Amazing Kreiderman
Registered User
- Apr 11, 2011
- 45,057
- 40,894
It's hard to say if he's better than Smith, Staal or Skjei, but a case can be made that he is better.
If you consider Trouba's market value at $8m, I have a bridge to sell you.
It's not about whether or not he's better. Those 3 were already under contract. They aren't sitting a guy getting paid 5m a year.
And Trouba's contract is definitely market value. I'm not saying I am happy with the contract, but he signed at a lower CH% (9.82) than Hedman (10.79), Weber (13.1), Suter (12.56) Letang (11.28), Pietrangelo, Ekblad* (10.27), Pietrangelo (10.11) and in the range of Burns (9.63), Vlasic (9.33), Giordano (9.25).
8m a year for a top-pair defenseman who puts up 30+ points per full season for 3 years is absolutely fair value. Trouba had just 1 RFA year left unlike guys like Parayko and Dumba who someone else used as a (wrong) comparison.
*And Ekblad had 4(!) RFA years in that deal