These new contracts are very calculated to the point where that one guy with the website can usually nail an RFA contract down to a couple hundred grand.
Even Gaudreau who many thought was a steal was actually just because of a) no threat of offer sheet and b) 6 years instead of 8. I think people were saying "wizard!!" because of the AAV of $6.8 but really it was shown that it would have likely been $8.5mil to get him here for 8 years.
And there's a cost to that lower AAV, as we basically have to choose between trading him next off season for max return or letting him play out and likely losing him, OR likely paying him $13+AAV well into his mid, possibly late thirties.
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