The Messenger said:
If the NHL is suppose to be the best league should it not contain the best players ..
And for the most part it will - - - sure some European born players who are near the end of their careers might elect to stay in Europe. Good for them. They made oodles of money in the NHL, had a brilliant career, and go home to play out the last few years of the career.
The Messenger said:
What happens to talented UFA sitting on the sidelines looking in as the Hard Cap has not given them a place to play now. The roster spot they once occupied is no taken up by a AHLer instead in cost cutting or affordability.
That player will have to decide what's important to him; playing in the NHL and (possibly) winning a championship or raking in as much dough as he can. Believe it or not, there are actually some players who
willingly (and despite PA complaints) reduced their contracts for a chance at winning or to stay with their team.
You seem to think that the players are required to make a life worth’s of salary in a few short years. Most NHLers have careers last five to ten years meaning they are going to be a very spry mid-30-ish player when they retire. One would think that the player would have enough foresight to plan for his future by making wise investments and parleying his playing career into future business opportunities.
The Messenger said:
What about RFA that are forced to sit out in contract disputes, because the CBA says the best an owners has to do is offer you a pay cut to continue earning and pay cheque .. If that forces the player to play in another league or country till that is resolved ..
Those were the terms, negotiated by both the PA and the League, of the previous CBA. If the players took affront to that clause, perhaps it would have been in their best interest to amend the old CBA to remove or change it. If this clause is still problematic, then the PA needs to negotiate “friendlier†terms.
Again, no one is “forcing†the player to sit out. He makes that decision on his own (well, with input from his agent and the PA). The player knew the terms and conditions of becoming an NHL player, if not he that’s his own fault. Regardless of how much or how little a player makes, it is in his own best interest to be as informed as possible and that means not relying on what others tell you but to find out for yourself.
And how is a player forced to take a pay cut? The terms of the old CBA required owners to offer a minimum raise each contract cycle.
The Messenger said:
What is the incentive for young Euro's like Ovechkin and Malkin to even wander over to this side when certainly their home country can offer them the max 850k (plus bonuses) that the NHL is offering in the new CBA.
That is certainly their prerogative (and as a Capital fan I would be very upset if Ovechkin does not play in the NHL). However, if highly drafted European players were to see the long-term picture they would realize that long term they would be better off playing in the NHL. Sure, Ovechkin and Malkin might make a “paltry†$850k per season for their first three seasons in the NHL, but what can they make beyond that? Certainly more than they would be able to make in Russia (which cannot sustain the salaries they have been dolling out for much longer).
Again, all the NHL has to do is offer a little more money than Europe to entice players to come to North America (see previous post regarding other benefits to the NHL).
This might be an issue for lower ranked European players - - but then again, I think a fourth line forward or third pair defenseman would make more in the NHL when compared to Europe.
The Messenger said:
As a fan how does this benefit me, if the price of my ticket remains the same regardless who the owner throws on the ice ??
Ticket prices are driven by the market . . . . your ticket prices are so high because that is what the market will bear.
EDIT: Because English is a tricksy language . . . . (corrected spelling errors - I think I got them all),