Snapshots: Dubois, Granlund, Ducks, Lee
With progress finally being made toward starting the 2020-21 season, the pressure is mounting back up on those teams who still have players to sign and payrolls to manage. One of those teams is the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets have plenty of salary cap space with nearly $9.25MM of remaining room for a 22-man roster, but they have yet to sign perhaps their most important forward, restricted free agent center Pierre-Luc Dubois. Coming off his three-year entry-level contract, in which he recorded 18+ goals and 48+ points each season, culminating in a point-per-game showing in the 2020 postseason, Dubois has established himself as a centerpiece for Columbus and the team hopes he will serve in that role for many years still to come. Whether Dubois signs that lucrative long-term extension this off-season or instead opts for a shorter bridge deal remains to be seen. Either way, the team needs to get the talented young pivot under contract soon before the new season begins. Fortunately, NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz reports that the Blue Jackets are not concerned about coming to terms on a new deal with Dubois. GM Jarmo Kekalainen stated that he is “confident” that Dubois will have a new contract not only before the puck drops on the new season, but even before the first day of training camp. This would likely mean that a deal is expected before the end of the month, with training camps projected to open shortly after the calendar flips to January. Kekalainen compared the situation to that of star defenseman Zach Werenski last season; Werenski went much of the off-season with seemingly little progress on a contract extension, but signed a new deal just days before training camp. Gretz notes that the Blue Jackets have shown that they are not afraid to play hardball with their restricted free agents, but will have to be careful with Dubois. The young center is a pivotal piece of the team moving forward. Columbus has the cap space to lock Dubois up long-term at a higher cap hit now, but if the two sides do agree to a shorter term deal the hope is that there is a mutual goal to sign that long-term deal down the road.
- Gretz also reports that one of the top remaining unsigned free agents, forward Mikael Granlund, is expected to make a decision on his next team sooner rather than later. In fact, a contract could be signed in the coming days. Gretz writes that Granlund would like to get his family settled before the season, possibly even before the Christmas holiday, which could lead to an impending resolution to his free agency. Depending on the asking price, Granlund should have no shortage of suitors. The Blue Jackets have actually been cited by many as a top option for Granlund. If they do sign a more affordable, short-term deal with Dubois as many expect, Columbus could use their remaining cap space to add Granlund. The team had hoped to add at least one if not two top-six forwards this off-season which they have failed to do so far, only swapping out Josh Anderson for Max Domi.
- The Anaheim Ducks are another team with moves to make before the season begins. The Ducks are currently over the salary cap upper limit according to CapFriendly and that is with a roster that currently excludes a backup goalie. Anthony Stolarz is the favorite for the job behind starter John Gibson, but the team is likely to make an addition given their lack of depth behind that duo and their need for a goaltender with term on his contract beyond this season to expose in the upcoming 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. If the Ducks do not add another goaltender, the pressure will fall on Roman Durny, who Anaheim assigned to the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers today, and Olle Eriksson Ek, who started in Tulsa’s season opener this weekend. Eriksson Ek and Durny shared the net in the ECHL last season, but would be slated to do so this year in the AHL if no further moves are made and would battle to be the next man up to the NHL behind Gibson and Stolarz. Durny, 22, Eriksson Ek, 21, and Lukas Dostal, 20, are all talented prospects but their lack of experience does not inspire much confidence in Anaheim’s net depth if an addition is not made. The Ducks should be scouring the free agent and trade markets for help, even as they work to cut salary from the NHL roster.
- Even as the NHL and NHLPA close in on an agreement to begin the new season, there hasn’t been much concrete information in the media on the actual start dates of training camp and the safety procedures leading into those camps. Perhaps the teams of those players on loan are hearing more than everyone else though. HC Slovan Bratislava of the Slovakian Extraliga has announced that Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Cam Lee has been returned from his loan. In doing so, the club stated that Lee will begin his quarantine later this week and that training camp physicals will take place before the end of the month. At the very least, that makes it sound as though camps will be up and running in early January as hoped, if not sooner.
