With just over a week until training camps begin for the 2014-15 NHL season, a few teams still have some work to do at the negotiating table.
A smattering of talented young restricted free agents are restlessly starting to consider their options as they wait for their new deals to come together.
As Lyle Richardson notes in The Hockey News, "Long contract disputes are rarities in the NHL’s salary-cap world, largely because if an RFA hasn’t re-signed by Dec. 1 he’s ineligible to play in the NHL for the remainder of the season."
Restricted free agents who have just completed their entry-level contracts also don't have a whole lot of bargaining power. Offer sheets have virtually vanished from the NHL in recent years, and arbitration rights are limited. Unless a player is committed to a holdout or willing to play in Europe, he doesn't have a whole lot of leverage.
Here's a look at some of the highest-profile restricted free agents who remain unsigned along with my odds that their teams will be able to get them under contract in time for training camp next week.
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Article written by Carol Schram
NHL Players Most Likely to Hold out During 2014 Training Camps
September 9th, 2014 by Carol Schram Leave a reply »
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