from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

Jamie Benn, P.K. Subban and Ryan O’Reilly remained unsigned Tuesday as the season hurled itself into warp speed, thanks to a compressed schedule.

Of the three RFAs, my gut feeling says Benn will be the first of the three to sign. But that’s not sure thing.

I just don’t think they’re that far apart.

Look no further than the obvious comparables to see which deals are influencing this negotiation:

• John Tavares, six years, $33 million ($5.5 million average)
• Evander Kane, six years, $31.5 million ($5.25 million cap hit)
• Phil Kessel, five years, $27 million ($5.4 million cap hit)

Those are good comparisons because Benn is also coming off an entry-level contract and is a key offensive force on his team, just like those three players.

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