Confirmed with Link: When Will Werenski Sign (UPDATE: 9 September 2019, apparently - $15m/3yr)

[CBJWerenski8]

NHL RFA's: In contractual staredowns with NHL teams trying to get every penny and walk straight to UFA>

Werenski: signs team friendly deal with fair terms and remains a RFA after the contract ends, a sign of good faith and a wanting to be where he is.

CBJ Fans: Nice! Good deal! Let's trade him.

 

[blahblah]

Continued hope that something nicer can be achieved? That could very well be a "we'd like better, but if we can't get better we'll take that" situation.

There were a lot RFA's and their agents kind of looking around.

Assuming the report is accurate, meh. I'll be happy to have him around for another three years and nothing really wrong with the money. Of course I would have liked a long term deal, but it appears to be done. Not a fan of this bridge deals for players like Wereenski.

 

[JacketsDavid]

Like others I love the deal, but do worry about 3 years trying to sign both him and Jones.
But for now great deal and IF we can contend gives us room to add on at the deadline.

 

[pled]

this is pretty much free the deal is amazing

 

[Long Live Lyle]

NHL RFA's: In contractual staredowns with NHL teams trying to get every penny and walk straight to UFA>

Werenski: signs team friendly deal with fair terms and remains a RFA after the contract ends, a sign of good faith and a wanting to be where he is.

CBJ Fans: Nice! Good deal! Let's trade him.

1) I think you’re overrating the “team friendliness” of the deal and Weresnki’s selflessness. He had no leverage. He’s now virtually guaranteed $7M AAV in 3 years, regardless of his play (unless he completely goes in the tank, in which case we’ll just let him go UFA. But even if he’s just “strong”, we’ll probably qualify him/re-sign him at that rate). He played it about as well as he could have from an individual standpoint. Obviously, he could’ve held out and he didn’t but he also didn’t sign an 8-year deal at that rate (or even a simple $15M/3 years at a last year salary of $5M) so I’m not gonna praise him as much for that as others. He’s probably at about a $5M level right now (some advanced stats people would say he’s not) but he’s not a $7M level... yet.

2) No one is saying for sure trade him specifically. I do think it’s likely in our best interest to trade one of our D for a forward (Foligno is on our first line right now...). He’s at least an option now, just like Savard, Nuti and Murray all are, too.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

1) I think you’re overrating the “team friendliness” of the deal and Weresnki’s selflessness. He had no leverage. He’s now virtually guaranteed $7M AAV in 3 years, regardless of his play (unless he completely goes in the tank, in which case we’ll just let him go UFA. But even if he’s just “strong”, we’ll probably qualify him/re-sign him at that rate). He played it about as well as he could have from an individual standpoint. Obviously, he could’ve held out and he didn’t but he also didn’t sign an 8-year deal at that rate (or even a simple $15M/3 years at a last year salary of $5M) so I’m not gonna praise him as much for that as others. He’s probably at about a $5M level right now (some advanced stats people would say he’s not) but he’s not a $7M level... yet.

2) No one is saying for sure trade him specifically. I do think it’s likely in our best interest to trade one of our D for a forward (Foligno is on our first line right now...). He’s at least an option now, just like Savard, Nuti and Murray all are, too.

1. Other NHL RFA's are trying to walk straight to UFA (4 year deals, or at most 5) and they have no leverage either. Werenski and his camp could have dug in and tried to do the same maneuver, but they didn't. Both sides insisted they talked about a 3 and 7 year deal but both sides liked a 3 year deal better. They could have gone to contractual battle over the issue of UFA, but they didn't. The 7 million number is just a placeholder if he continues to play as well as his first 3 seasons in the NHL say, and he could possibly top Jones' deal if he blows past his first three years. I'm not trying to say Z and his camp were some saints and did the Jackets a favor, but they wanted to get a deal done to be in camp and start right away, when many others are doing the opposite. I think that says a lot to the way Werenski and his camp feel about how he's been treated and his future here, and given the mass exit of stars here and the way other RFA's are going after their money/UFA/demanding moves I can appreciate that.

2. I think trading a defenseman is a smart thing too, but unless you're getting an equal value star, I'm not trading Werenski. It irked me that some peoples first reaction to him signing (on here, reddit, and twitter) was that he's easier to trade now. 30 other teams would love to have a Werenski, but we under value his importance here because we have a deep defense and ultra star Seth Jones. Werenski might end up being an ultra star in his own way one day, but that's trade bait to some people. Yeah, you might get something really really good for him, but keeping him and Jones together for their whole careers and never worrying about your top pair defense sounds pretty appealing to me too.

