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Digging through the bin for any updates really hasn’t produced much. The quote on this link is from Dave Pagnotta and here is his take on Raymond and Berggren:
Conversely, both Dawson Mercer and Lucas Raymond, not there yet. They’re not close to an extension, but they are having ongoing discussions. I spoke with everybody on both sides of both of those, both of those players, excuse me, and yeah, they’re not close, but there’s no concern. There’s no worry just yet.
Another note on, on Detroit, I should add as well, Jonatan Berggren also an RFA. They expect a deal done, either a one-year contract or a short, multi-year deal, but he’s expected to be ready for camp. He’s actually coming into Detroit over the weekend, so everything kind of points towards him locking in to a new deal. But a lot of it depends on what happens with Raymond and Seider as well, but everything looks cozy on that front.
So, it looks like JB will be involved in the “player practices” as they pick up steam. The suggestion that Raymond and Detroit “aren’t close” isn’t necessarily comforting. The lack of information on Seider, while par for the course with Yzerman who plays it close to the vest, is still not a great feel as we head into September.
I have two players whose scenarios seem to indicate what some of the longer negotiations may be attributed to. Swayman, in Boston, has been open about doing his own research about the business side of things and seems to lean toward an aggressive rise in the cap. There are plenty of articles floating around suggesting that after this year’s boost in revenue that the cap could be heading to that triple digit pie in the sky in the next few years. 100m.
The other is the rumor that Stutzle has changed to the same agent that represents Seider. Lemieux is making waves and seems to be garnering a lot of favor from the player side of things. We joke about “the turtle” but it sounds like Claude is getting the last laugh in terms of negotiating contracts.
The flip side of this has been a few sparse suggestions that players are pushing for signing bonuses ahead of the CBA negotiations and we’re seeing ownership changing hands. Ottawa and AZ weren’t surprising but Pittsburgh being sold and Tampa Bay’s (pending) sale are. We don’t get to see the breakdown of team by team revenue but we are seeing owners and outlets making significant shifts. Not getting into the “broadcast buzz”, just seeing a landscape that could belie the assertion that a strong projection is on the horizon.
Players have agents to get the best possible compensation based on comparables and market conditions. Owners have their own set of numbers and structures to try and limit payouts. If we’re looking at how regular people are spending money on sports and entertainment, it is changing. The gap between player and press assertions of upward trending and ownership concerns may be widening. In the end, the GM has a speed governor in the corner office. The “internal cap”, as it were.
This summer is a defining moment in terms of free agent contracts. The comparable being set for each type of player will face a year that will either meet, exceed or miss expectations. If it is the latter, next summer could be even more challenging. Regardless, Wings fans still await the announcement. It can all change in a second, and rumors get thrown into the wind when content is lacking. I’m very interested to hear your take on the negotiations, comparable and cap projections. Are the rising tides going to lift all boats for players or could there be a deepening divide between club finances and player expectations? Thanks again to all who stop by, you continue to make this blog work and for that I am deeply grateful.
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