Seattle Hockey Insider has learned that the Kraken and the agent for late blooming, high scoring winger Bobby McMann are ongoing, with nothing decided and no guarantees. If the club and the player can’t arrive at an agreement by July 1st, McMann will hit the open NHL market as an unrestricted free agent.
It was reiterated that McMann likes the club and enjoyed his brief time playing for Seattle. It was suggested that even if the player reaches July 1st without a deal, he could always circle back to the Kraken after testing the waters.
That scenario is unlikely, particularly in a summer that sees the salary cap jumping up to $104-million. There’s limited high-end talent in the marketplace, teams will be desperate and more willing to overpay, and the competition will be brisk.
While players are often made generous offers in this scenario, teams will put strict timelines on getting decisions and answers on July 1st; as in day parts, hours, or even minutes. It’s a limited leverage element. Clubs will quickly move on to alternate options and opportunities to fill needs.
Letting McMann reach July 1st and jumping into the mix would not be good for Kraken management’s collective nervous system. It would be safer to simply overpay in advance.
“It’s a good summer to be a free agent.”
The UFA’s potentially hitting the market this summer have most of, if not all of, the leverage. For the next 33 days they’re only negotiating with the teams that own their rights. They’ll get a deal done or they won’t and some talks will shut down sooner than others if there’s an impasse.
McMann is a player Seattle needs. Starving for offense, the Kraken saw the former Maple Leafs prospect score ten goals and tally 14 points in just 18 games after arriving in a trade from Toronto on March 6th.
At the same time, McMann is a player at least another dozen NHL teams would want.
For all intents and purposes, the Kraken have 33 days to get a deal done.
Earlier Kraken:
— Catton, Young Kraken Forward, Excited For ‘Big Off-Season’
