed Rozy and Redden to long term deals when theyve drafted playmaking defenseman two years in a row. makes no sense. so basically 1/5 of the cap space is spent on having two duplicate players who are both overpaid and could eventually be outplayed by younger dmen from within the system. for the last time avery is more than simply an agitator.
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