Everyone that wanted a pugilist – are you happy (Especially you, Barry)?
The Hawks signed defensemen/left wing/brachiosaurus John Scott to a 1-year, $1 million dollar deal yesterday. I’m not sure what role Stan Bowman has envisioned for this aircraft carrier who clocks in at 6’8″, 260 lbs, but it seems antithetical to his normally progressive hockey sensibilities to sign a guy who by all outward accounts has no discernable skill other than beating the fuck out of a poor sap in the wrong colored sweater. So congratulations everyone who wanted somebody to “protect” Kane, Toews, etc. You’ve gotten your wish – but I would have rather had someone who could, you know, actually contribute something.
EDIT: It turns out that the deal is actually for 2 years at 512K a year, as reflected by CapGeek. TSN’s free agent tracker originally showed 1 year/$1 mildo, which is where I got the figure from. I actually feel slightly better about the deal now, though I still don’t think the guy can play worth a damn. Even in the situation the Hawks are in, there’s little risk in a league minimum, presumably two-way contract on a guy that big who can play either D or wing.
Alexandre Bolduc vs John Scott Jan 13, 2010 (via hockeyfightsdotcom)