|
Contract Length Main Issue w/ Getting Benn Signed |
|
|
|
|
|
As soon as the Edmonton Oilers signed Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle to seven-year and six-year extensions that will carry $6 million cap hits, there was a target figure for the Jamie Benn camp to seek with the Dallas Stars.
A good source tells me that the main hurdle for the Stars' restricted free agent to sign before the lockout was the length of the contract. It has never really been about a big gap in money, ala the P.K. Subban situation in Montreal.
The initial push by the Stars was either for a "bridge" deal of three years that would expire while Benn still was in the RFA portion of his contract or else a back-loaded five-plus year deal in which Benn was signed through a couple UFA years. The one thing Dallas strongly preferred to avoid was a four-year arrangement that would take him to become a UFA.
When all is said and done, look for Dallas and Benn to agree to a deal in the neighborhood of the Eberle deal. It might not happen before the start of training camp, but it will get done before the season starts. Everyone involved realizes that Benn has become the team's feature player.
There is no shortage of teams kicking tires on Benn's availability but the answer has been a flat no.
That hasn't stopped other GMs from cycling back to Joe Nieuwendyk to see if he's receptive to offers. I've learned never to say never when it comes to trades (or offer sheets) but I don't think that will happen here. If the situation changes (meaning that it extends into the regular season) there will be a half-dozen teams, that will make a more concerted pitch next week.
I'm hearing of interest from including Detroit and Vancouver in the West and Boston and Ottawa in the East. There would be several others, too. Again, however, the odds are strongly in favor of Benn re-signing pretty quickly once the CBA is announced this weekend.
More to come with a number of new rumors...
Join the Discussion:
»