There is only one major restricted free agent left on the market, Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators. He saw Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes come to an agreement with the Vancouver Canucks recently.
Elias Pettersson's contract could have been a good match for him, a three-year bridge deal worth $7.35 million per season. However, the American forward is much greedier than that. Apparently, he would like a long-term contract with the Senators with a salary of about $8.4 million per year. We are far from what Pettersson is asking for.
This file is really dragging on, which is a shame. Tkachuk is the face of the team, both on the ice and in the dressing room. He has established his culture and mentality within the Senators organization, like a captain. He is the most likely candidate to wear the "C" on his jersey. If he really wants to stay in Ottawa and be the leader for a long time, he will have to make a choice.
If his desire is to play with this group of individuals, he'll want to get along as soon as possible, but with a reasonable contract, especially if he hopes to be successful for a long time with this group. You have to look much further than the end of your nose, just as Nathan MacKinnon does. I'm referring to the fact that the Avalanche's star forward accepts and will accept less money to keep a team competitive.
Tim Stützle and Josh Norris will likely command big salaries soon. A situation that Pierre Dorion will have to manage very soon. He handled Chabot and Batherson well, so he will be able to handle the other slips well.
