The clock is ticking on Alex Formenton’s season. The NHL’s deadline to sign restricted free agents is looming on Thursday at 5 ET. Player's not signed by that deadline are ineligible to play this season, and Formenton is the league’s last unsigned free agent.
The Ottawa Senators have seemingly moved with little intention to negotiate and/or sign Formenton over the months since he did not sign his qualifying offer.
That has led to speculation around league circles that Formenton may be facing discipline for potential involvement in the Team Canada 2018 World Junior Championship team’s sexual assault case. It has left other clubs wondering: Why haven’t the Senators attempted to sign him?
Formenton, now 23, is one of the few players from that World Junior team who did not respond to the allegations either directly or through his representative.
It’s possible that the investigation’s findings will be released relatively soon, concurrently with any potential discipline. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported last week that the NHL’s investigation was “substantially complete,” and awaiting input from the London (Ont.) Police Service’s investigation on the file.
However, with the full extent of the details in the investigation unknown, will one team step up over the next day and take a flier on Formenton? What if Formenton was not party to the alleged assault?
He is an unquestionably talented player who scored 18 goals and 32 points with the Sens last season, including a league-leading five shorthanded goals.
A straw poll of NHL general managers conducted by Daily Faceoff on Wednesday revealed that it is likely a bit of a long shot given the circumstances surrounding the player. All 31 other teams watched as the Boston Bruins were vilified in the court of public opinion for signing Mitchell Miller earlier this month, to the point where they were forced to walk back the deal.
There are probably only a handful of franchises willing to sign up for that type of potential criticism this time around, though it is fair to point out that every other member of that 2018 World Junior team has continued to play this season without criticism while the wheels of justice churn.
However, canvassing the league on Wednesday revealed a couple potential fits:
Vegas Golden Knights: The Golden Knights raised eyebrows on Wednesday when they traded defenseman Zach Hayes to Carolina in exchange for future considerations. They were previously at the 50-contract maximum and moving Hayes without getting anything in return provided them the flexibility to acquire and sign Formenton if need be. GM Kelly McCrimmon has a decades-strong relationship with Newport Sports Group, who represents Formenton and many other players on Vegas’ roster. Plus, the Golden Knights’ will to win and improve their roster by seemingly any means necessary cannot be discounted. Perhaps the only thing standing in the way is the Golden Knights’ lack of salary cap space. Formenton is likely due a one-year deal somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.25 million based on comparables, and Vegas doesn’t have that much space, but that is potentially solvable by sending an active roster player back to Ottawa in a potential deal.
Carolina Hurricanes: It’s probably a bigger long shot in Carolina, but they should at least be considered based on what we believe to be their risk profile. The Hurricanes have an owner who has bucked norms, and they have taken on other ‘project’ type players, such as being the first to step up and sign Tony DeAngelo after he was exiled by the Rangers. That worked out well. DeAngelo put up 51 points in 64 games last season. These two scenarios are not nearly comparable. But it is important to point out that Carolina does it a little different, they play in a market that flies under the radar and they may be able to withstand any potential scrutiny a little better than most. Plus, they’re hungry to win and have a strong organizational culture that oozes with leadership.
Formenton is a story to keep an eye on over the next 24 hours. The Toronto Maple Leafs went down to the wire with William Nylander on Dec. 1, 2018, but under an entirely different set of circumstances.
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