Latest On Travis Hamonic
It’s been a long time since Travis Hamonic‘s name was in the news, partly because of his own decision and partly because of the complete standstill of the free agent market. The veteran defenseman opted out of the NHL’s return to play this summer citing family reasons but was also injured before the original pause, meaning his last competitive game was way back on February 8 of this year. It’ll be almost a full year before he hits the ice again but at just 30 years old could still be an effective part of any team’s blueline.
While there hasn’t been much to speculate on, Hamonic’s name did come up in conversation today on TSN radio in Vancouver, when Bob Marjanovich explained he had heard that both the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames were interested. Both teams are currently dealing with cap crunches, so would need to move money out before signing Hamonic to a one-year deal, according to Marjanovich.
The idea of a one-year deal for Hamonic seems likely at this point, given how cash-strapped so many teams around the league are, but it does seem difficult for either Vancouver or Calgary to fit him in. The interesting part of the Canucks connection is that he would essentially be there to replace the outgoing Chris Tanev, who took his job as a defensively-minded right-handed defenseman in Calgary this free agency. But Vancouver is already over the cap ceiling and though they may be able to get some relief if Micheal Ferland can be moved to long-term injured reserve, it’s not like they have much money to throw around at free agents.
In Calgary, bringing Hamonic back could make some sense given the familiarity there after three seasons together, but he struggled at times in 2019-20 and again, was replaced by Tanev on the open market. The Flames also have Rasmus Andersson signed and ready to take on more responsibility, not leaving very much chance for Hamonic to really boost his value for a bigger contract next season.
There likely would be better fits for Hamonic elsewhere, including with the Winnipeg Jets, where the Manitoba native played his minor hockey. If any of those family concerns remain, perhaps a Canadian team would be the only place he would consider for the shortened season, given the division realignment and border protocols. The Toronto Maple Leafs were linked to him several years ago but added former teammate T.J. Brodie in free agency and don’t have much money, while the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators don’t really have obvious openings either.
Like the other high profile free agents remaining, Hamonic’s career is at something of a crossroads thanks to the COVID-affected market. He should be a sought-after commodity given his experience—Hamonic has averaged more than 20 minutes a night in each of his ten NHL seasons—but not faces a difficult search for playing time that he can use in the next offseason negotiations.
Morning Notes: Boston University, 2021 UFAs, Wild
It’s 2020 still, so there is more disappointing COVID-19 news to pass along. The Boston University men’s hockey program has paused all activity after a positive test result, canceling the upcoming game against UConn in the process. The positive test was from the team’s Tier 1 personnel, but the identity of the player, coach, manager, or support staff has not been revealed.
Though stoppages like this are not unexpected, it is frustrating for prospect watchers looking forward to seeing some of the best young players in the country at BU. The team is loaded with NHL prospects that need as much development time as they can get over the next few months.
- Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription required) took a look forward to the 2021 offseason and ranked some of the pending unrestricted free agents into tiers, with Alex Ovechkin coming in at the very top of the “elite” category. No one really believes that the legendary forward will play anywhere outside of Washington (at least in the NHL), but his negotiation is still an interesting one to keep an eye on. Now 35, he hasn’t shown any real sign of slowing down—in fact, Ovechkin was on a 58-goal pace this year had the season been a regular 82-game schedule. That would have been the second-best goal-scoring season of his career, a point almost unbelievable this far into it. The rest of the free agent list is just as interesting, with several “affordable” names popping off the page as potential steals.
- The Minnesota Wild should have a new captain soon, as GM Bill Guerin told media today including Sarah McLellan of the Star-Tribune that the team will “have something done before training camp.” The Wild allowed Mikko Koivu to leave in free agency after wearing the “C” for more than a decade in Minnesota, but Guerin has spoken before about the need to have someone take over the role this year. There are plenty of candidates, including defensemen Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon, who are both still under contract for at least another five years.
Free Agent Profile: Derick Brassard
Three years ago, Derick Brassard scored 21 goals during the regular season, split between the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then Brassard found himself struggling the following year. He couldn’t make his mark in his first full season in Pittsburgh and found himself traded to Florida where he struggled even more and then included into a trade deadline to deal to Colorado.
For a short while, it almost looked as if Brassard’s career as a productive middle-six player was at an end in the NHL … until he signed up with the New York Islanders. Brassard proved to be a solid fit in Barry Trotz’ system, posting 10 goals and 32 points in 66 games and another eight points during the playoffs, fitting in throughout the Islanders’ lineup. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, the 33-year-old provided much-needed depth on the team and could provide that almost anywhere.
