With NHL training camps opening in a little over three weeks Winnipeg Jets centre Cole Perfetti is still unsigned and although he's just one of a handful of restricted free agents who are hoping to get paid, Perfetti and the Jets appear to be far apart on an extension.
With that in mind, Dave McCarthy of the NHL Network believes that multiple teams could be interested and could actually offer the 22-year-old an offer sheet.
Whether the reason the Jets and the twenty-two-year-old centre are far apart on a deal is because he feels he's worth more is subjective. But if the Jets are only willing to pay him a reported $4 million per season on a two-year bridge deal and a handful of teams possibly willing to offer $4.5 million a season one has to wonder what's going through Perfetti's head right now. With only 140 games under his belt over three seasons, it may seem like a small sample size to determine his worth however the team isn't paying for what he was able to accomplish over his previous time with the team but based on a projection of what he can do in the future.
But with Rutger McGroarty already demanding a trade away from the Jets and them granting his wish, Kevin Cheveldayoff needs to figure out a way to keep Perfetti in Manitoba not only for the short term but for the long term as well.
POLL | ||
Can the Winnipeg Jets get a deal done with Cole Perfetti? | ||
Yes. They'll work something out | 85 | 50.9 % |
No. He'll sign an offer sheet | 82 | 49.1 % |
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