[JohnnyB]

Johnny is my favorite Flame since Iginla and is often the main reason I'm interested to watch the Flames, but if he's only willing to come on a contract that puts him among those very top-paid players in the league, I don't think signing him is a great choice either. It would be putting him and his bank account ahead of the team success. Not many sign really big money contracts and then go on to win with that team. It's easy to think of players who sign huge contracts and then basically are anchors on team success. For contrast, Tampa's highest paid player on the list is ranked 17 in the league, and it's Vasilevskiy, a guy who is incredibly clutch and plays the most important position on the team. Colorado's top guy is 25 on the list.

Also, if Johnny is in it for the money rather than for team success and legacy, he's likely not the leader to take a team to the cup. Crosby was recognized generational talent and cup winning captain when he signed his last deal, and he took $8.7M at a time when the cap was $14M so that they could keep a good team together and keep winning, which they did. Maxing out the dollars or not is a choice, and it's a choice that leads to more anchors on team success than not. If he's just going for the money, he's not going for team success and legacy imo, and that in itself makes him not worth the money.