Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan said Monday he has trouble relating to the situations of teammates Mark Stone and Matt Duchene since he signed his seven-year, $50 million contract in the days leading up to his UFA season in 2014.

With just over a month to go before the trade deadline, both Stone and Duchene remain unsigned and could be traded if they fail to reach extensions with the Senators before Feb. 25. 

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes it's believed the Senators opened talks with Duchene on an eight-year, $64 million deal last week, while talks with Stone began at $8.5-$9 million on the same max term. He added no formal offer has been made.

Ryan told the Sun he hopes both players will stay, but is attempting "not to push" either player. He noted there are a wide array factors one must consider when re-signing, and certain variables as well. 

“It makes you think," Ryan said of contract negotiations. "You never know what a team’s forecast is going to be. You kind of have a general sense, you know the direction and I’m sure these guys are getting a lot more info than I’m getting or we’re getting. You can never predict what the entire team is like.

“When I signed four years ago, there’s two guys left with (Craig Anderson and Zack Smith). You think you might have a group and then what you signed up for might not necessarily be what you get four years later. You never know so you always have that in the back of your mind.

“It’s human instinct to always think the grass is greener and you never know until you experience it.”

Stone and Duchene sit first and second respectively in scoring for the Senators this season. Stone has 22 goals and 50 points through 49 games, while Duchene has 20 goals and 46 points in 40 games.

Ryan added that he believes the Senators have shown signs of promise this season, despite sitting 14th in the Eastern Conference. 

“If you’re a Sens’ fan you’ve got a lot to look forward to in a few years,” Ryan said. “Look at what Brady Tkachuk and (Colin) White have done. Look at the next tier with (Maxime Lajoie) and (Christian Wolanin). All those guys are establishing themselves as NHLers.

“Plus you’ve got a superstar in the making with (Thomas Chabot) and you’ve got a lot of positive things that you’re thinking, ‘If in eight years from now, we get three or four good runs out of it,’ that’s what you’re hoping for a long-term deal.”