In a message dated 09-10-97, David G. Riess said to Madhav Sarda:
DR>     He wasn't exactly producing in Edmonton at that time.  It really
DR>wasn't untill he got to Vancouver that he started to live up to his
DR>potential.  You know I now feel like playing "HOW DID THAT TRADE WORK
DR>OUT?"
DR>     Todays trade is: The Gretzky trade in 1988!
DR>
DR>     Edmonton Lost                Edmonton Acquired
DR>     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DR>    #Nicholas Checco              Donald Dufresne
DR>     Wayne Gretzky                Petr Klima
DR>    *Mike Krushelnyski            Dean McAmmond
DR>    *Kevin McClelland             Jeff Norton
DR>     Marty McSorley               Nick Stadjuhar
DR>    #Jamie Sokolosky              Brad Symes
DR>
DR>     This is what we get as we follow the trades through the years up
DR>until August of 1996. * marks retired players, # marks drafts picks used
DR>by other teams.  Now was this a good trade?  
The trade wasn't about players, it was about money.  If you are the owner, 
ou
 have to add that to the equation.
 MS> Check this out. Sakic will be making 17 million this year. That,
 MS> assuming he  plays 80 games, means he will make $212500 a game. He will
 MS> also make $354  a  minute. Even the minutes that he's sitting on the
 MS> bench for! A IHL's team  salary is $8000 a week! And that's for the
 MS> whole team! Then again, he only  makes 2 million next year and the year
 MS> after.
 He makes more than at least one team.  His raise increased the payroll of 
e
 NHL by a significant amount all by itself.  And the Avalanche currently have 
 the NHL's highest payroll with less total talent than last year.  (I have to 
 think Mike Keane is is more valuable than Jari Kurri at this point in their 
 careers).   Of course everybody expects the Avalanche to make some money 
 trades.  Pierre Lacroix is a real good manager who already has piled up lots 
 of future draft choices.
DR>     The average salary for the AHL is even less, there are probably
DR>people watching in the stands that make more.  BTW I'm pretty sure
DR>that's 17 million over four years not this year...
 It is.
Howard Brazee, Lakewood CO
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 * MR/2 * "I aim for the stars, but sometimes I hit London." -Von Braun
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