Johnny has all the leverage and if I was him I would be holding onto these things to see if the Flames blink. This is assuming 8 years is mutually agreed upon which it obviously would be.
1- Full NMC. No variation like many of these deals where they turn into a limited no trade like Lucic. Full NMC where Johnny would have control
2- heavy in bonuses that make it tough to buyout and I believe are also exempt from escrow? Whatever the maximum in the CBA is for upfront money and bonuses should be in the deal
3- Letter option. May or may not be important to Johnny but if it is he should leverage the C or an A in the deal
I would also be asking for a detailed plan on how this team will remain competitive for the next 8 years and try and understand what the organization is planning. Typically something that many franchise players are gifted with. Concessions to any of the above can be made but at this point there is no rush until the days and hours leading up to free agency. The team squeezed Johnny in 2016 so now he has the option to do the same
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