It's amazing how one phenomenal season impacts a player's value to an NHL team.
Just a year after being the scapegoat from the Chicago Blackhawks' disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, Corey Crawford is now a $6 million man following a Stanley Cup championship in the 2013 campaign.
Sportsnet reported on Monday that his new extension is worth $36 million over six seasons.
The Blackhawks surprisingly gave Crawford a huge long-term contract despite his small sample size as a successful starting goaltender in the NHL. It was an incredibly bold move by general manager Stan Bowman, because even though the 28-year-old was excellent during the championship run, he's never put together consecutive seasons of stellar play.
The Blackhawks decided against splashing the cash to re-sign their No. 1 goaltender Antti Niemi when they won the Stanley Cup in 2010. This proved to be a mistake because goaltending was an issue for the team over the next two seasons and Niemi ended up becoming a Vezina Trophy finalist for the San Jose Sharks.
The pressure on Crawford to maintain ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Nicholas Goss
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September 3rd, 2013 by Nicholas Goss Leave a reply »
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