Why keeping Josh Gorges on the roster is beneficial for Montreal Canadiens -NHL Special
It was not surprising to see the Montreal Canadiens keep Josh Gorges for another six seasons on Sunday, January 1, 2012, as the club announced a contract extension for their veteran player.
The move came nearly seven months before his one-year contract was set to expire, which was worth an estimated $2.5 million, but the new deal for the upcoming six seasons will give him nearly an extra $1.4 million each season.
Montreal and the National Hockey League (NHL) knew that Gorges was looking to stay with the Canadiens for however long he could, which also gave the club an advantage in terms of the negotiation process.
"I wanted a multi-year deal", Gorges said shortly after signing that contract. "I've said it right from the start, I'll say it today and I'll say it to anyone who asks that I want to stay in Montreal as long as I can. It feels like home to me, I've been
there long enough that I really enjoy my time there. I enjoy the team, I enjoy the organization and I enjoy the fans. That's where I want to be, that's where I want to win a Stanley Cup. So I wanted to get as many years as I could".
The Canadiens had originally announced that they would not be undergoing any negotiation during the season and would see what needs to be done only during the offseason, but Gorges could be regarded as an exception looking at his worth for the team.
Making him an unrestricted free agent next summer could mean many other teams offering their bids for the player, which would be something bad for Montreal as the club is struggling at the moment and had to fire two of their top coaching staff members, including
head coach, Jacques Martin.
General Manager, Pierre Gauthier, is learned to have been the leading player in securing Gorges whenever they would get the chance since his ability to face opposing top lines of teams in something they value.
His ability to kill off crucial penalties for the team, making the team 10th amongst the NHL ranks of playing shorthanded time on the ice per game, along with taking a number of shots to keep Carey Price at ease as well.
Gorges also leads the NHL in blocked shots, 101, so far in the season, which are certainly priceless since they could have been attempts and possibly goals through Price, who already at the moment is overburdened.
Looking at how the Montreal Canadiens are sitting at the number-13 position in the Eastern Conference, signing on Josh Gorges for another number of seasons is something that comes without second thoughts. Their current 14-18-7 record is definitely not where
they like to be sitting, thus keeping players motivated is the only way to go at the moment.
Re-signing Gorges is not something that could signal multiple other contract extensions with other players, since many of them might not even possible be on the squad next season if they continue the way they are at the moment.
Andrei Kostitsyn and Carey Price are also headed towards the free agent market soon, which could make the Canadiens make two more exceptions to their rule about no negotiations during the season as they value has certainly not gone down this time around.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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