Quote:
MONTREAL — The Canucks have cut off contract negotiations with Ryan Kesler and don't plan to resume them until after the season.
It's a decision made, in part, because the sides have reached an impasse and Vancouver is trying to avoid any distractions which can accompany in-season bargaining. But it has created some frustration in the Kesler camp. He is a pending restricted free agent who will now have to wait until after the season to see if he can get the multi-year deal he's seeking with the Canucks.
"It's frustrating and it's disappointing," Kesler's agent Kurt Overhardt said. "He is a core player for the Canucks who brings his heart and soul every night. He puts it all on the ice. He's a great teammate. He's a warrior.
"It's disappointing because based on the marketplace, it's not a difficult deal to get done for a core player like this. There's just not a lot of logic in waiting."
But Canucks general manager Mike Gillis has shown he likes to work to deadlines, using them even as leverage in negotiations. The Sedin deals went right to the midnight hour and when Roberto Luongo imposed his own deadline on contract talks last summer, Gillis said: "It's actually a good thing because it keeps everyone focused and working toward our goal."
Until now, Kesler and the Canucks have appeared focused on the same goal — getting him re-signed to a multi-year contract. After Henrik Sedin and Kesler, the Canucks have nothing but question marks at centre. In the past, Kesler has made it known he wants to stay in Vancouver but added this week he understands the business side of the NHL puts his long-term future in some doubt.
"I love it here, I really do," Kesler said. "But it's probably unrealistic to say I'm going to stay in the same spot forever.
"Obviously, I want to stay here for my whole career. Whatever happens, happens."
Before shutting down bargaining, the Canucks and Kesler were roughly $1 million a year apart. Kesler's camp believes he is a core player worth something in the $5 million US per year ballpark, while Vancouver was looking at something closer to the $4-million US per season range.
You can spin numbers to support either side. On one hand, Kesler is already one of the better second-line centres in the NHL, a Selke nominated 25-year-old who continues to improve and gets more ice time than Henrik, Vancouver's top centre. Kesler is a skilled two-way forward who has 82 points in his past 88 games.
On the other, he hasn't yet had a 60-point season and struggles with consistency, especially on the road. Plus, it took the Sedins several years of playing at a high, point-a-game level before they earned more than $5 million a year.
The Canucks believe there is more than enough time to negotiate at the end of the season, especially because Kesler is restricted, meaning there's almost no chance he'll be anywhere but Vancouver next year. The Canucks value Kesler, who remains a big part of their long-term plans. But Kesler said he didn't see any problem then with continuing bargaining during the year.
"It wouldn't be a distraction for me," Kesler said. "My agent deals with that and comes to me when the time is right. But whatever they want to do, I'm just focused on playing hockey. That's why I pay my agent."
Staying consistent with this method of operation, the Canucks also shuttered talks with Mason Raymond, another pending restricted free agent who is due a sizeable raise, and Willie Mitchell, who is set to be unrestricted if he's not re-signed by July 1. As with Kesler, negotiations with those players aren't expected to resume until after the season, setting up a busy couple of months.
By creating time constraints, the Canucks can better use the July 1 deadline as a goal post. But they also become more vulnerable to some risks. In Kesler's case, if a deal isn't done between the end of the season and July 1, there are two:
There is arbitration, which can create rifts because the process tends to be so nasty. It's something both sides want to avoid. But if they go through it, the team risks losing a bitter player in two seasons when Kesler can become an unrestricted free agent.
The other issue is maybe more costly. Kesler, who is making $1.75 million this year, is a potential offer-sheet target. Overhardt has already got one for Kesler when he signed with Philadelphia, a deal matched by then-Vancouver GM Dave Nonis. Plus, the upcoming UFA forward market is already paper thin. Still, a team risks losing three draft picks including a first rounder if they sign Kesler to market value. It makes an offer sheet less likely, but not impossible. Of course, the Canucks have the right to match any deal.
Here are some comparables (all figures US):
Travis Zajac signed a four-year, $15.55 million deal last summer ($3.88 million cap hit).<LI>Jeff Carter signed a three-year, $15-million deal after a 53-pt season.<LI>Mike Richards signed a 12-year, $69-million deal.<LI>Mikko Koivu signed a four-year, $13-million contract in 2007 ($3.250 million cap hit).<LI>Partrice Bergeron signed a $23.75 million, five-year deal ($4.75 million cap hit) after one 70-point season.
Email reporter Jason Botchford at jbotchford@theprovince.com
| This is sad considering how Kesler was running his mouth about how players in Vancouver need to take a discount in order to ice a competitive team. |
