Talking Points: On Cole, LaRose

Again I am NOT against any player at the pro level from getting a fair & honest deal for their skills & abilities. But just where along the line of any players Hockey life did any one player go to learn about those " lures" in their professional life ? Were players coached in the pee wees on how to get the best deal ? Or was it in the bantam's or the junior's were as players sat down taught and shown the finer points of getting a bigger & greater payday ? Now before anyone starts to get upset at me, please hear me out. There have been players in the past even the recent past..who still had the fresh look of wonderment,awe and excitement that they were there on the ice...actually getting to play! Who knew that yes, it was hard, very hard work & sacrifice to even get as far as they did. Was it the parents who were with each player from day one who taught them ? Was it a high school or later still possibly a college coach who drilled into their heads that anything less than being Number 1 was useless and a waste of time.Was that when a player is taught the finer points of the " lures" ?
Again I am very aware of the fact, that NHL & NFL players have a very short life span when one looks at how the sports are played, and  some of the injuries players get or suffer from. Does each player who finally arrives at the pro level wake up one day with a thought or 2 of "Hey I'm Entitled" to the big bucks and if i don't get what I want, when i want, I go else where to get what i want, when i want it and how I want it! Who taught that player along their career that train of thought ? Many many players who finally did make it to the pro level never did it by NOT being a team player...a team made up of individuals, but are still a group or a team...who and when did or does that kind of training in a players life begin ?
Then one wonders why many, sadly far too many College level players of sports get lost in the process. As College sports, thanks to the urgings of the NCAA and etc...are robbing and stealing the very reason many players of sports come to any and all the universities & colleges...to get an education, some marketable job skills so that after sports they did and would have a life ..why don't we read more about students who got Master's and PhD's who made a significant medical or other break through...more than who scored more points, who is this week number one, how much the coach gave back of his/her salary so a poorer student they knew of could truly have a free education.
Could it be all of our expectations,priorities are wrong ?
Just who & when taught the kids who wanted to play for the love of the game about the lures ? I just wonder?

Go Canes !!

Luke,
Once a player goes to free agency, does the last offer by the original team stay on the table or can it be changed/reduced. Just out of curiosity, if the player doesn't like the Canes offer and doesn't get a better offer or attract interest from any other team, are the Canes obligated to maintain that offer or can they change the terms and conditions?

Hated time of the year for many ( myself included) hockey fans all over the
NHL, the contract talks are very nerve racking, and down right frustrating too. Each teams fan base,just as our is is suffering between withdrawals from no games being played on the ice, idol gossip & rumors of who would,could or might do this or that, speculative reporting ( sorry Chip & Luke I mean over the entire NHL and not necessarily here) it is enough to give many hard core Hockey fans who do have a life mind you, going up the wall and going CRAZY ! I have said in other postings, No one will begrudge any player from any team to the right to go after a bigger pay check, if they actually earned & deserve one.
I, as many here do know ( oh do they know) that i am a big Chad LaRose fan, but the man who is a player as a human being disappoints me. If Jussi Jokinen is more than happy to accept in an attitude of gratitude the contract he was offered ( who had better stats over all ,even when you add his stats in from TP) I feel that Chad LaRose and His agent are doing themselves a great great disservice. But we do live in America, we all do have the right to think, do and work where and how we want ( in many cases) and in the case of pro sports ask for what we thing we as a player is worth. If I as a player can't get it here, then I can go lok else where. No one here, even though we fans may not like it, again will begrudge Chad LaRose or Any Carolina Hurricane player to get the best deal they can. But to Publicly say " I want to stay" ! and then a short time later do a 180 degree turn around and threaten to go looking else where when His numbers & stats aren't even close to Jussi's...is being what my grandmother called Foolish,Misinformed and full of himself. But as a human being, i understand and don't blame the man...but he picked a fine time to pull a load of meadow muffins like that on Jr...Am i disappointed ?? Heck yes...But i am a fan, Not Chad LaRose or his agent fan. So what can i do ?? Nothing, but sit, wait, hope and Go on no matter who is wearing the red & white and sometimes black of the Carolina Hurricanes, and hope that at the end of the next season (2009-2010) the canes will hoisting the Cup...no matter who is wear number 59.....have a good afternoon & week everyone !
Go Canes !!

I agree with clementnorman that the salary money offered to LaRose and Cole would be better served obtaining via trade or free agency one player who can consistently score, pound the net, and provide intensity. My vote is Nik Antropov. I would expect that the total cost for a three year contract for Nik Antropov would be roughly equivalent to the combined offers made to LaRose and Cole. My belief is the Boychuk, Sutter, and Bowman will make the team this year.

I could see Cole going to the Habs for big money. He won't do well there with his inconsistency. The press will be merciless on him as will the fans. When Cole was brought back it was pretty cool. I hoped coming back would charge him up but that was short lived. Now I think it's time to close the book on him as a Cane unless he wants a checking role, and a checking line salary. I wish him the best. Hats off to Rutherford for seeing this one with his mind and not his heart.
LaRose would be a bigger loss, but then we don't know what he is asking for either. He is a great energy guy and one of the "leaders by example" on the team when it comes to never taking off a shift. And his production has gone up as well. I would hope with Larose JR is at least willing to be a little flexible without grossly overpaying and that Larose looks at Matt Cullen and realizes that he has an ideal situation here. I guess there could be teams out there willing to pay him 2.5 mil and make him a main cog in their
game plan, but if that team is a contender looking to shore up their role players he'd be a 3rd or 4th liner at best with not nearly the ice time and responsibility he had here.