Free agent Glencross regrets last deal with Flames: 'You can't take a hometown discount'
If he could do it all over again, Curtis Glencross would take the opportunity to cash in.
With NHL training camps set to begin in a matter of weeks, the unrestricted free-agent forward remains without a contract, and Glencross is lamenting the now-expired four-year, $10.2-million deal he signed with the Calgary Flames back in 2011.
Instead of exploring his options and seeking the best possible deal at that point in his career, he re-upped with the Flames at below market value. The 32-year-old believes he set himself back, based on how his time in Calgary ended.
"If I could do it again ... as much as I love (Calgary) and call it home and met great people, at the same time, when it's time for you to cash in, you have to take advantage and cash in," he told Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. "You can't take a pay cut or hometown discount because things change."
"I loved my time in Calgary and the organization," Glencross added, "but you learn that eventually it's a business and you're just a number."
Glencross scored a career-high 26 goals during the first season of that four-year extension, but his production dropped as his ice time diminished under head coach Bob Hartley.
Dealt to the Washington Capitals prior to the trade deadline this past season, teams aren't offering anything close to what he could have made in 2011, and he may have to accept a pro tryout should he fail to sign a contract before camp.
"I thought something would be done by now, but obviously, the market is not there, and everyone is against the cap," he said. "Teams are paying the top two lines so much money that all they can do is fill with entry-level guys who are going to not cost much.
"We've talked to a few teams. They want to do a trade before camp, but it seems like no team wants to make the first move. So I'm just waiting. There's still got to be something out there. I still want to play. I'm only 32 and thinking I have a few more years left in me. "
"I have a young family, and it's tough to bounce around on a PTO - it has to be a good opportunity, too, so I can do well and get an extension," Glencross added.
In 507 career games, Glencross has scored 134 goals, four of which came in 18 games with the Capitals, for whom he added one in ten playoff games.