I maybe missing the point. Tkachuk is not going to be looking for a big contract that takes him into the twilight years of his career. He’ll get paid for his peak years. Just like we did for EK.
EKscontract was maybe the best value contract in the NHL for every second he played for $6.5 million so it’s not a good comparable. The best player in the game don’t play for $6.5 million anymore.
Tkachuk isn’t signing a team friendly deal. The fans are ready to pay him $8 mill - if he’s a point per game and Ottawa makes the playoffs and he goes beast (like EK) does he settle for $8 million? Nope.
we love Tkachuk now because he’s making $1.5 million and is awesome, let’s see where we are at this summer. Look at the reaction to Duclair being released because he wanted to much money - it’ll be 1000x that when Brady wants his market value.
the point remains Ottawa real payroll is $50 million, not $60 million. If Brady wants 20% of that, will the fans like him as much as we do today. It’ll hit that insecure nerve Ottawa fans have, and it won’t go well.
Dorion promised Ottawa he’d sign EK, expectations never met. Dorion talked about Brady’s contract, he better get him signed and it better go smoothly, or the knives will be out