Mike Richard's huge deal, 12 years, $69 million, from the Philadelphia Flyers surpasses the 15 year, $67.5 million deal the Islanders gave Rick DiPietro. At the time everyone laughed at the Islanders. It used to be that you lock up your good talent before they become unrestricted free agents. But after the Edmonton Oilers' attempted steal of Thomas Vanek and the successful swipe of Dustin Penner, everyone wants to lock up young talent before the can become a restricted free agent. So what's going to become of all this?
Well obviously teams will need to be very selective with who they back huge commitments. It will have to be players that they see being core to their teams for years to come. There isn't much risk for players, they get paid more early on but risk being underpaid later in the contract. The risk is mostly with the teams. Many blue chip studs become spent forces before reaching age 30. Eric Lindros, Owen Nolan, Sergei Samsonov and Todd Bertuzzi come to mind as a result of injuries or/and diminished intensity. Jose Theodore at one time looked like the next Patrick Roy and Andrew Raycroft won the Calder and both can't stop a beach ball today. If you locked any of these guys for 10 years you would be stuck because the collective agreement does not allow you to buy them out. It's all guaranteed money.
For suffering Toronto Maple Leaf fans, the prospects are so good. The Leafs trade away draft picks and prospects with great frequency. In the past Ferguson has mused about grabbing a big name free agent which the team can build around after Sundin is gone. Well it looks like there aren't going to be those types of players available. The free agent lists will be populated with mostly underachievers, injury prone players and senior citizens.
I'm developing a real hate for the salary cap. I can't see how it has helped the NHL. It has only created some practices that may further damage the league and the viability of weaker franchises.
12 years ago
