NHL Network: Elliotte Friedman on New York Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere will be a restricted free agent after the season and is lining himself up for a nice raise. Term could be a sticking point in this case.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Friedman: “As for LaFreniere, I had heard that one of the issues here that was being discussed was term. And you know, because if you look at LaFreniere, especially as you mentioned before, EJ, there is a belief the cap is going to go up over the next few years. You know, the, the fact that there’s a new CBA is coming in here too. And what could that mean as soon as next year?
Like, there are some people wondering if, as the Commissioner has hinted, they can get it done early, say, for example, at the Stanley Cup Final, could they change what the projected cap is for next year? It’s now at $92.4 (million).
So one of the things I heard was there was a question about, is it smarter to wait? And number two, what is the right term for Lafreniere because max term might take him to a point where you might not get another big deal out of that. So it might end up being a little shorter, as opposed to the full eight.
But I think one of the other things too is, is until you really know what (Igor) Shesterkin’s number is, you know, do you wait and make it like another piece of that puzzle?
Dan Rosen: “Yeah Elliotte, it’s interesting to me, because I actually look at Lafreniere’s deal as being the more interesting one for the Rangers. I think I agree with you. I think they’re going to match what Igor wants. He’s going to, they’re going to get there.
But Lafreniere, he’s not on the first power play right now, but in a couple of years he will be, and that’s going to increase his numbers. You could argue that he should be on it right now, but they’ve got their five guys, and they’ve been there to get it.
When his numbers increase, well, that should increase the value that he’s paid, right? So why would you tie yourself into an eight-year deal? In that sense, if you have a feeling that your role is going to increase and your numbers are going to increase, the cap is going to increase, it to me, that makes it more sense, almost, for a shorter-term deal from Lafreniere’s point of view. From the Rangers point of view, I could see why they would want to go long. But that has to weigh into it, doesn’t it?
Friedman: “Dan, you should be Lafreniere’s representative because you’re giving the case. No, I, I agree. Like, I absolutely agree that the Rangers were talking to Lafreniere. I do believe they wanted to extend him long-term.
Just, you know, one of the things when someone had told me was, does eight really make sense for the player in this case? And I think you’re right. If I’m a team and I decide that this is a core player, I lock them up for as long as I can, as soon as I can, because the price never goes down.
But if I was Lafreniere here, I don’t know if he’d do that, because also it takes you to an age on the back end where you might not be able to hit another one out of the park.
EJ Hradek: “Yeah, maybe it’s a Matthews type thing where you do four years, then you’re looking at another opportunity, like your point Elliotte, you can make, make some more hay down the road if things continue to go well. I want to …”
Friedman: “I don’t. I don’t know if you do four, because that walks you right to free agency, I believe. So usually the team will want a little bit more or a little bit less.
Hradek: “Yeah, I can see that. But to me, I wouldn’t, I’m never fearful of that, from, if I’m running the show there, especially in New York where people want to play for the New York Rangers. If things are going well with the player and things are going well with the team, I’m not worried about that.
Because I think that the, you know, I’ll make the deal happen. You know, I can see why in other places, maybe they would be and you want to be careful. But for me, I always feel like it’s good for everybody. If the team is doing well and the player is doing well, we’re going to come to an agreement. And it’s going to end up costing money but that’s the cost of doing business in pro sports period. And as you point out, like the price, always goes up, that’s just the way it’s been since I’ve been covering this and it’s been a while.