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07/16/03
Cloutier agrees to one-year contract
Canucks avoid salary arbitration by signing deadline deal with goalie

Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun

CANADA.COM

While management trolled for salmon off the Queen Charlottes, the big fish landed Tuesday in Vancouver where the Canucks announced the re-signing of goalie Dan Cloutier and defenceman Marek Malik.

And the catch of restricted free agents could grow larger today with the signing of defenceman Sami Salo.

Cloutier agreed to a one-year-deal for $2.5 million US, while Malik signed a two-year contract worth $3.2 million. Salo's deal, when it gets finalized, will also be for two years.

The agreements allow the Canucks to avoid the potentially-caustic salary arbitration process, which had a filing deadline of midnight Tuesday.

"I'm really happy we got things done," Cloutier told reporters at a downtown press conference. "I never dreamed in my life that I'd make this amount of money. They signed me, but we all know there are areas I have to do better. They realize with hard work and the type of guy I am, I'll achieve those goals."

Cloutier ordered agent Roland Thomson to negotiate a deal before the arbitration deadline.

"He said to me: 'There's unfinished business in Vancouver; I want to prove something to the fans who have supported me,'" Thomson said.

"He said: 'Rolie, get it done before the arbitration deadline. I don't want to get caught up in a messy arbitration.'"

A Cloutier arbitration could have been filthy.

Cloutier had an excellent regular season, posting a goals-against average of 2.42 and save percentage of .908 while becoming the first Canuck goalie with consecutive 30-win seasons.

But Cloutier collapsed in the playoffs, allowing 15 goals on 60 shots in the final three games of the Canucks' second-round upset by the Minnesota Wild. He finished the playoffs with a league-worst 3.24 average and .868 save rate.

"Even though there's a lot of pressure and people were pointing fingers ... that's part of hockey," Cloutier said. "It's great to play in this city because everyone cares so much.

"I didn't want to go to arbitration. I'm a pretty emotional type of guy and everyone knows what arbitrations are like."

Canuck general manager Brian Burke and assistant GM Dave Nonis, who negotiated the contracts, are at their annual fishing tournament and unavailable Tuesday for comment.

Cloutier, 27, was the only "core" player without a deal for next season. The one-year contract provides the Canucks some latitude.

Cloutier made $1.125 million last season, while Malik earned $1.1 million.

"The landscape out there is one of uncertainty," Thomson said. "It can be an advantage both ways; if he has a good year, we're back at the negotiating table."

Malik, 28, led Canuck defencemen with a plus-20 rating and contributed seven goals and 20 points.

"Being in Vancouver was like a dream coming true," he said from his home in the Czech Republic. "It's a Canadian city, so hockey's No. 1. Fans are unbelievable and I really enjoy my teammates. The whole organization is great."

Burke originally drafted Malik with the Hartford Whalers in 1993 and reacquired him last Nov. 1 in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes that marked the turning point of Vancouver's season.

"I was a little scared, my first trade and all that stuff," Malik said. "But I can only say positive things about it. So far, I've been a Canuck for eight months and I've enjoyed every second of it."

"Marek would have liked a longer term, but they wanted a shorter term," agent Rich Winter said. "It's hard to get a two-year term in some cases. Marek's really happy with this."

Salo, 28, woke this morning at home in Finland to find a contract awaiting his final approval.

"It's just real close," Salo's agent, Bill Zito, said Tuesday evening. "I think it will get finished. I'm 99 per cent sure nothing is going to get messed up."

Zito is confident enough that Salo's contract will get concluded that he did not plan to file for arbitration before the midnight deadline.

Salo set career highs last year with nine goals and 30 points and stayed injury-free during the regular season.

Canucks Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Artem Chubarov and Bryan Allen are restricted free agents expected to accept the minimum 10 per cent raise in their qualifying offers, which expire Aug. 1. Fourth-line centre Mats Lindgren also is a restricted free agent.

Defenceman Murray Baron is an unrestricted free agent Nonis hopes will return to the Canucks after exploring the open market.

"At some point, we're not going to wait any longer," Nonis said Monday. "We're going to need to shore up that position if he doesn't come back and find someone to fill his spot."

The Canucks earlier re-signed role players Jarkko Ruutu and Brad May, but allowed winger Trent Klatt to sign a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings.