The Carolina Hurricanes signed the 23 year old Center to a six year, $24 million dollar deal. The Contract carries a $4 million dollar cap hit over the life of the contract.
Victor Rask was originally selected in the second round, 44th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2011 NHL entry draft. He spent his first two seasons in North America with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League before turning pro in 2013.
After a successful season with the Charlotte Checkers, Rask earned a permanent roster spot with the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2014-2015 season where he scored 33 points (11g, 22a). In his second season at the NHL level he did not disappoint.
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In the 2015-2016 season, Rask notched 21 goals and 27 assists during the last year of his entry level contract. The young Swede finished the 2015-2016 season tied for second in all points categories for the Carolina Hurricanes.
The five year deal includes a modified no trade clause in the last two seasons. The modified no trade clause includes a 10 team no trade list. At the end of the contract Rask will be a unrestricted free agent.
Contract Talks
Victor Rask entered the off season as a restricted free agent after the final year of his entry level deal. Being a restricted free agent, Ron Francis and the Carolina Hurricanes had the upper hand in negotiations.
The only thing that an RFA can do in negotiations if they are unhappy is go into arbitration. In arbitration a third party determines the salary of the player. Often times arbitration is messy and leaves both parties unhappy.
While teams like the Colorado Avalanche and the New York Rangers are heading to arbitration with their RFA’s, Carolina was able to avoid the messy situation with their marquis RFA and keep both parties happy.
Francis was able to get the dollar amount that he wanted, and Rask was able to get a long contract and avoid another RFA contract. This puts the negotiating leverage in Rask’s hands after his next contract.
Comparable Contracts
To understand what the contract means for the team, you can look at contracts that have similar term and dollar value. Brooks Laich’s current contract was for six years at $4.5 mil per season. At the time he was 28 years old and only had two seasons with 50 points.
Another similar contract is the one that Brandon Sutter signed with the Vancouver Canucks. His contract is for 5 years at $4.375 mil per year. Sutter, who Caniacs should remember, has only scored 20 goals twice in his career and on top of that is four years older than Rask.
Rask has been trending in the right direction and has a great chance to be a far better player than the other players making the same money. Granted RFA contracts are generally smaller than UFA contracts, this contract was a big win for the Carolina Hurricanes.
They now have one of the top scorers on the team signed for the next six years with only a $4 mil hit per year. It is a big step in building the future leaving enough cap space to sign other young players and take on cap at the trade deadline.
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With every move Francis is continuing to build a strong team for the future. He has avoided making any irrational moves and built a solid foundation made up of a young offensive and defensive core. When fans get impatient about free agency, it is important to remember moves like these and to have faith in the process.