Ascent can afford Ford, but what about Sakic?

Sporting News, The, August 18, 1997 by Larry Wigge

Harrison Ford or Joe Sakic? One can skate, the other can't. One has won a Stanley Cup and has been the MVP of the playoffs, the other has only dreamed of it.

Ascent Entertainment Group, which owns the Avalanche, the struggling Denver Nuggets, a movie company and the world's largest hotel pay-per-view business, has lost $57 million in the past tow years. But it paid Ford $20 million to star in the movie Air Force One -- and any hockey fan will tell you that Harrison is less convincing portraying the president of the United States than Joe is being one of the best players in the NHL.

The Avalanche took a calculated risk in not pressuring Sakic to accept their $6 million offer. The Rangers swooped in after losing Mark Messier to the Canucks and blew Sakic away with a three-year, $21 million offer that included a $15 million more than Ascent planned to spend on its captain, but it is sure to keep Sakic, who is in his prime at 28. Five first-round draft picks (compensation should the Avalanche not match the Ranger's offer) no more helps the Avs this year than having five first-rounders fill in for Ford in the movie.

Last year, the Nuggets let all-star center Dikembe Mutombo go to the Atlanta Hawks for $58 million over five years. The Nuggets finished 21-61 in empty McNichols Arena. Ascent needs a successful Avalanche to prosper -- it can't afford not to keep Sakic.

This is not a popularity contest between Ford and Sakic, it's a look at the change in NHL free agency in the weeks since Canucks owner John McCaw stole Messier from the Rangers. The Rangers, with a huge hole to fill on offense, went after Sakic.

And it might not end there.

If Ascent matches the bid, the Rangers likely will sign Mighty Ducks left winger Paul Kariya, another restricted free agent.

Our sources say once the Avalanche the over looking at the first year of Sakic's deal, and see only $2 million on the book's for their captain the last two year, they will match.

Looking at the bigger picture, teams have been lulled too long into believing there will be no substantial movement in free agency. The Messier and Sakic signings are wake-up calls. In the end, however, if the teams had done their homework, they would have kept their stars at a more reasonable salary. The time to reward players such as Messier and Sakic is before they become free agents.

"I couldn't wait any longer," says Sakic, who wanted $5 million and $6 million, up from the $3.1 million he made last season. "I didn't want to be a holdout in training camp. But I had no calls from other teams and no meaningful talks with the Avs."

Loyalty works both ways, you know.

Odds and ends

If it were so easy to get Sakic, why didn't the Canucks sign him instead of Messier? Especially when you consider Sakic is from the Vancouver area and is eight years younger.

Here's our take on these comings and goings, with a little Vegas twist to it:

With Messier, the Rangers were 20-1 to win the Stanley Cup. Without him, they dropped to 40-1. With Sakic, they would be About 15-1. Vancouver was no better than 50-1 before it signed Messier. Now, well, it is maybe 25-1. With Sakic, the Avalanche are the favorites to win the Cup. Without him, they are no better than 12-1.

The interesting part of this scenario were the bystanders -- the Flyers and Penguins, who are in contract renegotiation with Eric Lindros and Jaromir Jagr, respectively. The stakes climed through the roof.

Icy bits

Barry Trotz will be the first Nashville coach. Trotz, 34, has no NHL coaching experience but he is 191-166-59 in the minors. G.M. David Poile knows all the prospects Trotz produced for the Capitals as the coach at Portland, where he won the American Hockey League title in 1994 and made it to the finals in 1996. ... Reports suggest that even if the Rangers get Sakic, they are not done -- Ottawa winger Daniel Alfredsson is next on their wish list. ... The Rangers and Stars are the main bidders for Calgary left winger Gary Roberts. The only thing keeping Dallas from getting him is the team's reluctance to part with left winger Jason Botterill from the University of Michigan. Look for the Flames to accept a counterproposal from the Stars.

Funny how Canucks G.M. Pat Quinn went from hero to goat to hero -- in a matter of hours. First, he signs Messier. Then he sees Toronto sign defenseman Mattias Ohlund, the team's No. 1 pick in 1994, to a five-year, $10 million offer (after Quinn sent Ohlund, away last summer, refusing to sign him to a three-year deal at $850,000 a year). Before he matches that offer, Quinn is back at McCaw's money tree and signs free-agent goaltender Arturs Irbe from Dallas. Quinn's next pitch: trying to lure defenseman Kevin Lowe, away from Edmonton.