TSN: Giordano's Contract Watch - initial ask is $9M/year

[Pirate King Luffy]

This is how I view it, he's our captain, he loves the city, I don't see why he wouldn't want to resign in 3 years time given we are trending up and have such a young core. The shorter term gives us the flexibility to pay him accordingly when the contract expires or address team needs as necessary. Signing him to longer term deal eliminates that and it really won't reduce his cap by probably more than 1.5 million a season.

For his age alone, I would not hand out anything over a 4 year deal personally. It's too much money over too many years and I just think it's to risky. I could honestly live with 9 over 3 years.

I don't think he cares. Sure he may love the city and whatever but in reality you try to squeeze out as much as possible. I would.

 

[Calculon]

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Because a 6 year guaranteed contract is guaranteed for 6 years. He knows just as well as we know that there's a chance that he declines over the next few years and becomes a 3/4/5/6 defenceman. If he signs a contract for 3 years, he could be looking at FA next year as a depth piece. It's in his and his family's best interests to get as many total dollars now as he can, whether that be because of term or because of AAV, because you never know what the future holds, and how much he may be able to earn after this contract. There's even a chance that this contract is his last in the NHL.

Granted, my main point though is that just because he is Mark Giordano, that does not mean that we should just give him whatever he wants. You still need to be smart if you are the Flames because you are running a business.

If Gio's camp is insistent on 6-8 years, that should significantly lower his cap. There has to be give and take from both sides, which I expect will occur with Gio being the kind of guy he is.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

If I was Treliving, I'd communicate to Gio's camp that long term cap flexibility is vital to the Flames ability to be a Cup contender, and that's this is their priority in negotiations. This can be achieved by either a shorter term deal with a "name your price" cap hit (ie. 9 per). Or a longer term deal, 6-8 years with a hit of 6-6.5 million per. That gives Gio plenty of options and realistically that is an extremely fair offer if he picks the years considering where his game could be in 4-6 seasons.

 

[slappipappi]

If I was Treliving, I'd communicate to Gio's camp that long term cap flexibility is vital to the Flames ability to be a Cup contender, and that's this is their priority in negotiations. This can be achieved by either a shorter term deal with a "name your price" cap hit (ie. 9 per). Or a longer term deal, 6-8 years with a hit of 6-6.5 million per. That gives Gio plenty of options and realistically that is an extremely fair offer if he picks the years considering where his game could be in 4-6 seasons.

I'd be surpised if the Flames management needs any tips on negotiations.

Gio may simply want to be paid FVM, which to him might mean what he could get on the UFA market.

 

[Anglesmith]

Granted, my main point though is that just because he is Mark Giordano, that does not mean that we should just give him whatever he wants. You still need to be smart if you are the Flames because you are running a business.

If Gio's camp is insistent on 6-8 years, that should significantly lower his cap. There has to be give and take from both sides, which I expect will occur with Gio being the kind of guy he is.

The Flames don't have to bend to Gio's demands, but the neither does Gio have to sign whatever the Flames want to offer him. The question is really how much Gio cares about playing for the Flames vs. another organization that values him even higher.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

The Flames don't have to bend to Gio's demands, but the neither does Gio have to sign whatever the Flames want to offer him. The question is really how much Gio cares about playing for the Flames vs. another organization that values him even higher.

I agree, and I think there's obviously a ton of mutual interest from both sides to sign an extension. I also see no reason why both the Flames and Gio can't get something done that's mutually beneficial for both parties.

 

[slappipappi]

I agree, and I think there's obviously a ton of mutual interest from both sides to sign an extension. I also see no reason why both the Flames and Gio can't get something done that's mutually beneficial for both parties.

I would have thought that if Gio would sign a deal which is beneficial to the Flames, it would have been done by now.

It may well be that there is no deal which is, in fact, mutually benefit.

As it is with all elite players playing for contending teams (which we hope the Flames will be), if they truly want the last $$$ (and term) they could make in UFA (especially for a player who will be 33 when the extension kicks in), the amount (and term) some team will pay will be quite a bit more than what a contender should pay.

Everyone might think that a 5 year deal for $7M is mutually beneficial, but if Gio can actually make $8-9M over, say, 7-8 years, it might not be fair to say that the 5-year deal is beneficial to GIo.

If Gio is insistent on a 6-8 year deal, it's time to see what he can fetch in a trade. Even a 6-year deal means the Flames would be paying him in his 38th year.

 

[danmcd15]

i know it hurt missing Gio for our playoff run and for quite a large chunk of season games in the last 2 seasons. But that might be a blessing and enough of negotiable material for management to lock him up <8.5. A Norris would have put him at 9 likely. As for term, Id love to save cash by signing him until his late 30s, but Id accept a 5-6 year at 8.5 AAV. Hopefully management can get that down to 7.75 or so.

But whatever you have to do to keep Gio, you do. In my opinion he is maybe the most valuable defender in the league (hope his agent doesn't see that). Nevermind his consistently well rounded play, you rarely hear something like a drunk Hudler speech thanking the "best captain in the league". And hearing about the phone calls he makes to new additions to the team is just awesome. He appears to really set the culture for this team.

