Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
Yeah I don't disagree at all. He should have been named captain, and probably should have been made more the focal point of the team.
In terms of contract I think the difference was Ottawa was deadset on 8 years...and didn't want a shorter contract on the table.
Since Brady hadn't blown up yet there was room there to overpay, which they did. They gave a guy who had only broken 50 points a $8.5M contract.
That type of option didn't exist with Matthew at the time. He was coming off a 78 point season. A 8 year contract was likely going to cost $9.5M at that time, and really it was more likely going to be a 6 year deal which is what Rantanen/Marner had signed.
I still don't dislike the idea of a 3 year bridge with the player expiring as RFA vs a 6 year deal that takes them to UFA. I think I prefer the 3 year deal even in hindsight to be honest.
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It was, in practical terms, a 4 year deal with the final year being an option at $9M. In the presser people like to quote he referred to a long term deal as "6,7,8 years". Meaning 6 (during which he can push for a trade, and after this year would have totally controlled who that trade was to because he'd have, no doubt, an NTC).