LaRose files for arbitration

Another thing 99.7% (or more!) of the fans here in Raleigh aren't thinking about, or likely even know, with this issue is actually a good thing for both LaRose and the Hurricanes. Once a player files for arbitration, no other team can tender him an offer sheet. This means he can't receive an offer from another team that the Canes would be forced to either match or decline. This will allow the team & player to negotiate in good faith, without any outside pressure like a ridiculous offer from some other team.

> The issue with LaRose is likely that he wants
> more than he's worth.
It appears he wants to be paid 3rd-line money. But on the Canes, he's going to be a 4th-line player unless the team has many injuries again. That's the problem, folks. JR doesn't want to spend 3rd-line money on a player who will see action on the 4th line -- even if the player is good enough to play on the 3rd line of some teams.

There aren't enough players who can get the crowd fired up like Rosie. As a long time STH who seldom misses a game, I can tell you that Larose's hustle and enthusiasm make him one of the top fan favorites...and he's turning into a damn fine third/fourth line player. He's versatile, always gives 110% and never backs down from anybody. And he's is one of the kids' favorites, and that's what this franchise needs to build a strong STH base ten years down the road and more. If they can find a way to pay Graham 1.8M and Kabs 2.2M, then there's got to be at least 900K worth investing in Larose. After all, didn't they give Tanabe at least that much after a whole lot less dedication and results?

This reminds of what I think was the biggest front office mistake of the past few seasons: letting Aaron Ward go. Ward was a solid D-man and a character guy. Maybe not a highly sought-after, top-tier guy (well, maybe he is now, which just reinforces my point), but the kind of guy that makes your team better by playing hard and putting it on the line every night. The fact that he worked hard to improve the offensive side of his game during the lockout spoke volumes about his character as a person and player. But I digress. We're talking about LaRose here. The thing is, I think you can say a lot of the same kinds of things about LaRose as you can about A. Ward. He's a character guy that gives you everything every night. And his game is on the upswing. He's improved by leaps and bounds over the past couple of seasons. He stepped up to the 2nd line for a bit last season and had a couple multi-point games. That was not a fluke; this kid's a good player. The front office is making a mistake by jerking him around like this.

The issue with LaRose is likely that he wants more than he's worth. It can't be length that's the problem because arbitrators only award 1 year deals. He wouldn't file if he wanted more years so it has to be the money. I believe the team can also request a 2 year deal but I'm not sure about that. He likely won't be awarded what he's looking for as awards are mostly based on point production. They'll look at what other guys with similar totals are getting paid so he's likely to get what he's worth. If it's too much we walk away. It's more likely he's signed before the hearing, though.

They need to quit messing around with Chad and give him a fair contract. He's asking for more than one year, give it to him. He's the hardest working kid on the team!!

I think Seidenberg is actually *afraid* he could get a better deal through arbitration. But he knows that if he gets too good a deal, the Canes will walk away and he'll be a UFA with few suitors.