It's obviously more than what you'd like to pay. He will be thirty when the contract kicks in and to date his production in the playoffs, particularly goal wise is underwhelming.
But he is our best player. And it was unrealistic to think you could flip him again for a huge return and there is no way this team sees themselves as sellers at the deadline.
I wish the 8th year had gotten the club a discount given his age but just like with Gaudreau, the player has all the cards here. And the club saw what a disaster it was to go the brinkmanship route so they met the ask right out of the blocks. So it's totally understandable where they ended up.
I get Joe Thornton vibes from Huberdeau insofar as how they play the game. Thornton has been incredibly durable. If you look at how he progressed, his real decline started his age 37 season. Which would be the last year of this deal. But Jumbo was not the same player in his 30's that he was in his 20's. More of a point per game guy, not the scoring machine he was before.
I'm curious how those people who think the Flames dodged a bullet with Gaudreau feel about this signing.
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