Wolverine Update: Ward, Halko, Knuble, Oliver

[Hobart Higgins]

Habs used Komisarek as a forward last game. But he only got onto the ice for 5 minutes. Are they trying to turn him into a goon?

I really worry about that organization, sometimes I think Komo should have stayed at Michigan.

[Lord Sidious]

Strange. Why would Montreal use one of the better defensive prospects in the NHL as a forward? They do have some promising players up front too.

I almost always think that players that leave college hockey after 2 years need to stay at least one more, but that's me.

[M-HockeyNet]

Mike Cammalleri continues to roll (and hopefully I didn't just jinx him!). Cammo had a goal and was +2 in tonight's 3-2 loss against the Red Wings.

He now has six goals in his last six games, and he's 8-2-10 in 13 games this season.

[RowdyWolverine]

It's a Ducky deal if ...
... Oil can get cash from Comrie to complete it
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam031210/nhl_edm2-sun.html

Seems like a bum deal for Comrie. Is GM Kevin Lowe's leverage really that great? Sounds like he's bitter about the bonuses he handed to Comrie last year. But that's his own **** fault for signing the contract ... water under the bridge.

How long does one have to wait to become an unrestricted free agent?

[M-HockeyNet]

From what I know, a long time.

Right now Comrie is a Group II restricted free agent. Basically that means he's past his first three years in the NHL and the Oilers have offered him a qualifying contract (10% more than his previous base salary if below the NHL average, or same amount as previous year if above). Comrie can sign an offer sheet with another team, but the Oilers reserve the right to match that offer sheet

I got this online...looks like Comrie would have to sit out half of his career, which is kind of ridiculous.

Group III NHL Free Agent
A player aged 31 or older, with at least four years of NHL experience, becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent when his contract expires. The player's current team has no right to compensation and no right to match a competing contract offer.

A player released from his contract by a buyout (in which the team pays 2/3 of the remaining value of the contract) is also an Unrestricted Free Agent. The buyout option is a standard clause of all NHL contracts.

You can read about all the different group levels at http://proicehockey.about.com/cs/2002freeagents/a/nhl_free_agents.htm

[M-HockeyNet]

Comrie 'shocked' when Lowe asked him to make payment (http://www.slam.ca/Slam031211/nhl_edm2-sun.html)

Comrie's story is that the whole payment scheme was an 11th hour move by Lowe. He said he was in the meeting when the deal with Anaheim was on the table--Comrie for Corey Perry and a first round pick--and no mention of him having to pay his way out was made. They had even already negotiated a contract with the Mighty Ducks.

Comrie believes the scheme is unethical and that it's personal between he and Lowe, though Lowe claims it's not.

[RowdyWolverine]

Lowe's hindsight is 20-20, but he can't count the fingers on his own hand. Based on his business dealings, he looks like a passive-aggressive weasel, who will smile to your face and then stab you in the back. His reputation and credibility are declining exponentially with every move he makes.

Exhibit 1: Comrie's original contract - Lowe signs a contract scheme with Comrie that includes a moderate base salary and sizable bonuses for decent play. Comrie hits his performance requirements for the bonuses but then falls in a slump come playoffs. Comrie gets raked in the Edmonton press, as does Lowe for giving away the store with nothing to show for it. Sour ***** grapes, Mr. Lowe! You have no one to blame but yourself. If you wanted Comrie's compensation tied to post-season performance, you should have put it in the contract.

Exhibit 2: The Duck trade - Passive-aggressive backstabbing at its finest. Lowe has zero credibility after this little stunt. There is no way any reasonable player would ever pay off his contract like this. If Lowe wanted to play hardball, he should have brought it to the table with the Ducks. I think what happened is Lowe made the deal with the Ducks and then he realized he'd get raked for making such a soft deal (hindsight 20-20). He threw in the $2.5 mil to make himself look good. If he keeps pulling crap like this, no one is going to want to do business with him. What an idiot.

[Glennww3]

If the Duck deal rumor is true (with Mike chipping in), then all I have to say is this is the lowest of lows for Lowe. I hope the players' association steps in on this one. This (rumored) deal is ridiculous and more than a slap in the face to a guy who just wants to play the game and be compensated for his worth. I can only hope all works out for Mike.

