The last few years, this would be the battle of the overpaid guys. But with Chris Drury being bought out by the Rangers, this is not the case. Both Drury and Gomez have seen significant decreases since taking big price hikes in 2007. Gomez made $8M last year, but will make $7.5M this season in Montreal. Drury also made $8M last year, and was set to make $5M this campaign, but is currently a free agent after being bought out.
Scott Gomez
The Good: Gomez has a lot of skill and has the ability to score. With good linemates, he could really thrive in any situation. He had his best years with Gionta and Patrik Elias, but Gionta and Gomez have not clicked just the way Montreal hoped. He has always been a play making center, and he has shown that by having 20 or more goals only once in his career, with a 33 goal campaign in 2005-2006, which also had him produce his top point total with 84 points. He is one of the fastest skaters in the league, and is able to get the puck to the net, where he can use his talented stick handling ability to shove in the puck.
Gomez has been buffing up this summer, and is in better shape then he has been in in recent years. With his salary decreasing every season until 2013-2014 (the last year in his contract), he may not be pressured to perform with a lower salary, and can relax and go back to his game. Maybe, just maybe, we can see a revival. If not, he has a NTC, which allows him to choose 3 teams he would accept a trade too.
The Bad: He can’t score unless he has talented forwards around him. When he was in New Jersey, he had Gionta, Elias and Jamie Lagenbrunner. In Montreal, he has had Mike Cammaleri and Gionta, but the 3 of them have not been at the top of their game since joining the Canadiens in 2009. At 5’11, Gomez is not big whatsoever, and it shows. He does not play a physical game, which can be said for a big portion of the Canadiens squad. He’s taller then Cammi and Gionta, which says something about their forwards and their size. Gomez has been on a constant decline in performance since his great 84 point season in 05-06. It doesn’t matter who he is playing with in MTL, nothing seems to work. He has consistency issues which will haunt him the rest of the life unless he steps up his game.
Chris Drury
The Good:One of the main reasons he was brought to New York was because of his fantastic leadership skills. He is the Only player in hockey history to win both the Hobey Baker Memorial Award and Calder Memorial Trophy. He won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2000-2001 after totaling 65 points. Playing along Joe Sakic,he had his best years with the Avs. He is able to play every forward position, something only few forwards can claim. He is great in both ends of the ice, which is what all coaches want but find it hard to get. When he is 100% healthy, he can produce 50 points like it’s nothing.
The Bad: He required multiple surgeries, and was limited to only 26 games, where he produced 1 goal and 5 points on the fourth line. He has always had consistency issues, and that can be the reason he retires before the start of the 2011-2012 season. His poor performance, plus massive salary resulted in him being bought out. Like Gomez, Drury’s point totals dropped significantly since signing with the NY Rangers in 2007.
The Winner: Scott Gomez: There is not many players Scott Gomez is better then in the NHL, but Drury is one of them. Both played with some very talented teams, and made the most of them at the tome. But neither were able to mesh well with their most recent teams. Gomez has been able to keep his point totals over Drury almost every year. Drury has been affected by injuries, while Gomez has not, so that is one reason why Gomez is better. Gomez has been playing with better forwards in Montreal, while Drury has been delegated to the fourth line. Drury is a much better two way center man, while Gomez is a much better face off man. But the reason Gomez wins is because he has played better then Drury has the last few years, when they both struggled.