Day Two of free agency saw the league’s free agent market stall in a holding pattern, as everyone waited for top free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to finally decide which teams they want to play for. There have been no answers yet.
I appreciate that a lot of teams (and players) are waiting for these two dominoes to fall. But consider this: both FAs have more suitors than they know what to do with, all of whom are making carefully-crafted pitches. Team captains are calling. $100MM bids are made. The temporary cap–and GMs’ desire to improve the fortunes of their franchise–have led to multiple mega-offers. It’s not just about the money; it’s the rest of your life to sort out.
Which team gives you the best shot at a Cup? That’s not simple, either.
Ilya Kovalchuk had just two teams making a serious bid for his services in 2010, and he took 19 days to choose — throwing a dramatic cross-country trip to LA in the mix, which made both fanbases’ heads explode.
As impatient as we all are, this is a mild delay by comparison.
Parise and Suter have more multi-million dollar offers than they know what to do with. We may wish we were in their shoes. But two days is not unreasonable.
Even as we’re drumming our fingers.