[THN Article] Jason Arnott's Value

[Tangelos]

Oh give it a rest with the whole "leadership" thing. We have enough leaders on the team. What we need is guys who can get the job done on the ice. The last thing we need is another cheerleader in the locker room.

[aqua59]

Gillis won't over pay.

[Smashian Kassian]

Hid footspeed/Skating is something that worries me.

And everything that Elvis said is also a bit of a worry.

When I saw this thread, I wondered how long it would take someone to mention the 'rumour' from the 'insider(s)' about the $1.2M. I didn't have to wait very long. Without anyone else having reported it, I believe that as much as I do the moon is made of green cheese.

EDIT: I guess I should talk about the Arnott info. I don't see him getting $2.75M again, as I did feel he was sheltered through much of the season. I'd spoken about that in relation to his Corsi and zone start stats in the Arnott rumour thread:

His points dropped off in the second half, and more again in the playoffs, but he might have been used a little more defensively later on as his faceoff % actually improved. He definitely played less in the second half (about 4mins less per game) in an effort to keep him fresh, so that's a factor we'd have to consider.

Source: NHL.com

He could be useful as a 3rd/4th line center, perhaps also with PP time on the 2nd unit. Giving him more than 15 or so minutes a game probably won't be good for him as the season wears on, and we likely wouldn't use him against tougher competition.

If you consider that, and as a potential 3rd line with Hansen and Higgins who normally would face our tougher competition, it would be a bit of an adjustment to make him fit, but it could be a pretty decent one if we find a way to make it work.