Drama, Thy Name is Wild - Havlat's Agent Goes to the Media

The wish? Please, oh lucky star so bright and shiny, make the Wild just a bit more interesting to write about.

Rather than a wishing star, the wish was granted by the one and only Michael Russo. Make the jump for one man's take on what is sure to be the story of the day.

In his article for the paper, Russo details out a drama fire built, stoked, and boiled over all in the course of one day. You have all likely already read the article. You know, in the newspaper you have delivered to your home or that you picked up at the gas station on the way to work. Right?

From the article:

All of this is all well and good, and it makes for a great read, and great Twitter follow. However, what it doesn't do much for is the truth. Carey Price is a head case, we get it. He plays in Montreal, and he folds under pressure. Not a tough lock to pick there. But why throw that last punch? Sykora was injured, and was stinking up the joint. The coach benched him due to performance, not because of anything personal.

Read the first sentence in the quote again. He spends eighteen words reminding us of what Havlat did two seasons ago. We get it. He had a good year. He got his pay day because of it, too. Why continue to bring it up?

What more could this guy want?

Chuck Fletcher lays out the basis for a strong argument in Russo's article, and he is absolutely correct. Unless Havlat is going to start playing on the penalty kill, there is not much more Havlat can do for this team. The chemistry was not there with Koivu, and it is there with Cullen. Why switch that up?

The stats on NHL.com don't lie.

This is not to say that Havlat is somehow under performing. His role is not on the PK. The point of all of these numbers is to point out that Havlat is leaned on in even strength and power play situations, which is exactly why the Wild spent $5 million a year to retain his services.

Look, I'm as entertained by the occasional Twitter outburst as the next sarcastic jerk, and I love a good media based tongue lashing to liven things up a bit. Hell, I'll even stop to read a rant from a coach calling out his players in the media. I also appreciate an agent's full-throated defense and promotion of his client.

As anyone who is a regular around here knows, I'm a sucker for when someone opens their mouth and firmly implants their foot. The stats, and the facts, simply do not back up what Walsh is saying this time. This isn't Price vs Halak, this Walsh vs the truth. Havlat is doing his job, and he is performing fairly well for a team that is not playing all that great right now.

However, the fury needs to not be on the coach or the GM for "underusing" Havlat. Maybe the fury needs to be directed at Havlat's teammates for not keeping the penalty box door from hitting them in the butt on their way out.

That won't happen though. After all. Those players are his potential clients.