Paul only one of four RFAs to ink deal
Not long after the dates were set for four Ottawa Senators who filed for salary arbitration Saturday, Nick Paul signed on the dotted line.
As reported first by Postmedia Wednesday, the Ottawa winger decided to avoid the arbitration route and agreed to a two-year deal with an average annual value $1.35 million per season.
The NHL Players' Association released the dates of the arbitration hearings Tuesday night and with Paul's signing, only three of the club's four restricted free agents will be waiting to see what path negotiations take.
It would be no surprise if all followed in Paul's path, but negotiations are a game of chess and GM Pierre Dorion has stated he's held talks with the club's RFAs. Those will continue until a hearing is scheduled.
Winger Connor Brown will be first up next Thursday, defenceman Christian Jaros is Nov.
7 and centre Chris Tierney is
Nov. 8. The good news is this move assures both sides that the players will be in training camp whenever it gets underway.
Due to the threat of the novel coronavirus, the hearings will be held virtually and if this works properly, you could see the process adapted full time.
Filing for arbitration often spurs contract discussions between the two sides and they often reach an agreement before the hearing. The Ottawa players involved in this process have different goals.
Acquired in the deal with defenceman Nikita Zaitsev from the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, 2019, Brown, 26, had a career year with 16 goals and 43 points in 71 games. He was given an expanded role in Ottawa under coach D.J. Smith and had the opportunity to play in all situations in Ottawa.
A prolific scorer in junior with 45 goals and 128 points with the Erie Otters in 2013-14, Brown has been used mostly in a shutdown role in the NHL. He's a hard worker at both ends of the ice and is only a year away from unrestricted free agency so it makes sense for both sides to talk about different scenarios involving term.
Dorion is likely trying to balance where Brown, who made $2.1 million, is going to fit in for this organization down the road. If this goes to an arbitrator, Brown will likely get a healthy raise because a lot of the decisions in arbitration are based on numbers and he'll be able to become a UFA next summer.
But, with the Senators in a rebuild and with a lot of prospects in the organization, the Senators need to determine what role Brown is going to play longterm. The expectation is Drake Batherson will move into a fulltime role in Ottawa next season and Tim Stuetzle is expected to play the wing so where will he fit?
It's a juggling act and that's why Brown hasn't been signed because this negotiation isn't just about 2020-21, it's also about the long-term. That being said, talks are continuing.
“All I can say is that Connor is hopeful that a longer term deal can get done as he would like to be an important part of the Senators going forward,” Brown's Toronto-based agent Jeff Jackson said in an email Wednesday. “At the same time, is fully prepared to go to arbitration if that can't be worked out.”
The same issue exists with Tierney. Yes, if training camp opened today he'd likely be the club's top centre by virtue of the fact he's got the most experience, but is he really going to stay in that role? Once Stuetzle is older, stronger and has made the adjustment to playing in the NHL the expectation is he'll be the top centre.
Centre Josh Norris, who had standout success as a rookie in Belleville with 31 goals and 61 points in 56 games last season, should be the club's second-line centre at some point. Colin
White is coming off a difficult season but by all accounts he's refocused and the hope is he'll have a bounceback season.
At 26-years-old, Tierney is also a year away from becoming a UFA. He had 11 goals and 37 points in 71 games last season and has been a solid addition since he was brought over in the trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks. However, he should be a role player when this team is competitive.
You'd think Jaros would also be willing to settle before they get in front of an arbitrator because this can be an ugly process if teams start talking about the part of your game they don't like.
Usually, only a couple of cases a year get to arbitration, but everything in the world has changed and the market is depressed with a flat cap. That may not bode well for players and we've seen the squeeze taking place in free agency, so don't be surprised if everybody finds a way to make a deal.
Paul made a smart move Wednesday. Will the others follow suit?
All I can say is that Connor is hopeful that a longer term deal can get done as he would like to be an important part of the Senators going forward.