I don't agree with Bobby Clarke very often and I think he has made a lot of mistakes over the years in Philadelphia, but I agree with him 100% in the Ryan Kesler situation.

Look at the facts:

1. Keith Primeau was retiring and Clarke had a hole at forward he needed to fill.

2. He identified a player from another team that did not have a contract yet, that he felt could fill the hole.

3. Following the rules set out in the CBA, he signed that player to an offer sheet that he felt would make the other team with the right to match (in this case the Canucks) think twice about matching the offer.

What is everyone in the NHL whining about? Clarke didn't break any laws or rules, unless you count the unwritten rule that you don't offer a contract to another teams' restricted free agent. That is collusion and if I were a member of the NHLPA I would be screaming foul at the fact that it took 7 years for a restricted free agent to be signed to an offer sheet.

Clarke followed the rules, and Kesler was the beneficiary, as he is now going to earn more than twice what he likely would have had to settle for from the Canucks had the Flyers not interfered. That has to be what Cancuks GM Dave Nonis is mad about, but he didn't have to match the offer.

Clarke was actually pretty smart in the fact that he offered Kesler a deal for amost the maximum that would allow only a second round pick to go to Vancouver as compensation for Kesler. Nonis had a decision to make and he decided to match the 1 year, $1.9 million offer to Kesler, who scored 10 goals last season but was one of Vancouver's better players over the last month of the season. If Clarke was willing to pay for the potential, then so be it. If more of the Canucks' salary cap was spent on Kesler than they wanted, then so be it. Next year they will have to qualify Kesler at the $1.9 million and that might take them out of the bidding for another player that the Flyers might want.

Hockey is a competitive business and it is about time that some restricted free agents get some offers, as for too many years free agency was an illusion.

And as for Dave Nonis saying that "Bobby Clarke would shove his own mother down a flight of stairs if it gave him a better chance to win"...what is wrong with that? Kesler would fit in well with the Flyers young core including Jeff Carter and Mike Richards.

My only advice to Clarke would be to not let Carter and Richards become free agents or there might be a few GM around the league lining up to give them an offer sheet after the 2007-08 season when they both become restricted free agents.

And my question for Dave Nonis is, if Kesler is worth $1.9 million to you now, why try to low-ball him with offers reportedly worth between $700,000 and $900,000? Its your fault for leaving him unsigned for so long.

Kudos Bobby Clarke, and that is a phrase that I might never say again.