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Tuesday, November 9, 1999
Out of sight, out of mind?
Teammates downplay Yashin's absence, team deadline
The deadline came ... the deadline went.
And there was no sign yesterday of Alexei Yashin in the Ottawa Senators' dressing room.
Even his locker room stall has been taken over. It is now occupied by Joe Juneau and his equipment.
"As far as we know, this was his last chance to come back. It doesn't sound like he's going to be a Senator for at least the rest of this year," said defenceman Chris Phillips.
"All we can do is sit and watch and see what happens: If they are going to trade him, or just wait until next season."
IGNORES DEADLINE
Senators' management set yesterday as the deadline for Yashin to return to the team, or be suspended for the remainder of the season.
Yashin ignored the deadline and remained in Switzerland yesterday with his agent Mark Gandler.
Now that the deadline has passed, the Senators plan to demand a year's service from Yashin, at the previously negotiated rate of $3.6 million US which he was to earn in the final year of his existing three-year contract.
It's expected that the NHL players' association will challenge the Senators on the issue, which could be settled in court or by an arbitrator. The case is expected to set a major precedent for the whole NHL.
"I don't have a clue at all, like everyone else," said injured Senators winger Daniel Alfredsson, named the team captain in Yashin's absence. "We don't know what the (team's) demand is.
"I would assume the deadline would make it a lot tougher for him. They probably would have liked to see him back, and so would we."
But now there isn't much hope that Yashin will be back with the team.
"It looks like it's past that point," said Phillips. "We can't expect him to be back like at the beginning of the year, wondering if he was going to come back.
"Now it seems like a dead issue."
That seems to be the way most of the Senators are approaching the standoff.
"I haven't even thought about it," said winger Magnus Arvedson.
"We have the team we have here, and I think all the guys think like that. We can't do anything about that anyway."
HEADED FOR COURT
Centre Shaun Van Allen said it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few days.
"The Senators have been firm and they're saying that they're going to stick to this deadline," said Van Allen. "I think what's probably going to come out is it's going to go to court if he doesn't end up coming back."
Senators coach Jacques Martin said the only issue he's dealing with is the preparation for tomorrow's game in New York against the Rangers.
"We talk only about the issues that are relevant to us."
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