Primeau is a restricted free agent. Since becoming a restricted free agent on July 1, 1999, Primeau has rejected Carolina's contract offers of three years at $12 million, five years at $20 million and two years at $7 million. Primeau and his co-agents Don and Todd Reynolds are asking for a four-year, $17 million deal. No team has submitted an offer sheet to him.

Primeau made $2 million in 1998-99. He said he rejected the $20 million deal because it would prevent him from becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency in four years. Thus, he continues to raise the stakes, tossing the Carolina Hurricanes' "final offer" into the trash. That offer was a two year, six million dollar package, far less than what Carolina had offered the disgruntled centre earlier in negotiations.

Keith Primeau sits

Unlike Alexei Yashin, Keith Primeau is, as a restricted free agent, well within his rights to sit until he receives a contract that is to his liking. He is not under contract, though his ability to move to a team of his choice is restricted by the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players. So one should not criticize Primeau for the mere act of refusing to sign a contract offer.

To his credit, Keith Primeau has not characterized this matter as one of "principle". He has properly identified self-interest (broadly defined to include the interests of his family) as being the paramount consideration in this matter.

"I refuse to make an apology for doing what I think is right for me and my family, without coming off as bold or crass," Primeau said last week. "I am doing what is in the best interest of me and my gang."

Self-interest is not necessarily a bad thing, especially in the context in which Primeau has put it. Nevertheless, in identifying his "gang" as being some group distinct from the Carolina Hurricanes, Primeau has distanced -- perhaps even isolated -- himself from his team.

That is best exemplified by a rare public outburst. Primeau's teammate Gary Roberts has openly criticized him for rejecting what Roberts regards as "fair offers". Roberts said it was hard to understand why Primeau would accept an offer of $16.9 million over four years and reject a $12 million, three-year deal.

"He has hung this entire team out to dry," Roberts said.

Presumably, Primeau rejected the three year, $12 million contract because it fell one year short and would have forced him into another round of negotiations before unrestricted free agency was engaged. That may well be a legitimate consideration. But shouldn't Primeau's commitment to his team have played any part in his decision? If it did, as Roberts notes, the three year offer makes the most sense. It would have substantially achieved Primeau's financial goals without causing significant detriment to his team. In rejecting that particular offer, Primeau gave notice that his team was no longer of any significant concern to him.

Carolina's mediocre record this season without Primeau is similar to its mediocre record with Primeau at this time last season. Still, it is difficult to measure what this team would have achieved with him on the ice. It is conceivable that Carolina -- its first season in its permanent home -- might have improved with him in tow. His decision to sit has not been a benefit to his team, and may well have hurt it.

Trade Bait?

Rutherford denied that any of the proposals has been serious, but word subsequently leaked that owner Peter Karamanos nixed a deal that would have seen Primeau and a package moved to Phoenix for Keith Tkachuk. Karamanos confirmed this but explained that Tkachuk's escalating contract was what killed the deal. The contract earns Tkachuk $8.3 million next season.

Nevertheless, a trade seems highly probable. Carolina, which has been attracting less than capacity crowds at home, cannot afford to sit on this asset beyond the trade deadline. In staking his claim squarely in the land of self-interest, Primeau has lost the collective confidence of his team. They no longer see him as allied with them. Therefore, it appears fairly certain that Primeau will have to reconcile his self-interest with the aspirations of another team in another city.