Given COVID and the fact that they are starting at Josi money, it is quite possible he would agree to somewhere in the neighbourhood of 8.5. Like JT, AP values family. Starting to think there is a chance.
Absolutely I could see that. I wouldn't be surprised if Blues offered him no more than $7.5M themselves. This wouldn't surprise me at all. The days of the $10M player will be very rare for awhile.
With the Leafs having the deepest pockets in the league they can do what few teams can do, they can offer an AAV that is the same or slightly higher than other teams, but
they can offer the rare lucrative signing bonus that immediately allows a player to put money to work for him, AND it's never going to be impacted by a shutdown/lockout or whatever.
Such a large cash injection immediately adds more cash to a players final return on his contract, be it in getting into the market on investment a year or two earlier, or, simply buying a fix interest instrument. It's in his portfolio, it doesn't go away, and, it can immediately appreciate or compound.
I have little doubt, that a #1 D man could (would?) have been the difference maker in at least 3 of the last 4 playoff losses. That would mean major revenue going forward.
Leafs have to bring some success in order to have advertisers continue to pay high rates. If you don't need to fiddle around with unknown, mid-tier players, than don't. Go with the Stud and build out.