Quoting: DirtyDangle
lol that's not going to happen
I think you'd be surprised. There aren't huge markets for guys who are 36 years old. Especially on contracts with term.
I don't think your going to see a Pavelski pay raise here. That would be a mistake and I think both player and team knows this. For most older players it doesn't work out well.
Most of these guys know their time is ending.
You are more likely to see a Chara or Thornton salary scale here. Where guys went from 8 to 5 to 2 to league min over a couple years span toward the end of their career.
All on very short term deals.
You can average that out and realize Malkin on a 4x4 deal is probably better off. Yeah it might suck toward the end of that deal as he's near 40. Hell he might retire or be on LTIR by then.
But it averages out to about the same. And I think it works for both sides. These guys do not have forever in the tank and both know it.
Letang is in the same boat. He'll be 36, The market for 36 year old defense isn't what you think. You are looking at guys who are fast on pace for league minimum and they know it. So a 3x4 deal is much more realistic than you think. I think after next year you are looking at an open market value on Letang at 1x4-5 mil. If you think he's getting a big money deal like a 27 year old FA you are kidding yourself.
So you take that number, you give it term, and you get down to 3 mil or so. This opens up cap, it creates space to bring in a big name or two and change the core, and they are now the support players mixed with some youth.
That is the new window. It's why they aren't getting traded.