Personally, I expect somewhere around the same cap percentage he carries now, but it's the 8 years of term I keep hearing that I think is slightly excessive so if there's a significant raise I don't see the wisdom in adding too many potentially handcuffing years.
I think if he signs another long, 8+ year deal he gives the team a break due to how "PAID" he'll be on the back end. If he wants to push the limits of what he can earn he's going to have to do it on a 4 or 5-ish year deal, and then look at drafting up a retirement contract. That's not to insult the guy, but even for Backstrom I would hesitate to trot out an 8x8 or 8x9 deal that pushes him to 40.
Which way makes him more is up to negotiations and contract structure. If it's got any lockout protection written in it similar to the way other contracts are currently being structured, that might also change the lay of the land.
I don't take any quotes seriously. They're almost always positive because that's just the way hockey media is. Everyone is a good guy.
But anyway I don't even think the source of our disagreement is on Backstrom.
I think the source of our disagreement is on how much 8 million is in the current climate
Backstrom just watched a kid he used to babysit, whose career high is 60 points, who plays wing, who was an RFA with no arbitration, whose contract only bought 2 UFA years sign for 6x7. More than what he makes now.
8m is just nothing now. If Tavares, Toews and Eichel are getting 10-11m (and Tavares turned down a 7x13m offer from the Sharks and a 8x12.5m offer from the Isles) anything less than 8m a year for Backstrom is doormat level. Backstrom is better than both those guys. 8m is already a significant discount.
