Darren Ferris becoming Max Domi’s agent does two things for the Montreal Canadiens
By Omar L
Max Domi has a new agent in Darren Ferris, and it will likely make this new saga with the Montreal Canadiens all the more interesting.
It’s incredible how many chapters this Max Domi–Montreal Canadiens story has already. It started with a poor performance in the playoffs leading to some disappointing criticism from Marc Bergevin. Then Domi began removing his ties to the Habs off of his social media accounts, which in all intents and purposes isn’t that big of a deal, followed by the firing of his previous agent. And now that Darren Ferris is in the story, the story is about to hit a whole new level.
For those who aren’t privy to the contract world of the NHL, Darren Ferris is a name fans, and teams aren’t too familiar with. He’s likely a good person, but his clients tend to have circus-like contract negotiations that follow a similar formula.
Outrageous demands, threats to speak to/visit other teams, threats to play overseas followed by an overpayment or something in between stand-able and “we just wanted to get it over with.”
The most recent example of this was the negotiations with Mitch Marner. Marner’s perception amongst Leafs fans has dramatically changed after his camp apparently rejected eight-year deals worth $11 million per, visited other teams who were interested in signing him to an offer sheet, threatening to play overseas in Switzerland with the Zurich Lions before signing a deal that many believe is an overpayment at $10.893 million per season.
Similar things took place with:
- Johnny Gaudreau – who had a sizeable gap in their contract negotiations
- Josh Anderson – who threatened to play in Switzerland
- Andreas Athanasiou – who threatened to play in the KHL
- Sam Bennett – who threatened to play overseas
All of these players are represented by Darren Ferris. Now on the player perspective, they’ll take it as they wound up getting a contract they felt they deserved. However, on the side of the team, it’s always an exhausting battle, especially when there is a major discrepancy in what the player should make vs. what the team thinks they should make.
The Montreal Canadiens are likely heading to that. Max Domi had a great year and a not so great year. What works in the Habs’ favour is that he has arbitration rights, so if they can’t agree on a number, an arbitrator will. That said, a hold out is possible, and it’s something the organization shouldn’t want, especially if they’re heading to an offseason where changes are coming for the sake of improvement.
Unfortunately, there’s that aspect to talk about when it comes to Darren Ferris. Some general managers will avoid encountering an agent if they can. At the end of the day, it’s a GM’s job to deal with agents when it comes to signing and extending contracts, but it’s clear which agents give them the hardest times.
Domi, now being represented by Ferris, doesn’t trounce his trade value completely. However, I don’t think it’s outrageous to say that it doesn’t do his trade value any favours. If anything, teams may want to do a sign-and-trade with the Montreal Canadiens now more than before so they won’t have to deal with the negotiation.
Next. Would a Domi-Ehlers trade make sense?. dark
It’s all a possibility now and something we will not be privy too. You know, unless Darren Ferris wants us to be. He’s a big proponent of negotiating through the media, and considering the money his clients have been getting, it’s objectively working.