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Anderson Extension?

August 16, 2014, 10:52 AM ET [57 Comments]
Travis Yost
Ottawa Senators Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Most of the talk this off-season with respect to contract extensions has focused around Marc Methot, Bobby Ryan, and Clarke MacArthur. We heard just last week that negotiations have stalled with Methot -- the other two players, not much as leaked.

It appears Ottawa's making a concerted effort to ink another veteran in goaltender Craig Anderson. Don Brennan added this last night:




I'm not averse to extending Anderson but I get somewhat nervous about how a deal for this kind of player will likely shake out. Anderson, I would assume, is looking for a spot where he can get starter or split-starter time. The projections, as is the case for most goalies his age (34 next May), are not kind long-term. Let's remember what Hockey Marcels say about him through 2017:



So, expectations he'll be OK. And the team wants to bring him in, probably as a guy who can split time with starter-of-the-future Robin Lehner. Also OK.

But the dollars and the term -- that's where I get concerned. Because Anderson's salary had a $3.18MM AAV on his last deal (four years!), and I can't imagine he's going to take the requisite discount you would expect for an old .908 goaltender going forward.

The team, if it feels the need to keep Anderson in the fold beyond this season, should very much consider a short-term, more lucrative AAV deal. We know goalies start falling off of a cliff at this point in their careers, and you don't want to be the team on the hook for a multi-year contract with a guy who can't get the job done anymore.

And, lord knows they have the requisite cap space to ink a guy to a big-dollar, short-term deal.
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