Excerpt from TSN concerning RFA Andrei Kostitsyn:
Why you would want to hand him an offer sheet:
Kostitsyn enjoyed a breakout year in 2007-08, playing on Montreal’s No. 1 line with Alex Kovalev and Tomas Plekanec. He was a human highlight reel on most nights, dazzling even the most fickle Hab fans with his skating and stick work. With 29 goals and 53 points in his first full NHL season, he has the potential to be an elite scorer.
Not So Fast:
The Canadiens have about $31 million committed to 14 regulars next year, with Kostitsyn being the ‘toughest’ of their RFA’s to sign. Josh Gorges, Mikhail Grabovski, Maxim Lapierre, Ryan O’Byrne and Jaroslav Halak aren’t cornerstones the way Kostitsyn is just yet, and aside from unrestricted free agent Mark Streit, the team shouldn’t have any big problems keeping their core together. Kostitsyn has already stated that he’s happy playing in Montreal and wants to stay, and having younger brother Sergei around is a big incentive to do so.
Habster:
Bob Gainey will have Andrei Kostitsyn signed to a contract extension well in advance of any need to go to arbitration or giving any other team the opportunity to make an offer sheet.
Even though it’s highly unlikely, I wouldn’t be surprised if a “renegade” general manager made an offer sheet to an RFA player.
There will be player agents who will have unrealistic contract demands for their young clients with the idea of getting potential offers from other teams.
That is why general managers have changed their approach to RFAs and are starting to sign their young talented players to longer, richer contract deals……..call it the “Lowe Factor”.