 

[jfc64]

Trade Savard or Murray?

 

[Long Live Lyle]

1. Other NHL RFA's are trying to walk straight to UFA (4 year deals, or at most 5) and they have no leverage either. Werenski and his camp could have dug in and tried to do the same maneuver, but they didn't. Both sides insisted they talked about a 3 and 7 year deal but both sides liked a 3 year deal better. They could have gone to contractual battle over the issue of UFA, but they didn't. The 7 million number is just a placeholder if he continues to play as well as his first 3 seasons in the NHL say, and he could possibly top Jones' deal if he blows past his first three years. I'm not trying to say Z and his camp were some saints and did the Jackets a favor, but they wanted to get a deal done to be in camp and start right away, when many others are doing the opposite. I think that says a lot to the way Werenski and his camp feel about how he's been treated and his future here, and given the mass exit of stars here and the way other RFA's are going after their money/UFA/demanding moves I can appreciate that.

2. I think trading a defenseman is a smart thing too, but unless you're getting an equal value star, I'm not trading Werenski. It irked me that some peoples first reaction to him signing (on here, reddit, and twitter) was that he's easier to trade now. 30 other teams would love to have a Werenski, but we under value his importance here because we have a deep defense and ultra star Seth Jones. Werenski might end up being an ultra star in his own way one day, but that's trade bait to some people. Yeah, you might get something really really good for him, but keeping him and Jones together for their whole careers and never worrying about your top pair defense sounds pretty appealing to me too.

I think, for me, it boils down to the fact that I think he’s being overrated by a lot of this fanbase as things stand. Now, he’s only 21, and that’s really important to note (particularly for a defenseman), but we’re basing a lot of our love of this deal on projected growth, and that doesn’t always happen.

I maintain it’s not a “team friendly” deal. Just that he wasn’t greedy or completely selfish. Perhaps that’s semantics, and perhaps the new RFA climate changes things a bit, but if this was signed 365 days ago or 730 days ago, nobody would be calling it team friendly. It’s just in comparison to what others are asking, and not actually the leverage he had.

 

[The Jones Zone]

fair deal! Now go out and prove your worth~9 mill/season Zach.


EDIT: So it's 4/4/7 million over 3 years. This helps alleviate the bad contracts of Foligno and Dubinsky over their last 2 years.

 

[The Jones Zone]

Because I'm always wrong I changed my vote to after Opening Night.

well done

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I think, for me, it boils down to the fact that I think he’s being overrated by a lot of this fanbase as things stand. Now, he’s only 21, and that’s really important to note (particularly for a defenseman), but we’re basing a lot of our love of this deal on projected growth, and that doesn’t always happen.

I maintain it’s not a “team friendly” deal. Just that he wasn’t greedy or completely selfish. Perhaps that’s semantics, and perhaps the new RFA climate changes things a bit, but if this was signed 365 days ago or 730 days ago, nobody would be calling it team friendly. It’s just in comparison to what others are asking, and not actually the leverage he had.

You think he’s over rated by our fan base? We’re going to have to agree to disagree. He gets drug through the mud a ton for his defensive short comings (which is fair, but people only bring up the start of his year and rarely the end) and very rarely talk him up.

 

[CoachWithNoTeam]

A lot can change in three years, so who knows how our cap situation will look then, or when he and Jones will re-sign, so I’m not quite worried about that offseason yet. I also believe that Werenski has played like a $7M practically since he entered the league, so I don’t think it will be an issue having to pay him that amount in the years after his contract is up. So I’ll say that getting a $5M cap hit and only paying him $4M each of the next two years is a big win.

 

[KCbus]

2. I think trading a defenseman is a smart thing too, but unless you're getting an equal value star, I'm not trading Werenski. It irked me that some peoples first reaction to him signing (on here, reddit, and twitter) was that he's easier to trade now. 30 other teams would love to have a Werenski, but we under value his importance here because we have a deep defense and ultra star Seth Jones. Werenski might end up being an ultra star in his own way one day, but that's trade bait to some people. Yeah, you might get something really really good for him, but keeping him and Jones together for their whole careers and never worrying about your top pair defense sounds pretty appealing to me too.

Absolutely. There's no way you trade Werenski unless it's some kind of blockbuster. He's a young man who has superstar potential at the defenseman position. You don't trade that away unless someone is really going to make it worth your while. That's the kind of move you make and then spend years trying to replace what you gave up, because star defensemen are hard to come by.

