Tatar and the Red Wings are said to be far apart on a contract extension, with the Slovakian winger seeking a multi-year deal worth around $5 million per season, The Detroit News reports.

EDGE Analysis

This puts Wings GM Ken Holland in a precarious position, as the franchise is extremely tight against the salary cap and Tatar -- who led Detroit with 25 goals last season -- has reportedly told Slovakian web site CSA.sk that an arbitration-ruled contract would be his last deal with the Wings -- provided he doesn't end up with a long-term renewal before the July 20 arbitration hearing date. If this saga does wind up in a court room, Tatar would have to settle on a one- or two-year pact. It's already been a tough offseason for the sniper, and this latest report suggests that his recovering from shoulder surgery will render him questionable to start the 2017-18 campaign; all of this drama might be enough to scare off conservative fantasy owners this fall.