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What will a Turris contract extension look like, when it gets signed? |
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With big money contracts being handed out like candy these days, especially to those considered, or destined to be, #1 centres, the Ottawa Senators have a dilemma on their hands.
Their current top pivot, Kyle Turris, has been playing for the last 4 years on a very team friendly, $3.5M contract that will run out this coming season.
Turris, since he has arrived in Ottawa, has meant different things to different people. He has done what has been asked of him and more, given his salary, as the club's top line centre, but it seems like the fan base, or at least a large contingent therein, want more.
Sure, Turris isn't among the elite centres in the league, but he has performed to the level of #1 centre, and will be expecting to get paid as such.
So, how much will Pierre Dorion and Eugene Melnyk be prepared to pay, and on the flipside what will Turris be looking for?
It is tough to find comparables, of those who wait until the eve of unrestricted free agency to sign.
I would put Turris close to the same level as the likes of Logan Couture, David Krejci, Tyler Johnson, Derek Stepan and Jeff Carter. (Taking into account that most of these guys are #2's playing behind elite #1's)
The range of salaries of those players is $5.27 (Carter) to $7.25 (Krejci) per season. The problem in nailing down a figure is that Carter's contract was signed 7 years ago, before the current CBA and the limit on contract lengths.
As for Turris, I would anticipate him getting something similar to Stepan's 6 year, $39M contract ($6.5M/season), signed in July 2015. If the Senators aren't willing to go that high, then for sure there will be other teams out there who will on July 1st.
I also wouldn't expect Turris to take much of a hometown discount, as he has been playing on one of the more team-friendly contracts in the league for a couple of years now, as his peformance has gotten better year by year but his bargain salary cap hit has remained the same, with his actual salary for the last 2 years of the deal also a bargain at $4M.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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