Quote:
Originally Posted by blankall
Not a chance a player like Bennett takes a 7-8 year deal for that low. He was drafted very highly and then was part of the Flames much slower development timeline. He's a player that realistically will be making 6+ million in 3 years.
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Tyler Johnson just signed a long term contract for 5M. Most of them are UFA years, and pretty much all through his "prime". His last 4 seasons are 50 points, 72 points, 38 (in 69) and 45 (in 66). And he's been a PPG player in the playoffs with 40 points in his last 43 playoff games.
There's 0 reason to give Bennett, an unproven player we can only hope will contribute like Tyler Johnson has, a contract worth anywhere close to Johnson's.
Sure, if he wants to wait and actually prove himself go for it. Take one of the lower term contracts. But he's not getting an 8 year contract at anywhere close to 6M today, that would be ridiculous. Even when Josi signed his long-term 4M a year contract he had proven infinitely more than Bennett has shown.
Some players like the security, some players would rather prove himself. If Bennett is the former, you give him the term and 4M a year. You're delusional if you think Treliving would offer much more. Of course Bennett hasn't proven much of anything, so I doubt Treliving is even considering the potential handicapping of the team by offering him term. Bennett's primed for a prove-it bridge contract, those were just hypothetical cap-hits I would have been comfortable with.
In any case, if you extrapolate my numbers you would see that this what I see his contract being at each year as roughly:
2
2.6
3.5
4.7
5.5
5.5
5.5