Quote:
Originally Posted by delayedreflex
Isn't the pressure in the other direction? The longer Tkachuk sits out (once the season starts), the lower his cap hit will have to be in order to still be signed and play this season. Otherwise, it'll get to the point where he has no choice but to sit out the whole season, in which case he'll lose out on the $7M+ he would have earned from playing that season - so unless he thinks that for sure he'll be able to get that $7M+ back and more in a contract starting the following year, the pressure will be on him to give a little. Skipping a year in the NHL also probably won't help from a player development perspective and could impact his long term earning potential as well, if it causes his skills to stagnate.
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I think both positions could be right. I would think how the team performs in a hold out situation will dictate pressure and leverage. If the Flames are doing okay without him I could see Treliving sticking to his guns. If they think they need him to make playoffs I’m sure there’s a revenue expectation associated with playoffs and as such, maybe you’re more inclined to sign him provided the cap implications aren’t too destructive?