Elite players, usually, don't fall completely off the cliff before their 35th birthday. With exceptions you can point to Lecavalier, Spezza or Nash this year, but almost for everyone of those guys you have an Alfredsson, Jagr or Selanne producing well after their 35th.
Marleau was scoring 70 as a 34 year old.
Thornton was scoring 76 as a 34 year old.
Sedins were scoring 75 as 34 year olds.
Iginla put up 86 as a 33 year old, and 67 as a 34 year old on a pathetic offensively team.
Of course Ovechkin almost scored 49 as a 32 year old this season and I don't think anyone expects him to fall completely in the next 2.
With Seattle entering the mold, we really don't know where the cap will go in 7 years either. 11M today really isn't even the much of the cap compared to other "top contracts" offered a decade ago.
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