The term made it possible? His cap hit is not a discount.
And if he had signed for fewer years, the cap hit would have been higher. Going 7 allowed the team go get the cap hit to 4.25 (which is at the low end of guys who signed UFA deals in his range). If it's a 3-5 year deal the cap hit is 5+. Look at the other UFA deals.
The guy leeched on Dats and Z
A) He played around 25% of the time at ES with Datsyuk in 15, and 20% in 16.
B) Leeching off Z implies Z was, you know, really good. He hasn't been. Z's been an average to slightly above average top line center for 3+ years now. If this was 2009, sure. Leeching. It's not, so it wasn't.
Some of you are acting like Abby has a notable history of top 6 level production.
Nah. He had a couple good years going into his deal, and got paid. Happens almost all the time. There are literally no GMs who are going to let an expiring RFA like Abdelkader walk coming off a couple ~20 goal seasons. If there's an instance of a GM doing that, ever, enlighten me, because I don't remember it.
GM's should be weary of signing veteran power forwards to life time deals after a flukey season or two.
This was his first UFA deal coming off four years where his cap number was 1.8. Obviously, Holland's not going to get any credit for that and no one is going to incorporate that into how they consider subsequent deals are structured. Just in case, though, I'll mention it.
It's not like he was 33 and got a 6 year deal, and it's not like his deal is going to take him well beyond an age to be competent on the ice and leave the team on the hook for a recapture hit. The primary danger in the deal is Abdelkader sucking, not the term or the amount.