On Wednesday the Anaheim Ducks signed center Ryan Kesler to a lucrative six-year extension worth almost $7 million per season.
In this edition of the hotstove we discuss whether he's worth the contract he was just given.
Todd Cordell Kesler is being paid a lot of money but that's not my biggest concern. Though the Ducks generally aren't a cap team they do have a lot of space so if they're willing to bite the bullet and expand their internal budget they'll have enough money to re-sign key players like Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen, among others.
The issue I have is the term. Kesler plays a very taxing style that generally doesn't age well. Banking on him to provide the Ducks with high-end production for the next seven years (he still has a year on his contract) is risky to say the least. I've always liked Kesler's game but I just can't see him holding up and providing quality play for the duration of the contract.
Matt Henderson The Ducks just gave a massive raise to one of the most disliked players on the planet. I am naturally inclined to hate this deal because Kesler evokes unpleasant emotions for me.
However, even if we try to look at this from a more unbiased position it is very difficult to like the deal. He is making just shy of 7 Million dollars until he is 37 years old. The deal covers the portion of his career that is historically the decline years. He is just leaving his prime now and the new deal doesn't kick in for a year.
Worst, he is touted as an offensive threat but he hasn't broken 50 points in the last 3 full seasons that he's played. He is already slowing offensively and I don't really see him going on an extended upswing in his mid 30's.
The only saving grace for the Ducks is that they can technically afford this deal because they are a Cap Floor team. Yes, that was shocking to me too when I realized it. However, a full no movement clause that runs until his final year when he gets a partial no trade clause is madness. As if it wouldn't be hard enough to move his dead weight when he's 34-35, now the Ducks will have no power at all should they want to part ways.
Brutal contract. I guess it's good for the Oilers that their Western Conference opponents make such glaring mistakes but there really isn't a positive for the Ducks themselves.
Tim Chiasson Ryan Kesler is not worth that kind of money and he's not worth that kind of term. It was only a matter of time until we were treated to our first disastrous contract of the free agent period, I'm just shocked it took 15 days.
$6.875M per for a declining player who hasn't hit 50 points in four years isn't a good investment.
I found it extremely odd that the 2014 GM of The Year - and 2015 finalist - would hand out such a foolish contract. That's when I remembered that Dave Nonis is now a consultant to Bob Murray.
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