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swflyers8 · 03-01-2007, 10:29 AM

I like you Zeus but after not playing a year, you aren't going to get that much money. You aren't worth that much even when you are healthy as you can be.

Quote:

Center Handzus will bide his time
Where Hawks headed key to injured center re-signing with club

By Bob Foltman
Tribune staff reporter
February 28, 2007, 10:47 PM CST

With the trade deadline past and the playoffs out of the picture, the next significant date for the Blackhawks will be when the free-agent signing period begins July 1.

The Hawks hope to know by then whether Jonathan Toews, their first pick in last summer's entry draft, will leave school and join the NHL and whether center Michal Handzus will sign a new contract.

But in the case of Handzus, who has missed most of the season with a knee injury, he may wait and see what other moves Hawks general manager Dale Tallon makes before determining his future.

Tallon said Tuesday the Hawks made a contract offer to Handzus, who is in the final season of a contract that paid him $2.128 million this season.
Matt Keator, Handzus' agent, said he and his client have had "initial discussions" with Tallon regarding a new contract, but the Handzus camp seems content to wait to see how a number of matters play out.

"[Handzus] is still assessing how his knee is feeling, which is better every day, and we're still assessing where the organization is headed," Keator said.

Keator said Handzus likes Chicago and the Hawks have treated him very well.

"There's a chance he will re-sign, but that's for a later date," Keator said.
If Handzus waits until after the free-agent signing period begins before he makes a decision, the Hawks would be between a rock and a hard place—not sure whether to pursue another center if they don't believe they can bring Handzus back, or go after another scoring winger and risk Handzus still will be interested and available.

Last summer Tallon said he was surprised at how quickly players signed July 1. If the Hawks are slow to pull the trigger, they could end up being shut out on the skilled players—who tend to go the quickest and for the most money.

Tallon said Handzus was a "big part of the puzzle." Despite never scoring more than 58 points in a season, the Hawks have talked about Handzus as their No. 1 center next season.

Handzus played eight games this season before tearing the ACL in his left knee Oct. 21. He was the Hawks' No. 1 center and had eight points playing on a line with Martin Havlat and Radim Vrbata.

Handzus, who will turn 30 March 11, isn't a No. 1 center in the traditional sense and is considered more of a two-way player who is strong defensively. But with his role this season on the Hawks and what they project it to be next year, it's likely Handzus would want a salary more in line with top centers— the $4 million to $6 million range.

The assumption is that coming off a season in which he played so little and suffered such a serious injury, Handzus believes there will be a market for him in the summer even though it looks as if he won't play again this season.

"Who knows what the market will be July 1?" Keator said. "We're assessing it in terms of what we feel his value would be to Chicago."

Keator added Handzus' reputation is such that the injury this season won't play a negative role in his future.

"Everyone knows what type of character he has and what type of player he is," Keator said. "He still has a lot of good years left. He'll bounce back from this injury, there are no problems with that."

Keator said money isn't the only factor for Handzus.

"He wants to win a Stanley Cup," Keator said. "It's not about money all the time. It's the whole package. He wants to win. Dale has taken positive steps in those areas, so we'll see where it goes. It's a mixture of everything."

Chicago Tribune

**jtkratzer** · 03-01-2007, 05:16 PM

I can't see him making that kind of money, having never played the role of number one center, and number one centers are typically point producers, not selke winners.

To be honest with you, I wouldn't mind seeing zus in the orange and black again. I was not happy that he was traded to begin with, and especially not after how calder's season panned out for the flyers.

i think handzus umberger and hamel would be a decent line, or handzus umberger and kapanen.

kilobyte · 03-10-2007, 04:40 PM

$4 or 6$ is way too much for player like Handzus

AtLossForWords · 03-23-2007, 04:45 PM

Handzus is not even worth three million a season. Two million is about all he's worth. He's not a number one center, he's a number one center on a team that doesn't have a number one center.