Speculation: Does Tavares leaving New York have any bearing on future UFA's?

[Dustin]

I'd also say it will change how agents will speak with their clients. Perhaps agents would push for the guaranteed money and for them to get the full 8 years because they get a percentage of it, but they aren't the ones who have to play with the team, or live in that city, or deal with all the other factors that a player has to put up with. So agents want their clients to stay with their drafting teams, and they can back that up by saying that it's what all other superstars do, and that financial security is the major priority for all players when most of your career flies by in a decade. Well now it's not that simple and agents will have to bring up the Tavares situation, and I suspect that Tavares will be an enduring symbol of this because the Leafs will be a good team, and he will continue to be a feel-good story over there. Any agent who tries to argue against that will seem greedy and not looking after their client, and more and more agents will sell themselves to players by advertising themselves as open to that "Tavares route".

I mean agents already push most of that anyway. The last things agents want is unhappy players. Agents can be fired and any agent would rather have the client than lose them over giving them bad advice.

 

[Halla]

Dallas better offer Seguin 10.5-11 x 8

Benn got 13% of the cap with his deal. If the cap gets to 82-83mil, it puts seguin right in that range

 

[Halla]

Imo definitely yes

A lot of times there are informal rules that are followed because people fear the unknown. Now that the league has seen Tavares go through this with no real negative repercussions it is inevitable that other superstars will try.

informal rules...lol

no other league do guys leaving via ufa get deemed a traitor

NBA: Lebron
MLB: J.D Martinez
NFL: Cousins

its funny that Tavares gave it his all for 9 years of his life, but he chose to go to a better team, better arena situation, in his hometown but he gets ripped.

 

[steveat]

JT leaving is not the problem, it's how he left by promising to everyone that he wants to stay.

 

[Ciao]

JT leaving is not the problem, it's how he left by promising to everyone that he wants to stay.

Sure.

What happens if, during the season, your team captain says he wants out?

Even if he's not entirely sure if he wants to stay or not, the textbook response is to toe the line.

Think about what would happen if in the post-game interview he says, "well, I probably want to stay but I'm not entirely sure. The Leafs look kinda good, and if they make me an offer I'd like to get what they have to say."

Then you would have a problem on your hands.

In any event, actions speak louder than words. If it isn't apparent that an unsigned UFA is weighing his options despite saying all the right things about his intentions, then you're brain-dead.

"The way he left", my ass.

 

[Disgraced Cosmonaut]

Sure.

What happens if, during the season, your team captain says he wants out?

Even if he's not entirely sure if he wants to stay or not, the textbook response is to toe the line.

Think about what would happen if in the post-game interview he says, "well, I probably want to stay but I'm not entirely sure. The Leafs look kinda good, and if they make me an offer I'd like to get what they have to say."

Then you would have a problem on your hands.

In any event, actions speak louder than words. If it isn't apparent that an unsigned UFA is weighing his options despite saying all the right things about his intentions, then you're brain-dead.

"The way he left", my ass.

This is a bit too reductionist. It’s like you won’t allow that there’s probably a sliding scale of how to respond in a tactful manner. There is definitely a way he could have toed the line without going over it repeatedly. He chose to go over the line time and again. This is what people are annoyed about. Had he simply said what hundreds of other free agents have said over the years he would have been fine as people would have easily read through the rhetoric. He went above and beyond to suggest his interest in staying was sincere and not tied to a variable - that is, the Leafs Having the room to offer him the right kind of deal.