According to Dmitry
Chesnokov the reason that Mikhail Pashnin turned down the Rangers and
signed a two-year deal to stay at CSKA Moscow was over not wanting a two-way
contract. This does mean in some
respects that it was about money because the real difference between a two-way
and a one-way deal is not a guaranteed spot in the NHL, rather the money they
get. On a one-way deal he would get the
same salary regardless of whether he made the NHL club or spent the year in the
AHL. On a two-way he would have to make
the Rangers in order to get paid the NHL salary or take significantly less in
the AHL. While some see this as Pashnin
demanding a guaranteed spot, to me this says more about him not believing he
could earn a spot on the NHL club on merit to get the money.
Pashnin went further to knock the AHL in arguing that he
could not grow his game there. Ryan
McDonagh, Dan Girardi and Michael Sauer are prime examples of young defenders
who grew in the AHL and are now regulars in the NHL, so that excuse just doesn’t
fly.
