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[Soundwave]

I would try to get Leon to sign for 106 million x 8 years (13.25 cap hit).

On the open market for a team to give him 106 million x 7 years, it would be a 15+ million cap hit ... so it's not like this is that big of a underpay.

Ultimately they can ask for whatever they want and get it, but if they do want to win that bad, I think at the very least asking them to let the Oilers at least leverage the 8th year advantage is fair.

Leon will be like 38 years old at the end of the deal, is it really a big deal to make money in the 8th year at that point?

Hopefully McDavid takes a similarish deal, but you sign him for whatever he wants obviously. It's up to them.

 

[Anarchism]

So who ever our GM is next summer (ahead of free agency) has a number one task of going to Leon and his agent looking to sign a deal as soon as possible. If you suppose for a moment that we finish 2nd to Vegas again the team and especially Connor and Draisaitl will be likely be highly frustrated/agitated.
There is a good chance at that point Draisaitl will either tell his agent he is not signing or at least not signing right away. Leon with his M -NTC controls his destiny somewhat.
Does the New GM

1) Panic
2) Hang on and wait.
3) Hang on and trade Draisaitl's undecided ass before the season starts.

 

[Mr Positive]

I don't really care if McDavid and Draisaitl leave money on the table or not, watching the Oilers without them is going to be brutal. Sign them for whatever they want for however long they're willing to sign, the rest can be figured out later.

Edit: Also don't buy that the window to win ends with their new contracts. The Oilers have committed to this core for one run at the cup, and once Nuge, Hyman, Kane, Ekholm, etc. have aged out, they'll have to commit to another group of players to take a run at it. Lot's of money will be available between the cap rising and players aging out, McDavid and Draisaitl could ask for 30 million combined and the Oilers will still have opportunities to contend. Just can't make as many dumb mistakes.

I agree that we can still win even with more cash going to those two. If we sign both, our window is open for as long as we have them. There will be cap challenges, like any team.

Plus, how much more cap space will we really need. McDavid maybe signs for something with a 14, so that's 1.5 million more. Drai's will be more dramatic. If it will be 13.5, that's 5. So 6.5 million. Plus the cap is going to stop jumping a ton. We can't underrate that. Once the COVID debt has been paid it's going to start jumping 5 million a year.

I will say that perhaps the first couple years of their new deals we may be challenged. Just like with a lot of teams who sign players to big deals, it can take a couple years for the cap percentage of those deals to go down a bit. Even still, we will still have good deals on guys like Nuge. We will definitely always be a playoff team from here on out as long as we keep these two, and we will always have a puncher's chance at the cup with them here.

 

[BlackDogg]

McDavid has to take slightly less than Matthews to show respect.

 

[McShogun99]

McDavid has to take slightly less than Matthews to show respect.

Mcdavid is more like Crosby. He'll leave money on the table to win. Even if he's not the highest paid player in the league.

 

[Mr Positive]

McDavid has to take slightly less than Matthews to show respect.

The Oilers will want term with McDavid. I'd expect Matthews deal will be slightly less than McDavid, but will be half the length. To me, getting term on McDavid is a better deal than a lower AAV Matthews.

 

[mkatcherin00]

That too. Connor has been the highest paid player in the NHL for a long time, a lot more years than Crosby ever was.

Let Connor Bedard or Matthews worry about having the highest cap hit honestly.

For Connor and Leon what I'd ask both of them is to just focus on the end salary.

$105 million, lets say.

$105 million over 7 years from anyone else = $15 million cap hit per year.

For the Oilers, the same 105 million/8 years = $13.12 million.

You're getting the same money either way, why not do it this way and increase your team's chances at winning?

Plus teams like Edmonton can pay a lot of it in bonuses. These guys can get more upfront $$ to make more money on the side quicker with whatever investments they have.

 

[K1984]

So who ever our GM is next summer (ahead of free agency) has a number one task of going to Leon and his agent looking to sign a deal as soon as possible. If you suppose for a moment that we finish 2nd to Vegas again the team and especially Connor and Draisaitl will be likely be highly frustrated/agitated.
There is a good chance at that point Draisaitl will either tell his agent he is not signing or at least not signing right away. Leon with his M -NTC controls his destiny somewhat.
Does the New GM

1) Panic
2) Hang on and wait.
3) Hang on and trade Draisaitl's undecided ass before the season starts.

