Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
Where did that number come from? Is this something confirmed somewhere, or just blind speculation?
I would bet the number on a long term deal would have been closer to what his qualifying offer would have been, hence why the bridge deal was for what it was. The dollar amount in the bridge was significant as well, so I am guessing that Treliving believed in him to a very large degree. Making it sound like Tkachuk just came out of nowhere to meet those salary expectations sounds more like revisionist history to me.
Sure, it would have a risk to sign him long term at the time, but a pretty reasonable risk given his age and what he had accomplished up until that point. A lot of people were thinking Buffalo were crazy for signing Thompson to a long term deal when they did, but sometimes teams need to take those chances.
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Posters who say even "McDavid money" would have been acceptable to pay Tkachuk heading into 2019-20. We all figured he'd be good - he was scoring a lot (though 24 were PPP and a bunch - maybe 10 - more were with Lindholm and Monahan).
As it was he became the highest paid Flame. I'm not sure he'd have even accepted 11x8 versus $7Mx3 plus a guranatee of a 4th year at $9M and then UFA. I think he wanted out from day one.