7 Year Contracts For F/A's Yes/No/Maybe?

[Stephen]

I'd offer that for Stamkos and that level of player, but not for a run of the mill flavor of the month free agent like Clarkson, or any of the Leafs like Phaneuf or Kessel, who basically got Vernon Wells type contracts for being big fish in a small pond.

 

[Apollo Leaf]

Yes, but only to can't miss players. Anything below a star player and you're only hurting your team.

Example: David Clarkson.

 

[Steve]

Do you think long term contracts like those handed out to many big name players around the league is a good(safe) practice?

Would you like to the Leafs do this again once we trade ours away?

unless its a Crosby/Ovy/Stamkos/McDavid type then no.

 

[Longshot]

Can anybody think of any examples when these big long-term contracts for UFAs actually worked out?

And I mean UFAs, not teams signing their own talent to a big deal.

I can think of two: Chara in Boston and Hossa in Chicago. Anybody remember any others?

The point? A big long-term deal should only be used to acquire what you hope is the final piece of the puzzle for a potential championship team. Like Chicago did with Hossa.

 

[Pi]

The only Burke principle I like anymore is giving UFA's a maximum of 5 years in a contract.

7-8 is too much. Most good UFA's wont even make it to UFA.

Only players I'd give up 7 years to is Stamkos/Tavares type. I hope the Leafs learned their lesson with Clarkson, Phaneuf deals.

Phaneuf is a good player but not worth 7 years. We'll be retaining to get a better return.

There is no one on our team I would give a 7-8 year contract either. Only player that might come close to it is Rielly in a few years but until he proves his abilities, he should get short term deals.

I liked the way Bergevin handled Subban in the end. Short two year, prove it type deal before the 72M deal.

 

[LaCarriere]

I think the 5-year rule that Burke had, and the Blue Jays currently use is a pretty good practice/guideline. It may cut you out of the running for the elite level FAs, but you are likely to not sign guys to some of the worst contracts in the league. Only with a Crosby, Ovie, Malkin, Stamkos-type elite level player should you go any longer, and rarely do those players hit the FA market. Those are typically franchise players.

I'm on the fence with Kessel, but Phaneuf and Clarkson shouldn't have happened.

 

[ECanuck]

5 years max unless they are a proven stud.

 

[Bullseye]

There are now and have been for awhile many long term contracts in the NHL - some good some not so good:


Kovalchuk - 15 years

DiPietro - 15 years

Shea Weber - 14 years

Ovechkin - 13 years

Ryan Suter - 13 years

Zack Parise - 13 years

Duncan Keith - 13 years

Sydney Crosby 12 years

Mike Richards - 12 years

Henrik Zetterberg - 12 years

Marion Hossa 12 years

Vincent Lecavalier - 11 years

Johan Franzen - 11 years

Jeff Carter 11 years

Christian Erhoff 10 years

Jonathan Quick 10 years

Jordan Staal - 10 years

Nic Backstrom - 10 years

Yashin - 10 years

Ilya Bryzgalov - 9 years

Roberto Luongo - 9 years

Brad Richards - 9 years

Jonathon Toews - 8 years

Patrick Kane - 8 years

Patrice Bergeron - 8 years

Brian Campbell - 8 years

P.K. Subban - 8 years

Phil Kessel - 8 years

Drew Doughty - 8 years

Dion Phaneuf - 8 years

Claude Giroux - 8 years

Henrik Lundqvist - 7 years

Alex Pietrangelo - 7 years

Eric Karlsson - 7 years

Anze Kopitar - 7 years

Tyler Myers - 7 years

Martin Erat - 7 years