There has been no pressure of playing under a big money contract in his career. While I expect it shouldn't be a problem. No one knows. Not even you.
You assume a lot in most of your posts. I hope you're spot, I really do. But if you wrong, giving him what you insist he's worth, could cripple the franchise for years. Stuck with a big contract/slide in performance or injury. Then the expectation of paying future young high end players on the 2nd big contract.(I don't consider arbitration a good will agreed upon deal. One party is always butt hurt.)
He shouldn't need top 3 money to be happy at this point of his career. That just greed talking, through either himself or his agent.
Lets just get him signed, 7-8/yr is on the high side of history, but should be enough to keep him happy. The higher it goes, the less protections he should get. Considering there are rumblings about a another future strike/lockout. This sis Bettman they're dealing with and if he is told, by the governors, the owners are not making their "nut", he will act in their best interests, not the players.