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Calgary has really expensive healthy scratches

Ken King

Calgary Flames’ new acting general manager Jay Feaster addresses a press conference in Calgary on Tuesday Dec. 28, 2010 where it was announced Darryl Sutter had stepped down as executive vice-president and general manager of the Flames. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Larry MacDougal)

AP

Interesting story out of Denver last night from Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald. The Flames snapped a two-game losing skid with a 4-3 win over the Avalanche, and they did it with over $7 million parked in the press box.

Cory Sarich ($3.6 million cap hit), Matt Stajan ($3.5 mil) and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond ($525,000) were all part of the suits-n-popcorn crew, and it’s not the first time this has happened. Sarich has been parked the last four games, Stajan’s only made 12 appearances this year and Letorneau-Leblond has played under 15 minutes. Not under 15 minutes a game -- 15 minutes this season.

Oh, and just to re-iterate: They’re all healthy scratches.

How is a proud man like Sarich, 33, doing in light of his assignment to the press box?

“I can’t stand it,” he said. “Other than that, I’m fine.

“What am I supposed to say?”

Inquiring minds want to know: is the nagging pelvic injury that hampered him last season causing him difficulty again? Is he healthy?

“I am healthy,” he said, enunciating every syllable.” I don’t really have anything else to say.”

Throw in the fact Niklas Hagman ($3 million) was recently assigned to the American Hockey League and you’ve got a team with over $10 million in unused players.

I haven’t seen such a waste of money since the Kardashian-Humphries wedding. (PHT: Your home for stale topical humor and pop culture references.)