 

[Zirakzigil]

There is nothing stopping the Flames from giving Gio 9mil or even 10mil for the first year or 2 of his new contract and bringing it down in the years after that. Something like
Year 1: 9mil
Year 2: 9mil
Year 3: 7mil
Year 4: 7mil
Year 5: 5mil
Year 6: 5mil

Thats a 7mil cap hit and gives him a little more money than market value the first 2 years but becomes cheaper the last 2. He started negotiating asking for 9mil and the Flames probably came back with 6mil. They will settle with something in the middle.

 

[Johnny GODreau]

There is nothing stopping the Flames from giving Gio 9mil or even 10mil for the first year or 2 of his new contract and bringing it down in the years after that. Something like
Year 1: 9mil
Year 2: 9mil
Year 3: 7mil
Year 4: 7mil
Year 5: 5mil
Year 6: 5mil

Thats a 7mil cap hit and gives him a little more money than market value the first 2 years but becomes cheaper the last 2. He started negotiating asking for 9mil and the Flames probably came back with 6mil. They will settle with something in the middle.

I thought of the exact layout except, I didn't use a year 6.

 

[Flaming Satan]

I agree, and I think there's obviously a ton of mutual interest from both sides to sign an extension. I also see no reason why both the Flames and Gio can't get something done that's mutually beneficial for both parties.

I say that we just let Gio go into free agency an let that extra money be used to sign Monahan, Gaudreau and Bennett.

 

[Johnny GODreau]

I say that we just let Gio go into free agency an let that extra money be used to sign Monahan, Gaudreau and Bennett.

Just trade Jones or let him walk, and trade Wideman that's 9.75m right there. If we manage to dump Raymond that's another 3.15m. Suddenly, we have capspace again.

 

[CraigsList]

I say that we just let Gio go into free agency an let that extra money be used to sign Monahan, Gaudreau and Bennett.

Hiller, Wideman, Jones, Raymond, Engelland and Smid are off the books within the next 2 years. We'll be fine.

 

[InfinityIggy]

I say that we just let Gio go into free agency an let that extra money be used to sign Monahan, Gaudreau and Bennett.

We still have him under contract for another entire year. I am sure if it becomes obvious that a deal won't get done, we will have ample time to trade him.

 

[Taranis]

We still have him under contract for another entire year. I am sure if it becomes obvious that a deal won't get done, we will have ample time to trade him.

Gio at 50% at the deadline would be insane.

 

[Straight Fire]

7.2AAV over 5 yrs.

9,9,8,5,5.

I would like something like this, nothing more. Maybe tack on a million onto year 4 and .5 mill onto year 5. Something like that.

Flames can't get tied into a long heavy contract. If Gio is still playing elite-level, then reward him with a 2 year extension in year 5.

 

[Buchanan*]

I say that we just let Gio go into free agency an let that extra money be used to sign Monahan, Gaudreau and Bennett.

 

[slappipappi]

I say that we just let Gio go into free agency an let that extra money be used to sign Monahan, Gaudreau and Bennett.

CHoices are as follows, being best to worst:

(1) Sign Gio to a reasonable deal.
(2) Trade him for a pretty good haul, if you can't get (a).
(3) If you are insane, let him walk in UFA without any return.

 

[Pirate King Luffy]

I say that we just let Gio go into free agency an let that extra money be used to sign Monahan, Gaudreau and Bennett.

errrr, what?

 

[saillias]

The contract him and his agent Ritch Winter is asking for is pretty unreasonable. Almost offensively unreasonable.

Subban is the only defenseman with that kind of AAV and he's 26.

Letang? Weber? Suter? Doughty? Some of the highest compensated guys in the league, considered the best, all around 7-7.8. Other guys considered the best in the league, Keith and Karlsson, even lower AAV. All of them younger, all of them signed these huge contracts in their mid 20s. Gio will be 33 at the time of this extension. The only guy from this list who gets hurt like Gio is Letang.

IMO his negotiating party needs to get serious, but that's how Ritch Winter works.

 

[GAMO1992]

I wouldn't mind a 4 year $7M AAV deal, full NMC 1st 3 years. He gets paid, gets to be highest paid on our roster, and gets to stay at least 3 more years.

Something like:
8M
8M
6M
6M

 

[slappipappi]

I wouldn't mind a 4 year $7M AAV deal, full NMC 1st 3 years. He gets paid, gets to be highest paid on our roster, and gets to stay at least 3 more years.

Something like:
8M
8M
6M
6M

I bet you wouldn't mind that.

Zero chance of that contract being accepted.

And he'll get a full NTC and NMC for the entire length of the deal.

If he would, he'd be signed already.

 

[CraigsList]

I bet you wouldn't mind that.

Zero chance of that contract being accepted.

And he'll get a full NTC and NMC for the entire length of the deal.

If he would, he'd be signed already.

What would you suggest then? I thought his idea was fine.

 

[Zirakzigil]

The contract him and his agent Ritch Winter is asking for is pretty unreasonable. Almost offensively unreasonable.

Subban is the only defenseman with that kind of AAV and he's 26.

Letang? Weber? Suter? Doughty? Some of the highest compensated guys in the league, considered the best, all around 7-7.8. Other guys considered the best in the league, Keith and Karlsson, even lower AAV. All of them younger, all of them signed these huge contracts in their mid 20s. Gio will be 33 at the time of this extension. The only guy from this list who gets hurt like Gio is Letang.

IMO his negotiating party needs to get serious, but that's how Ritch Winter works.

Except thats how negotiations work. If they didnt start out high then hes going to lose out.