Quote:
Originally Posted by VilleN
Why should the player capitulate? Seems as though you have an unfair bias towards the team and not the player. It’s business, both sides are playing hardball.
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The team has 20 other guys to consider in terms of cap space, upcoming expansion draft, etc.
The whole fact that Nylander started this whole stupidity by asking for $8.5m / year just goes to show how completely out to lunch he is.
And now to go down to the wire over what basically amounts to chump change just reeks of sheer incompetence on his agents side, and his decision making ability.
Everyone likes to say oh its just business, and players have the right to do this forget that many great players have taken discounts to play on good teams, play with certain teammates, or play on certain teams. Just because the salary cap era has driven up player contracts it doesn't mean every single guy coming out an entry level deal needs to max out their second contract because they have put up decent #s.
If anything Toronto has shown they can play their game without Nylander, and I would not be surprised if he gets traded before the draft like Friedman said.
Whenever I read a comment over how the player has the right to do this, I look at the contracts of Monahan, Gaudreau and Lindholm and I smile because 2 out of 3 of those guys have proven to be better than Nylander, and the 3rd one is well on his way.