Of course, Brassard was initially brought in to New York to replace departed center Valtteri Filppula, who left for Detroit. However, Brassard rarely even played the center position as he struggled with the defensive angle of that position and settled in as a fill-in-the-gap forward instead, something the team surely has considered when it comes to bringing him back.
Potential Suitors
The Islanders would make the most sense as the team still has moves it must make while it waits to get star restricted free agent Mathew Barzal signed. However, with limited cap space, will the Islanders opt to bring back Brassard? The Islanders could go a cheaper route as they have a number of young AHL players that could be ready to break onto the team, including Oliver Wahlstrom, Otto Koivula and Kieffer Bellows. However, it might be best to have a veteran on hand just in case that the three aren’t ready to step in on an everyday basis.
There have been reports that Brassard has received interest overseas, but the veteran has indicated he would rather stay in the NHL if he can garner a contract.
Another team that could come calling as the season approaches could be his former team, the New York Rangers. Brassard, who put up his best numbers of his career with the Rangers, might prove to be a useful piece to the short-term puzzle. The Rangers could use some bottom-six depth, especially at center and Brassard could fill that void for a year.
Projected Contract
Brassard didn’t sign until August last season, suggesting that he is willing to wait for a team that wants to look at what it has before grabbing him. That is likely to happen again as the forward will have to wait for the remaining free agents to sign before he gets signed. No matter what, Brassard is more likely to ink another short-term deal, one or two years at most, likely for no more than $1MM. Asking for more with so many teams capped out seems unlikely.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Liam O’Brien Signs In AHL
The squeeze is on for the unrestricted free agents still without contracts. Today, Liam O’Brien accepted an AHL contract from the Colorado Eagles for the upcoming season, after reaching Group VI unrestricted free agency this fall.
The 26-year-old was not re-signed by the Washington Capitals and will now be playing under a minor league contract for the first time. O’Brien first signed with the Capitals in 2014 after going undrafted and has been under an NHL deal in each of the last six years. Though mostly limited to minor league play, he did get into 17 NHL contests with the Capitals over the years, recording two points.
While O’Brien hasn’t played for the Capitals in several years and was unlikely to this season even if he did re-sign with the team, the fact that he had to accept an AHL deal shows how reluctant teams are this offseason. There are dozens of players just like him that could be staring at AHL-only deals as NHL teams try to trim the financial burden any way they can.
Snapshots: Brassard, Marleau, World Championships
Derick Brassard is one of quite a few veterans of note that are still without a contract as free agency concludes its sixth week. He told Le Droit’s Marc Brassard that he turned down some overtures from European teams in the hopes of landing another NHL contract. The 33-year-old had a good season with the Islanders in 2019-20, recording 10 goals and 22 assists in 66 games despite spending a fair bit of time in their bottom six but that hasn’t helped him land a deal thus far. Brassard indicated that the Islanders haven’t ruled out the idea of him returning but until they get a contract done with RFA center Mathew Barzal, they’re limited in what else they can do at the moment.
More from around the hockey world:
- Sharks winger Patrick Marleau sits 45 games shy of the all-time games played record in the NHL and depending on the length of the schedule next year and his health, he should have a chance of beating Gordie Howe’s mark. But if next season isn’t able to get going, the 41-year-old told NBC Bay Area’s Brodie Brazil that he’s already planning ahead to be ready for a 2021-22 campaign. Marleau saw his numbers dip to career lows in 2019-20 with 11 goals and 11 assists in 66 games between San Jose and Pittsburgh and will likely have a limited role with the Sharks next season, assuming it’s able to be played.
- After another lengthy list of tournaments being cancelled by the IIHF earlier this week, the World Championships is one of the few still standing but there are changes coming to that one. Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News reports that one of the venues for the tournament is being changed. While Riga, Latvia will still host part of the event, the other host venue will be changed from Minsk, Belarus to Moscow, Russia. Kennedy notes that meetings to finalize the plans are set for next week.
