Signing with Detroit is a true slap in the face for Penguins fans and the Penguins organization.penscup wrote:Like you said, the injury part really puzzles me. Why take a 1 year deal with a team that gives you a great chance at winning the Cup for 1 year, but no security, verses a 5 or 6 year deal with a team that gives you a great chance at winning the Cup for the next 5 or 6 years playing with Malkin and Crosby, and also gives you security in case you get a major injury. If he goes out next year and gets smashed up somehow (which I kinda hope now, as sick as that is since he turned his back on us) will every team be jumping all over him next year at this time to sign him to a longterm deal? Or will they be much more cautious wondering how that injury might affect him longterm. This was his perfect opportunity to cash in big time and he didn't do it. Pretty stupid move by him IMO.Sarcastic wrote:I lost a lot of respect for Hossa today. First, he is not a man of his word (as some of you state). He is a liar. He said that we are number one on his list and that he'll be happy playing here. That was an obvious lie, because it seems he never really wanted to be here. He took the same money to play for another team. It's as simple as that.
I remember posting something during last season about him not really looking like he was part of the team. You saw other guys be part of the big group and act like it, and Hossa somehow always seemed "distant". Even in interviews, he never smiled or looked happy. He was cold and professional. He was saying the right things, but that's about it.
The wings are not resigning him next year, so he is a hired guy for the season. I don't really blame him for that, but that means he is selfish. He goes to Detroit as a mercenary. If he wins the cup with them this year, it will feel very empty, IMO. How much more meaningful would it be if he stayed with us and worked hard over the next 2 or 3 years and finally won it in Pittsburgh? Really became part of a group. He took the cheap way of doing it and I hope it blows up in his face. I cannot respect him for that.
Second, it is a risk on his part, considering his knees. I hope he holds up, but think back to how lightly he got hit right after we acquired him, forcing him to miss considerable time. If he does stay healthy, he will most likely get an even bigger multi-year deal from somebody else next year, although I hope Shero never considers him again.
Some final thoughts. If Shero did not offer him $7.5 a year, then I consider it a blunder. I also feel that if we knew in advance that we were not going to resign Hossa, we could have started negotiating with Malone sooner and possibly signed him at a good discount. And lastly, we need to do something quick, because we do not have enough assets to trade for two quality wingers during the season. That's assuming that either Staal or Talbot will be moved to wing and actually do a good enough job there. If not, we are short 3 quality wingers. This is panic time.
I could've lived with him signing ANYWHERE BUT Detroit. What a sellout. And to sign for only 1 year just adds an extra insult to the entire debacle. He truly is a traitor to the worst degree as far as I'm concerned.
That being said, I think Hossa's agent had more to do with this than Hossa himself. I hate Rich Winter.
