Interesting news from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN this weekend, regarding the contract status of defenseman Drew Doughty (a pending restricted free agent next summer) and the Los Angeles Kings:
Talks, as far as I can tell, still haven't begun, but one thing I was told Friday is that the Kings at this point are leaning toward a short-term deal instead of the multiyear deals you usually see for these young stars; the reason being that the Kings are weary of the uncertainty of the next CBA. I don't think you can rule out a long-term deal, because, after all, it all depends on the money, but short term is where the Kings are leaning right now.
Does this surprise anyone? We figured the summer's Ilya Kovalchuk mess put a chill through the League on long-term deals, until Jeff Carter inked that 11-year deal a week ago. Doughty would seem to be a prime candidate for something long-term, considering the market and the Kings being a team that's clearly on the upswing.
Plus, the chances to go long-term with a player like Doughty might be dwindling. We asked agent Allan Walsh on Puck Daddy Radio last week about long-term deals in the next CBA, and he said the following:
"I would not be surprised to see a push coming from the League to put a term limit on contracts in the next CBA negotiation.
"Teams know they must lock up and sign their own homegrown talent at an earlier age. If they don't do it, they risk these players hitting the market at some point and time, which would be cataclysmic for their own development as an organization."
Should the Kings say 'damn the CBA' and go long with Doughty? Or is Dean Lombardi right to think about a shorter-term deal?
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