Faceoff Factor

Wild GM Risebrough Admits Mistake

Matt Bodenschatz | National Hockey League

Aug 4, 12:35 PM | Hype this story!

Far too often blame is placed on players for not meeting the expectations set by hefty contracts.

Minnesota Wild general manager Doug Risebrough, however, has set the record straight with regard to the recent buyout of forward Mark Parrish.

“I looked at Mark’s salary and at what I thought his contributions would be and they were not totally in line,” Risebrough said to Ken Campbell of The Hockey News after Parrish was put on waivers by the Wild. “It’s not Mark’s fault. I negotiated the contract.”

A refreshing perspective, to say the least.

In a day when salaries continuously rise, it’s not the players’ fault for wanting as much money as possible. Instead, generally, it’s the general managers’ fault for signing players to questionable contracts.

Parrish signed a five-year deal worth nearly $13 million. The contract sounds reasonable, but a long-term deal for a player who was just hitting his stride at age 29 should have been avoided.

Obviously, his numbers went on the decline and his criticism went on the incline.

But, aside from the typical “he got his contract and now he doesn’t care” criticism, how can the player be blamed?

All too often general managers and team executives are looking for quick fixes, pulling the trigger on trades and/or signings that make little – if any – sense.

The result is disastrous, and the players are left as scapegoats.

One such example took place earlier this summer in Toronto. As Faceoff Factor’s Ashley Gallant noted, it seems rather likely general manager Cliff Fletcher signed Jeff Finger to a big contract under an extremely misinformed set of circumstances.

First off, Finger was given a four year contract worth more than $3 million per season. His asking price? Less than half of what he was given. And then there are the quotes from Fletcher and new coach Ron Wilson, indicating that the player they wanted actually was Kurt Sauer, not Jeff Finger.

By making such a bone-headed signing, the Maple Leafs not only screwed up the finances of their team, but also those of the entire league.

Yet, when the team struggles — as it inevitably will — who will be the target of the criticism? Mr. Finger. But why? Maybe because team officials overinflated his worth, leading fans to believe he will be better than he actually is.

Once fans realize he is not “one of the five best defensemen in the Western Conference,” as Fletcher said, he’ll become a villain.

But should the player be blamed for accepting more money and simply playing to the best of his abilities — which likely won’t come close to justifying his salary? Heck no. Why should he? He’s got a short window of (likely) much less than 20 years to earn as much as possible in the NHL. Taking a paycut is nice from a team and fan standpoint, but from the player standpoint, it makes little sense.

But, if some of the more frivolous general managers used more caution and common sense, there might be a bit less to question with regard to salaries around the league.

Risebrough admitted his mistake, and by doing so, it seems likely he guaranteed he would be a bit more cautious in the future.

And caution is exactly what the NHL needs.