With training camp right around the corner, literally (camp starts Saturday), Andrew Gross is reporting that still unsigned RFA Brandon Dubinsky is confident that a deal will get done before camp starts.

While it is not necessary that Dubinsky be signed before camp begins –he can show up to camp as an invitee and pay his own insurance– it is good to see that Dubinsky set a hard deadline for the Rangers. It is disturbing that negotiations are taking this long though, and it makes you wonder what each side is offering.

The deal he signs will help answer questions about the negotiations themselves. There are three realistic scenarios in this situation:

  • Dubinsky signs for the qualifying offer, making it perfectly clear that terms from both sides were nowhere near agreement.
  • Dubinsky signs for a long-ish term contract (3 years) for more money than we expect, making it clear that he wanted more compensation for forfeiting his only bargaining chip until he becomes a UFA (arbitration).
  • Dubinsky signs a shorter term deal for less money than we expect, making it clear that he intends to use arbitration to get his raises, which could be substantial.

Remember, negotiations are a two-way street, and while Glen Sather’s track record with RFAs is spotty at best, you cannot absolve Dubinsky of all blame either.

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