Faceoff: Simon's putting too many people in danger
Greg Cimilluca and Erin Brown of CBSSports.com provide analysis on three topics.
| 1. Do you think Chris Simon will be able to rejuvenate his career? | |
| Greg Cimilluca | Erin Brown |
 Word just came down Simon received a 30-game suspension for his most recent transgression. This makes it the longest suspension in NHL history, surpassing the previous longest suspension of 25 games held by ... umm ... Chris Simon. Listen -- enough is enough with this guy. We are dangerously drifting close into baseball's Steve Howe multiple-chances territory -- only Howe never did any harm to anyone other than himself and the organizations he played for. Simon, on the other hand, seems to take out his issues on the head, neck, ankle and any other body part he can swing at, skate over or punch at of opposing players. On the heels of every mea culpa he utters, another suspension follows. I seriously hope his life outside the rink is together, but his NHL career, though only put on hold for now, should be over. |  Honestly? No. Simon's situation reminds of the similar path former NHLer Theo Fleury took, with off-ice issues consuming his career until he just faded away. Simon has reached that point. Although I give credit to the Islanders for their continued support of him, I imagine they will want to move ahead at some point, without Simon and the chaos he has brought on Long Island. The 14-year veteran hasn't contributed much offensively or as an enforcer since he joined New York. Even having mentor Ted Nolan as his coach hasn't sparked Simon's play, let alone keep the winger out of trouble. If the Islanders don't re-sign Simon this summer, it is hard to believe any other team would be willing to take a risk. I wish Simon the best in getting his life back together, but I think it might be difficult for him to resume his career in a meaningful way. |
| 2. Do you think teams are justified in giving younger players lengthy contracts? | |
| Greg Cimilluca | Erin Brown |
| While it might be staggering to see, if a team wants to not only secure the talent they have on their team but also be able to move that player in the future, then yes. After the lengthy contracts given to Rick DiPietro (15 years, $67.5 million) by the Islanders and more recently to Mike Richards (12 years, $69 million) by the Flyers, you can see a shift in management thinking is under way. While it might seem a bit extreme to give the high-potential Flyer a deal for that long and that much money, it is only an issue in the short term as the team anxiously waits for its star to blossom into the player they paid him to be. If Richards continues to shine, he will be a star on the cheap for Philadelphia and the team will be able to complement him better. | I'm starting to think some NHL GMs have addictive personalities -- even after they kick the habit, they find ways of being drawn back in. Before the lockout, the problem was huge yearly salaries. The latest trend is increasing the length of contracts. How long before owners start complaining about being handcuffed by these deals? Yes, $4 million for a projected star could be a bargain now. But what do teams do if they load up with these contracts and the salary cap drops during the span of them? What happens if a player never delivers -- a la Alexandre Daigle -- and earns a huge salary for yearly sub-par performances? Third-year players are still as hit-or-miss as they were during their junior years. The unknown might shrink a little once the prospect reaches the NHL, but that doesn't guarantee sustained success over the long term. |
| 3. What is your take on NHL teams not making their teenage rookies available for the World Junior Championship? | |
| Greg Cimilluca | Erin Brown |
| Well, obviously NHL players have participated in the Olympics (though that may change in the future) so there's a precedent for them to play. But no one else is playing at the time of the Olympics. And what one young player is to one team might be something totally different to another. The one advantage the WJC has is that it isn't in the home stretch of the season and there is still time to recover from an injury, should one occur. But at the end of the day, I think teams are right to hold on to their chips and keep them in house. Making it to the NHL is not easy, and while the honor of playing for your country can't be denied, teams have to protect their assets as well as let the kids fill their roles on their teams. | This year seems to be an anomaly when it comes to teenagers in the NHL; there are at least seven rookies still eligible to appear in the World Junior Championship. Of that group, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Erik Johnson and Peter Mueller have become integral parts of their teams and have no business playing in the tournament. But guys like Jiri Tlusty and David Perron could benefit from playing against their peers, if only for a confidence boost. Tlusty isn't a mainstay on the Leafs roster, and Perron found himself benched or a healthy scratch earlier this season. Suffering an injury overseas is a concern, but it could happen just as easily in North America. Considering these guys are still teens, there is plenty of time for them to develop at the NHL level. Missing a couple of games won't stunt their growth. |
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