Let me first remind you of the introductions. As reported by the KHL press service overnight, the Avangard forward Arseniy Gritsyuk who is a free agent with compensation, has accepted a contract offer S.K.A. .
As we know, this is a one-way contract for two seasons. In the first year, Gritsyuk can earn 50 million rubles plus 10 million bonuses, in the second year – 60 million plus 6 million bonuses.
Previously, Avangard made a qualifying offer to Gritsyuk – a two-year bilateral contract under the program of 30 + 60 million rubles. But the hockey player did not accept it. Avangard now has a week to repeat SKA’s offer or receive compensation for their player in the amount of 100 million rubles.
Last season, Gritsyuk scored 40 (15+25) points in 66 regular season games, adding 4 (3+1) points in 11 playoff games. Also, as you remember, Arseniy became the hero of the Olympics when he converted the decisive ball in the semi-final with the Swedes.
… You know, I almost always take the side of hockey players, and in this case I will analyze the story of Arseniy Gritsyuk from the point of view of a player. But it’s not an easy game of chess.
The main thing is whether Gritsyuk has high potential? Will he be able to play in the NHL in a few years? I see such potential in Arseny.
Can Gritsyuk play in the NHL now? No, it’s still raw. He needs to be developed so that he goes to America like Kaprizov or Panarin. Of course, you can climb in the AHL, the same Shesterkin did it and became a star. But Igor was already a ready player. And there are more risks. Look at Yegor Sharangovich, for example. He joined the New Jersey system when he was 20 years old. He spent two full years in the AHL, after which he started playing in the NHL full-time. Plus, there’s been strict coach Lindy Ruff with the Devils for a long time. He will not immediately give the young Russian a place at the base – he will have to cook in the farm club for a few years.
In other words, we still took two years for development. Either we have to prepare for the NHL for 60 million rubles a year, or in the AHL for 5.5 million rubles a year (a contract for $70,000 a year, less taxes, food and housing for you), or, in other words, for free.
So you have to look for a club where you will be well developed. SKA is in principle suitable for this, although the level of competition is higher there than at Avangard. If Gritsyuk in Omsk initially secured a place in the top 6, because he is on the board and the face of the club, then in SKA this place has to be gnawed at. But you can earn it by properly pumping up your stats and going Panarin’s way.
Artemiy Panarin left for Chicago at 24 when he scored 62 (26+36) points in 54 games, adding to them 20 (5+15) points in 20 playoff games – and won the Gagarin Cup. Well, at the World Championship, Panarin scored 10 (5+5) points in 10 matches. He was a mature adult player, the leader of the league’s top three. They did it like that in SKA. Gritsyuk will turn 24 in two seasons. Purely theoretically, he can puff himself up like this, becoming the new Panarin of St. Petersburg.
But Avangard will certainly repeat Gritsyuk’s offer. What is 100 million rubles in compensation? It’s $1.2 million. This is a bargaining chip – Omsk paid 80 million rubles in compensation for the same Igor Geraskin. No, if I was the hawks, I wouldn’t take this compensation. It is more interesting to repeat Gritsyuk’s new contract. So what’s the next step?
Avangard will surely put Arseniy in exchange. For me, it would be ideal to give Gritsyuk to SKA for Matvey Michkov. Plus for St. Petersburg – SKA gets a new Panarin for two years, then Artemy … I mean, Arseniy, will leave. Also for Avangard – Michkov has a contract for up to three seasons, he will fit into the top 6 no worse than Gritsyuk. And the same young club star. It’s obvious that Michkov isn’t in the SKA top 6 right now. What to do with him then? Send again on loan to Sochi or Lada? Not an option.
Is it possible to leave Gritsyuk in Omsk knowing that passions will subside during the summer? The problem is that the agency factor is a bomb that goes off all the time. Yes, and Arseniy himself will probably be taken to the New Jersey Farm Club. But the sporting rights of the player can still be changed. And Gritsyuk himself, most likely, will go to the KHL on loan by winter. So for Avangard it will always be liquid.
This is how I laid out the cards. It is interesting to see how this predicament will ultimately be resolved.
, the thematic television channels of the holding, as well as the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru broadcast the last season of the Fonbet KHL championship live.
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
