Great players like Brodeur, Kariya and Savard have signed in the past contract under the market value to have the chance to play on a perennial Stanley cup contender team.
#1- They signed those deals AFTER the teams they were on were perenial contenders. Habs are not a contender yet. Subban would be placing an awful lot of good faith in this team.
#2-These players had already made a lot of money prior to signing cheaper deals
#3-These players weren't lowballed into a holdout and constantly diminished at every turn by their own team prior to signing those deals.
It's just a completely different situation. MB established the basis for Subban's next deal. He said, prove that you're worth a long term deal because right now we don't believe you are. He went ahead and did that, and now it is time to pay.
Just with the Habs, Price and Pacioretty are underpaid because they want a shot at the Stanley Cup.
Pacioretty most likely really regrets his deal. He fired his agent recently. That being said, he signed a longer deal than Subban and for more money. I just don't think he did it for the reasons you say he did it for. He wanted security and a certain amount for his first big deal after the Chara hit.
Price underpaid? Really? He was top 3 highest paid goalie when he signed that deal. And at the time he had never even been nominated for a vezina. If anything he was overpaid in comparison with his achievements and paid purely on potential.
I have said that i will be ok with Subban at a 8.5 millions cap hit that would put him in a select club with only Malkin, Staal, Crosby, Getzlaf and Perry. All these players have won the Stanley Cup before getting these big fat juicy contract.
I don't know what is the right amount within the context of this new CBA without possibility for front loading and other stuff that's been done in past CBAs. That said, all the players you just named got really good RFA deals and weren't shafted with Del Zotto level of offers. Do you realize that MB offered Del Zotto money to PK as a RFA? HE got less than John Carlson ! I think that's ridiculous personally.
For me, 8.5 millions for Subban is far form an insult and far from the communist russia. That would be a fair deal for both side. Being at the place of Pacioretty or Price i would be piss of if Subban wants a 9+ millions deal despite both of them have make sacrifice for the team.
What is commnist russia is saying that Subban should accept X amount to be a team player. If he doesn't, you will think he's a cancer or greedy egotistic player... I think that's silly. Subban, given the circumstances of his past dealings with the habs is entirely justified in letting his agent get whatever amount he can get for him without even the most remote feeling of guilt.
It's Subban right to ask for the moon and good for him if he gets it. But, i would not be a happy fan if he gets a 9.5 millions cap hit. The depth of the team is a big part of the playoff success of the Habs. A 9.5 millions Subban would be a big hit to the depth of the team.
Look, 1M won't change anything. I'd rather overpay a guy like Subban by 1M than a guy like Prust, or Budaj, or Moen. Subban is one in a million, impossible to trade for, while the other guys are dime a dozen players.
I am a fan of the team first and a Subban fan after. Not the inverse.
This has nothing to do with that.
Hell, I'll be quite happy if we sign Subban for 5M. But I think it's absolutely ridiculous to turn on Subban if he signs for more than what you hoped for. If Subban ends up signing for 9.5M, then the person you should be upset at is MB, not Subban. He would only be playing by the rules that MB set for him.