If winning is what Leon and Connor want to do, which I'm quite positive it is one of their only focuses, leaving for the unknowns of free agency makes no sense.

The only team that will be able to add them has this profile:

A) Decent team looking to go over the top that makes just enough room to sign them
B) Shitty team with a lot of cap room
C) Great team, but they will have no money so they will have to take a discount deal

A) or C) are already the Oilers. Neither will do B) unless they just want money. Simply losing to Vegas doesn't change this unless they actually join Vegas. Vegas will have beaten all the other teams they would be joining anyways, so being "frustrated" that they can't beat Vegas is 100% moot.

The only reason I could see either leaving is if they just want a payday only (doubt it) or want a change of scenery (makes no sense). In any case, no team will be able to add both of them unless they are really shitty, and why would either want to walk into a rebuild situation? IMO the fretting about them leaving is way overblown, it is pretty much impossible for either player to go to a new team and be in a better position than they already are.

 

[duul]

Part of the reason the rough stuff happens is because refs let games get out of control. The more hacking and whacking they allow, the more it snowballs into all out brawls. They have no idea what they're doing and nobody knows inside the game or out what's a penalty and what isn't.

Absolutely. The game is too fast out there. That's a brutal truth. The speed of the game is at a point where everything is so fast that tons of calls are missed because a human's capability of seeing certain things and checking multiple parts of the ice simultaneously at high speed will lead to guessing games. It has always been a struggle but today it's near impossible.

Think about McDavid making a move on a guy and you're turning with him to go up the ice but at the same time there's something happening in the corner of your eye in both directions. If you've been at ice level you'll know what I mean. Real damn hard to get all the calls right. Coupled with the rulebook being all broken and the standard being flip floppy, I get their frustration.

With this sport in particular it really does seem like there has to be a change. People propose hi speed cameras and a ref up in the pressbox, all that kind of stuff. I propose something else:

Drop a lot of the rules to a point where less penalties are being called per game, only for the blatant ones you can't really miss. Let the players police the sport again. They're already doing it on their own over the last few years with some of the highest numbers of fights ever. We went from 200something to 600something a year just in the last 5 years. That's incredible.

Really, think about it. No more instigator, no more of this weird nonsense where the refs are trying to control a game they're clearly incapable of doing at the modern speed. Remove one ref, keep the linesmen.

You'll see the slashes to the wrists start to dwindle and a newfound respect will be shown for the players when they're tasked with policing the sport for themselves again. Because it will go both ways. That slash is going to cost you some teeth again or a pummelling. Might even help slow the game down a little bit too which wouldn't hurt. Will end up with more 5 on 5 hockey with cleaner overall play and half the game not being special teams.

 

[Anarchism]

If winning is what Leon and Connor want to do, which I'm quite positive it is one of their only focuses, leaving for the unknowns of free agency makes no sense.

The only team that will be able to add them has this profile:

A) Decent team looking to go over the top that makes just enough room to sign them
B) Shitty team with a lot of cap room
C) Great team, but they will have no money so they will have to take a discount deal

A) or C) are already the Oilers. Neither will do B) unless they just want money. Simply losing to Vegas doesn't change this unless they actually join Vegas. Vegas will have beaten all the other teams they would be joining anyways, so being "frustrated" that they can't beat Vegas is 100% moot.

The only reason I could see either leaving is if they just want a payday only (doubt it) or want a change of scenery (makes no sense). In any case, no team will be able to add both of them unless they are really shitty, and why would either want to walk into a rebuild situation? IMO the fretting about them leaving is way overblown, it is pretty much impossible for either player to go to a new team and be in a better position than they already are.

LOTS of guys choosing coastal destinations. Lots of players in the past being higher end number two's wanting to see running their own team looks like--dont fool yourself this is Connor's team not Connor's and Draisaitl's. You make a mistake lumping them together -- not a wise plan. They don't come as a pair and have different decisions to make and for different reasons with at least I believe Connor more likely to stay.
Further from a team perspective there are reasons to limit Draisaitl's AVV. Whereas maybe the best thing to do with Connor is pass him the checkbook. Maybe the team is even better off trading Draisaitl next year.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

McDavid rightfully deserves to be the highest paid player in the league and Drai rightfully deserves to be the 2nd highest paid player in the league. As long as the cap keeps going up neither contract should be an issue when it comes to winning while they are youngish. If they truly want to win they could leave a little on the table. Maybe not winning to this point is good in that sense,

