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| | Saturday, November 20 | |||||
| SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Only a day after the Phoenix Coyotes
and Nikolai Khabibulin were said to be talking again, the goalie was demanding to be traded.
And general manager Bobby Smith, who had said earlier when talks
kept breaking down that the Coyotes wouldn't give him a trade, wasn't changing his tune Wednesday.
"We're not going to trade him," Smith said. Khabibulin and his agent, Jay Grossman, both responded with heat. "I'm very angry and very disappointed," the Russian restricted free agent told The Arizona Republic. "It seems they don't know what they want, and I'm hurt by the lack of respect from the organization." Grossman said the Coyotes refused to bargain in good faith and used intimidation. The Coyotes had rejected a Grossman five-year, $20 million offer last week that had broken a two-month stalemate. Khabibulin, 26, would have been paid less than $4 million a year in its first three years. Then, Grossman told the Republic, the Coyotes promised to return with a counter-offer and a 24-hour decision deadline but instead called and said "Listen, we don't even think it's worth our time to pursue a one-year deal." Smith declined to comment on the deadline issue but confirmed that the team saw no point in pursing a one-year offer since it clearly wouldn't be accepted. Khabibulin had rejected the team's $9 million three-year offer before the season.His agent said the Coyotes have taken a hard stance from the beginning, including giving Khabibulin only 48 hours within which to accept that early offer "or they wouldn't deal with us the rest of the year." "They won't put an offer on the table," he said. "They won't consider our offer. All they do is issue ultimatums. They've been very combative from the start." Khabibulin (32-23-7) tied for fifth in wins last season and was fourth in save percentage, sixth in goals-against average and third with a career-high eight shutouts. During the season, he set franchise records for victories (126) and shutouts (21). His base salary was $910,000 in 1997-98 and $1.25 million last
season. Contract incentives added an average of $600,000 per year
in bonus money. | ALSO SEE
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