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Friday, October 8, 1999
No sign of Iggy
GM Al Coates held talks with Iginla's agent yesterday but came away without any indication the two sides are closer to resolving the holdout of the restricted free agent.
"We've spoken a couple of times and we had good discussions, but I can't tell you we're any different than we were," said Coates.
"We're still a good distance apart."
Neither Coates or Iginla's camp is talking about specific numbers but speculation is the three-year pro is seeking about $1.7 million per season. It's believed the team's threshold is about $1.2 million in a three-year contract. But neither side has been able to even agree on the length of the contract.
"It's difficult to describe whether you are close or not because one thing triggers another," said Coates.
"I think there are some philosophical differences maybe on young players versus players who have been around for a while.
"We've always tried to get our good, young players on long-term contracts. If we do that, we're willing to pay more. If we can't get term, we're not willing to do that. I think the player has already had a level of accomplishment in the league that is worthy of something substantial, but he was 22 on July 1 and we've got a long career ahead of us together and I think we need to understand that and where we end up in the long-term.
"But we're certainly not trying to beat him up. We have a lot of respect for him."
At issue is where Iginla -- who last year had 28 goals and 23 assists in 82 games -- fits in the NHL salary structure.
He's comparing himself to players like Ottawa's Wade Redden, who makes $1.8 million per season.
The Flames are comparing him to other young players such as Edmonton's Ryan Smyth, who just signed an incentive-laden contract that begins at $700,000 but could be pushed as high as $1.6 million if he achieves all the bonuses.
Iginla has returned to his home in St. Albert to await resolution of the contract impasse. He's one of about 25 restricted NHL free agents currently holding out until new contracts are finalized.
Despite the impasse, Iginla was one of only a few restricted free agents who reported for training camp without a new contract.
According to sources, Iginla, who can't be reached for comment, is very disappointed a deal wasn't worked out before the season.
There are no new talks scheduled, said Coates.
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