Quote:
Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler
You win by paying guys for what they are going to do, not what they've done. There is a reason you can't build winners with UFA's - only one guy (Chara) has been worth the money. An 8 million Giordano for 5+ years starting at age 33 is (far more likely than not, given human physiology) not a good idea for this team. Sure, he "deserves" it and he would get it as UFA, but that doesn't mean we have to pay it. If you want to get on top and stay on top in the cap era, you have to be the Patriots - ruthless when it comes to bang for the buck. We already f'ed up the Iginla situation because of sentiment - can't let sentiment force you to devote 8 million to a 38 year-old (who is injury prone to boot. I would much sooner give 8 years to Monahan...
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It's easy to be ruthless in the NFL when you can cut a player lose at any moment during the contract.
Think the Flames are fine signing Gio to a be deal for 4-5 years. Monahan, Bennett, Gaudreau will all need new deals in that time frame(obviously) but signing them won't eat up any UFA years yet. Signing Gio to that deal won't cripple us, it will only add 2-3 million on top of the 4 million cap hit he already eats up.
Big money coming off the books at 36-37 is fine for Gio.