Quote:
Originally Posted by Strange Brew
I think it's wrong to say Flames have ALL the leverage. Although they clearly have more options than the player does currently, if they want a long term deal them the player has some leverage.
Flames don't win if he leaves as a UFA at first opportunity. And it is difficult to get fair value in a trade involving g a star player.
|
No, the Flames do not have all the leverage, but they sure as hell have the lion's share.
The real imbalance in this equation is in the fact that Gaudreau's UFA status is still five years away, AND he is not offer-sheet eligible. His ONLY bargaining chip is withholding service, and I think this is actually more detrimental in the long run to him than it is to the team. As Jonathan Drouin discovered, players need to keep playing if they ever hope to retain their value. He can likely afford to sit for a few games, but not many more than three or four. Even if both parties are unable to come to terms on a long-term deal, a short-term contract still provides a lot of control to the Flames for another five years, which is an eternity in professional hockey.
Of course, this is all a worst-case scenario, and I remain supremely confident that Gaudreau will sign a 6–8 year contract, and he will be in the starting lineup on 12 October.