Despite salary chop, Comeau ‘excited’ to stay
For someone who just had his salary whacked in half, Blake Comeau sounded pretty jacked.
“It’s not always about the money,” the Calgary Flames winger said from his off-season home in Kelowna, B.C. “Obviously, I’m excited to be back in Calgary. I thought they treated me very well from the minute I got there. I’m more motivated than ever to have a great summer of training.”
Comeau originally joined the Flames, via waivers from the New York Islanders, in November.
But the Meadow Lake, Sask., native, who scored 24 times in 2010-11, managed only five goals — and 15 points — last season.
Not surprisingly, the Flames opted to not tender a qualifying offer to Comeau, a restricted free agent, by Monday’s deadline. (That would have come at a cost of $2.5 million — his 2011-12 salary.)
Wednesday, the speedy winger, as an unrestricted free agent, settled for a one-year pact worth $1.25 million.
“For us to be able to get him at that number, it’s a good deal,” said Flames general manager Jay Feaster. “We actually talked to him about a two-year deal, but to his credit — and I like this — he said, ‘I’m better than what I showed. I’ll take the one-year deal and prove the 24 (goals) wasn’t a fluke.’ I just love it when a player puts it on himself. He wants to take that on himself, as opposed to, ‘Yeah, give me the security of a twoyear deal.’ ”
Comeau, 26, wants dearly to put last winter behind him — “I don’t think it’s any secret that I struggled offensively” — and get on with the business of helping the overhauled Flames.
“I’m excited about the new coaching staff, I’m excited to be in Calgary at the start of the season and be a part of this thing from the very start,” he said. “I’m excited to be somewhere where they want to win right now and they want to take the steps to make our team stronger. I’m glad that I’m back to be a part of that.
“It’s nice to be in an organization that wants to win right now. It’s nice to be somewhere where the expectations are to win — and nothing less. As a player, that’s where you want to be.”
Signing Comeau is the latest check mark on Feaster’s lengthy to-do list.
“We’re happy that Blake’s back in the fold,” said Feaster. “We like a lot of things that Blake does. We aren’t bringing him back saying, ‘He has to score 20 goals for us.’ We believe he does other things. He’s a solid guy on the penalty kill. We like what he does on the forecheck. He’s a guy that skates really well. And when he hits you, he finishes his checks.”
C-Notes
Feaster has tendered offers to some of his own (unnamed) unrestricted free agents. He said he needs answers back by Friday . . . Feaster is also looking to add bottom-six sandpaper. “We want to get that swagger back.” Available are grinders such as Zenon Konopka, jordintootoo and old friend Brandon Prust .. . The Flames have expressed interest in hotshot D Justin Schultz, who, after three seasons at the University of Wisconsin, is turning pro. No word back so far. “I am still anxiously awaiting that phone call,” said Feaster . . . Calgary native D Myles Bell is attending the summer camp of the New York Rangers. Bell, who turns 19 in August, played last season for WHL Kelowna.