The Arizona Coyotes have signed forward Christian Dvorak to a six-year contract extension set to kick in for the 2019-20 season.
Six years at $4.45M is a lotta tamales for a two-year pro who have scored just 30 goals and 40 assists and 70 points in 156 career games. Isn't it?
Desert Dogs GM John Chayka begs to differ with me.
"Christian is a highly skilled, reliable, two-way center who continues to improve each season," Chayka said. "He will be a key player for us in the future and we are thrilled to have him for the next seven seasons."
The 22-year-old winger scored 15 goals and 22 assists last season.
Dvorak was drafted 58th overall by the Desert Dogs in 2014, and has one more season on his entry-level contract.
The Dvorak signing has me thinking more and more about the futire contracts of RFA forwards Samson Reinhart, Dylan Larkin and William Nylander.
All three restricted free agents are due lucrative contract extensions. The Dvorak's new $26.7 million contract will be used as a comparable in the negotiations with Reinhart, Larkin, and Nylander.
My guess is Reinhart, Larkin and Nylander and their respective representatives are looking at the Dvorak deal and sayong:
"Anything he can do I can do better".
In terms of offensive production and salary expectations.
On last week's conference call to discuss the Jeff Skinner trade to Buffalo, Botterill said that Reinhart will play a big role in the future success of the Sabres moving forward. Botterill noted that he needs to finalize a contract extension for Reinhart. Botterill told Buffalo media that he is in routine contact with Reinhart's agent as the two sides continue their process of finalizing a new long term contract.
Botterill better hurry. He's running out of salary cap space. The Skinner trade gobbled up $5.725M from Buffalo's salary cap slush fund.
Botterill politely declined to comment on the term and dollars being negotiated in the Reinhart contract.
The Dvorak signing will no doubt get Reinhart's juices flowing. Reinhart is looking for multi-year extension in the $5.5 to $5.75M AAV.
Why would Reinhart settle for less than the $5.725M that Jeff Skinner is playing for in Buffalo this season? Skinner is now Buffalo's third highest paid player behin Jack Eichel ($10M AAV) and Kyle Okposo ($6M AAV).
Reinhart knows that Skinner is in the final year of his current 6-year, $34,350,000 contract. Skinner, a multi-time 30-goal scorer is going to go balls to the wall to score 30+ goals this, his contract season. Skinner will be loooking for a long term deal worth $6.5 to $7M per season in his next contract.
Knowing this, Reinhart and his agent are not looking to leave any money on the table. To the contrary. Reinhart is looking to be paid like a integral piece to the puzzle that Botterill and Phil Housley decribe the young forward as. Botterill and Housley are demanding more offensive production from Reinhart. Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly are gone from Buffalo. Reinhart can't simply blend in from night to night. He needs to be a go-to, primary scoring leader. He can be invisible for the first 37 games of the season like he was in 2017, then ignite like a house on fire once the calendar flipped to 2018.
Reinhart totaled 37 points (18G,19A) in his final 38 games of the 2017-18 season. His has 20 goals in 43 games in 2018 tied him for 12th-most in the NHL from January 1 until the end of teh regular season.
Detroit’s Dylan Larkin, who also is also patiently waiting for his agent to get his next contract wrapped up. Wings GM Ken Holland continues to work on the Larkin contract.
Like Reinhart and Nylander, Larkin was not arbitration eligible this summer. Therefore, Holland has the luxury of time on his side.
Appearing at a youth hockey camp in Detroit last week, Larkin said he is confident a long term contract extension will be signed, sealed and delivered in the next couple weeks before the beginning of Wings training camp.
Like Reinhart and Nylander, Larkin is looking for a long term contract in the $6M AAV neighborhood.
Contract Comps for Larkin:
Adam Henrique’s
$5.85M (x 5) deal with the Ducks
James Neal’s
$5.75M (x 5) contract with the Flames
Tomas Hertl’s
$5.625M (x4) extension with the Sharks
J.T. Miller’s
$5.25M AAV (x5) extension with the Bolts
Tom Wilson’s
$5.17M (x 5) windfall with the Capitals.
Whom so ever of Reinhart, Larkin or Nylander signs the contract first will set the pace and the ceiling price for the other two.
Assuming Larkin signs first, his contract will be a direct comparable for the Sabres and Leafs to use in their negotiations with Reinhart and Nylander, respectively.
One issue holding up the Larkin contract extension is that Holland only has $2.8 million in available salary cap space. Holland can still sign Larkin now to a $6M AAV for next season which would put the Wings over the salary cap. NHL teams are allowed to operate at 10% over the salary cap during the summer and up until training camps conclude in September. Presumably, Holland looking to move out a contract or two to make room for Larkin’s new contract moving forward.
Look inside the numbers of Larkin, Reinhart and Nylander and you will see that they all have identical offensive productions.
In 242 career NHL games with the Red Wings, Larkin has scored 56 goals and 84 assists for 140 points. He has scored 15 PPG and 41 PPP. Larkin led the Wings in scoring last season with 63 points.
In 249 career games with the Sabres, Reinhart has scored 65 goals and 75 assists for 140 points. Reinhart has scored 29 PPG and 48 PPP. Reinhart scored a career-high 25 goals and 25 assists last season. His 50-points scored last season was a career high for Reinhart.
In 185 career regular season games, Nylander has scored 48 goals and 87 assists for 135 points. Last season, Nylander tied his career-high with 61 points. In his career, Nylander has scored 15 PPG and 41 PPP.
Larkin and Nylander have played in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Reinhart is hoping to check off that box this season on his list of career achievements.
Nylander said last week that he has no new news to share regarding his contract negotiations.
“Nothing... since Zach (Hyman’s) golf tournament. It’s going slow, that’s what Kyle wants. Any questions, you can direct back to Kyle.” Nylander said matter of factly.
“Of course, I want a long term deal.”
Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is in no hurry to ink Nylander. Dubas has to get new deals finalized with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Matthews and Marner are playing on expiring entry level contracts and will be signing monster -sized, long tern contradt extensions in the days and weeks to come. Matthews will likely get $88 million over eight seasons ($11M AAV) while Marner wil be looking to score $8M AAV on an eight year deal. Recently acquired John Tavares is now an $11M AAV for the next eight seasons.
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