Free Agent Profile: Anthony Duclair
It’s hard to believe that a player who was named to the all-star game just last year would still be sitting on the free-agent market at this point in the offseason, however, Anthony Duclair remains one of the top names in free agency who hasn’t found himself a home one month into it.
On the surface a 25-year-old all-star unrestricted free agent is a rarity as most big-named free agents are older when they hit UFA status the first time. Of course, much of that is due to the fact that the Senators did not qualify him, leaving him a free agent. Regardless, Duclair is coming off a great season in which he tallied 23 goals and 40 points in his first full season in Ottawa and looked prime to sign a long-term deal with the Senators this offseason. On top of that, he is also a fast skater, placing sixth in the fastest skater contest at the all-star game last year. However, Duclair struggles significantly in one area that could be keeping him from being signed — his defense. He is a goal scorer first, and there is a significant step back on his defensive efforts, one that former Columbus Blue Jackets’ coach John Tortorella mentioned before the team traded him to Ottawa back at the trade deadline in 2019.
Strangely enough, however, despite the belief that Duclair would dominate on the power play and not even play on the penalty kill, it’s the exact opposite. Duclair struggled on the man advantage at times during the season, while actually providing solid play on the Senators’ penalty kill, which makes things even more confusing.
However, another fact that stands out is that Duclair dominated the first half of the NHL season, scoring 21 goals and 33 points in 47 games. While the second half of the season was suspended, he only tallied two goals in 19 games following the all-star game, a significant drop off, making him one of the more unique players with little consistency.
Potential Suitors
While many people figured that Duclair had a good chance to sign a long-term deal with Ottawa this offseason, that never materialized. Duclair fired his agent and opted to represent himself. He was supposedly offered a two-year deal at $3MM AAV and turned that deal down, believing he could get more on the open market. However, no deal has materialized in this depressed market and now with Ottawa having brought in Evgenii Dadonov and Alex Galchenyuk, it’s extremely unlikely that the Senators will bring back Duclair even if he accepts a lesser contract.
Other teams still may be interested, although a deal is likely to come closer to when training camps begin. There are a number of playoff teams that might be interested in bringing in the 25-year-old as a second or third-line option on a short-term deal, but Duclair might have to accept less from those teams than the deal that Ottawa offered in the first place.
The Nashville Predators, who are looking for more firepower for their team, have been mentioned as one team that is looking at both Mike Hoffman and Duclair as options, although Hoffman could be the team’s first choice. However, Duclair might be a good fit, who could battle for a spot on the team’s second line there.
Other playoff teams like the Boston Bruins, the Dallas Stars or the Colorado Avalanche as options, but many of these teams might be more likely to look and see what they have in training camp before bringing in Duclair.
Projected Contract
Representing himself may have been a mistake as the forward now may be forced to accept less than the two years at $3MM AAV that he reportedly declined earlier in the offseason. He will almost assuredly will have to accept a deal with little term, either a one or two-year deal, but may have to take something significantly less than what he rejected in the first place.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Zdeno Chara Waiting For 2020-21 Details Before Deciding Plans
One of the surprises so far in free agency is that Zdeno Chara remains unsigned more than a month in. While it’s still possible that he opts to stay in Boston, it’s also at least a bit intriguing that he hasn’t caught on anywhere else yet either. Speaking with Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy, Chara’s agent Matt Keator indicated that the reason for the delay in his client signing is that they are waiting to see what the format for next season will be before making any decisions on his plan and that there is no rush for him to make a decision.
Of course, while there was hope that there would be some information on how next season would proceed following yesterday’s Board of Governors meeting, that didn’t really happen. All options remain on the table for now and the NHL remains hopeful that they can drop the puck on the regular season on January 1st.
The 43-year-old isn’t in a situation where he needs to show what he can still do; while Chara isn’t the top pairing player he once was, he showed last season that he can still handle a sizable workload, logging just over 21 minutes a night. But that was in a normal schedule and next season certainly doesn’t have the feel of a normal one so it’s understandable that the uncertainty is delaying things here.
One of the more discussed possibilities is the usage of short-term bubbles where a team would play several games in a short period of time before returning home. Another is playing consecutive games at a place on the road to lessen the amount of travel. Neither of these scenarios necessarily suit Chara well as extra back-to-back games at this stage of his career certainly isn’t ideal. And of course, there is the possibility of things changing in-season to further complicate things.
Chara is in a position where he can certainly afford to wait things out. He’s not commanding top dollar on the market at this stage of his career and by now, his camp probably has a pretty good idea of what his next deal will look like, whether it’s from the Bruins or elsewhere. So, while other free agents are playing the waiting game to see what type of money they’ll eventually be able to get, he’ll continue waiting as well but for a different reason entirely.
Poll: Which Team Is The Best Fit For Mike Hoffman?
We’re now more than a month into NHL free agency and Mike Hoffman still sits on the open market without a contract. The 30-year-old forward is taking his time with what could be a career-changing decision, but it is still unclear where exactly he will eventually land.
From the start of free agency we’ve heard almost every team linked to Hoffman in some sort of speculation, with even his old team the Florida Panthers linked recently. There have been some like the Philadelphia Flyers who apparently haven’t reached out despite a potential need, but the longer it goes on the more teams may believe they can get a bargain.
But where is the right fit for Hoffman? When we polled the PHR community a few weeks ago, the vote was split on whether the free agent should be looking for a one-year contract or still trying to secure a multi-year deal. We already saw players like Taylor Hall and Tyson Barrie take one-year deals to try and build their value for a bigger contract next summer, but is that the right fit for a player who hasn’t really experienced any inconsistency on the ice?
Hoffman, the best pure goal scorer among any of the free agents this year, has found the back of the net 169 times over the past six seasons. That includes 29 goals in just 69 games this year, easily on pace to crack the 30-goal mark for the second consecutive season had it not been stopped prematurely.
Lots of teams could use that kind of instant offense, especially on the powerplay. Despite finishing tenth overall in the regular season and going all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Dallas Stars wouldn’t be considered an offensive juggernaut. In fact, the team scored just 178 goals in the regular season, putting them 29 out of 31 teams. The Columbus Blue Jackets had a similar story, relying on tight defense and strong goaltending to go as far as they did. Columbus recently lost Gustav Nyquist to a long-term injury as well, meaning their search for goals may be increased even further.
But even those teams that can score should be interested in the 30-goal man. The Colorado Avalanche had the fourth most goals scored in the entire league but were still in the bottom-half in powerplay percentage. Hoffman has scored 60 powerplay goals in his career, more even than Nathan MacKinnon despite playing in fewer games.
Why not even consider a team that is still rebuilding, like the Detroit Red Wings? On a short-term deal, Hoffman would be guaranteed plenty of powerplay time and shifts next to the team’s best players and could test the market again down the road. The team on the other hand could potentially move him at the deadline to a contender for some added assets.
There’s a case to be made for almost every team in the league, assuming that Hoffman comes at a reasonable price. But which is the absolute best fit? Cast your vote below and leave your thoughts in the comments.
Which is the best fit for Mike Hoffman?
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Boston Bruins 14% (446)
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St. Louis Blues 8% (244)
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New York Islanders 6% (198)
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Columbus Blue Jackets 6% (191)
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Nashville Predators 6% (182)
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Vancouver Canucks 5% (170)
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Detroit Red Wings 5% (149)
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Edmonton Oilers 4% (131)
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Pittsburgh Penguins 4% (124)
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Montreal Canadiens 4% (123)
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Buffalo Sabres 4% (119)
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Florida Panthers 4% (116)
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Philadelphia Flyers 3% (96)
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Colorado Avalanche 3% (85)
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New Jersey Devils 3% (84)
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Chicago Blackhawks 2% (80)
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Ottawa Senators 2% (76)
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New York Rangers 2% (73)
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Calgary Flames 2% (62)
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Los Angeles Kings 2% (62)
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Toronto Maple Leafs 2% (58)
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Dallas Stars 2% (56)
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Carolina Hurricanes 2% (54)
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Minnesota Wild 1% (47)
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San Jose Sharks 1% (42)
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Winnipeg Jets 1% (40)
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Arizona Coyotes 1% (31)
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Vegas Golden Knights 1% (31)
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Washington Capitals 1% (28)
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Anaheim Ducks 1% (19)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 0% (14)
Total votes: 3,231
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Free Agent Profile: Andreas Athanasiou
It’s amazing how much the perception of a player can change within a year. Free agent winger Andreas Athanasiou is only the latest example of this. Following 2018-19, he appeared to be a core player that could be part of Detroit’s long-term plans. One year later, he had been traded and ultimately was non-tendered by Edmonton last month (meaning he wasn’t part of our Top 50 UFA list) and remains unsigned more than a month into free agency.
So how did things get this far? He is, after all, only a year removed from scoring 30 goals with the Red Wings. However, things didn’t go anywhere near as well with them last season as he just 10 in 46 games before his former GM in Ken Holland came calling, second a pair of second-round picks to get Athanasiou with the Oilers. Unfortunately for them, the 25-year-old didn’t improve as he had a limited role down the stretch and in the postseason. The pandemic levelling out the salary cap didn’t hurt either as all of a sudden, his $3MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights was too rich so he was set free.
But even with that, it’s noteworthy to see him still unsigned at this point. He can play all three forward positions (although he’s better on the wing than down the middle) and he’s at the point where he should be entering the prime of his career. But at the same time, the fact that he didn’t fit in with Edmonton is telling and is likely giving teams some pause. On paper, the speedster seemed like a good option for the Oilers but it just didn’t come to fruition.
While the days of labelling players as top six-only options have come and gone as teams now run more offensively-oriented third lines, Athanasiou could still be classified as such. He’s not the best in his own end which makes him a less than ideal fit on a checking or energy line so that limits his options somewhat. But still, there should be a landing spot for him in a middle-six role, one that likely sees him slotted on the third line with the upside to move up if he plays well.
Potential Suitors
A lot depends on where Athanasiou’s price tag is at right now. On the surface, his best bet in terms of finding an ideal fit is a lower-priced one-year deal that gives him a shot at rebuilding some value. He’d still be controllable through arbitration but if he plays well, the higher price may be something that the team is willing to pay. Going with that approach also gives him the most opportunities to sign as if he’s seeking a deal that was close to his previous one, he’ll price himself out of the budgets for most teams. The potential fits below keep that in mind.
In the East, New Jersey is likely to keep some spots open for younger players but Athanasiou is young enough that a good season could see him become a part of their longer-term core. With three offensive lines, there’s a spot for him to play on and as they have the most cap space in the league, he may be able to garner more from them than certain other teams. One of those other teams would be Boston. They’re not likely to have a lot of cap space by the time Jake DeBrusk’s deal gets done but if they are indeed committed to going with the back end they currently have, they should have enough room to add some more help up front. Secondary scoring has long been an area that they’ve wanted to improve and while Craig Smith will help, Athanasiou would give them a boost. Florida has already lost Evgenii Dadonov while Mike Hoffman remains unsigned. They’ve added Patric Hornqvist and some other depth options but more help is needed up front and like the Devils, they have the cap room to go higher for Athanasiou than most do.
Out West, the Kings are a team that’s trying to get younger so while the idea of shopping for veterans on the open market doesn’t really appeal to them, Athanasiou is young enough that he should pique their interest and there is certainly a middle-six role available on their current roster. Anaheim is a team that needs to get younger up front and with Ryan Kesler heading for LTIR once again, there should be room to add and Athanasiou would fit in well with some of their up-and-coming quicker players. Vancouver has lost some of their forward depth this offseason both in terms of a top-six player (Tyler Toffoli) and secondary scoring (Josh Leivo). It would take either Micheal Ferland heading back to LTIR or some other cap-freeing moves from GM Jim Benning but the Canucks are quickly becoming an up-tempo team which would suit Athanasiou well.
Projected Contract
A one-year deal is probably the best fit for both Athanasiou and his eventual team and he isn’t eligible for performance bonuses. At this point, the maximum he could look to get would be around the $2MM mark and even that may be hard to get with so many others still unsigned as well. Accordingly, something closer to $1.25MM and $1.5MM should be what his next deal checks in at. While that’s a big cut from $3MM, a bounce back season would certainly position himself for a much bigger pay day through arbitration next offseason. Even if non-tendered, he’d at least be coming off of a better season before hitting the market. For Athanasiou, the best approach for 2020-21 may be to take a short-term hit financially to set himself up for a better deal down the road.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.