Spaceballs II: The Search For More Money
Getting great value from your rental, Oilers. Another pending UFA opting out.
I have absolutely zero problems with players opting out, but I want to know what they think is different between today and like five months down the road? The viruses true second wave will impact when the temperatures get colder and majority of cities which house NHL teams are definitely some of the coldest cities in North America. Will Mike Green purposely go to a southern belt team if he signs a new contract when the season is over and if so is he going to avoid majority of roadtrips to colder climates (which is like 90% of the league)? I still think it's wishful thinking to have an effective vaccine when the next season starts. More likely we as a society hopes and prays that this strain dissipates and a less transmittable takes its place.
When you're offered to make the same money in the safety of your home you take it. Hockey players are no different than other humans, the difference is when you're in a team there's a "team culture" hovering over your decisions...you're supposed to be there for your teammates and not abandon them.
A whole lot of players will go back to work because they feel pressured to do so (hockey culture oblige) and they don't want to be labeled as "quitters".
And that's when pending UFA's come into the equation. Those who won't have to go back in that same locker room with these teammates don't have to give a f***...they can stay home, enjoy the same paycheck and make sure they don't get sick and hurt their value for their next contract in the offseason.
Just call it family reasons and (almost) no one will raise an eyebrow even if ultimately, it doesn't make any sense.
Getting great value from your rental, Oilers. Another pending UFA opting out.
Are the quitters getting paid? That money is coming out of other players pocket.
I'm fine with this if Green re-ups with Edmonton.
That being said if he signs a contract with a team in (for example) California, Florida, or New York? Kinda begs the question why didn't he think Edmonton was safe. I hate to be negative but I can't see it being safer in any of those places (and almost any US city) by the time the off-season hits than it is in Edmonton right now. Not to mention he would have been connected to the arena he was playing in if he competed.
There's absolutely no reason to the think that the players opting out now will be willing to play next season.
You can call them whatever you like.Don’t be that guy...
I think @MarkT is spot on. Logically, you would think that guys who are opting out now won’t play next season. The situation won’t be much different from what it is now.
Yep.Right now out of all players who opted out there's not a single guy who is:
1) Under contract for next year (Green, Polak, Hamonic)
or
2) Likely to play in the NHL next season (Alzner, Baertschi, Kampfer)
That's not a coincidence.
Based on that the likeliest players to opt out from Colorado are Wilson, Nieto, Namestnikov, and/or Barberio. Maybe Kamenev too if he's intent on heading to the KHL next season.Right now out of all players who opted out there's not a single guy who is:
1) Under contract for next year (Green, Polak, Hamonic)
or
2) Likely to play in the NHL next season (Alzner, Baertschi, Kampfer)
That's not a coincidence.
Getting paid this year vs not getting paid next year is a pretty good reason.
Players are safer in the bubble than on their own, I don't really understand the opt out. Here's Hughes at a crowded beach, Makar wouldn't do that.