 

[K1984]

LOTS of guys choosing coastal destinations. Lots of players in the past being higher end number two's wanting to see running their own team looks like--dont fool yourself this is Connor's team not Connor's and Draisaitl's. You make a mistake lumping them together -- not a wise plan. They don't come as a pair and have different decisions to make and for different reasons with at least I believe Connor more likely to stay.
Further from a team perspective there are reasons to limit Draisaitl's AVV. Whereas maybe the best thing to do with Connor is pass him the checkbook. Maybe the team is even better off trading Draisaitl next year.

I think everything you said is crazy, but just my opinion.

Leon is a pretty fierce competitor. I would be flabbergasted if signing a contract with a team just to be "on the coast" is anywhere on his radar. Which is besides the fact that almost every "coast" team is either shitty and won't win even with Leon, or capped out. There is zero indication that he wants to be "the guy" all on his own, and that perspective is even more crazy when he hasn't won anything yet and would probably have to go to an ass team to do it.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

McDavid rightfully deserves to be the highest paid player in the league and Drai rightfully deserves to be the 2nd highest paid player in the league. As long as the cap keeps going up neither contract should be an issue when it comes to winning while they are youngish. If they truly want to win they could leave a little on the table. Maybe not winning to this point is good in that sense,

McDavid left some money on the table last time and here's hoping he'll do that again. Draisatl probably won't but nobody would blame him.

But with all that said this team needs a serious deep run. Any early exit next year and they might start to think about greener pastures.

 

[Anarchism]

I think everything you said is crazy, but just my opinion.

Leon is a pretty fierce competitor. I would be flabbergasted if signing a contract with a team just to be "on the coast" is anywhere on his radar. Which is besides the fact that almost every "coast" team is either shitty and won't win even with Leon, or capped out. There is zero indication that he wants to be "the guy" all on his own, and that perspective is even more crazy when he hasn't won anything yet and would probably have to go to an ass team to do it.

Yes he is a fierce competitor. Of course there is zero indication...he is not a fool and is committed at this point. More than one GM from very close coastal teams could make a trade happen. He can control 10 team destinations.

 

[K1984]

Yes he is a fierce competitor. Of course there is zero indication...he is not a fool and is committed at this point. More than one GM from very close coastal teams could make a trade happen. He can control 10 team destinations.

Yes, but it makes no sense for him to go to a "coastal team" other than if simply living on the coast was his only priority.

He could also want to go to the Blue Jackets because I heard he really likes it there. <- this statement has about as much foundation has theorizing that he really badly wants to play on a coastal team at all costs.

If we're at the point of concocting out there theories of what he actually wants to do then I think that the safe assumption is that the Oilers are in a great position to re-sign him unless something unforeseen occurs.

 

[Arpeggio]

Really, think about it. No more instigator, no more of this weird nonsense where the refs are trying to control a game they're clearly incapable of doing at the modern speed. Remove one ref, keep the linesmen.

You'll see the slashes to the wrists start to dwindle and a newfound respect will be shown for the players when they're tasked with policing the sport for themselves again. Because it will go both ways. That slash is going to cost you some teeth again or a pummelling. Might even help slow the game down a little bit too which wouldn't hurt. Will end up with more 5 on 5 hockey with cleaner overall play and half the game not being special teams.

I don't really buy this. The game was significantly more violent prior to the instigator rule and the extra ref. If you call less penalties, there will be more slashes on wrists and missed calls than there already are.

 

[SK13]

I would like to know why it is still the belief that the NHL PA wants players to take the most they can get. I absolutely understand why the player and their representation might feel that way but why would the PA?

Why does the players union want their players to set new standards for their members to negotiate against? Especially when the cap will be 10-15% higher when those salaries kick in that the current flat cap environment every current contract is signed in?

Come on, dude. We've heard that the PA has given static to players taking discounts in the past. They're gonna want to the best player in the generation to set a new standard so their other top members can argue for 12-13 million and not 10 million. And I know that theoretically takes from their lower end earners, but actually, at this stage, those guys get paid by teams who don't have top end talent. Gudas couldn't get 4M from a good team but he could get it from ANA.

