C'est toi qui est ortho t'es même pas conscient de ce que t'écris...

"but Pax had a great year where PK didn't."
- PRICEless

I see... Google great and good. Come back to me after.
Tks.

I said PK didn't have a great season.
That doesn't mean he had a bad one. And that doesn't mean he didn't have a good one either. Get it?

I still love you though.
Bye.

To me, if PK improves, he'll deserve 6M+ in 2 years from now.
So why not sign him now at 4-4.5M for 6 years?And if he doesn't improve, he'll have a fair contract. He's already worth that kind of money IMO.

Now, if he wants big money right away, I say suck it and sign him 2 years like Pax and Price did before him.

But that's just me.
- fidopro

Because it's not in the CH management philosophy to do business this way. They pay for what a player has achieved and not on what he could possibly do. PK only has 2 seasons under his belt and hasn't cracked 40pts yet despite having top minutes. I would say he isn't even our best defenseman with an healthy Markov in the lineup. I would give him 12M/3years and see how much he can improve as a first line dman.

Signing Patches before PK was a great move by Bergy. First he shows players that a fair and unselfish deal can be made for the greater good of the team while breaking the mold of previous management ideals; signing an extension to someone who places a value on stability over money. This over time changes how players perceive playing in Montreal and builds a respected culture from the top down.

It's now time for PK to back up his words of wanting to stay in Montreal for his career.
- Ponyboy

Agreed!

This move shows that there is a methodoloy in place and that whatever Bergevin is offering Subban is surely in line with his thinking.

While we don't know the inner workings of the contract negotiations it's fair to say that Bergevin is likely asking Subban to prove himself, the way Patches and Price did...once you do that, I give you a long term deal.

Good management, if you ask me.

While its nice to have guys extended long before they hit free agency, there is also a tradeoff involved as you have less of a sample from which to judge the player at the time of extension. So in this regard, one could argue a GM who waits to extend is actually maximizing the value of his assets by having a better picture of the players value. The other side of the argument however is the fact that a player like Pacioretty may continue to develop into a better player, worth more then the contract he was extended too. Pacioretty's contract seems like good value so long as Pacioretty continues to improve which seems likely. If he doesn't improve however, his salary may seem a little high in a few years.
- pens_66

You're right but this is also where proper evaluation of your stable of players comes into play.

Gainey and Gauthier consistently under or over evaluated the wrong players, leading to bad contracts and players walking for no return.

Bergevin's extension of Patches means that, right or wrong, he and his team feel he is the real deal and they are not rolling the dice here.

That too is a HUGE part of running a team under the salary cap and, again, an area Gainey and Gauthier failed miserably at.

Kamal Panesar: Max Pacioretty's New Contract and an NHL CBA Update
- Kamal Panesar

I find it refreshing to see the Habs invest in their youth, and especially, players they have drafted and developed. After the last few years of getting players as UFAs to big time contracts, that for the most part, have not worked out as desired, the change in direction is obviously the way to go.

Other than the Therien hiring, which I don't like but cannot judge until we see how that works out on the ice, Bergevin has been impressive in the way he has brought in a refreshing perspective into the organization and allowed others to flourish where they can (ie: Timmins at the draft), rather than put a strangle hold on their expertise.

I suspect this contract will offer value going forward, as I expect Max to continue to develop into a consistent 30+ goal guy, continuing to learn and develop with a mentor such as Cole. And even if it does not pan out (which I doubt), it was still the right thing to do given where the team currently is standing.