That sure was sweet of Calgary Flames brass to gift wrap a contract extension for recent birthday boy Miikka Kiprusoff.
Too bad the 31-year-old goaltender isn't worth the six-year, $35million US contract.
Current NHL economics and a dearth of available good goaltending say it behooved GM Darryl Sutter to lock him up. With rose-colored glasses firmly in place, it appears he is worth the money, starting next season.
But, will he be worth it two years from now?
Maybe.
How about four, five or six years from now?
Not a chance.
You see, just like gangrene, Kiprusoff's career is only going to get worse, increasingly smelling a bit like aged cheese.
Statistics don't lie. Ever since that glorious playoff run in 2004, Kipper's numbers have been declining. Judging by head coach Mike Keenan's offense-first approach to the game, those numbers will continue to head south.
As well, the wear and tear on his 31-year-old body will begin to take its toll, especially if he continues playing 70-plus games a year.
Here's a quick snapshot of Kiprusoff's career tailspin.
- 2005-‘06 - 74 games played, 10 shutouts, 2.07 goals against average, .923 save percentage
- 2006-‘07 - 74 games played, seven shutouts, 2.46 GAA, .917 save percentage
- 2007-‘08 - 11 games played, no shutouts, 3.15 GAA, .879 save percentage
Kiprusoff will still be a very good goaltender, short term. He'll be capable of stealing a few games and stonewalling offensively inept teams.
However, unless there is an out clause somewhere in the contract language, I think Sutter just ripped a big old page from the Toronto Maple Leafs contract negotiation playbook.
It was the habit of former Toronto GM Pat Quinn to sign fading stars just to keep the fans happy. John Ferguson Jr. followed Quinn's act by opening the vault for a few aging stiffs — Hello, Bryan McCabe!
Sutter should have paid attention to the vitriol that JFJ has had to put up with ever since he so stupidly handed the very average McCabe a long-term contract.
In my opinion, Sutter has just pulled a JFJ and will regret his choice in the very near future.