"Contract year"

[Filthy Dangles]

Is there any truth to this phenomenon? The implication being a player might be somehow 'trying harder' than ordinary and/or padding his stats during a contract year to get more money, and that the player won't try that hard/put that performance or numbers again after getting the contract.

Never believed in such a thing, always thought it was hogwash and fantasy. Do you?

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[GM Armchair]

Absolutely. Don’t have to look very hard to find the culprits.

 

[HansonBro]

I'd love to see the list of players that had career years b4 their new contract.

 

[Brookbank]

Is there any truth to this phenomenon? The implication being a player might be somehow 'trying harder' than ordinary and/or padding his stats during a contract year to get more money, and that the player won't try that hard/put that performance or numbers again after getting the contract.

Never believed in such a thing, always thought it was hogwash and fantasy. Do you?

It is most likely the exact opposite and I've heard players and coaches say it. After a player signs a huge deal, sometimes they try too hard. And that's what leads to struggling. They aren't playing loose anymore

 

[tarheelhockey]

This is absolutely a real thing. Players are people. People are impacted in very tangible ways by changes in their motivation.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Who here wouldn't go all-in if you knew that within a year your salary can significantly increase as long as you bring it every day

 

[nowhereman]

You don't think added motivation affects performance or that a guaranteed contract might lead one to take their foot off the gas?

See Bo Horvat this year (soon to be one of the worst contracts in the NHL) and Johnny Hockey last. Now that J.T. Miller has his retirement contract, he's basically decided that he has a Hossa-like allergy to the defensive zone. Happens all of the time.

Given how passionate we can be as fans, it can sometimes be hard to acknowledge that this is a job for these players.

 

[Ace]

It is most likely the exact opposite and I've heard players and coaches say it. After a player signs a huge deal, sometimes they try too hard. And that's what leads to struggling. They aren't playing loose anymore

This definitely happens.

Okposo had a talk with Tage Thompson about it when he was clearly gripping the stick too hard and getting in his head that stuff wasn’t going in the first couple weeks of the season. He relaxed and took off like a rocket again.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Why wouldn't you want to cash in on a great year? I'm sure a lot of it has to do with their work ethic increasing to not only get more results but also to get a good reputation going for the following season either by current franchise or next one. Yea always feel like them saying good things is better than not. Naturally should just be trying to get better as a player anyway and get that great contract before the contract year but if they haven't gotten that extension yet you put it all into it to maximize next contract. At least it's not a bad idea right.

 

[93LEAFS]

Is there any truth to this phenomenon? The implication being a player might be somehow 'trying harder' than ordinary and/or padding his stats during a contract year to get more money, and that the player won't try that hard/put that performance or numbers again after getting the contract.

Never believed in such a thing, always thought it was hogwash and fantasy. Do you?

I don't think they try harder during the season. But, their off-season entering that year might be more dedicated than previous years. The NHL is too much of a grind during the season to make dramatic changes or growth during the season. But, if you usually work yourself into shape during camp, but this time chose to come into camp in great shape it can make a sizable difference. Especially if you worked with skill coaches to expand your game.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

I mean look no further than Kadri. 3 years of 44, 36, and 32. Contract year on what was likely to be his last big contract? 87 points. Yeah I’d say it’s a thing lol

 

[Brodeur]

Depends on the guy/situation. My first thought was Vladimir Malakhov and he wasn't even contract year so much as he'd "turn it on during the playoffs" to leave a good final impression leading to July 1. Malakhov was an impending free agent in 2000. He was an All-Star caliber talent but looked disinterested at times. After he was traded to the Devils, he was a big luxury on the 3rd pairing but he played really well on that Cup run.

Malakhov landed a four year deal with the Rangers in the offseason and was a disappointment. At the 2004 deadline, New Jersey tried to get him back but he'd be traded to Philadelphia. Malakhov played well for Philly as they eliminated the Devils in the opening round. After the lockout, Lou signed him to a two year deal and Malakhov wasn't good (granted he was 37 by then).

 

[Mickey Marner]

Extensions a year in advance muddy the waters a bit. It’s probably limited to players that are pending free agents. Forsberg, Kadri, Gaudreau and Tkachuk had career highs last year before signing the biggest contract of their careers.

 

[LemonSauceD]

You don't think added motivation affects performance or that a guaranteed contract might lead one to take their foot off the gas?

