Roman Polak Still Unsigned By St. Louis Blues

by Brad Lee on Jun 30, 2009 11:44 AM CDT Comment 29 comments

Apparently Roman Polak wants more money from the Blues to keep doing stuff like this. (AP Photo/Tim Sharp)

As free agency gets closer, we've identified just two things the Blues really need to get done right now: backup goaltender and sign Roman Polak. One of those things can't happen until free agency begins and the other has apparently hit a brick wall.

Jeremy Rutherford of the Post-Dispatch reported not in a newspaper story or blog post or on Twitter but in a posting on the Blues Talk Forum at STLToday (is that retro by new media standards?) that it appears Polak will not be signed before he becomes a restricted free agent.

It appears that Polak will not be re-signed by the start of free agency. Therefore, Polak will be subject to offer sheets from around the league. How much interest will there be in Polak? It looks like we may find out.
The Blues, of course, can match any offer sheet given to Polak. He has already received a qualifying offer from the Blues for $522,500.

Well that sucks. As we learned last summer with David Backes, other teams are actually paying attention to the Blues and want some of their young players. We also learned that the Blues don't like other teams meddling with their youngsters and will turn the tables and sign an RFA just to return the favor.

Right now, here's what we know:

- Roman Polak can sign with any team that offers him a contract. The Blues can match, but they then inherit that contract. The Blues could also pass and allow Polak to leave.

- Polak is a young defenseman who is deceptively fast (more than once his inexperience showed last year when he got caught out of position in the other end or the neutral zone, but his speed allowed him to catch up to the play and break it up). He's also a big kid who plays a physical game. A little more seasoning and he could be a legit second pairing guy who also spends time on the power play.

- Polak's combination of skills is hard to find in young players.

- Other teams are run by dicks who would take great pleasure in signing Polak to a fairly large contract just to make the Blues squirm or stick them with a larger contract than they were willing to offer.

The Backes signing was the first shot across the bow in this drama between the ownership trying to manage the growing number of valuable RFAs and the young players trying to cash in on their value. Polak and his agent saw the three-year, $7.5 million offer Backes go last year. That was coming off 13 goals and 31 points in 72 games. Polak had one goal and 15 points in 69 games. It figures to reason that the Blues offered less than the Backes contract and Polak is expecting an offer of at least that much. And if we can find it, the RFA compensation is also floating out there for a player who is allowed to leave.

If sports betting were legal in Missouri, I'd put my money on an offer from another team and a match from the Blues -- as long as the contract isn't out of left field expensive. The GM Translator machine can't wait for the Blues' response.

So Blues fans, are you nervous? Gallagher listed Polak as an important part of the seemingly revamped St. Louis defensive corps. He's part of the future, but at what price? Let us know in the comments.

And anyone who stops by to read and hasn't jumped into the comments, join us. Signing up is easy and we value pretty much everybody's opinion. Even people from Europe!

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Comments

I can't see the Blues letting Pola'k go...

I would expect them to match any offer he is given.

What concerns me is the fact that he wasn’t re-signed. Did the Blues try to lowball him, or is Roman’s agent whispering in his ear (like the demon Nahaz did with Mad Urvon in “The Demon Lord of Karanda,” for any fellow David Eddings fans out there) that someone else will be offering bucketsful o’ cash, and to sit tight before accepting an offer from the Blues?

If the former, then whomever is negotiating contracts (LP?) should be relieved of his duties tout suite… if the latter, it just goes to prove that Shakespeare was pretty much right when it comes to those who “practice” the “legal” profession.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

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by Tomorrows Blues on Jun 30, 2009 12:37 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If the Blues’ offer is really $522,500, I would say he is getting lowballed. I mean, Weaver is getting $800,000. Polak is certainly a better d-man today and has way more upside for the future. Looking ahead at the end of the season, I was expecting Polak to be looking for something in the 1mil range. Or am I overvaluing the guy?

"You suck but you know you suck. That's what I like about you." -Brett Hull

by hullnoates on Jun 30, 2009 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That was just

the qualifying offer. And unless I’m remembering incorrectly, that number is set at a specific raise over what he made last year. Or exactly what he made last year.

The qualifying offer is a formality so that if he doesn’t sign a contract, the Blues can match any offer sheet. No qualifying offer = unrestricted free agent.

www.stlouisgametime.com

by Brad Lee on Jun 30, 2009 2:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I HAVE TO

believe its the agent. if the blues are really willing to revisit the backes situation then man JD needs to put his shit together. with polaks skills if the blues let him walk i think jarmo would be in JD’s ears about it

Pujols takes out "I" in BIG and "A" in MAC, previously considered to be an unyielding, consonant threat

by DESTROYER on Jun 30, 2009 12:47 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If we decide to let him walk (and I prefer we didn’t) let’s ask Satan for advice on who to claim as compensation

"I'm sorry we hurt their feelings"
-Barret Jackman

by Dooks on Jun 30, 2009 1:46 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The only way I don’t see us signing him is if the contract offer is north of 3 mill. I think we’ll match just about anything else. I’d say Polak being worth more then 1.5 mill or so, but that could be just me.

by Novacain on Jun 30, 2009 2:00 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think 1.5 is about what people thought Backes would be signed for last year.

Before the offer came in from Vancouver at 2.5. Any smart agent is telling Polak to go to July 1 and see what’s out there. They have a fall-back position with whatever the Blues have offered up to this point and if no good offers come in, they take that.

But based on his play last year, his agent has to be telling him to see what else comes in. If the Blues are offering 1.5 and another offer comes in from somewhere else at 1.75, the Blues will surely match it. The upside is that he just made his client another 250,000 a year (and himself another 12,000 to 25,000 a year).

It’s just smart business.

