Niedermayer is in the driver's seat

[Rock]

Niedermayer is in the driver's seat

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=e...2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2

Sunday, July 31, 2005

By TOM GULITTI

STAFF WRITER

In the past, Scott Niedermayer's fate lay mostly in someone else's hands.

Namely, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello.

Monday at noon, that all changes.

For the first time in his 12-year NHL career, Niedermayer will be an unrestricted free agent. He'll be free to choose where he wants to play and for how much money.

He hasn't ruled out returning to New Jersey. It's just that he wants to see what else is out there, who else wants him.

And, as the reigning Norris Trophy winner as the game's top defenseman, there figures to be a lot of teams that do. In fact, Niedermayer could be the league's most sought-after unrestricted free agent, just a fraction ahead of Colorado center Peter Forsberg.

"It will be a new experience," said Niedermayer, who will turn 32 on Aug. 31. "It's always good to go through different things and this will be one of those times. It's not going to be an easy choice. I've thought a lot about it and it's going to be a tough one, but we'll just see what happens and maybe it won't be as tough as I think it might be."

It's been a long wait for Niedermayer to get to this point. Restricted free agency didn't provide much freedom. Other teams rarely make offers because the players' old team has the right to match.

As a restricted free agent in 1998, Niedermayer used the only leverage available and sat out the first nine games. When that didn't work, he accepted what Lamoriello was offering and re-signed.

Two years later, it was a similar story. That season, he held out until Nov. 19.

When Niedermayer finally had arbitration rights last summer, he was awarded a one-year, $7 million contract, a 75 percent increase from his $4 million salary the previous season. He never saw a penny of that $7 million, though, because the 2004-05 season was wiped out by the NHL lockout.

Now that the lockout is over, however, Niedermayer finally has some real leverage.

"It seems a lot different than where I've been before," he said. "Before I didn't seem to have much that I could really do as far as negotiations. This time around, it seems that, with that freedom and being able to talk to any number of teams in the league, it's really swung around. It's kind of strange, actually."

The teams rumored to be interested include Philadelphia, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Vancouver, which isn't far from Niedermayer's home in Cranbrook, British Columbia.

"Who wouldn't like to be close to home with whatever you do?" Niedermayer conceded. "It will be something we consider for sure, but there's more to it than being close to home at all costs."

There's also some doubt as to whether the Canucks can afford to add Niedermayer and re-sign captain Markus Naslund. Regardless, the money won't be what it could have been under the old collective bargaining agreement, which saw salaries escalate to more than $10 million for top UFAs.

Under the new CBA, the most money a player can earn is $7.8 million per season. Plus, teams can't spend more than $39 million on payroll in 2005-06, and that cap could decrease in 2006-07 if league-wide revenue isn't sufficient.

That makes paying one player $7.8 million a risk.

"It's difficult to imagine how in a system like this where it's really uncertain, especially over the long term, how the dollars are going to come in in revenue, that you can commit that kind of money without giving yourself at least some cushion," one player agent said. "You could find yourself having to cut in other places in the following years if you overspent, because most guys are going to want to sign some sort of a [long-] term deal."

Devils defensemen Brian Rafalski and Scott Stevens also are slated to become unrestricted free agents, so Lamoriello has to try to save some money to re-sign them and a host of restricted free agents that include Patrik Elias and Scott Gomez.

At the same time, however, Lamoriello might be able to find some bargains under the new economic system. For example, former Devil Bobby Holik was bought out of the two remaining years on his contract by the Rangers on Friday and, with a lump sum check of nearly $9 million in his pocket, might be willing to sign for less money.

Deals like that could turn Lamoriello into a more aggressive player on the UFA market than he was under the old system.

"It's really unknown," Lamoriello said.

[DevilMinder]

I really wonder if Holik could fit into the new cap with the Devils. I can already hear his euro english saying "thee vas no hawd veelings with lou on me leavin. I look forward to a new cup in NJ."

[Weekes Head]

But DM, Holik doesn't really have a Euro-English accent...he sounds more like a duck to me.

[sammyk]

Isn't his voice weird because of some neck (?) surgery he had years ago?

[CRASHER]

Popeye on Helium ya mean ???

I'd love to see him come back at some massive cheap price for amusement value and potential recap fodder

[NJD Jester]

I do a wicked Holik impression.

Basically, take whatever your Ah-nold impression is, raise it up an octave, speed it up a bit, pretend you have a stuffy nose, and instead of using periods at the end of your thoughts, use the transition "and you know."

Here, try this sample:

"Da Devilz are a team dat I tink I could play for again if I wanted to and you know dat deh are a team data I plate for when deh won da Stanley Cups and you know dat deh are a team dat gave me da chance to play for da Cups and you know dat..."

<JESTER>

[RowdyFan42]

Sounds a bit like a Mike Tyson impression if you ask me.

[Don]

HA!! That's what I got too Rowdy.