Nino Niederreiter should put ego aside and sign a new contract soon
By Derek Felska
In the dramatic climax of the Hollywood blockbuster film, the Hunt for the Red October the fictional captain of the USS Dallas says, “the toughest part of playing chicken, is knowing when to flinch” as he managed to evade the torpedo chasing his submarine and direct it towards the sub that had originally fired it. It is a great metaphor for contract negotiations in professional sports. Its a game of egos and money. Yet the damage from such tactics can be real. Bitterness and the distraction of the conflict can infiltrate the locker room as media members began asking awkward questions about whether they think a deal will get done. Contentious contract negotiations are nothing new, even for the Minnesota Wild.
As training camp approaches, I am reminded of the 2003-04 season when star winger Marian Gaborik held out after helping lead Minnesota on that magical run to the Western Conference Finals the season before. Yet there was another player, Pascal Dupuis who also had a big season in 2002-03 who also tried his hand at holding out for more money into the regular season. Dupuis had 20 goals and 48 points in 2002-03 and felt he deserved more money. At the time, Wild General Manager Doug Risebrough didn’t think he was worth over $2 million per season and decided to let time compel Dupuis to the negotiation table even though he sat out 23 games that season. He ended up settling for the Wild’s original offer of a little under a million per season and then had a series of underwhelming seasons. The holdout permanently damaged his standing with the team’s front office and he was eventually traded in 2007. Over time it turned out well for Dupuis, but in the immediate sense it did little to endear him to the Wild let alone other NHL teams. Its tough not to see the comparison’s between Dupuis’ holdout and the contract situation of Nino Niederreiter.
What could Nino Niederreiter learn from Pascal Dupuis? Nov 29, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Pascal Dupuis (9) against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Niederreiter, a restricted free agent this summer still has yet to sign a contract extension as NHL training camp approaches. Even though it has been reported that both sides are talking, neither are admitting that much progress is being made. A little over a year ago, the Wild traded fan favorite Cal Clutterbuck and a 2nd round pick for the former Islanders 1st round (5th Overall) pick from 2010. Nino had a falling out with the Islanders’ brass after posting just 2 goals and 1 assist in 64 total games while over parts of 2 seasons. Ice time for the highly touted winger was sporadic, spending most of the time on their 4th line when he wasn’t a healthy scratch altogether. After spending all of the 2012-13 season with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, he requested a trade. The Wild took a chance on the Swiss-born winger, and it paid off big time.
Scoring 14 goals, 36 points as well as providing some excellent play along the boards he also had 170 hits which was tops among Wild forwards. Still just 21 years old, Niederreiter no doubt believes he’s worthy of more than just a 3-year ‘bridge’ contract or is asking for a salary above market value. The Wild certainly do not want to overpay, even though they currently sit with the 22nd highest payroll in the NHL they want a sensible deal. A likely comparable is the New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider, a player who was also an RFA going into this summer who signed a 2-year bridge deal that will pay him $2.475 million per season according to CapGeek.com. Kreider had more points last season, and is just 2 years older than Niederreiter but with a similar skillset and role on his respective club. A deal similar (perhaps a bit less) seems sensible. So why press the Wild now?
It probably has a lot to do with the steadily increasing expectations on the team, enhanced by the team’s advancement to the 2nd round of the playoffs last season as well as the personnel upgrades made all around an already tough Central Division. So he likely felt the time was right to go after a bigger deal while the team was doing all that it could just to keep up with its peers.
Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher doesn’t seem like the type of person that will acquiesce anytime soon, and Niederreiter would be wise to consider the tale of Pascal Dupuis as this impasse continues. I certainly believe like Risebrough, the Wild GM will hold to his guns and let sit until he comes back to a more reasonable contract demand. Niederreiter should also remember that the team has an extra Top 9 calibre forward all signed and ready to go in Jason Zucker who would be tickled to have that spot out of camp.
While Zucker doesn’t share all of Niederreiter’s attributes, he is still a shoot first right winger which is something the Wild sorely need. The Chur, Switzerland-native did a lot to help rebuild his reputation after the debacle on Long Island, but he could squander that progress by playing hardball with the Wild. I wouldn’t say I’m resentful of Niederreiter just yet, but if it continues into the regular season he may realize he’s playing chicken with the wrong NHL franchise. You can’t burn bridges with another NHL club so soon after burning them with another, especially when you haven’t proven yourself just yet. It’s time to flinch Nino, before its too late.