You’re calling Mackinnon’s 7 year deal a bridge deal?
If you have the chance to lock up Jack Hughes or Tim Stutzle at 8×8 or Cale Makar eight years 7 figures or Matt Boldy at 7×7 you can’t turn that down. Those will be the best bargains in the league very soon, some already are. Lock up stars as early and as long as possible.
Matt Tkachuk famously wanted a long term deal when he signed his bridge and Tree wouldn’t give it to him… how’d that play out for Calgary?
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no, I meant Mac’s was more bridge deal level money and I bet if he could do it again, he’d never sign that contract’s term…I look at Brayden Point’s 3 year bridge deal as the perfect example of a young player cooperating with the team during a cup run… I don’t blame the players for taking those deals 1 bit, i’m just saying how the GM mindset has changed over the past few years in terms of locking players up with big $ long term deals with so few games played experiance…it kind of started with Kirill (yes, his situation was alot more unique)
Yes, there’s risk both ways, you get 2-3 more years to see if the player is legit or not to sign longterm, but then they are so close to UFA status they can muscle their way to another team, or you sign them long term and they turn into a bargain or they fizzle out and you’re stuck with years of dead cap…
