Whenever I sign a player to an extension, their salary seems to default to the player’s RFA value no matter what I do. Even if I don't tender an RFA offer to the player at all. Example:
I created a team and started a expansion draft franchise. I got Michail Sergachev in the expansion draft from TB. In the first offseason his contract was up. I chose to sign him to a 7 year deal with a $7.5 mil salary (Did not tender RFA offer). See below, everything looks fine right after he signs the extension.
After I sim to the end of the following season, his salary randomly increases to $11.975 mil per year. In the next season, it goes up to ~$14.5 mil per year.
Am I doing something wrong, or is this how NHL contracts work? I tested every workaround I can think of, I even released him outright and then signed him as an unrestricted free agent and it still happens.