Unsigned RFAs Insured For World Cup https://t.co/DwBipGZXlH pic.twitter.com/tTmuI0nhXE
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) August 4, 2016
The calendar has been flipped to August.
Can you believe it?!
It's 90 degrees and sunny as I write this.It's 7 p.m.
I love hockey, however, I don't want this summer to end.
NHL opening night is 70 days away.
One wonders how can a current NHL restricted free participate and play for his country at next month's World Cup Of Hockey without the health insurance benefits that customarily provided by their employer?
In other words, how are these unsigned RFAs going to be protected against potential injuries that might be suffered in the rough and tumble World Cup?
Rasmus Ristolainen, Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, Nikita Kucherov and Jacob Trouba are all restricted free agents still. They have not re-signed with their respective NHL clubs. Therefore, they do not have health insurance coverage at the moment. The longer their contract negotiations drag on, the bigger issue it will become.
Each of the aforementioned RFAs will be active participants at next month's World Cup Of Hockey.
I've been wondering what if these current high-profile unsigned RFAs are not signed by the time the opening faceoff occurs on the preliminary round games on September 17?
What then?
Will they be bumped off and replaced from their World Cup teams? Will they not be able to participate?
Gary Lawless provides context and a solution to the insurance coverage matter.
partnership between #nhl and #nhlpa known as World Cup of Hockey will provide a form of asset value protection (insurance) for free agents
— gary lawless (@garylawless) August 3, 2016
League source clarifies World Cup status for unsigned RFAs such as Trouba, Gaudreau, Monahan - they'll be insured at NHL/NHPA's expense
— gary lawless (@garylawless) August 3, 2016
Ristolainen will play for his native Finland.
Gaudreau, Monahan and Trouba will play for Team North America.
Kucherov will play for Team Russia.
Ristolainen and Trouba are patiently waiting for their new contract extensions to be finalized.
Ristolainen and the Sabres have been going back and forth on a long term deal since May. The 21 year old Finn is Buffalo's number one D and scored a career high 41 points last season. I see Ristolainen earning a six year, $36 million contract extension. Trouba may have to settle for a two year bridge deal in the $8 million range to prove to the Winnipeg Jets that he is ready to be one of tehir top four D. Trouba is a righty. So too are Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers. Trouba wants a bigger role and more power play time before he re-signs. Recent contracts to RFA D-men Seth Jones, Tyson Barrie, Danny DeKeyser, and Sami Vatanen are being used as comparables for Ristolainen and Trouba.
Gaudreau and Monahan are looking for long term contracts. Both players have expressed that they want to play together in Calgary for the next decade. Each player is looking for between $6 million and $7.5 million for between six and eight seasons Vladimir Tarasenko, Filip Forsberg, Seth Jones, Aleksander Barkov, and Nathan MacKinnon.
Kucherov will break the bank on his next deal to the tuned of $6.5 to $7.5 million per season over 7 or 8 seasons.