After a lot of thinking about it these are my thoughts on the contract situation with Patrick O’ Sullivan.

This is quite possible the most important contract negotiation of Dean Lombardi’s career to date. This will set a precedent for guys like Anze Kopitar (who is an RFA after this coming season) and Jack Johnson, and later on with guys like Bernier, Hickey and Doughty once their entry level deals expire. If Lombardi is unable to get O’Sullivan signed to a new contract, the ripple effect throughout the club could be devastating. When you General Manager is unwilling to pony up for a top young player he often refers to as “part of the team’s young core”, what message does that send to the guys who are next in line for contracts? It makes things infinitely more difficult. If Lombardi fails and the team suffers as a result (based on what we saw in the Cammallleri and Visnovsky trades, which I was in favor of for the record, it’s difficult to get a fair return in the trade market, even more so if the player has you by the scruff of the neck with contract demands), it will probably cost him his job and any shot at ever being a General Manager for another NHL club. The man has an eye for talent, that can’t be debated but his seeming ineptitude in contract negotiations is a killer. It’s been speculated that the O’Sullivan camp is looking for something in the neighborhood of $4 Million plus a season for a long term deal and less for a short term contract. While some might consider that as a risk and an overpayment, provided O’Sullivan continues to improve as a complete player and build on last season, it will work out OK for the team. The more time goes on and the more I’m led to understand about demands from both sides, the more I am heading for the “Dean, just give the kid his damn money” camp.

Since so much of it is speculation, it’s hard to know who to vilify in this case. Many have already made up their minds about who is to blame.

I guess only time will tell.

-JS