Avery Signs $16M Deal with Dallas

Sean Avery is strapping on his spurs and heading to Dallas, where the Stars have agreed to lavish the professional pest with a four-year, $16 million deal. While it seems the Rangers were interested in bring Avery back, GM Glen Sather was unwilling to come anywhere near that exorbitant figure. As I've stated in the past, Avery is a guy who was denied his petition for a $2.6 million annual salary in arbitration last offseason and was instead award a one-year, $1.9 million pact. The notion that the diminutive winger is worth anywhere near $4 million annually is absurd, regardless of the Rangers' win-loss record with and without him. Speaking of which, that win-loss record might not be so stark were Avery in the lineup every day. Avery missed a whopping 25 games last season due to injury. We'll miss you around here, Sean. Hell, I made a t-shirt design in your honor. But as we noted here yesterday, the Rangers have already begun to prepare for life without you. Now we can all sit back and wait for the parting shots Avery is sure to deliver on his way out the door.