Quote:
Originally Posted by Firebot
Is a PPG player worth 6 million? Let's be honest now, it's worth more. Unfortunately it seems that the RFA status is clouding peoples judgements, and ultimately doing a similar mistake that the Canadians did with Subban.
Gaudreau is worth more than 6 million at the moment as a PPG regardless of if people want to argue his road productivity. We certainly are not getting Gaudreau on a bridge at 6 million.
Gaudreau's direct comparable is Tarasenko, which put's Gaudreau's negotiations at 7.5 million just to start at minimum. It is hard to argue t hat Tarasenko is a much better player, when Gaudreau got more points last year and is a year younger. At the very worst, they are comparable.
I also find it odd that when Tarasenko got signed, people here thought it was a steal and hoping for Monahan / Gaudreau to get something similar. And this was before Gaudreau had anywhere close to 78 points. Some were even saying to get Monahan signed to a similar deal at 7.5 million AAV.
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...arasenko+signs
Let's not kid ourselves. If Gaudreau was signed to 8 year 7.5 million AAV today people here would be ecstatic. |
An RFA's value is set by his comparables and leverage. Gaudreau's only leverage is sitting out a year. Or even though he doesn't have any arbitration rights and only a 2 year history you could consider arbitration awards.
And that's when you look at comparables. Monahan, Makinnon, Barkov etc. If you accept that the UFA deals on the end are worth elite level money on all those deals and back track to what those guys are getting as RFA's they all outside of Taresenko get around 5.5 mil per RFA year. So giving him 6 mil per RFA year means that you are making him the highest paid RFA in the league.
The Edmonton Trio all took 6 x 6 for 1 UFA year
The list goes on and on. RFA's have not in the early seasons of it gotten more than that.
The highest arbitration award ever was Weber coming of Norris trophy nominations at 7.5 million for the year 2 years before free agency. His previous contract was 3 yrs 13.5 mil for a 4 yr total of 21mil /4 yrs.
There just is no history in the NHL for paying an RFA more than 6 million per RFA year for 5 years. So the argument you are making is that Johnny Gaudreau is a generation talent as opposed to just being a Superstar. Pay the man superstar RFA money but lets not get silly here.
Gaudreau's 2 year bridge deal type contract is likely 5ish. Look at Subban as the comparable for that. I do agree that if he is signed for 8 yrs @ 7.5 people will be quite happy. It's not a steel and at the absolute max of what market value would be but I think most would be satisfied.