Here are my questions:
If kakko is a top line player, why is he signing that?
Fox just won the Norris, why is he signing that?
Zibanejad would be one of the biggest UFAs, why is he signing that?

you really think Fox, after winning the norris, is going to take less than Heiskanen who signed a 8 year x 8.45m aav.

All of those are underpays

mika rumored at 8-9 mil for 5-7 years. Fox takes a little hometown discount and goes 8x8. Kakko signs a bridge deal.

What?

I have so many questions.

This is all cap. If you want to win the cup guaranteed, you must sign Kinkaid to a 20 year deal worth 15 mil aav only then will you make the playoffs

hawks decline

Why is Zibanejad taking the low end?
Why is fox taking a ridiculous hometown discount that takes him through his prime (team friendly term)
Why does Kakko, a first liner in this scenario get such a small bridge when other guys get bridges of 7 million

While all are underpays I can’t see Kakko making that kind money unless he explodes this year. He’s never hit 25 points yet and this year is huge in determining what he’ll make. I think 2 years at $3 mil is likely. Either way he’s got 0 leverage unless he decides to sit out or go home as I don’t believe he is arbitration eligible. Guess we’ll need to see what happens this year.

Oh I agree. I was just pointing out how the concepts of having him as a first liner, and getting that contract are kind of mutually exclusive. I think he’s a third liner and gets less than that on a bridge.

His leverage would be signing an offer sheet. A guy in a really similar position just signed one.

If someone offered him $6 mil or more and he didn’t break 40 points I’d willingly take the picks cause that’d be a ridiculous overpay in my mind.

That situation did just happen though. Late first and a third seems fair to me

What if the offer is 1x4.1

I’m not sure if we could fit with Fox and needing two top six centers. Unless someone takes a discount which seems unlikely, I’m not sure how we would fit it without making other moves or rolling with Chytil as 2C behind Mika.