Panarin is a pending unrestricted free agent and has let the Blue Jackets know that he won't discuss his future with the team until the end of the season.
The Blue Jackets are currently three points up on the Buffalo Sabres for the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot. They could hang on to Panarin for a playoff run, but would then risk losing him for nothing in the summer.
Nashville is one of the few contending teams able to comfortably afford Panarin's $6-million cap hit this season.
The Predators trail the Winnipeg Jets by three points for top spot in the Central Division. Panarin's 60 points would lead the Predators by a margin of 15, and the highly-skilled forward could provide a spark to the club's 30th-ranked power play.
TORONTO - Leave it to the hockey player from the desert - the kid who blazed a trail by spending his NHL draft year schooling seasoned pros in Switzerland - to drift ever so slightly off the beaten path.
By signing a five-year, bonus-heavy $58.2-million extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, Auston Matthews expanded the scope for star players exiting their entry-level contracts. You can have your cake and eat it too, apparently. The guy who’s scoring goals at a remarkable pace through 182 NHL games, challenging the traditional profile of a No. 1 center, managed to find the sweet spot between his best interests and needs of his salary cap-strapped team.
Mark Blinch / Getty Images
Matthews is far from the first franchise player in pro sports to concede a little bit of cash for the greater good, and he'll be paid handsomely starting next year and through the 2023-24 season at an average annual value of $11.6 million. But the new Matthews contract format - medium term and a big but not record-breaking chunk of the cap - is his own cozy space for now. The dream of an inflated Connor McDavid special (eight years, $100 million) is officially dead, and that's OK.
“We understand the cap restraints we have,” Matthews said at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday, with general manager Kyle Dubas within earshot. “We went through everything from three to eight (years) and settled on five. I think both sides are obviously happy and happy to get this over with and move on.”
“In the end," added the potential future captain, sticking with the team-friendly theme, "you’re measured on championships.”
Consider this: There will be 30 NHLers with cap hits of $8 million or greater during the 2019-20 season, including Matthews and teammate John Tavares. From that group, only Matthews and Blake Wheeler (five years, $8.3 million per season) signed deals shorter than seven years. And Wheeler’s contract is the winger's fourth deal, making Matthews unique in the current landscape. Second contracts simply aren't structured this way in the salary-cap era.
"We’re very thankful that they were willing to move from their desired term," Dubas said of Matthews and his representatives. "Obviously everyone wants to be here for as long as possible, and we were able to find an AAV that works for everybody."
Rene Johnston / Getty Images
Matthews will occupy 14 percent of the Leafs' 2019-20 expected cap space and trails just McDavid for the highest cap hit. He's now slated to become an unrestricted free agent at 26 years old, only a year behind schedule. The 2017 Calder Trophy winner is tracking toward another significant pay raise in his prime, as his third deal could easily hit triple digits.
If the two sides had agreed on an eight-year deal - the chosen route for many of Matthews’ peers, including McDavid and Jack Eichel, and a path the forward and his team discussed - he would have hit the open market at 29 and, at least theoretically, missed out on a boatload of money while under team control.
"These things are complicated," Dubas said of contract negotiations, referencing the lengthy negotiation period with Matthews' camp. "They’re not as simple as people want them to be at times."
Overall, at the time of the deal, Matthews looks like the victor, if a winner needs to be declared. Dubas and the Leafs gained short-term flexibility, assuming the team uses the extra cap space to its advantage, while Matthews gained long-term flexibility if he stays on his current career trajectory. There's inherent reward and risk for both parties, with Matthews taking on less of the latter, but it'll be smiles all around in Toronto for the foreseeable future.
From a league-wide perspective, who's to say Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets, Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes, or Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche can't replicate Matthews' contract structure (albeit on a smaller scale) and satisfy both player and team? The possibility of a fat third contract should make those youngsters drool.
The hockey world loves comparables, and the Matthews deal provides another. Have at it, restricted free agent class of 2019.
What about Marner and the rest of the Leafs?
With William Nylander inking an extension in December following a long standoff, and Matthews now locked in, everyone's attention immediately turns to Mitch Marner, the club's final big-ticket RFA.
Conventional wisdom suggests Marner, the play-driving winger who has recorded 63 points in 52 games this season, is due to earn $9-11M annually on his next contract. Since salary is always linked to length, the Leafs probably want to stagger the deals. Matthews has provided a nice template, making six years at $10M per season a logical fit in the Marner negotiations.
Marner, who leads Toronto forwards while averaging 19:39 of ice time per game in 2018-19, is on a 99-point pace. An all-situations player who's found hot chemistry with Tavares, he's arguably been the team's MVP through 52 games. If he cracks 100 points, good luck convincing the Markham, Ont., product to take a hometown discount.
Marner's representatives, led by outspoken agent Darren Ferris and fiery father Paul Marner, have stated publicly they'd prefer to postpone talks until the offseason. The Leafs have no issue honoring that timeline, Dubas says.
Despite the possibility of a July offer sheet hanging over his head, the GM is confident the two sides will eventually find common ground. “He’s going to be a Toronto Maple Leaf for a long time," Dubas said, "regardless of how we have to come to that."
Mark Blinch / Getty Images
As for the rest of the team, the 2019-20 Leafs have roughly $72 million of the projected $83 million salary cap committed to eight forwards, five defensemen, and one goalie, according to CapFriendly.com. Placing Nathan Horton’s contract on long-term injured reserve after training camp could give the club up to $5.3 million in additional cap space, and $16.3 million total to work with.
Translation: There isn't much of the pie left for Marner, three other forwards, one defensemen, and a goalie.
