True, however for every Price (8y @$10.5M/14.0% at age 31) you have your Rinne (7y @$7M/10.9% at age 30)*.

Certainly I don’t think anyone can reasonably say that the Rinne contract for the past 7 years was a bad one. It’s allowed Nashville to build a Cup Contender around him - the Habs had (have?) reasonable expectations to believe they could do the same for Price. Was it risky to give Rinne 7y at age 30? Yes! But since you asked “why” this happens: It’s because sometimes it does work out. For better or worse someone will do the same for Bob (age: 30).

(See also: Lundqvist, Henrik; Luongo, Roberto for other LT goalie contracts that largely are lauded in retrospect).

*signed when he was 29 but 1st year of the contract was his age 30 season