Think about who he is replaced by.
I don't doubt Dion's value to the team, however, I am leary of all these long term contracts we are handing out. I know it was a different time, but 7.1 would put Dion ahead of Chara, this would bother me. Chara's the most impactful D man in the NHL, kinda hard to have Dion above him on salary. But as I said, I want to think about it, and where the market is today, under this salary cap. If it does indeed go up to 70M.
At this point, I think Dion is better than Chara. Chara is still a good dman, but his play is really starting to decline lately.
6.8 for 6 years is good for me
that is fine I think. My guess is they settle at 7.2 for 6 years
I don't understand why everyone keeps assuming that Phaneuf's next contract HAS to be at what he makes now or higher. I'm willing to bet it will actually be at a lower cap hit than he currently has.
There are a number of considerations.
Firstly, Phaneuf sees this as his team - and now that they are finally almost within reach of being a contender (a couple of pieces away), there's no way he is going to price himself out of town. He has already received his big payday - he doesn't have the same pressure to score big that a guy like Franson will have.
Secondly, Phaneuf will want a long term deal that sees him retire as a Leaf. If you're talking 8 years, that will take us til he's 37 years old - and it doesn't take a genius to know a 35 -37 year old Phaneuf with a $6.5 / $7M cap hit is not beneficial for the team.
Thirdly - there is a difference between pay and cap hit. While there are restrictions, I think you can expect a deal where he gets paid a little more in the first 2/3 years (maybe $7M) and it goes down to about $4M in the last years, giving him about a $5 - $5.5M cap hit overall.
There are a lot of considerations - it's not simply a matter of Player makes $X, so his next contract must go up.
i would rather give him slightly more for less term but i suspect he want term. i wouldnt be surprised to see him give up $$ for the 8th year.
Some people really have a problem with locking up our best players long-term.
Some people really have a problem with locking up our best players long-term.
7 years at 7.1 please. Phaneuf leaves and this isn't a playoff team anymore. He's the most important member of the Leafs right now.
No he hasn't. While he has become more mature and more responsible over the years he still is and always will be far from smart or ,mind you, VERY smart. Dion has other strengths. I am not concerned about the cap hit. The length however will cost us flexibility down the road as I expect nothing less than max length with a full NTC. Nonis won't care much about that though. His focus is set for the now - means Dion will be extended to his terms.Exactly. I don't understand everyone saying "don't sign him for 8 years, he will be useless by the time he's 36". History has shown D don't hit their peak till their late 20s, and their prime years are generally from 28-34. He will be awesome for many years to come. I could see him playing till 40, he has become a very smart player.
that is fine I think. My guess is they settle at 7.2 for 6 years