I am also curious as to know why it would be such a sacrifice for Leon to be paid what MacKinnon is making. They are very comparable players in terms of talent. And the argument that Leon was playing at a massive discount does not win any points vs MacKinnon. MacKinnon is a year older than Leon and has $8M less in career earnings.

Because both MacKinnon and Draisaitl could get more than 12.8M in free agency. Because MacKinnon signed three months after winning a Stanley Cup. Because if Draisaitl had the same salary as MacKinnon this coming year, he'd make almost a million dollars less due to tax differences. Because MacKinnon's 12.8M was 15.5% of the cap when it was signed, and 15.5% of the cap when Draisaitl's contract kicks in is going to be like 14.2 million?

Because Edmonton is going to pay a price for being Edmonton as it always has.

Now would it surprise me if Leon gets more? No. And the main reason I think this would happen is Matthews deal. But it would be no insult to Leon to be paid at the same rate as MacKinnon.

The rising cap will reset what players get for sure. But a deal around $13M will make a player one of the top 5 earners for probably 5 years beyond the start of Leon's deal I would expect. The reason I say this is that most of the NHL's elite are already on long term deals. If Leon gets $13M and McDavid took $14M that also sets a bar at the top end. Who would be the next most likely player to exceed those two??

In the past it took years for the top salaries to be beaten by much once they were set. Instead the biggest beneficiaries of a rising cap were the players in tiers below the top guys and solid veterans.

It's not an insult to be paid 13 million f***ing dollars, no.

But Leon is in the driving seat here and his reps know it. He's lost maybe 25-30 million dollars on his current deal in value versus production and his reps know it. If he takes the MacKinnon contract, it's him leaving millions on the table. That is CHARITY.

The idea that players, who have 20-year earnings windows most of the time, should take discounts for a third of their careers because of loyalty, or because it helps the team or whatever is something fans need to get over. You wouldn't take 15% less money to stay at your job out of loyalty and if you would, you're a dummy. And I know you're not a dummy Fourier.

I can not foresee a scenario in which Draisaitl doesn't become the highest-paid player in the NHL, which by all accounts is 13.5 or more after Matthews signs - and McDavid beats that at least a million or two.

 

[Kerberos]

I would expect the next deals for 97 and 29 to be shorter term with big $. Like 4 x 13.5AAV for 29 and 3 x 15AAV for 97.

That would be beyond stupid.

 

[duul]

Why does the players union want their players to set new standards for their members to negotiate against? Especially when the cap will be 10-15% higher when those salaries kick in that the current flat cap environment every current contract is signed in?

Come on, dude. We've heard that the PA has given static to players taking discounts in the past. They're gonna want to the best player in the generation to set a new standard so their other top members can argue for 12-13 million and not 10 million. And I know that theoretically takes from their lower end earners, but actually, at this stage, those guys get paid by teams who don't have top end talent. Gudas couldn't get 4M from a good team but he could get it from ANA.



Because both MacKinnon and Draisaitl could get more than 12.8M in free agency. Because MacKinnon signed three months after winning a Stanley Cup. Because if Draisaitl had the same salary as MacKinnon this coming year, he'd make almost a million dollars less due to tax differences. Because MacKinnon's 12.8M was 15.5% of the cap when it was signed, and 15.5% of the cap when Draisaitl's contract kicks in is going to be like 14.2 million?

Because Edmonton is going to pay a price for being Edmonton as it always has.



It's not an insult to be paid 13 million f***ing dollars, no.

But Leon is in the driving seat here and his reps know it. He's lost maybe 25-30 million dollars on his current deal in value versus production and his reps know it. If he takes the MacKinnon contract, it's him leaving millions on the table. That is CHARITY.

The idea that players, who have 20-year earnings windows most of the time, should take discounts for a third of their careers because of loyalty, or because it helps the team or whatever is something fans need to get over. You wouldn't take 15% less money to stay at your job out of loyalty and if you would, you're a dummy. And I know you're not a dummy Fourier.

I can not foresee a scenario in which Draisaitl doesn't become the highest-paid player in the NHL, which by all accounts is 13.5 or more after Matthews signs - and McDavid beats that at least a million or two.

Spot on.

There is no reason for Draisaitl not to take the second most salary in the league going forward, and I expect he will. Edmonton is not a place he is in love with, have you heard him joking about the landscape on Spittin Chiclets? I can't imagine his model wife envisions spending the rest of her younger years here either.

