Re: the Gio Cap. It is not a new concept. The Red Wings had the precedent-setting Lidstrom cap that kept the pay of hall lf fame locks like Zetterberg and Datsyuk paid below their worth, until they became the true leaders on their teams. They then earned contracts that then have them making more than their worth in their twilight years, as is the case with Gio right now. Will a 36 year old Gaudreau be worth more than a 27 year old Gaudreau? No but he will undoubtably make more. These sorts of things balance out in the long run for the player and the team. There is no such thing as win-win or lose-lose with star players. Let's enjoy the next six years. If Tre and co show competency once the Engellands and Widemans are off the proverbial books, then Johnny will re-sign again, because winning is what matters to a guy like him, not time zones.
Re: "Six years is not long enough." I wanted eight badly. I proposed a Tarasenko deal when much of this board was insisting on Johnny being worth less than Monahan. But you know what? Six years is still a long time. I look at NBA deals where star players are signing two-three year deals with annual player opt-out clauses... fans have to deal with "is he staying or going" on a cyclical basis in a league where stars outside of high draft picks are even more difficult to luck upon. With this signing we have six years of stability barring more Smid type cap space killer contracts / Raymond type buyouts.
P.S. my
guess was close.. That suggests to me neither side fleeced the other.