This paragraph from Scott Burnside in Paul’s recent post made me sick to my pants:

With the Wings hard against the salary cap, it’s going to present a dilemma for GM Ken Holland moving forward. That’s to say nothing of the fact that Howard can become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Stay tuned.

I admit to having been completely clueless about Jimmy Howard’s UFA status after this season. I probably knew about it at one point, but it has long since been pushed down deep into my reservoir of repressed knowledge, personal failures, and shameful acts. Until I make contact with my spirit animal and recover some memories with the help of a guru or whisperer of some sort, I’m not ready to even entertain the possibilities.

So I pose the question to you all:

Let’s say Jimmy Howard wins 40 games this year, puts up a roughly 2.3 GAA and .920 SV% and leads the Wings to the Cup Final…

What kind of contract do you give him?