If, on the other hand, Polak hadn’t had that great of a year and was a bubble player, this deal would be done already.

SWYD

by gallagher on Jun 30, 2009 2:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'll say this

If Polak somehow escapes, I know a lot of Romans, Pollocks, and Czechs who are going to be really pissed off. (And confused.)

But I bet his agent is just telling him to sit tight and see if someone blows him away. There’s really no rush on his part, since the Blues certainly want to keep him.

Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.

by Dominik on Jun 30, 2009 2:21 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Got to agree with Lighthouse

He knows the Blues want him. And half a mil sounds REALLY low to me. I was thinking the 1-1.5 mil range. Like you all have said, unless it something RIDICULOUS (i.e. Fragile McKee) I can’t see them letting Polak walk.

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by BluesTiger on Jun 30, 2009 2:38 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

the 562,000 is a qualifying offer, not the negotiation number.

It’s not the number he has in front of him right now, it simply registers the Blues’ intent to keep him. If the Blues didn’t offer a qualifying number (the value of which is determined by some CBA formula based on his last contract), tehn he would be an unrestricted free agent.

SWYD

by gallagher on Jun 30, 2009 3:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

my explanation

eight comments up was better.

www.stlouisgametime.com

by Brad Lee on Jun 30, 2009 4:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I felt the need to address this again.

There seems to be confusion on what a QO is.

SWYD

by gallagher on Jun 30, 2009 4:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i hate it when dads fight

cant we all just get along?

by averagejoe on Jun 30, 2009 5:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I really dont see them letting him go.

I think like everyone else it will be in the 1-1.5 range. But he will stay

by engrishjones on Jun 30, 2009 3:26 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I also hope Polak is smart enough to see where this organ-I-zation is headed.....

…on it’s way to the Cup that is. If he wants to be a dick and ca$h out, then fuck him and let him go….. but good luck with that Cup run with those teams who can afford a payout (Thrashers, Panthers, Coyotes)

"Brad Winchester playing on a line with Perron and Berglund is like the fat kid who you invite to play one day because you didn't have enough skaters, yet you don't have the heart to tell them to leave the next few times you play. Damn you Andy Murray." -Author Unknown

by -DJ- on Jun 30, 2009 3:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

In related news...

I sent a Tweet to RomanP46 asking him if he’s gonna stay in St. Louis. Can’t wait to see what he has to say.

I mean, he was pretty forthright about missing McKee and the ability to fart in his helmet.

SWYD

by gallagher on Jun 30, 2009 4:05 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

RomanP46

on twitter has just tweeted the following:

signey signey, Great organization, great fans, great city. Info coming next couple of days

Let’s hope this is the REAL Polak!

"We have two giant hamsters running on a massive wheel at our secret underground lair..." - Benjamin Linus.

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by drfrankentweed on Jun 30, 2009 5:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

and...

if anyone else here is on twitter, then I’m “meegat” over there!

"We have two giant hamsters running on a massive wheel at our secret underground lair..." - Benjamin Linus.

Blue Skies - a new St Louis Blues Hockey blog: BLUE SKIES

by drfrankentweed on Jun 30, 2009 5:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I don’t think that’s real.

www.stlouisgametime.com

by Brad Lee on Jun 30, 2009 11:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

They're gonna keep him.

But I will be TOTALLY fucking hoarked if some douchenostril like, oh, whoever runs Les Habitants these days throws some crazy stupid $4MM offer sheet at him (Montreal is one of the teams WITH cap space this year, from my understanding).

But I have the utmost confidence that our favorite Czech Who’s Neither Roman Nor Polish will be in the Blue Note sweater for ‘09-’10.

"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields

by Donut King on Jun 30, 2009 4:21 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

then again, (if I remember correctly anyway) they have a lot of free agents from last year’s team, so that’s why they have some money to spend.

"I'm sorry we hurt their feelings"
-Barret Jackman

by Dooks on Jun 30, 2009 4:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

hoarked?

Thumbing through urban dictionary to catch up.

old timey conversion = unspooled, to smash things into smaller things.

Dum spiramus tuebimur

by spectr17 on Jun 30, 2009 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

the habs would only go after him is his name was Roman LePolak

by bzgea2 on Jun 30, 2009 9:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very good point.

But they were about the only team I could think of at that moment who had money to burn this summer. There’s others.

"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields

by Donut King on Jul 1, 2009 7:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So basically

they are letting the market set the value. With the cap only going up 100k this year, I don’t expect to see a massive contract going his way, so it’ll likely stay reasonable. I hope.

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/

by cold on Jun 30, 2009 4:23 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Luvin me some Moose

Sign ze papers, I wanna watch him cripple some Blackhawks this fall.

Dum spiramus tuebimur

by spectr17 on Jun 30, 2009 7:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

What's he worth in compensation

If he signs with another team what can the Blues expect in return? Draft picks? Another player?

by TeddyDaniels on Jun 30, 2009 9:50 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

per NHLSCAP, the 2008-09 chart looks like this:

Amount and Compensation Due

$863,156 or less = None

$863,156 – $1,307,811 = 3rd round pick

$1,307,811 – $2,615,623 = 2nd round pick

$2,615,623 – $3,923,434 = 1st and 3rd round pick

$3,923,434 – $5,231,246 = 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick

$5,231,246 – $6,539,061 = Two 1st’s, one 2nd, one 3rd round pick

$6,539,061 or more = Four 1st round picks

Check the site for more info.

SWYD

by gallagher on Jul 1, 2009 12:23 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So, is the 2.6 total teh cutoff for anyone else?

I really like Polak, but if someone offers that much money and are basically giving us a 1st round pick, I’d have a hard time not just letting him go.

by Novacain on Jul 1, 2009 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs