The Hockey News’s Adam Proteau posted an article which discusses the high likelihood that each and every one of the NHL’s top restricted free agents will earn substantial pay raises, and he includes Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider on his list:
4. Lucas Raymond, RW, Detroit Red Wings: With $19.9 million in cap space, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has more than enough room to sign Detroit’s two biggest RFAs – Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider
(more on him below) – and still have some notable cap flexibility. The
22-year-old Raymond led his team in assists (41) and points (72), and
those numbers were career highs for him. Raymond may skip the bridge
deal opportunity and go straight for a seven-or-eight-year contract that
pays him $5-6 million per season. He’s integral to Detroit’s chances of
getting back into the playoffs, and Yzerman knows he’ll have to fork
over a massive raise to keep the Swede happy. It’s hard to envision
Yzerman draws a financial line in the sand for Raymond; instead, they’ll
give him enough of a raise to reflect his importance to the
organization.5. Moritz Seider, D, Detroit Red Wings: If Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin
is worth $11 million per season, what should the 23-year-old Seider get
from the Red Wings? Yzerman needs to give the German D-man at least
$8-9 million, and while that would make Seider the highest-paid
blueliner on the team, his value to the present and future of the Wings
cannot be overstated. Seider is a cornerstone component of the Original
Six franchise, and while Yzerman will be looking to cut costs wherever
possible, it won’t come at the expense of Seider. If Seider wants a deal
in the eight figures per season, he might need a bridge deal that gives
him more leverage a few years from now, but we suspect Yzerman wants to
sign him to a longer-term pact that underscores his value to the team.
Continued; the Red Wings’ relative lack of free agent signings was in part muted because of the fact that the Red Wings need to re-sign Raymond and Seider long-term, and it may take all summer for new contracts for Raymond and Seider to emerge.
I can’t imagine any animosity popping up amidst the contract negotiations, but, as Proteau notes over the course of his article, it’s going to be difficult to “sell” either player on earning a team-friendly deal given the $10+ million contracts earned by restricted free agents who’ve produced similarly to the Red Wings’ duo of rising stars.
