Yes ruthless. You said it yourself there were lawyers present, they are ruthless. I'm sure they were calm and rational, but also merciless. One side had the upper hand at the table and used it to extract the maximum amount they could not because of the genuine market value but because Dorion and Melnyk had backed themselves in a corner in which not signing Brady would have made the brand an even bigger joke and marred the rebuild at the start. Tkachuks knew this and used it to get a very favorable salary. I do not think they would have been able to strong arm many other franchise like this. Is that market value? maybe. I just call it poor management. Good on Brady to take advantage.
I do not hate the player. Some of my favourite all time senators are Alfredsson, Neil, and Volchenkov. I like them because all of these players innately loved contact and the physical side of hockey, they were true hockey players. Brady is the same mold and so the idea that I don't like the player is false. I love players who thrive under physicality and are natural competitors. But If any of Alfredsson, Neil and Volchenkov were overpaid I would have mentioned it and still liked them as players. Why should it be different about Brady?
I would not say I prefer finesse players, I prefer hockey sense and and compete above all. Hockey is violence but also art, and the players who combine the two are the ones who capture my imagination the most.
I think you are making things up in your own mind, there are lawyers on both sides doing their job, the Sens have them too, why are they not ruthless too? What team in the NHL looking back now would not give Brady Tkachuk the exact same contract, if not more given how he plays & the success he has had. I think this opinion is generally accepted
He got market value & some could argue the Sens got a great deal. That could be said about every team's best player's when they come up for contract renewal that they have the org by the balls & will get a big pay day. That's just the way it is & if things ever go back to normal the cap should start rising again & some of these guys will be making even more like it or not.
If your arguement is he is overpaid, how? He is leading the team again for the 3rd yr in a row in scoring, he went to the allstar game ahead of Chabot as a replacement for Batherson. He has led this NHL/team in hits or right up there almost since he turned pro & he will drop the gloves if need be with almost anyone it seems.
He scores goals, makes some nice assists & seems to have a very high hockey IQ & vision the way he sees guys & makes some plays look. He block's the goalie's view, takes all that punishment in front of the net, separates guys from the puck, helps out the young guys on & off the ice.
He is the face of the franchise which is what they wanted, the owner, management, the coaches, the players, the trainers, broadcasters & the media at large all love him, why is he not worth that contract? The amount of free advertising & marketing they get from him must be enormous & he came with a brand name already in place in hockey circles.
What would any other team pay for all that? How many people would go to the rink just to see him? How many would go to see Svechnikov or Dahlin or Zadina, how many even know these guys outside of die hard fans? He's not only a great player for this team, he is a marketing miracle & that plays into the negotiations as well.
