When a player approaches unrestricted free agency, there are many things for him to consider when it comes to where his hockey journey will continue. Market, team strength, coaching staff, and potential linemates are all considered, which sometimes leads to a (small) haircut or a (not as small) overpay in terms of overall salary. When a player is approaching restricted free agency, things are a bit different.
While technically there are options for an RFA to play overseas or chase down an offer sheet to change markets, in practice it’s basically only negotiating with one team. That means many of those factors disappear, and the biggest thing brought up in negotiations is contract comparables.
On Friday, the Boston Bruins signed Charlie McAvoy to a massive eight-year, $76MM contract extension that kicks in after his short-term bridge deal expires next summer. That negotiation had a direct comparable to work from; Zach Werenski, also heading into the final season of his bridge deal, signed a six-year $57.5MM deal earlier this summer. Among the other recent contracts that were likely considered were Cale Makar’s six-year, $54MM extension, Miro Heiskanen’s eight-year, $67.6MM deal, and even Quinn Hughes’ six-year $47.1MM agreement signed just a few weeks ago. The massive deals for Seth Jones, Darnell Nurse, and Dougie Hamilton are all buying out UFA years, so aren’t quite as important when it comes to young defensemen who are still in their RFA seasons.
Almost before the ink was dry on McAvoy’s deal, hockey fans and writers were all looking around for who his deal will impact the most when the next round of negotiations come up. The answer may be Adam Fox who is currently eligible for an extension and will be an RFA for the first time next summer.
There’s no doubt about it, the Rangers are going to have to pay up for the reigning Norris Trophy winner. On Sportsnet radio yesterday, Elliotte Friedman expressed as much:
I think it’s a massive number. I think the Rangers know it’s going to be a massive number, and they’ll get it done. Will it be the biggest contract by a defenseman? It sure could be. The Rangers have to be looking at these guys around $9.5MM (AAV) and going ’that might not cut it here.’
While Friedman doesn’t suggest he has any information on the status of the negotiations between Fox and the Rangers, he’s not the only one wondering about the defensemen’s next contract. Mollie Walker of the New York Post writes about Fox’s great start—a goal and an assist in the first two games of the season while logging more than 23 minutes in each–including how it will affect his next deal. Colin Stephenson of Newsday wonders if it’s possible to get a “hometown discount” from the Jericho, New York native, in order to allow the Rangers to assemble a strong supporting cast. Finally, Adam Kennedy of The Hockey News wonders aloud what everyone is thinking, in his column headlined “Is Adam Fox Worth $10 Million Per Season?”
Of the 14 players who carry a cap hit of at least $10MM next season, just two of them are defensemen. Erik Karlsson, the league’s highest-paid defender, signed his eight-year, $92MM just before hitting unrestricted free agency. Drew Doughty’s eight-year, $88MM deal also bought out only UFA years. To this point in the cap era, no defenseman has crossed the $10MM per season threshold on their second contract, as forwards Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner have.
If Fox is the first, it will also make the Rangers the fifth team in the league to carry at least two $10MM+ contracts simultaneously (the Florida Panthers will become the fourth when Aleksander Barkov’s extension kicks in next season, joining Sergei Bobrovsky). Not only that, but they also have Mika Zibanejad and Jacob Trouba combining for $16.5MM.
There’s certainly no guarantee he does eclipse that mark, and any discussion of it assumes that he is signing a long-term deal with New York. But things will certainly get tricky when it comes to a salary cap that is only expected to jump $1MM per year until 2025. Whatever it ends up being, there’s a good chance any future defenseman will have a new upper-limit comparable to work from when their own negotiations come around down the road.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
They will lock him up, but then it will start to get dicey with some of their other young players. They’ll probably have to move Krieder to keep Lafreniere and Kaako.
Again,
Kreider cannot be traded, he has a no trade clause.
Players with no trade clauses get traded all the time, in every sport. Grow up.
Only two years left for the NTC, and in time for LaFreniere. As for Kakko, Georgiev will most likely be moved and Strome may not be resigned.
Oh yeah so Kreider waives to go to Arizona just like that? I need to grow up when someone like you is uninformed? Learn about what you are responding too before responding.
Can Fox defend at all? Is he on the PK?
I’ve seen him play a half to a dozen times or so and have not seen much of that.
He does not control the play at the level of a peak Erik Karlsson, so if he can’t defend…$10 M is a lot and a risk.
Wrong, Fox is on the penalty kill snd he’s actually a phenomenal defender.
He’s a very good defender, and saying Karlsson was a good defender in his peak is a stretch.
“Is Fox a good defender?” “Wrong!”
Never said EK was, he wasn’t. I said (at his peak) he controlled the play. He was dominant at a level that Fox…or really any other D man since maybe Orr…haven’t matched. He always had the puck. He set the pace. Etc. The game ran through him whenever he was on the ice. Like Cale Makar.
I think Bouque and Coffey would enter that conversation as well.
You’re entitled to your opinion of Fox, but if you watch Rangers games and/or played hockey, I think you’d notice how the kid really commands the ice on both sides. One doesn’t always have to have their name called out to be super effective. He’s not Langway/Stevens, but considering his talent on offense is so good that it overshadows his defensive ability.
“I’ve seen him play a half to a dozen times or so…”
I thought it was pretty clear that I was asking for opinions, because I haven’t seen him enough, I guess not. It seems I typed “Fox is just a glorified Marc Andre Bergeron!!!”
So, what does Jacob Trouba’s trade market look like?
Again
Jacob Trouba has no trade market because he also has a full no trade. The Rangers have dug themselves a hole with these no trade contracts.
No trade contracts:
Mika
Trouba
Kreider
Panarin
He has a no movement clause.
As pointed out that does not mean he won’be traded. It just means he needs to consent to the trade.
It is a concern for sure with a team like new York, which is a desirable place to to live.
No move is the same as no trade. It all means without the consent of the player there is no move or trade? Honestly it is very hard for the team trading the player with the no move because usually they have to eat a nice chunk of the contract as the player is up in age and that’s if the player even has value left!
Considering Kreider and Trouba are in their prime years, I doubt it would be an issue finding teams that would take them on provided the need, cap room, and consent of the player.
Yes, players with no movement or no trade clauses are traded but it is normally because the player is unhappy. There is no indication that Trouba is unhappy but even if he wanted to be traded I doubt you find a team to take on his $8 million cap hit.