10 Newly Added NHL Players expected to change around their teams –Part 4
Sometimes there are players, due to their salary caps and the agreements that they have signed with their respective teams, franchises want to get rid of them or we should say ‘release’ them, just to be easier on the language, but both words mean the same
anyways.
The team is not always on the wrong side of the dealing. When a player commits to a contract and plays outstandingly, the team expects that he will either continue in the same way or either exceed expectations. Unfortunately, that is not always the case
and same goes for our next player, who is earning a huge amount of money but has seen a downhill in his performance in recent years after reaching career toping highs.
7. Brian Campbell (Florida Panthers)
Brian Campbell is a veteran defender who had all of a sudden reached his prime time a little later than others, but went nose down first just as quick. The 32-year-old signed a huge $57.143 million contract with his former team Chicago Blackhawks before
the 2008-2009 season which was supposed to keep him intact well through the 2015-2016, that means eight years!
Blackhawks could not have been happier when the Strathroy, Ontario, Canada native, recorded an impressive 52 point (7 goals, 45 assists) in a full 82 game season but they were just as distressed following the next two seasons in which he potted only 65 points
(12 goals, 53 assists) combined in 133 games.
For above $7 million annually, Chicago Blackhawks could easily acquire a top of the line defender that would at the least be consistent in what he does best and to top it off, being a defenseman, Campbell was not even registering any surprising penalty numbers
either.
Chicago was especially relieved when Campbell agreed to waive off the no-trade clause on his contract and allowed them to transfer him over to Florida Panthers in exchange for Rostislav Olesz, who can score more goals than Campbell and the best part is,
he is much easier on the teams salary cap with a $3.125 million annual cap hit.
Looking at Florida Panthers past history, it is easy to analyse that they are a pretty desperate team having not made the postseason for over a decade now, they are in dire need of a player that can not only guide them to the playoffs but also guide their
younger players as well.
In this regard, Campbell is a befitting addition to Florida because his vast postseason and regular season experience in the major league. Having a player like him on their line-up will give them a huge upgrade because if Campbell gets to have a good season
and an independent style of play, he is without a doubt very capable of getting the job done.
Not only is Campbell given the opportunity to make history by being signed on by a weak team and make it a much stronger one, the former 156th overall draft pick will also have the chance at another championship, his last being Chicago in 2010,
something which would really show Blackhawks that they have lost a great individual player.
To be continued in part 5...
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: