What could Matthew Schaefer’s next contract look like?
The Sheet with Jeff Marek: Kevin Kavanaugh and Marek talk about New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer and what his next contract could look like. He’s eligible for a contract extension next offseason.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “Tell me when to stop. 16 (million), 17, 18. I’m talking about Matthew Schaefer. 19.”
Kavanaugh: “Let’s do 19. Who’s gonna take over to be the most, the highest paid player after Macklin Celebrini‘s extension?
And I actually don’t think it’s going to be Schaefer. He seems like a kind of guy who will take a reasonable value contract that won’t necessarily break the bank and take the blank check and the 20% allowed in the CBA. He might take a little bit of a discount to let the, the Islanders build around him and use that salary elsewhere.
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So, to me, I mean, yeah, Schaefer is going to be extension eligible on July one of next year. And you’d imagine that the Islanders do what the Sharks did this offseason with Macklin Celebrini and eventually come to terms on a deal.
It’ll be interesting, Jeff, to see what that term is, just given how this offseason is kind of shaked out, and these young players, instead of taking that usual max of eight years, which will be seven years starting on September 15th.
They’re taking that five-year deal that only buys one UFA year and really kind of allows them to re-dip in the pool of the contracts at age 26, which is still their prime years.”
Keep an eye on Carolina Hurricanes RFA defenseman Alexander Nikishin between now and the start of camp
NHL Network: Elliotte Friedman on Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin. He’s an RFA, and has had his name in the rumor mill this offseason. Nothing seems imminent, but he’s someone to keep an eye on.
** NHLRumors.com transcriptions
Friedman: “Tony. Can I, can I give you one more, like something to keep an eye on?”
Tony Luftman: “Do it. Yes.”
Friedman: “One of the other ones I have heard there’s been some talk about, though I don’t think anything is close, is Nikishin from Carolina?
I’ve just heard there’s, that is one that continues. It gets a little bit hotter in terms of conversations. Then it calms down. I don’t think anything’s close. I don’t get the sense that anything is imminent.
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But I, I do think that that is something that whether it’s you know at camp, that’s one that at some point in time, I think we’re going to see some action there. So it’s kind of been on, off, on, off.
But when I was asking around today, is there anything kind of going on out there. I had a couple people say to me, ‘That’s one you’re going to have to keep an eye on between now and the start of camp.’”
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