I think you'll be closer to a 5x5 with Wilson

Interesting - what makes you say that? I think the Boone Jenner contract is a pretty comparable one in terms of team role, upside, point production, etc., although I do think Wilson will get more than him. I could see 5x$4mm, but not a ton more than that. Just curious on your reasoning!

Like your reasoning and explanations for everything, pretty much on the same page all around. Think Wilson get's slightly more $, maybe 4-4.25/yr given inflation of contracts when you look at his comparables (like a Jenner deal).

That's a good comparison, but I would say the impact that the player had on their team is what makes the difference. Both big bodies who play a rough game, but I feel like Wilson just brings more to the table. He also just help bring them a Stanley Cup, which will likely be another piece his agent will bring forward during negotiations. With your comparison, I can see where you're coming from on the number, but I just feel like Wilson has much more to offer than Jenner. I might be taking the "what have you done for me lately" approach, but I would be happy for my team to give Wilson a 5x5 contract. He can play anywhere in the lineup, kills penalties, and brings something that Washington doesn't have at all without him. From my perspective, if guys like Antoine Roussel and Jay Beagle are getting 4 year deals for 3mil/season, there's no reason Wilson shouldn't be getting five. I realize those are consensus over-payments, but just another something to think about. I would personally put Wilson somewhere in the range of 4.5-5.25/season for 4-5 years.

Okay, yeah, I definitely see the logic there. I still think $5mm is a little too high for his level of point production, even factoring in all the other things he brings to the table. I'd be perfectly happy if they gave him anywhere from 5-7 years at $4 to $4.5mm. I've split the difference to reflect, and gone $4.25mm for 5 years, as I still think that is perfectly fair for both sides.

We should really just be the team and player doing the negotiating, we seem to be pretty good at this stuff!

I like Orpik at coach or 7D. Either way I think he deserves a chance to stay in shape with the team and try to work his way into the lineup for one more kick at the can. If Orpik doesn't sign, I'm not sure Hamhuis brings enough toughness for a potential playoff matchup with the Flyers or Islanders, but at 1.25M I don't care. They can call up Lewington and Williams for a playoff series if they need to.

I think Emelin makes the most sense, long term, out of remaining UFAs, followed by Franson. Both are mid-careeer, offensively inconsistent but with some potential. Both are capable of dishing over 200 hits a year when coached to play that role, and that's pretty much the vacancy Orpik leaves open. I thought having Orpik fill that role helped in the playoffs, but it's possible that someone six or eight years younger can do even better, for a longer time.

Beagle earned 12M over four years for being the only player to win a championship in each of North America's active professional hockey leagues. Also, he's a top ten faceoff guy every year, starts 3/4 of his shifts in the defensive zone, and gets the puck up ice like no other.....

Offensively, in similar zone starts, or with similar linemates, he's better than Wilson. They are different types of players and don't make good comps. There are still plenty of tough guys signing for cheap. Former all star Leo Komarov who dishes as many crushing checks as Wilson but scores a lot more goals and points even with weaker linemates just signed for the same money as Beagle, and Komarov is a much, much better comparable to Wilson's style of play. Roussel is another tough wing who has broken ten goals in four seasons. WIlson just broke ten goals for the first time. I know you saw him playing with Ovechkin and Kuznetsov, and he's learning to keep up and to get them the puck, which can translate to points. I think if anything that's a reason he passed arbitration to stay in Washington for a long time. It doesn't automatically mean he gets paid more, because his linemates are good. He doesn't play as many minutes as them or score as many points....

But back to Beagle, Nic Dowd's zone starts were almost as steeply defensive as Beagle's last year. Dowd's faceoffs have improved through his career and stayed a tiny bit above 50% when playing a shutdown role last year. Nick Shore's faceoffs were great in his rookie year and have been average ever since. Can he get it back? I have no idea. Probably. Maybe he's been focusing on different skills and just needs to get back to basics on faceoffs. But if you sign them for the roles they played last year, Dowd is a little bit closer to replacing Beagle's minutes, even if there's no one less expensive than Elias Lindholm who replaces Beagle's faceoff skills. I agree with maintaining healthy skepticism on how Boyd's 60 point AHL campaign translates to the NHL until he at least puts up twenty in the N.... and Shore brings a little more offense than Dowd, but Stephenson is better at faceoffs than any of them, so if Boyd or Dowd only have to take the ones on their strong side, the three of them should provide an adequate rotation.