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Around the League 2019-2025 Edition

leafman101 said:
$13.5 * 8 is the second biggest contract in the history of the NHL. He didn’t even negotiate. He could’ve probably gotten more.

He always wanted to test the market. They’ve been saying it all year.
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I think this is an optics thing. Nobody talks about aggregate value of contracts. They talk about AAV.

Marner wanted to be in the upper echelon of annual salaries through most of his deal. In 4-5 years, where would $13.5M rank among the highest AAVs? Probably still high, but several players would have surpassed him as we go. He wanted to stay up there, and probably also be ahead of Matthews for the next 4 years.

The only reason to test the market would be to get teams involved so that the Leafs would pony up that $14M or more.
 
Habsy said:
I don’t think Ekblad is their first priority. I think it’s Bennett.
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I'm obviously not in the market to get a sense, but that seems dumb to me given Barkov and Lundell already being locked up. Way easier to find a middle 6 centre with some hands and some snot for 6-7 million than it is to find an all purpose #1 defender for 8-9.
 
manny said:
I’d say fuck off, call his bluff, like they should have 6 years ago.

If he wants to stay, he can settle for top-10 money, ridiculously front-loaded as always.
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I would've been much tougher with all of them over the years.

Dubas almost let Willy miss a season somehow, and yet buckled to everyone else.

Then Tre came in and did the same, including slicing Willy in on the action.
 
MindzEye said:
I'm obviously not in the market to get a sense, but that seems dumb to me given Barkov and Lundell already being locked up. Way easier to find a middle 6 centre with some hands and some snot for 6-7 million than it is to find an all purpose #1 defender for 8-9.
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Jones was brought in to replace Ekblad unless he signs at a discount. Bennett plays a game that Zito likes.

They will both have to take below market to stay. One is likely gone otherwise. My money is Ekblad leaving.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
He wanted to stay up there, and probably also be ahead of Matthews for the next 4 years.
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But this is demented. Even setting their playoff stuff aside, Marner isn't remotely the player Matthews is, just on archetype alone. Matthews is an elite 2 way C who scores at historic or near historic rate. There's almost no historic comparison for him. It's like taking Ovechkin, but making him a top 5 defensive centre in the league at the same time.

Mitch is Patrick Kane Lite, if that guy would back check and kill penalties. Which is a really nice player, but nothing like what Matthews is. Expecting to be paid more than him is fucking demented.
 
MindzEye said:
I'm obviously not in the market to get a sense, but that seems dumb to me given Barkov and Lundell already being locked up. Way easier to find a middle 6 centre with some hands and some snot for 6-7 million than it is to find an all purpose #1 defender for 8-9.
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guess it depends how much they value his intangibles and playoff grittensity
 
LeafOfFaith said:
I would've been much tougher with all of them over the years.

Dubas almost let Willy miss a season somehow, and yet buckled to everyone else.

Then Tre came in and did the same, including slicing Willy in on the action.
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the key was to sign them sooner. waiting on all of them increased their cost.

that, and Tavares set an internal precedent that did us no favours either.
 
The money might make the decision for them.

Ekblad coming out and saying he'll basically bend over to stay a Panther might make him willing to take a more reasonable deal, while Bennett may try to get himself some above market deal from a...desperate team.
 
Habsy said:
Jones was brought in to replace Ekblad unless he signs at a discount. Bennett plays a game that Zito likes.

They will both have to take below market to stay. One is likely gone otherwise. My money is Ekblad leaving.
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Fuck, I'd rather have Ekblad than Bennett. Trade Rielly for an overpaid centre someone wants to move on from like Horvat.
 
Florida has tight cap space and a smart front office.

Wouldn’t be shocked if they let both go/only brought them back on a Florida discount.
 
leafman101 said:
Florida has tight cap space and a smart front office.

Wouldn’t be shocked if they let both go/only brought them back on a Florida discount.
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Fwiw, AFP has the "Florida discount" at 6.14 for Bennett, and 7.22 for Ekblad

Anything lower than that would be them taking a legit discount for the organization and not just the no state tax benefit Florida already gets.

Worst tax loction prices would be 7.0 for Bennett and 8.2 for Ekblad
 
MindzEye said:
Fwiw, AFP has the "Florida discount" at 6.14 for Bennett, and 7.22 for Ekblad

Anything lower than that would be them taking a legit discount for the organization and not just the no state tax benefit Florida already gets.

Worst tax loction prices would be 7.0 for Bennett and 8.2 for Ekblad
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Take home pay would need 8 and 9.5 for both based on heavier taxed states
 
LeafOfFaith said:
You guys are conflating things.

He can desperately want to stay and desperately want to get paid the max he can get at the same time.

He was looking for the best of both worlds.
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These are competing, not complimentary. You can't desperately want to turn left and right at the same time. Someone desperate to stay doesn't turn down the biggest contract in the league.
 
manny said:
I’d say fuck off, call his bluff, like they should have 6 years ago.

If he wants to stay, he can settle for top-10 money, ridiculously front-loaded as always.
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Do more than call his bluff, on or before July 1st, make alternate plans and move forward with them. You can't let an incredibly important off season be decided by the whims of a guy who turned down huge money already and hasn't been part of the solution in your market already.
 
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