The Mystery of the Contract Bid
What is it about athletes who have stellar seasons when they’re on the last year of their contracts? Last year, for example, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Brian McCabe had a career year, and earned himself a $25-million, five-year contract. (You can make a strong argument the Leafs wildly over-paid given McCabe, a one-dimensional player who can be a liability in his own zone.) This year’s candidate for the “I need a new, large contract next season” is Bill Guerin, who has struggled in recent years but has rebounded by scoring 27 goals for the St. Louis Blues this year. With the trade deadline only eight days away, Guerin is one of the leading candidates to be dealt to a team looking for some offensive punch. The question is whether anyone is willing to pay a premium for Guerin’s services, and whether his strong season will lead to a lucrative multi-year offer when he hits the free-agent market in July.
