Svoboda's "Nylander Saga" Comes to a Close

[StamkosFan 72]

 

McWolf's mock draft forecasted Swedish right winger Pat Svoboda getting snapped up by the New York Americans, and the Scandinavian forward all but said he would be pleased with this outcome. But the day of the draft came, and in spite of Svoboda's high TPE count, it was center Joel Ylonen who was taken at pick #3. Perhaps New York wanted a center, or perhaps it is just that folks in VHL administrations are unaware of his agent's ventures in the SHL and other leagues. As Ylonen walked to the podium, Svoboda was visibly distraught, wringing his hands and whispered with agitation to his family. This wasn't what was supposed to happen.

 

Pick #4 came, pick #4 went with another center, Mark Gebauer, being taken off the table. Svoboda had hinted that he wanted to play for a rebuilding team so he could compete during his prime; but the three rebuilding teams had come and went. Québec, a team with cap struggles that planned to make one final run at the Cup, called his name. The Swede, being a bona fide linguist, muttered in the general direction of the cameras, for good measure in French, "Pourquoi est-ce arrivé?" (Why did this happen?)

 

He walked to the stand regardless, and donned the jersey with a strained smile. He already lived in Canada, he wouldn't have to move far; surely the initial discontent would breeze over. Some began to say it looked like a good fit after all when he strolled over to the Canadian media and took a press conference in French, insisting to the Québécois reporters that he was "heureux d'être ici" (happy to be here). He talked about the potential for winning the Cup this year, and expressed his love for the province.

 

But when Svoboda went to speak with his general manager about signing his entry contract and getting started with the team, he was unpleasantly surprised to be offered the absolute minimum (1.25) salary for a player of his caliber. Meanwhile, he saw players such as Elias Dahlberg making 4 million out of the game, and Ylonen was making 3 million first year. The Swede demanded a pay raise, but initially the GM refused to budge, insisting that he would sign it or enjoy the press box. Svoboda said that he would ride the press box on a matter of principle, and that he was insulted by the offer.
 

"This offer is a slap in the face and impugns the quality of my play. Watching the William Nylander saga, I never thought that would be me, but here we are and here I'll stay. I'll wait for arbitration, and this has definitely squashed any chance of me staying past the 3 years I'm forced to be here. I deserve a fair deal; I didn't ask to be lowballed because of cap issues, nor did I ever give any indicators that I would be willing to take a pay cut. In fact, I was never even talked to before the draft by the Québec management. Total breakdown of communication," said Pat Svoboda.

 

Holdouts are rare in the VHL, so the public standoff garnered attention in VHL Sportsnet, with the outlet labeling the story "Big Oof". Many encouraged Svoboda to work something out with his team rather than burn bridges, but the Swede was adamant on his demands. He lobbied Québec's assistant GM to reason with the general manager, and consulted fellow rookies for advice on fair value. He would be okay with sitting out for a year to prove a point; however, he would burn a precious year before regression. With VHL careers being so short, Québec knew that he could not afford to skip a season.

 

The Svoboda camp pushed fervently for a trade, reportedly reaching out to HC Davos and New York asking them to trade for him, or a 2 million dollar pay day; only half of what Dahlberg was making. But he "realized he had no better options" when Québec gave him a meager raise to $1.5 first year, and then gave him a raise second year (2.2) and third year (3) instead. The Swede is reportedly very unhappy with the deal, and statements he made to the media after signing seem to corroborate this.

 

"I feel as though I was forced to sign this; as an RFA, I have no leverage. This is not how you should treat a 5th overall pick. I feel as though I've been treated like dirt, and I haven't seen any other prospect signings handle this way," said Pat Svoboda. "It's not about the money, it's about showing me that I'm valued and that the team will try to make me happy. And so far, I'm quite the opposite. I hate to be a complainer, but my discontent is skyrocketing more and more with each passing day."

 

And so, much like William Nylander, Svoboda barely received more than he was initially given, and the drama ended with wounded feelings and tempers flaring. If falling on the draft board wasn't enough to demoralize the Swede, this series certainly should do the trick. A player previously excited to play in the VHL is now bemoaning his feet and dragging his feet on the ice; a shame to see half of his career spiraling into disarray over a few hundred thousand bucks.

 

"Three years is a long time; there's nothing I can do right now. It seems all my hard work was for nought; if I hadn't made that last minute push, I wouldn't be in this situation right now. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, ain't that the truth? This experience was quite unpleasant and disappointing," said Pat Svoboda. "If only I had been more vocal about going to a rebuilding team, I'd have the money and the ice time. And then I could make a run at the Cup in the future, when I have fully developed as a player."

 

1005 Words, 2x Point Tasks (Claiming 1 for Week of 12/30, 1 for Week of 1/6)

Edited December 31, 2018 by StamkosFan

[Nykonax 1,563]

3 minutes ago, StamkosFan said:

offered the absolute minimum (1.25) salary for a player of his caliber. Meanwhile, he saw players such as Elias Dahlberg making 4 million out

You won't ever be In Elias Dahlberg's caliber.... It's too high for you.

[Sova 53]

Dahlberg biggest bust in vhl history? 

[Peace 1,518]

4 minutes ago, Sova said:

Dahlberg biggest bust in vhl history? 

 Biggest ego too. 

[Bushito 1,945]

Damn, I wish you would have reached out to Calgary @StamkosFan