Arizona Coyotes forward Tobias Rieder does not plan to join the team for training camp in hopes of landing a new contract with the franchise, according to his agent, Darren Ferris. The clock is ticking for Rieder and Arizona to reach a deal, Rieder is a restricted free agent and if the two sides do not come to an agreement by December 1st he will be ineligible to play in the NHL this season.
“We’ve made them a fair offer at two years at $2.5 million a year, and they’re unwilling to do it,” Ferris said, according to AZCentral. “Tobi brings a lot of intangibles to that team. I know he’s a fan favorite. He loves Arizona, but it’s disappointing that they’re unwilling to compensate this kid fairly.”
Coyotes general manager John Chayka had this to say about negotiations:
“It’s disappointing,” Chayka said. “He’s a big part of our team, and we like him a lot. We feel like we’ve made him some real considerable long-term offers that are right on par with the longest offers we’ve ever made in this organization. We want him to be here and get engaged with his teammates and join the club. But it’s business, too. He’s not the first guy to go through this and probably won’t be the last.”
Rieder, 23, appeared in all 82 games for the Coyotes last season, scoring 14 goals and notching 23 assists. Rieder is currently playing in the World Cup with Team Europe