Last time, he surrendered. This time, his back against the same wall, Scott Niedermayer stands disgusted with the Devil way of saying ‘Thanks.’ And he says he’ll remember when he holds the hammer Lou Lamoriello is now using on him.
The Devils’ top offensive defenseman, locked out of training camp as a restricted free agent, said he was bothered and disappointed by what he regards as Lamoriello’s failure to treat him as he has treated other teammates.
“I don’t enjoy having to fight for every contract I have to sign to play with this team. If there ever does come a time when I have to make a decision and I’m free to make a choice, definitely that’s going to weigh into it,” Niedermayer said last night.
Niedermayer, who made $3.25 million last season, is seeking a three-year deal with annual salary in the range of $4-5 million. Lamoriello unilaterally ended negotiations Sept. 9 with an offer of $3.5, $3.6 and $3.7 million for the three-year term, threatening to reduce the offer by 1/275th for every day Niedermayer misses in training camp, and by 1/182nd for every day he misses of the regular season.
“It’s not getting any funner,” said Niedermayer, the Devils’ 1991 first-rounder, third overall. “Who knows how I’m going to feel after a while? Every time I go to negotiate a contract, it seems I have to scrape and dig with my fingernails to get treated what I think is fairly.”
Niedermayer has been the team’s top offensive defenseman for five straight seasons, a club record, and led all backliners with five playoff goals during the Devils’ 2000 Stanley Cup run. He said he’s disappointed that Lamoriello did not try to work a long-term extension as Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens and Randy McKay received, although all of those were under market value.
“That bothers me a lot. This is the third time I’ve negotiated a contract after I’ve been in the league and every time it’s the same thing. I’ve never been approached by Lou, looking maybe to extend the deal, saying ‘We appreciate what you’ve done for the team. We’d love to have you here for as long as we could work something out.’ That disappoints me a lot. I feel I’ve been there and done a lot for that team. To have to fight as hard as I’ve had to every time is very discouraging,” Niedermayer said.
Two years ago, Niedermayer was in a similar situation, and by Oct. 30, gave in, accepting Lamoriello’s September offer, sweetened by bonuses.
“Right now, I don’t feel I’ll be forced to settle, or I would have done it,” Niedermayer said.
Like Jason Arnott, also an unsigned client of agent Don Meehan, Niedermayer said he has not asked to be traded, and has not considered playing in the International League, as he did two years ago.
