Earlier this week, we heard the word "frosty" used by TSN's Bob McKenzie when discussing the contract stalemate between Josh Anderson and the Blue Jackets.
Important distinction, too: Anderson is unsigned. He's not a holdout. If he had a contract and refused to report, he would be holding out. This is simply a player who doesn't have a contract and thus will not report to work until he has one. On the surface, it's a simple situation but as more details emerge, the layers start piling on thicker.
The Blue Jackets would like to sign Anderson to a three-year deal, according to Elliotte Friedman in this week's "31 Thoughts" column. That gives the team some protection with Anderson's arbitration rights, taking him to age 26 once his potential new deal would expire.
But, BUT! There's that little detail of money. And right now, the two sides are trying hard not to blink.
Another source indicated Anderson used Tom Wilson as a comparable. The Washington forward signed for two years and $4 million, but that did not bridge the gap, either. Anderson’s agent, Darren Ferris, declined comment. This is a huge year for the Blue Jackets, too.
Gulp.
Are they that far apart? Goodness, it's getting late early here.
Anderson's agent, Darren Ferris, accused the Blue Jackets of trying to "embarrass" his client, which seems a little harsh. He's their player, they like him and think he has a bright future (did we forget they pulled off a complex deal to protect him from the Vegas Golden Knights in expansion?) -- but there's business on both sides, which is where it's starting to get ugly.
The Blue Jackets became frustrated with agent Kurt Overhardt and went public with their angst over the Ryan Johansen negotiations in 2014. It got contentious publicly after it had been privately volatile for months, and Johansen wasn't going to be in Columbus much longer after that. At all costs, they need to make sure this gets resolved quickly and put this behind them.
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