NHL: Should he stay or should he go?

As the Phoenix Coyotes face an ownership change and rumors of heavy budget restrictions, they must also face a decision on the future of their All-Star center, Jeremy Roenick, who turns 31 this month, and who becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

While some might argue that Roenick, currently making $5 million dollars a year, will be too expensive for the Coyotes to retain on their roster at his probable asking price of $6.5 million for the 2001-2002 season, others, including myself, will argue that his presence is more important to this team than the money that may or may not be saved by trading him away or letting him get away for nothing through free agency. Ellman and Gretzky have both stated, repeatedly, that they want to build a winning team in Phoenix and bring a Stanley Cup to the Valley of the Sun.

How will this be possible if they choose to trade away their premier player for a couple of nobody "up and comers" that will save them a few dollars? Will the cost to the team not be far more than the savings to the bank account?

Roenick is a "throwback" player, the type that is hard to come by in this day and age of prima donnas who refuse to muck in the corner for the puck, flinch at taking a hit, and park themselves in front of the net waiting for someone to give them the puck. The Charles Barkley of hockey he is not. Roenick plays the game of hockey the way it should be played, putting everything he has out on the ice every night.

Roenick is not a perimeter player; he plays down and dirty, he takes a hit, and gives them back again. He plays with torn up knees, banged up shoulders, broken jaws and bad backs. He plays hockey the way hockey should be played, and he plays it aggressively at both ends of the ice, offensively and defensively.

Roenick's shot is so hard, NHL goalies say, that he can score from almost anywhere. Chris Osgood has said about Roenick, "He can score from just inside the blueline and at the top of the circles. He lets it go when he's skating and he lets it go at top speed and it's such a hard shot….Roenick is one of those guys who is not just finesse but he'll bump and grind his way to 15 extra goals per season."

Roenick has also become an asset to the Phoenix Coyotes off the ice, becoming what some people refer to as the "Poster Boy" for the team. He is always gracious and courteous with fans, and generous with his time for local charities. No attitude problem here. Roenick goes out of his way for not only the big name charity sponsor but the little five year old out on the sidewalk waiting for an autograph. He is on the Board for local philanthropic organizations, honorary captain for both street hockey and college hockey teams, and gives his support to a wide variety of local causes.

Jeremy Roenick is a warrior. His play is individualistic, yet he'll go through a wall for his team. He will stand up to his coach when he disagrees with him, yet he's the first one to jump on the bandwagon when the two are on the same page. To lose a player like Jeremy Roenick, to lose one of the top American goal scorers in the National Hockey League, to lose a warrior who's presence on the ice has an impact on almost every game he plays in would be criminal.

Does Wayne Gretzky want his first months as Director of Hockey Operations to be spent explaining why he let Roenick get away? Not even The Great One is going to be able to justify cutting a marquee player like Roenick lose for no other reason other than saving a few dollars.