We note that all six [comparable] players received new contracts in the 2-3 year range, with all but Mr. Steen receiving a graduated salary with increases built in after the first year. Since Mr. Brule’s award will be for one season only, the comparative figures used for this award will be the comparison players’ first-year salary, not their overall cap hit. Mr. Brule will have every opportunity to earn a further raise one year hence, an opportunity that the other players forewent in agreeing to multi-year pacts.
“We award Gilbert Brule a one-year contract in the amount of $1,550,000.”

Me, in the role of C&B’s Mock Arbitrator

Your award came in too high

- Derek, in the comments

In reality I suspect Brule winds up getting more than my figure if he signs for multiple years. I held the figure down because it was just the one year. Hopefully I’m wrong and he signs a two-year deal at $1.2 or something, but I’d be surprised, let’s put it that way.

- Me, in the comments

I think it’s a slight overpayment, but given the bizarre restricted free agent contracts that we’ve seen this off-season, this seems to be a value deal.

- Derek, today

Derek: I think we’re seeing a bit more eye to eye on this now. The key is the second year. To me that is the optimal length contract for a guy in his situation. Certainly we have past experience that three years can be at least one too long (Nilsson, POS). I don’t see Brule as a core player that we want to wrap up for 5 or 6 years, but this gives him ample time at a fairly reasonable price to prove what he really is, with the club still holding an option at the end of the pact.

I suspect the area where we continue to disagree is in the “what he really is” part, with you seeing a lower ceiling than do I. The insurance policy in Brule’s case is he has the sort of game that can contribute in a bottom six role as well, whereas the bought-out guys mentioned above were pretty much top six or bust.

Why do you hate Gilbert Brule?

(The schizophrenicity of my rankings is more due to my valuing current, clear NHL ability above future, possible NHL ability this time whereas I did very much the opposite last time. I think I’m right this time around.)

But I wanted to just say that I think this blog is consistently one of the most well-informed, well-written, and most entertaining of the hockey blogs I read regularly. All of you do an excellent job and should know that your efforts are appreciated. :)

I think what I find the most interesting is a lot of people who hype up Brule (read the comments of the JW article) by saying don’t look at the stats, watch the player aren’t actually watching the player.

I think they see his 17 goals and get all doe-eyed about that and ignore all of his obvious flaws when you actually get around to watching him.

He’s a horrible positional player, he doesn’t read the play well and relies far too much on his speed to accomplish anything. Brule likes to hit, but how many times have you actually seen him hit the guy with the puck? He’s always hitting the guy a second or two after he passes it, meaning he’s behind the play and has to play catch up.

Can you recall how many times Brule would wait in the seams and anticipate a play? Where he’d be in a good position and properly anticipate and react to the puck? He just doesn’t do it. He has Jani-Rita syndrome. Good tools but absolutely no clue on how to use them.

He’s a timbits hockey player. Running around all over the ice chasing the puck like a magnet. Works great in junior, not so much in the NHL.