With less than a month to go before National Hockey League (NHL) training camps begin, several teams have yet to resolve certain issues regarding young independent players with compensation.
Here are three:
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Trevor Zegras, Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks superstar is the latest case on general manager Pat Verbeek’s table. The latter would also be reluctant to offer Zegras a long-term contract and would like him to sign a transitional deal.
The 22-year-old American, who was drafted in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2019 amateur auction, is the second-highest scorer (139 points in 180 games) of his year. First is New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (207 points in 244 games), who has an eight-year contract worth $64 million.
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Shane Pinto, Ottawa Senators
With 35 points, including 20 goals, in 82 games last year, the 22-year-old centerman has increased his rating. However, the Senses and the player don’t seem to be on the same wavelength. The organization would like him to sign long-term, while the hockey player would prefer a fixed-term contract in order to make more money from his next contract.
Senators GM Pierre Dorion has spent heavily this summer attracting the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko, Joonas Korpisalo and Travis Hamonic. He has about $900,000 left on his payroll, which won’t be enough for Pinto.
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Morgan Frost, Philadelphia Flyers
Frost has the big end of the stick and he knows it. With the Flyers, we wonder who will play in the first two rows in the center. The team substituted Kevin Hayes and it’s unclear if Sean Couturier’s health will allow him to play in 2023/24.
The 24-year-old forward is enjoying his first full season in the NHL. He scored 19 times and provided 27 assists for 46 points in 81 games. Last year he played on a one-year contract worth $800,000. He bet on himself and is ready to cash out.