[M-HockeyNet]

Well, Lowe gives his side of the story today. You can read that article here (http://www.slam.ca/Slam031211/nhl_edm1-sun.html). Load of BS, in my opinion, saying that they wanted to get what they feel is fair market value.

I think Comrie needs to declare shenanigans on Lowe. Everyone get your brooms! (South Park fans will get that one)

[Lord Sidious]

To be fair, what Lowe is trying to do with Comrie is unprecedented, but Comrie isn't an angel here either. He lowered his own market value by attempting to dictate which teams he would like to be traded to (a la Eric Lindros), instead of letting Lowe deal with potentially all 29 other teams.

I'll always be a fan of Comrie as a former Wolverine, but he's not innocent here.

[RowdyWolverine]

Comrie definitely did some stupid things to prolong this thing (although I never heard that he tried to dictate where he would go). At the top of the list was his public announcement that he wouldn't play for Edmonton. Even if it's true, he never should have said it. That took away one of the Oilers best bargaining chips: the "f you, we'll just keep him" chip.

[Lord Sidious]

Comrie said (and please don't ask me for a link because I read it a few months ago on TSN or Slam but can't remember where) that he preferred to play for the Rangers or a California-based team. The LA Kings were looking at him for a while, but that ended when they signed Martin Straka from Pittsburgh. San Jose never had any interest, they're in a low-cost rebuild mode. The Rangers never showed any strong interest. Atlanta was interested for a while when Marc Savard was out with injury, but he came back much faster then expected and resumed his stellar play.

So that pretty much leaves Anahiem. If that's the only place Comrie wants to go, Lowe has complete control.

[M-HockeyNet]

Here's the article I believe you are referring to:

Ultimately, M.C. has the hammer (http://www.canoe.ca/Slam031027/nhl_edm2-sun.html)

It's from October 27. Basically, since Comrie doesn't have a contract right now, he can kind of dictate where he ends up. A team...say Atlanta for instance...isn't going to make a big trade for Comrie if they know ahead of time he won't sign with them once he gets there.

[RowdyWolverine]

2003-12-16 - OILERS OBTAIN JEFF WOYWITKA FROM PHILADELPHIA
http://www.edmontonoilers.com/pressbox/index.php?release=20031216_589
The Edmonton Oilers have traded the rights to centre Mike Comrie to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Jeff Woywitka and the Flyers first round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and the Flyers third round choice in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. There's no word on the Oilers website on whether Comrie had to "pay out" for the trade.

[RowdyWolverine]

Flying away from home
Comrie's move to Philly not without regrets
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam031218/col_jones-sun.html

[M-HockeyNet]

The AP reports Mike Comrie and Philadelphia have come to terms on a one-year deal. The announcement is to come before tomorrow night's game against the NY Islanders.

Could we also see the former Wolverine return to the line up tomorrow night, too? Hope so! Philly has lost their last three games, all at home, so they could use some help.

[M-HockeyNet]

Hee hee! Check out my website's top story and see what I saw in the local paper the other day involving former two-year Wolverine defenseman Scott Crawford.

Michigan Hockey Net (http://michiganhockey.net)

[M-HockeyNet]

Mike Comrie made his debut with Philadelphia last night. Didn't register any points and only got like 10 minutes of ice time. Probably don't want to rush him into playing a lot to get rid of any rust and learn their system. But great to see his Edmonton ordeal finally over and his career resume.

[RowdyWolverine]

Here's a good site for following Flyer's hockey:
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/hockey/

It has this article:

Comrie gets crash course before his debut
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/hockey/7583973.htm
So what did Comrie learn in his crash course with Hitchcock?

"You are still playing the game of hockey and can't get away from that," Comrie said yesterday. "He has a lot of different things and he's explaining the system on the backcheck and all these little things that have to be learned. When you have a chance for the puck, you go after it. You read off the first player and the second guy reads off him and so on."

[M-HockeyNet]

Comrie scored his first goal tonight and it was against Marty Turco! Not a bad pair of ex-Wolverines :)