I thought the Burrows=we're now spending post was satire.
FYI, the Senators only added a few hundred thousand in salary at the deadline. Melnyk claimed he gave Dorion the go ahead to spend but it is unknown whether that is in relation to the deadline only, or long term. Yes, we were in on Duchene, but Ceci who was in the rumoured return going back the other way would have made adding Duchene both this year and next year where Ceci makes over 3M a similar salary commitment to adding Burrows.
Adding 2.5M next year isn't an indication the team is now spending either. Mac's contract is 80 percent insured, and although I think the team's support of him is genuine at this point it isn't farfetched for them to assume that the money will be there to spend as Mac isn't likely to get cleared again.
I am not saying I think White isn't signed because the Sens are worried about adding to the budget this year. Only that I don't think people viewing the Burrows extension as an indication our team is a cap team or "ready to spend" long term are wrong. I'd love for them to be proven right though.
Odds are right now, it's about money, but not in the "omg the Sens are afraid to add money to the books" way being portrayed. Thomas Chabot who was taken before White in the draft signed for about 1.3M. Granted, he signed in 2015 prior to his stock rising. With White being perceived as a top prospect in the league at this point and not your typical 21st overall pick, my guess is that his people might be angling for him to get a much higher AAV than is typical of a mid-late 1st rounder. The negotiation taking a while is probably just basic....negotiating.....who knows though maybe we want BC to take back Andrew Hammond in order to soften the blow of adding White to the books this year.