12. Thirty continues to be a very important number in negotiating circles. One of the reasons Owen Power’s extension got done is because Buffalo agreed to drop from eight years to seven, so Power’s next contract would kick in before he turns 29. Colorado and
Devon Toews would’ve reached an extension long ago if he wasn’t about to turn 30. Teams are hard on the aging curve — 34 appears to be where many think the final drop comes — so that’s a huge factor in all of these conversations. One thing that could help Toews: he’s played only 318 NHL games. Less mileage.