Another First Round Draft Pick Is Holding Out

The New York Islanders are not the only NHL team experiencing difficulty with signing their pending RFA's. The Nashville Predators have yet to sign an RFA who was a high first round draft pick in 2016. Will the deal be done in time for the season?

Luke Kunin was selected 15th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild. The Predators acquired Kunin's rights in an offseason trade with the Wild at the expense of veteran forward Nick Bonino. He will not practice or workout with the team until a contract has been agreed upon. The Predators have $7.4 million in salary cap space, but Kunin is unlikely to receive a sizeable contract. He registered 31 points in 63 games last season, which may be respectable for a young player, but is unlikely to provide leverage in contract negotiations. If he is not signed by February 11th, 2020, he will not be eligible to play the remainder of the season.

Predators RFA forward Luke Kunin isn't practicing today and won't until he has a new contract. https://t.co/F28ntxVnX0
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) January 4, 2021