Kyle Turris’ Ridiculous Contract Demands?

^{Above: Kyle Turris celebrating one of the few occasions in which head coach Dave Tippett put him on the ice.}

Forgive me for the frequency in which Kyle Turris’ name has touched the pages of this website. Our envisioned scenario in which the Phoenix Coyotes center is traded to the Senators has reached Brennan/Konopka-like levels.

That being said, in light of yesterday’s post that made note of the ramifications of training camp battles that will be taking place elsewhere around the league, it’s befitting that ESPN’s Scott Burnside reports that the Coyotes will have a difficult time coming to terms with Turris on a new contract before camp starts.

Per Burnside:

Turris, the third overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft, is at the end of his entry-level deal, but talks with the Coyotes have gone nowhere. Unless there is a seismic change in tenor between the two sides, it’s hard to imagine he will be at camp when the Coyotes report for physicals in Glendale, Ariz., on Sept. 16. The team’s first on-ice session is set for a day later.

In 131 NHL games spread mostly over two seasons, Turris has scored just 19 goals.
With the recent acquisition of veteran center Daymond Langkow, Turris now sits third on the team’s depth chart (at best) behind Langkow and a healthy Martin Hanzal.

Still, league sources told ESPN.com that Turris is looking for a three-year deal worth an average of slightly more than $4 million annually or a two-year deal worth slightly more than $3 million. Those numbers would put Turris in the same high-rent district as James van Riemsdyk, who recently signed a six-year extension with the Philadelphia Flyers worth an average of $4.25 million. Van Riemsdyk is another player from that talent-rich 2007 draft class; he was the second overall pick behind No. 1 selection Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Suffice it to say, if Burnside’s sources are to be believed, Turris is asking for a lot of jack considering that he’s never taken a regular shift. Whether that’s his fault or Dave Tippett’s is open to interpretation but I can’t help but believe that these ‘steep demands’ are nothing more than a mechanism to facilitate a trade.

For a player like Turris, he needs the opportunity to play on a consistent basis amongst a team’s top six forwards. What better place for him to be than on a rebuilding Senators squad?

Via Twitter, I asked Hockey Prospectus’ Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) what the market value for Turris would be in a trade.

Not much. His ELC years are done, he hasn’t produced much, and his contract demands would give him negative value. He has definite top 6 potential but the appeal of a youngster producing big and proving significant value has faded.

As Twitter follower Mathieu Gauthier (@mathieugauthier) noted, Ottawa is an ideal trading partner for Phoenix. As an out conference team that has the cap space, trade chips and need to add another skilled center, it seems like a logical fit.