Let's be realistic here. It was a blessing to get Draisaitl, he exceeded expectations by a longshot and his contract is one of the best in the league. That's coming to an end and reality is about to set in. He's clearly the second best forward in the NHL and will be paid as such. Anyone thinking otherwise is holding on to hope.

Fact of the matter is we are going to have the two highest salaried forwards in the league and one of the highest salaried defencemen as well, and will have nothing to show for it.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

Why does the players union want their players to set new standards for their members to negotiate against? Especially when the cap will be 10-15% higher when those salaries kick in that the current flat cap environment every current contract is signed in?

Come on, dude. We've heard that the PA has given static to players taking discounts in the past. They're gonna want to the best player in the generation to set a new standard so their other top members can argue for 12-13 million and not 10 million. And I know that theoretically takes from their lower end earners, but actually, at this stage, those guys get paid by teams who don't have top end talent. Gudas couldn't get 4M from a good team but he could get it from ANA.



Because both MacKinnon and Draisaitl could get more than 12.8M in free agency. Because MacKinnon signed three months after winning a Stanley Cup. Because if Draisaitl had the same salary as MacKinnon this coming year, he'd make almost a million dollars less due to tax differences. Because MacKinnon's 12.8M was 15.5% of the cap when it was signed, and 15.5% of the cap when Draisaitl's contract kicks in is going to be like 14.2 million?

Because Edmonton is going to pay a price for being Edmonton as it always has.



It's not an insult to be paid 13 million f***ing dollars, no.

But Leon is in the driving seat here and his reps know it. He's lost maybe 25-30 million dollars on his current deal in value versus production and his reps know it. If he takes the MacKinnon contract, it's him leaving millions on the table. That is CHARITY.

The idea that players, who have 20-year earnings windows most of the time, should take discounts for a third of their careers because of loyalty, or because it helps the team or whatever is something fans need to get over. You wouldn't take 15% less money to stay at your job out of loyalty and if you would, you're a dummy. And I know you're not a dummy Fourier.

I can not foresee a scenario in which Draisaitl doesn't become the highest-paid player in the NHL, which by all accounts is 13.5 or more after Matthews signs - and McDavid beats that at least a million or two.

But there’s a salary cap and a set amount of money to be spent on player salaries so it’s not like them pushing up aav’s is pushing up players salaries across the board, in fact it’s the opposite. The more guys like Mcdavid take the less there is for everyone else, it’s coming directly out of other PA members pockets.

The higher top players drive up their salaries the more middle and bottom end guys get squeezed.

 

[Soundwave]

Why does the players union want their players to set new standards for their members to negotiate against? Especially when the cap will be 10-15% higher when those salaries kick in that the current flat cap environment every current contract is signed in?

Come on, dude. We've heard that the PA has given static to players taking discounts in the past. They're gonna want to the best player in the generation to set a new standard so their other top members can argue for 12-13 million and not 10 million. And I know that theoretically takes from their lower end earners, but actually, at this stage, those guys get paid by teams who don't have top end talent. Gudas couldn't get 4M from a good team but he could get it from ANA.



Because both MacKinnon and Draisaitl could get more than 12.8M in free agency. Because MacKinnon signed three months after winning a Stanley Cup. Because if Draisaitl had the same salary as MacKinnon this coming year, he'd make almost a million dollars less due to tax differences. Because MacKinnon's 12.8M was 15.5% of the cap when it was signed, and 15.5% of the cap when Draisaitl's contract kicks in is going to be like 14.2 million?

Because Edmonton is going to pay a price for being Edmonton as it always has.



It's not an insult to be paid 13 million f***ing dollars, no.

But Leon is in the driving seat here and his reps know it. He's lost maybe 25-30 million dollars on his current deal in value versus production and his reps know it. If he takes the MacKinnon contract, it's him leaving millions on the table. That is CHARITY.

The idea that players, who have 20-year earnings windows most of the time, should take discounts for a third of their careers because of loyalty, or because it helps the team or whatever is something fans need to get over. You wouldn't take 15% less money to stay at your job out of loyalty and if you would, you're a dummy. And I know you're not a dummy Fourier.

I can not foresee a scenario in which Draisaitl doesn't become the highest-paid player in the NHL, which by all accounts is 13.5 or more after Matthews signs - and McDavid beats that at least a million or two.

