Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
I see a lot of comparisons to Stajan 4 year contract but the higher salary cap actually plays a big role here.
Ryan signed for $3.15M of a $79.5M cap - that is 4% of the cap.
That is equivalent to $2.7M contract when Stajan signed his extension 4 years ago or a $1.56M contract when the cap was first introduced in 05/06. (Pretty much what we signed Tony Amonte to in 05/06).
Think a big reason a lot of these contracts look crazy today is because of the big jump the cap took the last couple years and individual player salaries are catching up with that now that the elite players are making $12M instead of $7-8M.
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TBH I never had a problem with Stajan's contract either, although by the last year I did think a guy like Shore had become just as effective that was more a credit to Shore.
While I do think Ryan will see a lot of time on the top 9 wing, the truth is that #4 centers are an important position in hockey. They're probably playing with the least skilled wingers and so they have to be able to drive a lot more play than even top line centers do and still be productive, and often a team's success in the postseason ends up riding on whether the #4C won his matchup. Matt Cullen did it two straight years for the Penguins, and before that Marcus Kruger did it two out of three years for the Blackhawks. It's a weird role, and in many ways it's worth more than some top nine wingers because it requires more play driving ability and playmaking ability. If you look at a list of the most productive 5-on-5 centeres with the most limited minutes, usually you find lists of #4 centres on Cup Contenders, which I don't think is a coincidence. Even Jay Beagle, who I think probably got an overpayment in FA, is a piece I think the Capitals are going to scramble to replace.