Budding wingers Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, 22 and 24 years old, respectively, are among those looking to get paid. “We’ll continue to let the season play out and let the sample size grow," Dubas said of the lower-profile RFAs. "We’ll begin having discussions with their people probably after the trade deadline.”
Impressively, Dubas continues to project confidence when he speaks about his team's long-term core. It's a group featuring a handful of bargains - Travis Dermott, Morgan Rielly, Nazem Kadri, and Frederik Andersen. And it may also include recent acquisition Jake Muzzin, $2.3M winger Zach Hyman, and $2.1M winger Connor Brown.
The core likely won't include Jake Gardiner, whose potential earnings on the open market don't align with the Leafs' cap situation. If Dubas can make Nikita Zaitsev's contract disappear, however, there's a fighting chance.
At the very least, following Tuesday's development, the smiling GM has secured Matthews, Tavares, and Nylander for the next five seasons beyond this one. Two cornerstone centers forming a Crosby-Malkin combo of sorts, and a highly skilled winger. Marner will be along for the entirety of that six-year Stanley Cup window, too, right? Maybe, but maybe not. The money is tight.
The Leafs want to be the next Chicago Blackhawks or Pittsburgh Penguins or Los Angeles Kings - a dynasty, or at worst a pseudo-dynasty. Not a one-off.
“We’re trying to build a team that can have sustained success, not just contend once," Dubas said, giving a vague nod to pro sports dynasties.
"I think a lot of that is luck related and luck based," he continued, "and I think we want to give ourselves the maximum number of chances we can to make a real good go at it."
John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.
With Matthews signed, eyes now turn to pending restricted free agent Mitch Marner. Marner's camp has already gone on record stating they will not negotiate a contract in-season. His agent, Darren Ferris, revealed Tuesday that stance is due to a severe undervaluation by the Maple Leafs in prior discussions.
"So far they've been trying to lowball (Marner)," Ferris said, according to Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star. "That's the reason we've come to this point."
Unlike recent deals signed by Matthews and William Nylander, Ferris said the club has asked Marner to meet it halfway on a team-friendly pact.
"Nobody else is taking a discount. And now you're asking (Marner) to take one again? It's nonsense," Ferris said. "Mitch already did them a favor on the entry-level deal."
When Marner signed his entry-level contract, his camp was told it was team policy not to hand out schedule B bonuses to players, according to Ferris. Just over a year after Marner signed, however, Matthews agreed to a contract that included them.
Speaking Tuesday, Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was firm in saying Marner would be with the team long-term. As for Ferris, he insists that when it comes to putting pen to paper, the ball is in the Maple Leafs' court.
"Mitch will get what Mitch is due. But as far as the Maple Leafs, it's up to them how they value him. If it works out with them, it works out," Ferris said. "We'll see at the end of the year what their position is and whether they're motivated to sign Mitch or not. It's totally up to them."
With Matthews signed, eyes now turn to pending restricted free agent Mitch Marner. Marner's camp has already gone on record stating they will not negotiate a contract in-season. His agent, Darren Ferris, revealed Tuesday that stance is due to a severe undervaluation by the Maple Leafs in prior discussions.
"So far they've been trying to lowball (Marner)," Ferris said, according to Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star. "That's the reason we've come to this point."
Unlike recent deals signed by Matthews and William Nylander, Ferris said the club has asked Marner to meet it halfway on a team-friendly pact.
"Nobody else is taking a discount. And now you're asking (Marner) to take one again? It's nonsense," Ferris said. "Mitch already did them a favor on the entry-level deal."
When Marner signed his entry-level contract, his camp was told it was team policy not to hand out schedule B bonuses to players, according to Ferris. Just over a year after Marner signed, however, Matthews agreed to a contract that included them.
Speaking Tuesday, Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was firm in saying Marner would be with the team long-term. As for Ferris, he insists that when it comes to putting pen to paper, the ball is in the Maple Leafs' court.
"Mitch will get what Mitch is due. But as far as the Maple Leafs, it's up to them how they value him. If it works out with them, it works out," Ferris said. "We'll see at the end of the year what their position is and whether they're motivated to sign Mitch or not. It's totally up to them."
It was his first game in New Jersey since he left the Devils and retired from the NHL to play in Russia in 2013, three seasons after signing a 15-year, $100-million contract with the team.
New Jersey Devils fans had been waiting a long time to tell Ilya Kovalchuk how they felt and that opportunity finally came Tuesday night.
The Devils' faithful at the Prudential Center repeatedly booed and chanted "Kovalsuck" at the Los Angeles Kings forward in his first game in New Jersey since he retired from the NHL in 2013 to return to his native Russia.
The infamous departure came three seasons after he signed a 15-year, $100-million deal with the Devils.
After playing for SKA St. Petersburg from 2013 to 2018, Kovalchuk inked a three-year, $18.75-million contract with the Kings last July.
Alex Ovechkin didn't need much time to make history Tuesday night.
The Washington Capitals superstar passed Sergei Fedorov for most points by a Russian-born player when he earned an assist on T.J. Oshie's goal three minutes into the game against the Vancouver Canucks.
It was Ovechkin's 1,180th career point in his 1,055th game. Fedorov collected his 1,179 points in 1,248 contests.
Alex Ovechkin didn't need much time to make history Tuesday night.
The Washington Capitals superstar passed Sergei Fedorov for most points by a Russian-born player when he earned an assist on T.J. Oshie's goal three minutes into the game against the Vancouver Canucks.
It was Ovechkin's 1,180th career point in his 1,055th game. Fedorov collected his 1,179 points in 1,248 contests.
