Agreed with this. Unless an offer sheet is actually signed by the player, what is there to be worried about? Even if he does sign a contract above what we are willing to match, I glady take 3 or 4 first round picks. I don't think any GM is ever going to pay that price for any player, maybe even McDavid.
Also would like to add about when O-dog called Dreger out on radio about the offer sheet rumors saying something like "Guys like Point, Rantanen etc. are RFAs as well and we aren't hearing any rumors of these guys being offer sheeted, so why only Marner?"
Yes, I recall O'Neill saying that and also being livid about the leaked report that Marner had rejected an offer that would have earned him over 70 million and pointing out that living in Toronto and getting paid in US dollars means that's over 100 million. Marner, his dad and his agent should p*ss off to Europe, I think was the line, more or less. 100 million was not good enough for Mitch, supposedly because he didn't want an 8 year deal and wanted to maximise lifetime earnings etc etc. Then, I think it was a day or two after that (memory is a bit fuzzy), they announced the 10.893 over 6 years deal. And then Marner posted a video to social media saying the 93 part of his salary was a tribute to Gilmour. Heartwarming stuff for Leafs fans like me who have been alive since the 60s when they last won a Cup.
Look, on-ice performance is what matters the most, and understandably so. But character and integrity matter too, at least to me. Earn your tens of millions but don't milk us for every penny. Play hard all the time, but especially when it matters most. Not asking for Wendel or Killer, just more spine and less whine.
Although I'd bet the house that Mitch would handle the contract stuff very differently if he had a chance to do it again, I'd also bet that, since things have gotten so ugly for him here, he's going to see if he can convince some team to pay him the earth on the next contract. He can then griddy his way over to those greener pastures where people care less about character, toughness and clutch playoff performance.
PS: Not sure I agree with your point about GMs not paying that price for McDavid. We'll never know, of course, but I think that every GM on the planet would have broken the bank if the Oilers had been stupid enough to let him get to RFA.