2009 NHL off-season trades, rumours, draft thread

First of all, Investors Group does not have $100 billion in assets. And even if it did, that would be irrelevant as that's all money that belongs to guys like Huggy (although I'm not sure if all $100 billion is his).

 

What do you do with players like Mike Modano, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios and other aging former stars who don't seem to know when to leave the party?

Sure, they have had great careers and deserve a nice send-off, but when they prolong things year after year (see Favre, Brett), how the heck do you tell them to move it along? This is why I have long been in favor of a mandatory retirement age in all pro sports. No way on God's green earth should a 47-year-old (or a 50-year-old, Mr. Howe) by playing alongside 20-somethings.

Chelios' lack of ice time is Mike Babcock's way of telling Ken Holland to get this grandpa out of the dressing room. Enough is enough.

 

No way the Maple Leafs ever consent to a second team in Toronto. At the very least, it would drive down their over-inflated ticket prices. And, God forbid, if the new kids on the block actually started winning after a while.

Naw, not in my lifetime.

 

Of all the stupid things you've said on this site(and there have been a ton) this is the most ludicrous. What age should that be? Are you telling me Modano still can't play? If someone is willing to pay you, damn rights you should be able to keep playing. You know when they will stop playing when there are players who are better than them.

Go back and look at how Sakic has played the last couple years, he's been above avreage, but he should be forced to retire.

Chelios is a depth defenseman, simple, nobody expected him to play that much.



Mandatory age retirement in pro sports, now I've heard everything.

 

I know. And my God, Modano is only 39 and still scored 46 points in a reduced role last year. Forsberg is all but done. Sakic is expected to announce his retirement this summer as is JR Superstar, and Chelios is probably one of the most fit athletes in the game, even if his skills aren't what they used to be, he still fills a role.
Christ. These guys have earned the right to hang it up when they want. If the owners and GMs get tired of their act they will stop paying them.

 

That's what I don't get, why they still keep paying them.

Modano was decent, certainly not worth $1 million a year or more. Sakic has hardly played because of injuries, ditto Forsberg. Chelios can't even be a top six defenseman anymore. Roenick has always been a nut job.

Some guys just don't seem to know when the party's over. Not just limited to one sport.

 

You ever think they might just love the game? If you don't think Modano was worth a million dollars you have no clue about salaries in the NHL.

What age would your mandatory retirement be at?

 

Hard to say. It might not be an age, might be a number of seasons.

Oh, I have no doubt they love the game. Lots of things I love, too. But I usually know when to stop.

It happens in almost every sport (tennis being one notable exception). Golf is probably the worst. It was sad to see Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus shoot 15-over par at the US and British Opens year after year.

I don't know offhand what Modano's salary was last season, but I'll say he's no better than a third-line forward on a mediocre team at this stage. And, hey, I've liked the guy for a long time. Time just catches up with people, including journalists and announcers.

 

So you're going to set a hard number for everyone?

So if the number is 20 seasons, we'll use Yzerman as an example. In his 20th season, he had just eight points, mainly due to an eye injury.

But in his 21st year, he put up 18 goals and 51 points. In his 22nd year, he put up 14 goals and 34 points.

But according to you, he would have had to retire after his eight point season.




Oh and Chelios doesn't get paid like a top four defenseman anymore. He only makes about $700,000 now.

 

There are always a few exceptions. One thing I admired about Brett Hull was that he knew when to get out. So did Yzerman and some of the others.

 

Mark, you're so Fucking clueless. Just stop.

If they love the game and they are still getting paid to play the game, why should they quit?

 

This. I'll never understand fans, most of whom would give a big toe to play one game at that level, telling players that they should stop playing.