They can be paid whatever they want ... they can also though accept it will be harder for them to win that way.

It's up to them.

If Edmonton offers 13.25x8, another team on the open market would have to offer 15.1x7 to match that the end dollar amount.

Would you rather have some Cups or do you really need to be paid a huge salary at age 38 when you already have $170-$200+ million in career salary?

Connor's already done his bit for the union by pushing salary way higher when Crosby really didn't, Connor Bedard or whoever the next hot shot player is can focus on setting the next standard, McDavid has already done his bit in that regard I think.

McDavid will retire making more money than any NHL player that's ever played, that's pretty much guaranteed. How much more past that does one really need.

LeBron James in basketball has only been the highest paid player 1 time in his 20 year career (but he will go down as the highest earning NBA player overall).

 

[oXo Cube]

McDavid will be Easy. As long as he signs for 8 years his agent can write the rest of the contract from scratch.

I don't think there will be any teams willing to offer Draisaitl more money than Edmonton either, but there definitely won't be any teams willing to offer him more money than Edmonton that are actually good.

 

[Anarchism]

Yes, but it makes no sense for him to go to a "coastal team" other than if simply living on the coast was his only priority.

He could also want to go to the Blue Jackets because I heard he really likes it there. <- this statement has about as much foundation has theorizing that he really badly wants to play on a coastal team at all costs.

If we're at the point of concocting out there theories of what he actually wants to do then I think that the safe assumption is that the Oilers are in a great position to re-sign him unless something unforeseen occurs.

Obviously the Oilers won't want to tie up 29-32 million in the pair. IF Drais goes for the max you can bet a GM will start thinking about options, especially a new GM supposing he has his own balls and is not a Kenny Klone.
Further we all seen the frustration from Draisaitl in his interview this last spring...it was palpable or transferable through the screen.
Mostly all people think about better working locations. There also are lots of different reasons he might consider a move, nobody is concocting anything, but players like him have options and things that change life.
Carolina, Blue Jackets, Calgary lol.....lets really put the fear into you.
Like i said we will likely have a new GM hopefully with different ideas than Kenny...maybe one that can make a decent trade.
Imagine the trade for Draisaitl.

 

[Soundwave]

Obviously the Oilers won't want to tie up 29-32 million in the pair. IF Drais goes for the max you can bet a GM will start thinking about options, especially a new GM supposing he has his own balls and is not a Kenny Klone.
Further we all seen the frustration from Draisaitl in his interview this last spring...it was palpable or transferable through the screen.
Mostly all people think about better working locations. There also are lots of different reasons he might consider a move, nobody is concocting anything, but players like him have options and things that change life.
Carolina, Blue Jackets, Calgary lol.....lets really put the fear into you.
Like i said we will likely have a new GM hopefully with different ideas than Kenny...maybe one that can make a decent trade.
Imagine the trade for Draisaitl.

Not happening.

I don't even think Holland or any GM would even have the ability to do that.

Katz has would have to approve a Draisaitl move, and that begins and ends with one word: "No".

No Leon = no McDavid resigning = no discussion on the topic with Katz.

Connor and Leon have to decide how bad they want to win, Katz will pay them whatever they want, that's not going to be an issue.

In all honesty too, I would say to both of those guys, getting 115 million versus 105 million on the next extension is not really as much of a priority. You want to make the most sound financial decision you can make at that point in your life? Get a very strong pre-nuptial agreement. That will pay its weight in gold far more than just getting a paltry few extra million on a contract extension.

 

[Anarchism]

Not happening.

I don't even think Holland or any GM would even have the ability to do that.

Katz has would have to approve a Draisaitl move, and that begins and ends with one word: "No".

No Leon = no McDavid resigning = no discussion on the topic with Katz.

Connor and Leon have to decide how bad they want to win, Katz will pay them whatever they want, that's not going to be an issue.

Katz at this point is likely more interested in Franchise Valuation more than anything. A new GM depending on who it is ...could quite easily sway that answer.
Lets take a look....Carolina changed course 7 or 8 years ago, Florida more recently, Montreal is in the throws right now.
You may be right ...it depends on who the new GM is and it depends on how we do next spring and depends on players outlooks etc. etc......the point being the point you make above is far from etched in stone.
Of course im assuming winning soon increases the Valuation.