Examining Sean Avery

From Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News:

I like Sean Avery’s game. He’s ultra competitive, he has some skills, and he can help a team win in the short-term.

My biggest concern is the Stars have tied themeselves to him for the long-term with the four-year, $15.5 million contract they signed this summer.

So can Avery find a home and stay in one place for a while?

It’s a challenging question, because of who he is on the ice and who he is off. I like Avery’s game on the ice _ to a point. I’m actually torn on the agitator’s role in today’s NHL. If the league would do away with the instigator rule, I would like the agitator’s role even better, because it would take some major courage to pull some of the stunts these guys do and then know that you have to go out and fight a heavyweight.

Read the entire entry from Stars Blog here.

I, for one, don’t particularly like the Avery signing.  I understand that he has some offensive skills, that I am not denying, but is the physical player and middle-of-the-road offensive touch worth all the hassle?  In most cases, I don’t think so; but I especially don’t think so when the team that signed him already has its own Sean Avery and that is Steve Ott.  Additionally, the Stars demonstrated good chemistry last season and I wonder how Avery will fit into that dressing room.