Penguins/NHL
No home-town discount on the table?
The Ottawa Sun reports that Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar could command $6 million on the open market. Gonchar, 35, is a free agent at seasons end.
While I rarely put too much stock into contract rumors from outsiders, the general vibe around the league from executives is that Gonchar will be able to land a salary of $5-6 million on the open market. From that standpoint , I can confirm the report.
There continues to be speculation that Gonchar won’t take a home-town discount like many first believed, based on discussions between Ray Shero and J.P. Barry this summer.
We will soon find out once the calendar changes, if that stance has changed.
Penguins GM Ray Shero and J.P. Barry, the agent for Gonchar are set to conduct a meeting regarding Gonchar in early January.
It will be the first meeting between the two sides since mid-September. By late January, we will know which direction Gonchar is leaning. Pittsburgh won’t negotiate with Gonchar after the trade deadline.
