The avs clearly wouldn't have had leverage next year either I'd it was a one year deal. He would've selected arbitration and been on his way. The idea that they could've had leverage over him with one year left is wrong. He'll get the money he wants and term he wants one way or another.
This.
I wish people would simply realize a top talent, which ROR will most likely be, can lay out their own future plans and a team can't stop them. They can twist, turn, sputter, muddle, and fuddle during the RFA years to drive the highest salary possible. Then when UFA comes the player has the market to play. If he is elite, the money will come from somewhere. Key piece. Does the player want a Cup chance? That limits his choices. How bad are his services wanted by said contending suitors? That in the end will settle his value. He can probably go to a non-contender for even more money.
Where will the Avs be in two years? If they are one of the contenders at that time and he has been instrumental in making them so, it's possible he has become their best player (not to say that will be the case). In either case, it's possible they cough up enough to make him decide to stay. If they establish some kind of self imposed ceiling for all their players based on what ever set of criteria they employ and he won't settle for that, he's gone.
Right now the best thing Colorado can do is milk the cow for as long as possible. If he fails to put up top numbers his market value decreases and makes it easier for the Avs to resign him. If his numbers skyrocket, then he would be worth his asking price or somewhere in the ball park and the Avs might be wise to pay it rather than have him be instrumental in another team's Cup.
You just don't know right now how this will progress. In the second year about midway, the Avs start to talk about an extension. If it looks impossible, deal him at the deadline. If he's on top of the charts, he'll get something of value in return.
The Avs could not have controlled this. There is no way to back a player into a corner he can't get out of. So, they took the best shot they could. They signed a middle price between the two, didn't burn their bridge and cause a negative situation between them for two years, got two years to use his services which will have to be very good if he is looking for a big payday, can try to resign him, and if not thank him for what he helped them attain and dump him for other assets and rid themselves of their and the kid's worst enemy, his own father (you almost wonder what % he gets out of all of this.) It's the best they could hope for based on this particular situation.
Let's be honest. Once you attain a certain financial threshold, how many million does one need in order to be set for life as well as prepare for your children's future and in ROR's case his father's retirement. When you have 50 or 60 million what difference would another 10 make in creating financial security. Greed can be a person's worst friend. We don't need to worry senselessly over this.
