What will the San Jose Sharks do with Joe Pavelski?
NBC Sports: Joe Pavelski is already 34 years old. He’s about to enter a contract year for 2018-19, so he’d be 35 whenever his next deal kicks in during the 2019-20 season.
Pavelski’s agent Dan Plante has stated that there haven’t been any extension talks yet. “Since there hasn’t been a whole lot of talks about a contract extension at all, I would say that they are lukewarm or tepid, at best,” Plante said. “It’s really kind of non-existent, so maybe non-existent is a better word.”
San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson has the following options:
- Trade him rather than losing him for nothing.
- Pavelski plays through the season, then the chips fall where they may.
- Sign him to a substantial extension.
Pavelski might feel like he’s owed a heartier commitment after ranking as a bargain for basically his an entire career, and justifiably so. Keeping him around might not be the best option for the Sharks, however, which explains the impasse.
Latest William Nylander trade rumors
Toronto Star: Kevin McGran reports William Nylander is not going to get what he’s asking for, whatever that number is. He might deserve it. He might want it as a hedge to being traded. He does not qualify for a no-movement clause; only unrestricted free agents can get that. So asking for more money — making himself less tradable — can be seen as a hedge against moves that seem inevitable — Chicago Blackhawks-style — once Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews sign extensions and the salary cap seems a little less friendly to the Maple Leafs.
Nylander is not getting whatever he’s asking for for a variety of reasons. New GM Kyle Dubas has to send a message here. He’s got his research and development department that has no doubt calculated the expected offence of a 22-year-old right-winger playing first-line minutes and has assigned a dollar value to it.
McGran’s suggestion is to try for a short-term deal, if the Leafs will go for it. A bridge, as they call it. Let Matthews and Marner get their big paydays. Put up some big numbers for the next two or three years. Maybe win something. Then cash in when the cap is bigger.
