How to Spend the Pronger Money

When a man loves a woman
Can't keep his mind on nothing else
He'll trade the world
For the good thing he's found
If she's bad he can't see it
She can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend
If he put her down

When a man loves a woman
Spend his very last dime
Tryin' to hold on to what he needs
He'd give up all his comfort
Sleep out in the rain
If she said that's the way it ought to be

Well, this man loves a woman
I gave you everything I had
Tryin' to hold on to your precious love
Baby, please don't treat me bad

When a man loves a woman
Down deep in his soul
She can bring him such misery
If she plays him for a fool
He's the last one to know
Lovin' eyes can't ever see

-Calvin Lewis, Andrew Wright


Incredibly, it (apparently) came down to what Percy Sledge was singing about 30 years ago: When a Man Loves A Woman. Pronger and his wife (Lauren? is that her name) were ripped routinely by fans and media in Edmonton, which I would say is probably fair for a city that lives and breaths hockey. However, I await the uproar over these comments from Cal Nichols:

"Goodness, those guys are well off. If they want to get away, if it's too cold, if it's too dirty, they got the wherewithal to do whatever they want, including go back to the mansion in St. Louis, if that's the remedy. I guess I always felt, 'What the hell could be so bad that you couldn't work it out?' And if you can't work it out, you're not the first couple in the history of the world to have to say, 'I guess we're different and we've got to go our different ways.' "

Are you kidding me? Seriously. Why haven't more people made a fuss over this? Sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph people this is a family we're talking about here! Look, I'm as pissed as the next guy Chris Pronger left Edmonton, but if you're married and the woman you love is living in St. Louis with the kids and you're in Edmonton and she says "you know honey, I don't think it's going to work out there" and you decide she and the family are more important than the job and the town, isn't that honorable? And even if you don't agree, how on planet earth can you seriously defend Nichols comments above? Tell me, please. I'd like to know.

With that as the backdrop, the question 12 months later is that same as it was draft day 2006: How to spend the Pronger money? With the cap supposedly in the $48M range, the Oilers have stated several times (Lowe and MacT) that they'd like to add two forwards and at least one defender. In the two previous posts we talked about the forwards, and here are some of the defensemen:

Jaroslav Spacek, Buffalo: He'll be 34 in February and his cap number is $3.33M for the next two seasons. The Sabres have some cap troubles this summer, and Spacek is a player who may be available. He played well for a long stretch after coming over in 05-06, and he's certainly a capable NHL player.

Wade Redden, Ottawa: He'll be 30 tomorrow and has one more year at $6.5M. Part of me knows getting Redden would cost so much that a team like Edmonton can't really afford it. One suspects that the cost would be one of Smith/Staios and a position player going all the way up to Raffi (we can discuss the payoff, but it'll be dear). The other part of me is idiot fan and I'll smile like a nutbar if they get him, just like I did when the Expos got Mark Langston.

Pavel Kubina, Toronto: He'll turn 31 next April and has three more years at $5M. In a way, Toronto has singlehandedly raised the price on one dimensional offensive talents and have done more to bugger up the cap than anyone (Sundin's contract will be announced soon, it's like waiting for a new Seinfeld episode). Kubina is maturing as a defender and could be a solid player moving forward, although the money is too much.

Joni Pitkanen, Philadelphia: He'll turn 24 in September and is an RFA (he made $2M next year). I'm including him because he keeps getting mentioned. There's a lot to like: he's a Finn, is a quality puck mover and has over 200 games NHL experience. Similar to Niinimaa in that the Flyers endured the growing pains before sending him to Edmonton.

Mike Van Ryn, Florida: He'll turn 29 next May and his cap number is $2.9M for the next three seasons. He's not an "A" choice, but there's some things to like in Van Ryn. Not terribly expensive, he's overshadowed on the Panthers and increased PP time might see his numbers rocket.

Derek Morris, Phoenix: Turns 29 in August and his cap number for the next 2 years is $3.917M. Is in the "Tom Bladon in Pittsburgh" stage of his career, where we all talk about when he was in Calgary. Not the worst option available, but there are plenty better.

Adrian Aucoin, Chicago: Turns 34 in August and will earn $4M for the next two seasons. Big guy, has stepped into the elevator shaft and is about as valuable as yesterday's paper. Has not aged well.

The UFA crop is more promising, and there are other options on the blueline (sign Hejda! why on earth has that not happened yet?) including one of the group in St. Louis (maybe Backman or Jackman).

I wonder if Percy Sledge can play?