Per the discussion about the Kane. Pickles, Burns, Jones, Couture contracts...
1. Jones' deal is A-OK! its not super cheap, but Jones has provided stability in net unseen since maybe the top Nabby days, and even then, Jones has shown he can do it in the Playoffs just as well. He's not at all old, and has shown no signs of decay to me. I would be surprised if this turns out badly. And, even if it was an overpay, if he goes elsewhere, what next? Mrazek? Lehner? some other cast-off? No thanks. jones gives safety and stability. He is the only goalie to lead the sharks to the cup finals. I'll take that deal anyday.
2. Kane: iffy for sure. Could go either way. I am not convinced it's terrible. Yet. The risk is high: Injury history, character stuff, overall contributions are all unsure. He was not even a 50 pt player prior to this season. He has lots of inury history and of course the sexual stuff and teammate problems. It's an extremely high risk $$ and term. However, he showed, albeit briefly, that as a complementary piece, on a team with solid leadership, in a friendly market, he has the skillset to be 30+ goal, 60-70 pt player, which makes 7M a cheap deal, especially for someone who is just 26 at the start and adds physicality too. Big risk, but not necessarily bad.
3. Burns: Gotta pay what it takes. Norris trophy winners are expensive. Simple as that. Letting him walk is just not an option for a team that has nothing close to a replacement player. The end of that deal will Hurt, but the good news is that a shot doesnt generally get weaker so the contributions offensively and on the PP should still be solid. The defense may be weaker, so finding a Burns Whisperer will be the key to making this deal work in the tail end. Unfortunately, Burns is irreplacable for the sharks now, so Dougie had little choice here.
4. Vlasic: See above. Best shut down Dman in the league. Been underpaid for years. He was on team Canada's goal team. He is now a known star, so 7M is cheap. This is the one deal that will really hurt the last 3-4 years. Vlasic plays a punishing game, blocking shots, absorbing hits, and trying to keep up with the fastest, biggest guys in the league. This is going to crush him eventually, and injuries will start coming. Its a catch-22, because giving him 9-10M per for 4 years makes more sense in terms of value, but kills the cap now. Just like giving burns 10+M for 4 years is proper valuation, but kills the cap today. Dougie is obiously counting on a rising cap that makes 8M or 7M 4 years from now look like 4M in today's dollars. That's the only way this can be looked at as not killing them a few years down the line.
5. Couture: 8M is alot. He is likely worth 8M today,so 8M 5 years from now is alot. However, with cooch, his contributions extend beyond the ice. Much like Jumbo and Pavs, Couture is center to the organizational soul. He consistently elevates his game in the biggest moments as he would have been the Conn Smythe winner if the sharks had won two years ago, and he led the team in scoring and was the best player last year too. His 8x8 might be a tough one to absorb 4 or 5 years from now, but his character off the ice might justify a lower role on the ice. Jumbo was not worth 8 last year or 5 this year for his on-ice contributions. But if you read Kane's piece in the player's journal, you see why dougie gives him the $$. He brings other guys in. He makes SJ a good place to live and work. He adds levity when the team is struggling and he is a role model who has been highly effective in the development of Pavelski, Couture, Hertl and others. It is wrong to underestimate the effect that Couture has and will have on the young guys coming up. He will wear the C when Pavs is done, and that's why he is paid what he is.
In other words, yes 3 or 4 years from now, the sharks could be in trouble. However, the cap will likely be least 10M higher, and the players will still be respectable, even if not as central as today. That's why the development of Hertl, Meier, Labanc, Ryan, Norris, Gambrell, Suomela, Balcers, Merkley, and others is so crucial, and the right trade and patience to get the correct guy is key.
