Clarke goes public in Gagne negotiations

[Mel]

Most organizations have standard policies in place not to disclose the financial terms when a player is signed.

Apparently Bobby Clarke does not extend this common courtesy if the player doesn't like his offer. This just strikes me as very unprofessional.

Clarke goes public with details

Philadephia Flyers GM Bob Clarke has divulged that Simon Gagne's agent, Bob Sauve, had turned down two offers for $5 million a year.

"We offered Simon $5 million a year for four years and $5 million a year for five years," Clarke said in the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We haven't been unfair to Simon Gagne. The statistics and everything else back it up. We didn't just pull these numbers out of the air. We did it professionally."

Sauve said Tuesday he would prefer three years and indicated there was mutual agreement there. Clarke said otherwise.

"We have not talked three years," Clarke said. "Would we go three? We might but not for $5 million. If we're going to go that high [in dollars], we need to get some years out of it."

Sauve was unhappy that Clarke went public with his two offers. Gagne was reportedly upset, as well.

[a4l]

Clarke has never been professional, diplomatic or humanitarian. I'm surprised that daddy-in-law hasn't fired him.

[charlio lemieux]

Another Class act from Clarke.


How will we ever keep the integrity in the game after he is gone?

[swflyers25]

Five million for 4-5 years is reasonable to me. Who knows if the cap will go up or move back down? Gagne was quoted as saying he want to be a Flyer for the rest of his career. His agent wants around what Alex Tanguay got? I believe he got 5.25mil, is he crying over .25 million? Forsberg got 5.75mil and he is one of the best players around. Gagne is a great player but he isn't up to Forsberg's level yet. I think Clarke is just showing everyone that he is basically giving him what he wants. Simon is looking greedy here, he really is.

[Mel]

Five million for 4-5 years is reasonable to me. Who knows if the cap will go up or move back down? Gagne was quoted as saying he want to be a Flyer for the rest of his career. His agent wants around what Alex Tanguay got? I believe he got 5.25mil, is he crying over .25 million? Forsberg got 5.75mil and he is one of the best players around. Gagne is a great player but he isn't up to Forsberg's level yet. I think Clarke is just showing everyone that he is basically giving him what he wants. Simon is looking greedy here, he really is.

His agent is claiming dollars are not the issue, but they only want 3 years. As far as Gagne saying he wants to be a Flyer his whole career, well that's the right thing to say - but he (or perhaps more so his agent) does not want him tied up beyond 3 years apparently, so the message is mixed.

But Gagne's worth is not even the issue here. It's the fact that Clarke publically outted Gagne on what should be confidential negotiations that is totally uncool and unacceptable.

Don't you think Gagne is going to remember this long after he signs a contract? I have to think his resentment towards Clarke is going to linger. Mine would.

Nothing constructive can result from Clarke pulling this garbage on one of his franchise's current and future cornerstones. And I'm going to predict that Gagne will not spend his entire career in Philly if Bobby Clarke is still around when he's UFA.

[PDO]

"We have not talked three years," Clarke said. "Would we go three? We might but not for $5 million. If we're going to go that high [in dollars], we need to get some years out of it."

Boston could learn a lesson or two from this.

Clarke shouldn't be going public with this - but Gagne is being ridiculous.

edit:

"I guess Tanguay has won a Stanley Cup," Clarke said. "It's hard to say this is an exact comparable or that is an exact comparable. [Daniel] Briere played 52 games last year and got $5 million from the arbitrator. That is a horrible ruling. Should we be held to that? I don't think so."

Best quote from the article. I thought Tanguay at 5.25MM was laughable, and while I called the Briere ruling, he's right.

Good on Clarke for sticking to his guns.

[Madferret]

Has Clarke ever had any tact?
This is Bobby Clarke people, color me unsurprised...

[Asterix]

But Gagne's worth is not even the issue here. It's the fact that Clarke publically outted Gagne on what should be confidential negotiations that is totally uncool and unacceptable.

Don't you think Gagne is going to remember this long after he signs a contract? I have to think his resentment towards Clarke is going to linger. Mine would.

Nothing constructive can result from Clarke pulling this garbage on one of his franchise's current and future cornerstones. And I'm going to predict that Gagne will not spend his entire career in Philly if Bobby Clarke is still around when he's UFA.
That's exactly where the problem is. What Clarke did is to try to make Gagné look bad in those negotiations and if I'm Gagné, I now want a one year deal so Clarke can kiss my butt goodbye when I becomes an UFA...

I admired Clarke for standing up to Lindros a few years ago as I felt at that time that it was about time someone showed Big Baby E who's the boss, but Gagné certainly didn't deserve that with what he's meant to this franchise. Gainey signed Koivu to a similar contract and didn't go public about it. Clarke went too far.