If only we had Belfour Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 SHOOTER: U's Martin has devil of a decision CHARLEY WALTERS Pioneer Press Columnist Gophers defenseman Paul Martin has a tough decision to make soon: accept a signing bonus of about $850,000 from the New Jersey Devils or return to Minnesota for his senior year, when the Elk River graduate would have a chance to help the Gophers go for a third consecutive NCAA championship and be a strong candidate for the Hobey Baker Award. The Devils, trying to get more young players, recently signed Gophers senior Matt DeMarchi for a $450,000 bonus and paid David Hale of North Dakota $700,000 when he signed in April Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 SHOOTER: U's Martin has devil of a decision CHARLEY WALTERS Pioneer Press Columnist Gophers defenseman Paul Martin has a tough decision to make soon: accept a signing bonus of about $850,000 from the New Jersey Devils or return to Minnesota for his senior year, when the Elk River graduate would have a chance to help the Gophers go for a third consecutive NCAA championship and be a strong candidate for the Hobey Baker Award. The Devils, trying to get more young players, recently signed Gophers senior Matt DeMarchi for a $450,000 bonus and paid David Hale of North Dakota $700,000 when he signed in April Tell me how that is a hard decision? Hum, let me think about that one. Take the money son... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwing77 Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Pros of staying in college one more year: There are a lot of IFs with this one: If he recieves the Hobey Baker award, that signing bonus is going to be higher. If he stays in college and stays healthy, that is one less year he'll spend in the AHL (assuing he doesn't go straight to the NHL). Even if he doesn't win the Hobey, if he performs well and gets a third championship, the signing bonus goes up. Third, I'm sure he has a positive relationship with Lucia, which will weigh on the decision. Pros of going pro: Guaranteeed signing bonus higher than Hale and former teammate DeMarchi. There is an advantage regarding injury that is associated with leaving early, but I can't think straight regarding that right now. Also, chance of getting paid for playing is always fun. Especially if it is at the next level. I can't hardly guess whether or not he's going to go. I'm more curious to see if Vanek wears Maroon and gold next season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaNorthStar Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Pros of staying in college one more year: There are a lot of IFs with this one: If he recieves the Hobey Baker award, that signing bonus is going to be higher. If he stays in college and stays healthy, that is one less year he'll spend in the AHL (assuing he doesn't go straight to the NHL). Even if he doesn't win the Hobey, if he performs well and gets a third championship, the signing bonus goes up. Third, I'm sure he has a positive relationship with Lucia, which will weigh on the decision. I have to disagree with this. At best his signing bonus would stay the same, should all that stuff happen. Think about it, he HAS to sign with NJ if he comes back, he has no more leverage. To quote a pretty damn good song....Take the money and run. (Could be a movie too, but what do I know, I'm hammered) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPoS Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Even if P-Mart leaves, which I hope he doesn't, I am not worried too badly over it. We don't recruit, we re-load! WPoS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyeagle Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Take The Money & Run is Woody Allen's best movie, IMO. Playing cello in a marching band....TFF. Martin - Hard to believe Sioux fans think he should leave - and this Gopher fan thinks he should stay. Money & bus rides around Albany? Or, wait a year and physically mature some to put yourself in a better position at having a shot at the big club. If Leo is up and down as a rook for a bad Calgary team why would Paul think he could make the defending cup champs? The amount of $$$ probably isn't going to change dramatically from this year to next year (given I'm a labor agreement neophyte and could be dead wrong on this) and he doesn't yet have what I'd call an NHL defensman's body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagies Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 He may not think he can make the big club, but he may think that starting to develop on the Devil's system better in the long run than playing D1 hockey. And who knows how the labor dispute factors into this. I believe it was rumored on the internet that D Hale turned down a mil after his sophomore year. If this report is right he then signed for $700,000 after his junior year. Things happen. The money is not always there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handyman Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Quoting Shooter is like making this stuff up yourself He is right as often as I am, and I have no sources, no inside info and dont get paid to write a column. He may be right though...the only thing I have heard saying MArtin is staying was on PA and Dubay...and well they are on the same level as Shooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdahl Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 I remember reading this article a week or so ago that indicated that he would be deciding before Aug. 1, FWIW. It made it sound like the Devils are really going to be pressuring him to leave early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streakygopher Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Another wild card in all of this in favor of him possibly staying is that the kid is very intelligent. To Martin, I'm sure finishing school is much more important than say a guy like Ben Clymer who had no business being in college in the first place. Hey, it's just possible that the guy likes college life and wants to let it roll one more year...add to this that he will likely be a Hobey candidate, has a legitimate chance for a 3-peat, and will probably be first-team all-america (on the mural at the mecca)...well, those are pretty good reasons to stay if he feels that some semblance of the current offer will be there next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprig Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Another wild card in all of this in favor of him possibly staying is that the kid is very intelligent. There is more than one way to argue intelligence. An extra year or two of compounding interest on 750k is huge 30 years down the road, not that a 20 year old thinks that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaNorthStar Posted July 24, 2003 Share Posted July 24, 2003 Quoting Shooter is like making this stuff up yourself Of course, that's what Shooter does, doesn't he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handyman Posted July 24, 2003 Share Posted July 24, 2003 There is more than one way to argue intelligence. An extra year or two of compounding interest on 750k is huge 30 years down the road, not that a 20 year old thinks that way. That is a very good point. Of course if Martin is majoring in a real subject and gets a degree in something useful (I have no idea if he is or not) than if his NHL career doesnt pan out he can parlay his degree into a nice job somewhere. Of course he can his degree while riding a bus in Albany as well. I think Shooter mentioned it again today. He (Shooter) seems to think Vanek is all but guranteed to come back and Martin is 50/50. Take that with a grain of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagies Posted July 24, 2003 Share Posted July 24, 2003 There are always 2 ways to look at these situations and it is very difficult for fans to say what a guy should or shouldn't do, or what is smarter. A guy can get some insurance and stay and play college. They can experience a year or 2 of college life that they will never ever get back. They can take the money and watch it start to grow, and begin their development in an environment focused on making the big show. They can complete their degrees during the summer quite easily. Hard to say which is better without really knowing a kid's specific personality, desires, environment, situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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