Forsberg's impact on Predators not reflected in his stats

Hockey Betting Lines

02/20/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In two games as a member of the Nashville Predators, Peter Forsberg has yet to record a point. But judging by the team's performance Monday against the Phoenix Coyotes, there's little to reason for Music City fans to panic.

The star center understandably struggled in his Predators' debut, recording just a single shot on goal and a minus-one rating in Saturday's 4-1 home loss to Minnesota. Forsberg was noticeably more comfortable with new linemates Paul Kariya -- a teammate of his in Colorado during the 2003-04 season -- and Martin Erat, and it showed in Monday's results.

Although the trio failed to score on the evening, Nashville's new top line generated a wealth of opportunities and dominated for most of its time on the ice. The unit put up nine shots on Monday, five coming off the stick of Forsberg.

"The Forsberg line could've had three or four goals, easy," said Predators head coach Barry Trotz. "They were all over the offensive zone tonight. They didn't get (any goals), but they were dangerous, and that's what you ask."

The addition of the five-time All-Star has already had a positive trickle-down effect on the rest of the offense. David Legwand, who had been centering the Kariya-Erat line, was placed between Scott Hartnell and Alexander Radulov following Forsberg's arrival to give the Predators three dangerous lines.

Legwand and Hartnell have had success together in the past, and the duo clicked once again in the 4-1 triumph over the Coyotes. Hartnell scored two goals within a 23-second span in the second period, with Legwand springing him for a breakaway on the last tally.

"He's a great player," said Hartnell of Legwand. "He opens up a lot of ice for you. He skates so hard, skates so well, and he can put the puck on your tape too. It's pretty nice and I'm happy to be back with him."

Hartnell's pair on Monday gave him 21 markers for the campaign, making him the fourth Predator to reach the 20-goal plateau this season. Steve Sullivan and Jason Arnott also have 21, while Legwand has a career-best 20.

Nashville, which regained possession of first place in the Central Division with Monday's triumph, will host Montreal on Thursday before wrapping up a four-game homestand with a crucial matchup against rival Detroit on Saturday.

Wwnytimes Hockey Betting News

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

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