Because of the bonus structure and the likelihood of the Wings immediately achieving those bonuses and then in fact it did play out that he had to pay 28 million in the first three/four months of the contract. Even these rich owners don't like moving around and liquidating cash like that necessarily at all times. It had a 2 million base in the years with a 14 million signing bonus, but the remaining 12 million on the 38 million would be paid in one lump sum if Fedorov's team ever reached the Conference Finals or after the first year it would be paid in 3 million dollar installments over four years if I remember right. It was very much targeting the Wings and most owners felt it is what really escalated player salaries. While Ilitch and Karmanos didn't like each other, their feud seriously angered Jacobs and other powerful owners that felt like they got hit in the cross fire, if I remember right that was where they came in and started prohibiting some of the conditions that could be handed out.
I can't provide a source for how I know this, so take it with a grain of salt, but in 1997-98, I believe, Paul Kariya was targeted with an RFA contract that included massive bonuses for "Points scored in the state of California."
I have no idea what the exact numbers were, but if he were to record something like twenty points in the State of California, he would receive massive cash bonuses.
For the team offering him the contract, the numbers were not achievable (there would be just road visits to Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose) but should the Mighty Ducks match the contract, he would play 41 games in Anaheim, plus multiple road visits to Los Angeles and San Jose.
The league rejected the proposed bonus structure but it goes to show that at that time, people were looking for ways to use bonuses to handcuff teams with RFAs.
