It's great in the short term; while he probably could get over 6 million on his next contract (as opposed to, say, a 5 million x 7 year contract right now), it's still friendly for both sides. Morrissey and Niku will make the Jets' left side formidable for many years.
Great contract. This sets the bar for Nurse and Theodore IMO.
The Oilers and Golden Knights are the big winners today when this news broke. I have a feeling that Nurse was holding out for at least $5M AAV. Theodore probably isn't that far behind. Nurse and Morrissey had almost identical offensive numbers last season. Theodore's numbers were a little better, but he got a lot more PP time than either Nurse or Morrissey.
As I have been saying for a long time...he wasn't going to get the big contract because he just is not better than a whole bunch of guys currently making $4-5 mil per. He may be that good soon but as of now he just isn't. Solid deal for both sides.
This deal makes sense for both sides! Morrissey gets the chance to improve his game and stats over the next 2 years with the Jets. The Jets get to hold his value for 2 years and allow next year's signings to take place without hampering Morrissey's spot on the roster. I expect a contract renewal for Morrissey in 2020/21 at about $5-6M if his game play and stats continue to improve.