The art of the bad deal. (NHL).

There are some tempting free agents out there, waiting to sign their names to multimillion-dollar deals. They are ready and willing, but will they be able to give back enough on the ice to make it worth the high price?

General managers and owners should put little pictures of some recent free agents next to their phones, which when touched apparently turn businessmen into small children. Excitement takes over, and hype and blind hope win. Problem is, the next season, the team usually doesn't.

Remember the names of those who have come before and the numbers that came after--the ones in the contracts and the ones on the stats sheets.

1999: Stephane Quintal, D, Rangers. Quintal was 30 and an unrestricted free agent because he made less than the league's average salary in 1998-99. That year, for $900,000, Quintal played in 82 games with the Canadiens and had eight goals, 19 assists and 84 penalty minutes and was minus-23. The Rangers signed him to a four-year deal worth $11.4 million that included a $1.75 million signing bonus.

In his one and only season with the Rangers, Quintal played 75 games and had two goals, 14 assists and 77 penalty minutes and was minus-10. The Rangers failed to make the playoffs, and the following October he was claimed off waivers by the Blackhawks. When a player is picked up off waivers, the new team assumes his contract.

Back with the Canadiens now, Quintal will make $1.5 million next season.

2001: Martin Lapointe, RW, Bruins. At least the Bruins can say Lapointe was coming off a pretty good season. The problem is, it turned out to be a career year offensively. With the Red Wings in 2000-01, Lapointe played 82 games and had 27 goals, 30 assists and 127 penalty minutes and was plus-3.