Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman made his first big-money signing of the offseason.
It's too bad it was for the wrong guy at the wrong price.
The Blackhawks announced Tuesday that they have re-signed defenseman Johnny Oduya for three more seasons. As reported by ESPNChicago.com's Jesse Rogers, ESPN's Pierre LeBrun is citing a source that places Oduya's cap hit at $3.375 million for the next three years.
I don't care what his value would have been when Oduya hit the free agent market. He isn't worth that to the 'Hawks.
Bowman's move doesn't stun me nearly as much as the price he paid to make it.
Oduya is a solid defenseman but is not the crease-clearer I think the 'Hawks could have really used this summer. For a player who should be playing third-line minutes, Bowman overspent for that slot on the back end.
I took a similar stance as I did last summer when I urged Bowman not to give in to demands from Chris Campoli. At the right price, Oduya could be a nice re-sign.
Three years at over $10 million was not what I had in mind.
Just hours ago, I had Oduya testing the free agent waters ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Jon Fromi
Chicago Blackhawks: Stan Bowman Overpaid for Johnny Oduya
May 29th, 2012 by Jon Fromi Leave a reply »
Advertisement