Ten Games Later

by Ryan

Anyone else curious how Soupy has been doing? Well, let's take a quick look at some of his recent pictures.




I'm sure they are just talking about yoga or something.

In the ten games since Soup has been shipped out he has registered 11 points (2+9) and is listed as a +6. All of a sudden the Sharks are 9-0-1 in that span and have moved into second in the conference. That... that's a pretty good run.

Let's not forget about his soft "amazing" goal against Montreal.

I know looking at this from a Sabres fan's perspective sucks, but you have to be realistic about it. Remember a few weeks ago when Campbell was a wreck and we were all wondering where our best defenseman went? (You know, before the our next three "best defensemen" got hurt) As soon as that Brian Campbell was traded he lost all the pressure the fans, team, and media was putting on him.

After that Devils game when people were starting to boo him Chris sent me a text saying, "All this shows me is that Soup's mentally weak." As sad as it is I agree with him, Campbell showed that when put under pressure he cracks. It was an unfair situation and I sympathized with him, but it was just another reason not to pay him $7 million a year. To anyone who was watched his first 50 games in Buffalo, the whole spectacle he's making in San Jose is quite ridiculous.

What we are seeing now is that pressure gone, with Campbell officially acting like he is in a contract year. Flashy moves, the spin-o-rama no one in the West has seen, and people clamouring for him to be signed at whatever the cost. As great as some Sharks fans are, they just don't put the kind of pressure a city like Buffalo can put on a player. (See Kalinin, Dimitri)

Just like coming to Buffalo was seen as a positive to Bernier because of our passionate fans, it was a positive for Soup to go west because the expectations and pressures to sign just aren't there. Because there is no "hometown discount" or "he likes it here" argument, his failure to sign with San Jose this summer will be viewed as the GM's fault, not his own.

The fact of the matter is this: Brian Campbell is a good hockey player that needed to be traded for the good of the team. He is going to prosper and make a long playoff run. You will see him make good plays while watching this April and May and wish he was on your team. However, there was no way we were going to have him, and because Darcy ignored him this summer the market took him out of our hands.

There is plenty of blame to toss around if you choose to do so, but I don't think Campbell would be playing as well as he is if he was still on this team. Even after the trade deadline that pressure would still be there. And while the players were visibly shaken by Campbell being dealt, we will be a better team in the long run for it.

Sometimes, that's just how you have to look at it.