Back on July 1st, Jack Roslovic turned down two and three-year contract offers. At the start of training camps, he’s still looking for a deal
The Chris Johnston Show: Chris Johnston on what is going on with UFA forward Jack Roslovic. He turned down two and three-year offers back on July 1st, and now finds himself having trouble finding a two-year deal. What teams might be interested in giving him a ‘prove it’ deal?
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Julian Mackenzie: “Okay, one more signing question, and this is with a UFA and not an RFA. We’re recording this podcast on Monday, September 22nd and Jack Roslovic still hasn’t signed. What gives?
Johnson: “Yeah. I mean, this is a little bit of a cautionary tale, I’d say. And, you know, back when I was doing the free agent board leading into July 1st, Julian, I don’t actually remember where I had him, but I certainly had him in the top 50.
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And I think somewhere around 20th or so. Like he was, you know, reasonably high. I mean, Jack Roslovic is a player, you know, can play the center position. I know the Hurricanes, like him, even had him last year, but just felt like they weren’t going to be able to pay him what he needed to be paid. And then, low and behold, we are here, camps around the league well underway, and he hasn’t signed anywhere.
And I look back to that first day of free agency, and this is where it can be musical chairs. Like I, my understanding is he had offers of the two and three-year range, $3.5 to $3.75 million. You know, obviously, didn’t take those offers. You’re hoping something better is going to come along. But July 1st becomes July 4th becomes July 10th. You get into August, and then the kind of offers that Jack Roslovic are getting are lower.
And that’s really just because I believe the money got spent on other players. Those, those, those offers that were there for him at the start of free agency dry up because players like Andrew Mangiapane sign, or, you know, other guys in that sort of range of contract I’m mentioning. And then, the kind of offers you can get in August looks a little worse. It’s like two years times two, two and a half million, I think, is about where he was at.
Then you get into September, and even two-year deals are hard to come by. And so, you know, it’s been a struggle for this player. You know, he’s had to change agents, or he’s chosen to chose, change agents over the summer as well. And you know, I, I don’t know enough to say like, who, who’s at fault here. I’m not saying he made a mistake, but it is a cautionary tale in that, that’s why so many players, frankly, sign up in July 1st or second. Because after those first couple days, generally speaking, gets quiet and the money again, generally speaking, goes down.
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There’s been some, you know, outliers. I remember a few years ago now, Nazem Kadri, before he got his big deal in Calgary, like he was on the market for a couple weeks. But in general, the players assign bigger money for agency first two days, or you’re cooked. It’s just, it’s, it’s a function of, I guess the cap. It’s a function of, that’s the way everyone’s accustomed to doing business. It’s such a scramble at the start of free agency.
And so I think he’s just a player that kind of fell through the cracks, that got squeezed, and then all of a sudden, you’re kind of chasing it a little bit. And so, you know, we’ll see if he’s able to get a multi-year deal. I think he’d like some security, but he might ultimately find himself in a position, in a prove it position. And I think certainly will have left some total dollars on the table by the time he signs wherever he signs here to play the season.
And then he’s got to try to run that back, big season, and next summer is much kinder to him. And it actually, you’ll look at it and go like, hey, that worked out in his favor. But right now, it’s been a tough summer for Jack Roslovic.
And you can only imagine the stress you might be feeling, especially him, like we’re talking about a proven NHL player. And right now, you know, he hasn’t missed a paycheck yet. Players only get paid during the regular season. So you know, he hasn’t actually lost anything. But you know, I think he’s lost the ability to sign in his next city, move there, comfortably, settle in, start camp with his new teammates. Get accustomed, you know, this is going to be sort of not the way you would have drawn it up when he lands somewhere.
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And, you know, I just think it’s got to be a matter of time before he signs somewhere. But it, you know, the offers went down on a sliding scale for him. And, you know, unfortunately, whether fair or not, he’s going to have to prove himself again, I think, to get the kind of contract he was looking for originally, back in July.
Julian McKenzie: “I wonder what teams would be open to giving him that prove it deal? Like I, I’m automatically going to think of the Ottawa Senators and think of what they might want to do with their top-six. I don’t know if that’s someone who might fit there. They definitely have salary cap space to make like a cheap deal work?
Is this someone maybe the Leafs could be, or should be interested in? I’m wondering which teams might show interest at this point.
Well, I mean, I’d look at the teams that need a center, you know, as at least possibilities. Now, he doesn’t solve necessarily, the long-term. Like, I’m not sure you’re slotting him in as a number two center on a good team.
You know. so obviously, Montreal is a team that’s, that’s talked about looking for a center. They’re looking for a center in Vancouver. You know, I think these teams have, have been around Roslovic at various points. I don’t know if he ends up landing somewhere like that.
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I don’t see the Leafs as being as much of it right now, just because, if anything, they have too many forwards in camp and, and they’re probably facing a scenario at some point before, you know, getting into the season where, you know, a forward or maybe two are on the move somewhere. I mean, it could just be through waivers. Could be being sent down the American Hockey League. But, you know, I don’t see them necessarily being in an adding position this moment.
But you know, the other, the other factor to consider here is injuries could, could necessitate some decisions to. You know, something could happen today in a practice or in one of the preseason games that gets played tonight, that changes the view of how teams approach this. And that’s probably what you’re banking on, if you’re in Roslovic’s camp.
Is that, you know, because he plays a position that basically, very few teams feel great about their depth at center, right? I mean, even the good teams always are kind of looking for another third liner at that position. That’s ,that tends to be, you know, a trade deadline. That kind of players that get picked up are, you know, good teams looking to add a little depth on their blue line, or a third line center, or maybe a right shot.
So, you know, I certainly think that he fits a need for those teams. But the price point on his end of the equation, I think, it’s just not going to be the same as what was available to him July 1st, unless something very strange comes around. But, you know, tough summer for him and, and you know, we’ll see, see where he ends up.”
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