Island Nucklehead wrote:dbr wrote:Well, my point is that the $8m dollar figure isn't the end of the world. Almost all of those $7m+ guys remained desirable players - especially the ones that signed relatively young like Kessel will.. Nash, Gaborik, Heatley, Spezza, all guys who remained highly desirable assets (with completely acceptable contracts)..... as long as they played at close to the level they had when they signed, Dany Heatley I am looking in your direction...
What have these guys accomplished (for their teams) with their big salaries?
Well Heatley and Spezza got to a Cup Final.. Nash and Gaborik, sweet fuck all obviously. But a good first liner doesn't put the team on his back and carry them to success on his own in this league, that's not even the pay grade we're talking about here.
These guys aren't Crosby or Malkin, they are the next tier down and even they are all going to be in the $8m's (give or take a few guys who give discounts) when they've all expired and re-signed under this CBA.
Like I said, I'd rather not be in the position of having to pay my top forward(s) in that range than be doing it, but I'd also rather be paying my top forward(s) in that range rather than stuck with a team with zero players of that calibre.
The Canucks have been extremely fortunate to have their first line built around two guys who are not particularly greedy, we could easily be looking at two players of a similar calibre making $7m each and looking for raises into that territory next year.
