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THE NEDVED SITUATION
Volume 1, Issue 1: Originally posted on August 7, 1998

The New York Post reported today that Pat Lafontaine will announce his retirement early next week. This is sad news for hockey, but ultimately it is good news for Lafontaine. There is no point for him to risk his life and health to play perhaps one or two more seasons of hockey.

Following Lafontaine's formal announcement, Rangers' General Manager Neil Smith will have to turn his mind to filling the hole at centre ice left by Lafontaine's departure. Marc Savard, a centre, is probably ready to make the jump to play full time in the NHL. He has demonstrated offensive prowess as a junior and in his one year with the Rangers' AHL team in Hartford. However, while he comes much more inexpensively than did Lafontaine, it is unlikely that Savard should, at such an early stage in his career, be forced to assume the important role played by Lafontaine. Lafontaine was the second-line centre and an important element in the Ranger power play. The problem for the Rangers is to find an experienced NHLer who can play centre.

Nedved on ice
The Pittsburgh Penguins too have a problem at centre ice. Unfortunately, it is a little more complicated than finding a player to play centre. The Penguins have a player who is healthy and capable of playing centre. Unfortunately, that player is not signed. His name is Petr Nedved. For more than a year, he has been a restricted free agent. He did not play at all last year. Craig Patrick, the GM for the Pens, has refused to submit to Nedved's salary demands. Before the 1997-98 season began, Nedved's agent, Tony Kondel, told the Penguins that Nedved was looking for a five year contract at a little more than $3 million per year. Patrick scoffed and let Nedved sit. At the trade deadline, Patrick attempted to deal Nedved to interested parties, only to have deals fall through because Nedved's salary demands had increased beyond the $3 million per year he was originally requesting. Kondel explained that in light of the signings of Sundin and Federov, Nedved was worth substantially more than what he had previously wanted.

Unfortunately, Craig Patrick has all the leverage. Nedved has few options. He tried to play in the Czech Republic, and then for the Las Vegas Thunder of the IHL, but these attempts were blocked by various obstacles, including legal ones. It has been reported that Nedved is again negotiating with the Thunder (presumably in the event that nothing happens on the NHL front). There is nothing lucrative in these options. But no team has stepped forward to sign Nedved to an offer sheet. This is likely not an indication that no team wants Nedved. He would certainly help an offensively starved team. More than likely, teams have been scared off by the nature of his demands and by the possibility that he will someday hold out again (he has done it twice before). Nedved, as talented as he is, is not the equivalent of Sundin or Federov. He is certainly not worth the five first round draft picks that would have to be delivered by the team signing Nedved successfully to an offer sheet. He is, however, probably worth at least $3 - 4 million a year in today's market, given the $2.5 million per year to which Steve Thomas and John MacLean each signed. A team trading for Nedved will want to sign him first.

Jagr, Nedved in happier times.
The situation has become ridiculous and somewhat embarrassing for the NHL. Neither side is willing to budge. Nedved has said he never wants to play for Pittsburgh again. He risks wasting the prime years of his NHL career (and, given the departure of Ron Francis, an opportunity to centre a line with fellow Czech Jaromir Jagr). Patrick risks losing an asset for nothing. He has said that he still wants to sign Nedved, but he has also said (probably to maintain his bargaining position) that letting Nedved sit another year is an option. He protected Nedved in the expansion draft, indicating that he is not willing to part with this asset for nothing. More than likely, Patrick will trade Nedved before the season starts. (In retrospect, given the market in recent months, five years at $3 million per year for Nedved must now seem like a bargain to Patrick.)

The New York Rangers should be, and probably are, interested in acquiring Nedved. The asking price likely will not be steep. The Penguins also need help at centre, but they might be willing to settle for a talented winger like Alexei Kovalev, along with a young prospect (perhaps Savard or Christian Dube, both of whom are centres). Kovalev is similar to Nedved in some ways -- he is a talented but one dimensional player -- though he has less of an attitude and occasionally shows flashes of brilliance. In great frustration, the Rangers have waited for him to blossom. He can probably play left wing (instead of his normal right wing), since he shoots left. On a line with Jagr and fellow Russian German Titov (who, at present, appears to be fixed as the first line centre for the Pens), Kovalev might show his true worth.

Will Petr ever sign?
Realignment puts the Rangers and the Penguins in the same division this season, and this is certainly a relevant factor. But with playoff position still determined primarily on the basis of conference ranking, intra-divisional trading is not entirely off limits.

Assuming the Rangers could negotiate a contract with Nedved, such a deal would save face for Patrick, Nedved and Kondel. The Rangers would have their second-line centre, and the Pens would obtain something significant in return. It's not likely that the Penguins will do much better than such a deal.

[Photos courtesy of Kelli Tibbens.]