Reason Not To Sign Him #3: His Age
The “timeline” is probably mentioned far too often when considering who the Devils should go after in the offseason. Many want the team to only go after players 25 and under because that fits their timeline to compete. However, players of that age usually cost a lot in money and assets, while the older players can be had for just money. Still, when paying a minimum of $9 million for a player over seven years, age might be the most important factor.
Pietrangelo is already 30 years old. He still has some time as a prime defenseman, but when will that end? If it ends at age 32, then the Devils would be paying him a huge price tag while getting less than they bargained for. That would have them stuck with that contract for five years of overpayment.
The Subban deal should be proof enough. While we think Subban can bounce back, it’s near impossible he will be a $9 million player again. This is a scenario that could happen with Pietrangelo. Just look at the highest-paid defensemen. In the top 20, there are names like Cam Fowler, Brett Burns, Drew Doughty, Shea Weber (playoffs notwithstanding), Brent Seabrook, Marc-Édouard Vlasic, and Keith Yandle that clearly lost their step with age. That makes them a completely different player.
Pietrangelo will get older, and there’s no telling what that does to his game. He’s not as reliant on agility and skill as Subban is, but it’s definitely a scary notion to have two of the highest-paid defensemen in the league on the roster with both of them over 30.