 

[Cowumbus]

Like others I love the deal, but do worry about 3 years trying to sign both him and Jones.
But for now great deal and IF we can contend gives us room to add on at the deadline.

Duby and Foligno will be gone by then.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

In case if anyone tries to spin this bridge deal as Z wanting to hit the open market sooner/doesn’t like Columbus:

“I’ve signed with them for three more years and we’ll probably do more after that,” he said. “I haven’t thought about anything else other than playing here and living here.

“We’ve made the playoffs three times (so far in my career), made the second round once, had a 16-game winning streak. There have been some ups and downs for the team and for me as a player, but the whole time I’ve loved it here. It’s an awesome place to play, and an awesome city.”

Updated: Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets avoid early camp drama...

 

[majormajor]

Tell me in three years how team friendly this deal is. An 8 year deal is what suited the team's cap situation.

2. I think trading a defenseman is a smart thing too, but unless you're getting an equal value star, I'm not trading Werenski.

Was someone suggesting trading him for a lesser piece? The whole point is you trade him for an equally valuable forward!

And I'd maintain that trading a D-man like Savard or Murray doesn't improve the team. Those guys are very valuable to us. Both were better than Werenski last year, though I think Werenski will pass them soon. They return decent second line type F's, not elite forwards. We don't have a shortage of decent scorers, we have a shortage of elite forwards. Only Werenski gets us an upgrade.

30 other teams would love to have a Werenski, but we under value his importance here because we have a deep defense and ultra star Seth Jones.

We under value him because we don't need him as much.

 

[Old Guy]

............, but do worry about 3 years trying to sign both him and Jones.

Believe me.....this community will have PLENTY to worry about until then.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Was someone suggesting trading him for a lesser piece? The whole point is you trade him for an equally valuable forward!

And I'd maintain that trading a D-man like Savard or Murray doesn't improve the team. Those guys are very valuable to us. Both were better than Werenski last year, though I think Werenski will pass them soon. They return decent second line type F's, not elite forwards. We don't have a shortage of decent scorers, we have a shortage of elite forwards. Only Werenski gets us an upgrade.

But if you trade Werenski you have one less d-man, and this one a pending-elite young player who it appeared was coming in to his own at the end of last season and in the playoffs.

I think Zach was much better than Murray come playoff time.

 

[GoJackets1]

In case if anyone tries to spin this bridge deal as Z wanting to hit the open market sooner/doesn’t like Columbus:



Updated: Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets avoid early camp drama...

Gotta keep drafting those hardy Midwestern boys, eh?

 

[EspenK]

Interesting take on Z's deal. In effect saying it is a 4 year deal.

Zach Werenski Gets a Valuable Piece of Leverage In This Contract Negotiation with the Blue Jackets

 

[Merrrlin]

fair deal! Now go out and prove your worth~9 mill/season Zach.


EDIT: So it's 4/4/7 million over 3 years. This helps alleviate the bad contracts of Foligno and Dubinsky over their last 2 years.

I could be wrong, but does the last year being 7 influence his final RFA year's arbitration offer?

 

[EspenK]

I could be wrong, but does the last year being 7 influence his final RFA year's arbitration offer?

It affects his qualify offer which I believe would be 7 mm. Read the article 2 posts up for more info.

 

[Nanabijou]

Kudos to both sides in finding a compromise before camp starts. Contract seems fine to me.

It's easy to say he should have been signed for 8 years, but I doubt that was a real viable option on terms of Zach's agent without paying through the roof. These agents know that there's likely some bigger contracts down the road when the new TV deal etc gets signed I see this being the best compromise for both the team and the player.

 

[blahblah]

Interesting take on Z's deal. In effect saying it is a 4 year deal.

Zach Werenski Gets a Valuable Piece of Leverage In This Contract Negotiation with the Blue Jackets

Yeah, nothing really interesting there. That's the risk of a bridge deal like this. The player can go to arbitration and become a UFA. That's why I don't like them for players like this.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Yeah, nothing really interesting there. That's the risk of a bridge deal like this. The player can go to arbitration and become a UFA. That's why I don't like them for players like this.

You might well not like them, but unless you've been sleeping the entire last year, you would have noticed that the RFA market has undergone massive changes. Ever hear of some guys named Matthews, Marner and Nylander?

At the end of the day, the CBJ are going to have to pay Z like a UFA next time they sign him. That's the way the market for RFAs is going (thanks child GM in Toronto!). The old strategy (that Jarmo used only one time-with Jones) of signing a top RFA to a long term discount is gone and probably not going to return.