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james mirtle: Avery’s arbitration hearing – A hockey journalist’s blog:

And while Brooks rips the Rangers for penny-pinching, the same can certainly be said for Avery who, in fighting for a $2.6-million contract after a career-high 48-point season, surely presented an eye roll-inducing argument as to his value to the team.

This has been almost a classsic example of “how not to make friend and influence enemies” — the joys of arbitration.

The case for Avery: when he was traded to the Rangers, the Rangers DID catch some fire and go on a roll. We have to face the fact that these things did happen together, and it’s unlikely a coincidence.

The case AGAINST Avery: The Rangers are basically correct when they say: “Avery is not a mature player. He plays, at times, like an individual rather than a member of a team. This is sometimes referred to as an inability to see the ice, and in Avery’s case this seems to fit with his overall approach to the game.”

Now, Avery may not like hearing that. But it’s true.

Let’s not forget that Avery is basically one season away from being kicked off a team and sent home, where he was considered such a detriment to the Kings he was told to pack and leave. Where he was put on double-triple-secret-probation by Lombardi and told to keep his nose clean and mouth shut — or else.

I swear, the best thing someone could do for Sean Avery is sign him to a multi-year deal and then trade him to Edmonton or Buffalo, away from the lifestyles of LA or New York. But he’d probably find a way to cause problems anyway.

Avery has always seemed to have a much higher regard for his talent level than his teams. He’s a feisty player with attitude who actually has some talent — but not nearly the talent he thinks he has. His off-ice attitudes reminds me of Link Gaetz in some ways. Yeah, the Rangers got better when he got there; they needed some grit. They can get that grit many other ways than Avery if they need to, though, he’s a very replaceable player. There’s also no indication — or track record — that he would be able to sustain that kind of spark for the entire season for them. Given his career numbers, the chances he’d maintain the scoring impact is zero.

So for me, this one’s a no-brainer. Avery’s feelings might be hurt, but tough. He doesn’t seem to worry about other people’s feelings much (ask Bryan Hayward), and he played way over his head, and way more disciplined, for a short period of time. To believe he can continue that for a full season with that impact is unrealistic.

And he’s once again shown he has trouble handling the truth. A sad reality for a player so happy to get in everyone else’s faces…

I’m with the Rangers here. And if Avery wins arbitration, I’d walk. He’s not worth it, epsecially given the risk for a badly timed off-ice controversy. Not a small issue, given his history.

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