Blob Mckenzie wrote: ↑Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:53 pm
Elite players get paid.
And UFAs get overpaid = Elite UFA players get greatly overpaid.
Blob Mckenzie wrote: ↑Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:53 pm
He just had his best season.
Yes, he had an unsustainable career year goals-wise.
Blob Mckenzie wrote: ↑Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:53 pm
San Jose offered him more money than the Leaves did and Wilson certainly is no idiot.
All GMs overpay top UFAs, Dubas greatly overpaid Tavares, Wilson
may have been willing to vastly overpay him.
Blob Mckenzie wrote: ↑Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:53 pm
Lots of guys play great hockey well into their 30s.
Sure, but generally a player's game declines into his 30s.
Blob Mckenzie wrote: ↑Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:53 pm
I don’t like the Leaves whatsoever but I don’t see Tavares as a big mistake. I’d have traded Nylander and locked up Marner last summer. I wouldn’t have given that cap hit to Matthews unless he signed a 7 or 8 year deal. If he balked, which he clearly seemed to, then put him on the block and return a haul.
Matthews and Marner saw themselves as better players than Tavares over the long haul.
Signing Tavares made them want to hold off on their 2nd contracts long enough to prove it.
It's important to players and their agents where a player fits within the team's salary structure, gives them leverage.
They knew if they could put up similar points to Tavares they could get similar money.
Remove Tavares from the equation and it's easier to sign them earlier and cheaper.
No Tavares and they'd have these three at centre right now: Matthews, Kadri, Nylander
... with lots of money to sign some top wingers.