See Bo Horvat this year (soon to be one of the worst contracts in the NHL) and Johnny Hockey last. Now that J.T. Miller has his retirement contract, he's basically decided that he has a Hossa-like allergy to the defensive zone. Happens all of the time.

I agree with Miller, disagree with Horvat.

His game hasn’t elevated in the same way Miller’s did last year, he’s just scoring more goals.

He has like 45 goals in his last 80 games, and Horvat doesn’t strike me as the type of guy to play for that contract. He’s the captain of the team, he’s got nothing to really prove.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Well yeah. It's not a magic pill to make you play better, if things aren't going well they aren't going well. But you might push that little bit extra to do things you normally don't do to maximize performance. Or when you're on a roll putting up points and stuff, it's easy to have motivation to keep it going. In a normal scenario you might get a bit complacent for a while.

It's sort of like playing in the playoffs in the cup final. You're so close to the cup you don't take a shift off. In the regular season, that sort of tangible motivating factor isn't always quite there and you "just" show up for work.

Not that a contract year is like playing cup finals for 82 games, but the point is when you're playing for something bigger it definitely can squeeze more out of you.

Also comes down to personality I guess. If you're one of the most driven, competitive guys anyway, probably doesn't make much of a difference. But some guys prioritize money more than others.

 

[leafsfan5]

Imagine you were in a position where one year of all out effort would result in you and your future generations being set for life

I'm sure players realize this

 

[Spargon]

I'd love to see the list of players that had career years b4 their new contract.

I'll start:

Kadri, Nazem

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

I mean look no further than Kadri. 3 years of 44, 36, and 32. Contract year on what was likely to be his last big contract? 87 points. Yeah I’d say it’s a thing lol

On the surface, I agree he looks like a great example. But, was last year due to Kadri giving increased effort because it was his contract year, or because the Avs had so many injuries to top guys through the year, giving him additional opportunities with the Avs top guys?

 

[NotAVacuumSalesman]

On the surface, I agree he looks like a great example. But, was last year due to Kadri giving increased effort because it was his contract year, or because the Avs had so many injuries to top guys through the year, giving him additional opportunities with the Avs top guys?

Both points can be true.

I'm not sure why it has to be one or the other..

 

[Oddbob]

OF COURSE IT IS A THING! Non stop proof of this virtually every year!

 

[Golden_Jet]

On the surface, I agree he looks like a great example. But, was last year due to Kadri giving increased effort because it was his contract year, or because the Avs had so many injuries to top guys through the year, giving him additional opportunities with the Avs top guys?

Because contract year, average toi was 19:14
Jeff Skinner another example, there are loads.

 

[Flying Dego]

Mr. Jason Zucker. Been hurt and inconsistent for the last few seasons.

He's currently Pacing for a huge year if he remains healthy, not to mention he's looked terrific away from the puck. He will garner a fat contract from some GM if he finishes above 50p.

15gp - 14points

 

[krutovsdonut]

Is there any truth to this phenomenon? The implication being a player might be somehow 'trying harder' than ordinary and/or padding his stats during a contract year to get more money, and that the player won't try that hard/put that performance or numbers again after getting the contract.

Never believed in such a thing, always thought it was hogwash and fantasy. Do you?

tell us you have never had a job where performance is incentivized with clearly identified metrics without telling us.

 

[Akrapovince]

When there is motive there is another fear, whether you consciously know it or not.

That story about Dustin Penner coasting all year, then finding out about a performance bonus at x amount of goals and turning it on to the point where he almost hit the amount in a ridiculous amount of time comes to mind.

Also, hockey is such a battle. You can’t be in it every second, every shift, every game all career long. In a short spurt compared to your career, you can definitely inflate your stats to do well in your contract year.

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

Because contract year, average toi was 19:14
Jeff Skinner another example, there are loads.

Yes, and his increase in average TOI had more to do with top guys getting injured than anything else. Bednar certainly wasn't feeding him ice time to help his future contract negotiations. It certainly helped that Kadri figured out his game that season, but I doubt he would have had that kind of season if the Avs were fully healthy.

And Skinner has scored 63 points 4 times in his career, including last year, so does doing it in a contract year really merit inclusion in this list? Buffalo got exactly what was being advertised, which is a 63 point player.