Enough already.

At first this PK thing didn't seem to be a big problem.  He'd sit out the one week training camp and would sign on game day and everything would be fine.  But now it has taken on a life of its own.  Both parties keep saying it's business, but this thing seems to go deeper than that.  Don Meehan has been in this business longer than PK has been breathing.  He knows full well what the kid is worth and in my mind, he has advised him to take a deal because sitting out an entire season will definitely not improve his market value.  PK seems to be making a point.  Like he doesn't want to cave.  The problem is that the love and admiration he gets from the fans is, pardon the pun, on thin ice.  I'm a perfect example.  I love the kid.  I write for a blog that was created in his honor.  He's the player on the Habs that I am most likely to pay to see.  But that was when his enthusiasm and charisma was based on what I thought was a pure love of the game.  It made him that much more appealing.  I equate it to the way Ovechkin played in his first few years.  You watched him and knew that nobody out there was having more fun than him.  It made him human and charming.  And the million dollar smile didn't hurt.

But now PK claims it's only business.  Well that's a double edged sword.  If it's just business, then the fans will treat you as a business partner.  If you play well, all is good.  But if you have a few bad games, you can forget about having a little extra slack from us.  When Martin benched you for a few games, we welcomed you back.  When you had a slow start, we were all cheering for you to get better.  But now, we just want results.  No more patience, no more understanding.  You think you're worth 5+ million?  Well then you don't get a break.  You cough up the puck and cost us the game?  We'll come down hard.  How hard?  Ask the Breezer.  I'm sure he told his shrink how nasty we can get.

So PK, think about what you want.  A short 2 year deal might seem like a raw deal to you, but if you get that big contract after (like we all think you will), you will have earned every cent.  But by doing this, your already fragile reputation in your own locker room will take yet another hit. And for the love of god, stop saying it's out of your hands.  It's ALL in your hands.  The agent works for you, not the other way around.  And don't think for a second that we believe Donny Meehan is encouraging you to fuck up your career.

So think long and hard.  By my estimation, you've got 4 or 5 days of "sympathy" left.  After that, you're just another spoiled kid who thinks the world is at his feet.  You may be a great hockey player, and that's thanks to your talent.  But this city will make you a legend.  If you don't see the value in that, sign an 8 year deal in Columbus.

You have the city in the palm of your hand.  Be careful before you flush it down the toilet.