Lsat year on the day Frolik signed his one-year deal for 3.3 Million I wrote
this piece about the deal and its implication. I'm not going to tire myself out with back-patting but after looking at it almost a year later it's rather poignant and accurate.
However, a year later the question is still sits unanswered, why did it have to be this way?
Frolik signed that deal in Winnipeg and proceeded to live through the worst winter in over 100 years in Winnipeg. This past winter was tropical by comparison- it wasn't the weather was it? Frolik also came out of a season of turmoil between the head coach and a star player but also with a new head coach. This new one used him anywhere from the first line to the third line depending on situation, injuries and the cycle of the moon. This past season Paul Maurice used Frolik in as many situation as his skills allowed and that's a lot, but it's not always to the player's favour. Dropping down to the third line can hurt point production but it can also make the job less enjoyable as usage situations change with line deployment.
Frolik may be able to shut down opposition through shot suppression but that does not mean he will enjoy doing it. Further to that thinking one though that was overlooked a year ago was the coach and what he would build with the Jets. Maybe Frolik wanted to see what Maurice would be like with a contract in hand and the clout/control it gave him over the team? Not every coach is every player's cup of tea and Frolik simply may have needed a year to know what was going to shake down in a Paul Maurice world.
That being said, that reason alone does not explain why talks continued close to July 1. For many there's no amount of money that makes dreading work bearable but there was no evidence this scenario was reality. It likely came down to money and a bit of opportunity.
From two people I have spoken to, one connected directly to Frolik, the Jets never came to the table with a significant improvement in annual contract value. It always stayed around 3.5 million per year. Which is so very curious when looking at what Stafford received in his new contract.
The Flames clearly had no qualms about breaking the 4 million threshold with Frolik, not in the least when they signed him for an almost identical value as Drew Stafford annually. 5 years at 4.3 million for each year is fair and far from excessive for Frolik so why could the Jets not do that?
Better yet why would the not do that deal?
The could do it- they have the financial resources within ownership to match any deal in the league as that's what the 3rd Baron of Fleet brings. Why wouldn't they do it?
The belief is they tried but those close to Frolik say they did not try to that level but even if they did was Frolik still going to stick around? By the time Jul 1 had rolled around the Jets had to know what the market was willing to do with Frolik and they decided to stay their course. That's a tough business decision but why was that not made with Stafford?
Therein may be the difference between the two players, one wanted to be a Winnipeg Jet and the other was not sure. The reasons for Frolik's decision may come out in time but assume that money and term could be equal- there's enough of a possibility that this fit in Winnipeg was not right, just as the contract terms being offered.
To the Jets Frolik may have simply represented a utility player, some one who could be a 'jack of all trades' but master of none. In their model that type of player has a specific value and the market was going to take Frolik way above that value. Again though, how can the Jets stand firm on principle with Frolik (if that were the case) and not with Stafford?
It's a question that may not be able to answered. The interesting variable with the Frolik scenario is how fast Alexander Burmistrov came back into the fold with the Jets. With a two year deal at 1.5 AAV the young Russian who has been staying in the city this summer, is simply a cheaper younger Frolik.
If you go back to the trade deadline, or just before it, not a word of Burmistrov had been uttered outside the blogosphere yet there was Darren Dreger speaking his name. Is it any coincidence that Chevy and Alan Walsh, Frolik's agent, were talking then as the Jets decided upon retention or trading Frolik? Probably not, that's the game behind the scenes.
Michael Frolik had the option of staying a Winnipeg Jet but he used his rights within the CBA deftly and earned a great contract. The Jets had the option to retain Frolik too and they too used their rights within the CBA but brought back a younger, cheaper player to fill Frolik's spot. It's pretty easy to see who took the bigger gamble, it will be interesting to see how this gambling strategy pays out when the stakes get that much higher with Ladd and Byfuglien.
The same issue exists, to pay or not to pay, and after looking closer at the Frolik circumstance and deal I don't think anything gets any clearer.
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • 
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