Should players be more wary of the contracts they sign?

[Nick Hansen]

Yeah it's crazy to look back on all the big money long term UFA signings and outside a select few, they've all been huge failures and guys have fallen off so quickly.

Specifically guys like Horton, Clarkson, Clowe, Bolland. These guys barely made it halfway through the life of their contract before LTIR.

Redden and Richards were bought out long before they had a chance to finish out their contracts. Drury was totally broken down and could have given the Rangers some problems with buying him out.

Gomez was given a massive contract and then two years later was viewed as expendable and traded. That's a very quick turn around.

Parise is Minnesota is definitely a situation to keep an eye on. He's suffered some very significant injuries in the past few years and isn't even halfway through his contract.

I actually understand players like Clarkson and Bolland grabbing the money. They can't be sure of getting the opportunity again. It's more the superstars or stars that I am questioning sometimes. Toews taking a contract making him the best paid player in the league? He should've realized himself that it was unreasonable. High on his own bullshit, I guess. And now his reputation is in the process of getting ruined.

 

[JT Kreider]

But to answer your question, no it's not the players who should be weary of the contracts they sign. Good on them to get as much money as possible, but it's also their responsibility to live up to the contract they sign. But fortunately for them there are no financial penalties for failing to do so.

It's the GM's who need to be smarter. Toews is a bad example though because that was a reward for the three Cups.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Will his reputation be destroyed by the time he retires? It's like seven years away.

He'll have all that money, and he'll always be the captain of at least 3 Cup winning teams. That's winning at life. Do his peers say anything bad about him behind his back? Fans can think what they want, but fans do not matter in anything. Will great players of the past or in the future look down on him because he once signed a giant retirement contract? Players have never wanted a cap. They want the owners to give them as much money as they can.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Am looking at this guy named Jonathan Woes over at the Blackhawks forum, and man he is getting destroyed in there. Deservedly so, I'd say, he is nowhere the level you'd expect from that contract. Not just about points either, he's not the same player he used to be simply. Will his reputation be destroyed by the time he retires? It's like seven years away.


Any way, back to the title. Should they?

I will be ten mill a year for the 8 years--and you would turn it down?

Teams need to be more careful in tossing these contracts around--ask LA

 

[RebuildinVan]

"My contract sucks!"-Roberto Luongo

 

[AzHawk]

yeah

 

[mja]

Why would he have regrets? Its not his fault he got offered that contract.

I didn't say anything about it being his fault, but that contract is the major reason he was out of the NHL at the age of 32. IMO, there's a solid chance he's still playing on a team's bottom 6 right now if he had taken a lesser deal.

 

[TheMule93]

Right, and his reputation will be destroyed by the end of the contract. Is it worth it?

Ya he's already a top 100 player of all time. His reputation is ok.

 

[dechire]

For 10 million dollars a year I wouldn't give a single f*** what randoms on the internet have to say about me.

 

[DrDrai]

Contracts should have guaranteed money limit, then if a player doesn't perform he gets the boot.

 

[Drake1588]

Reputation doesn't pay the bills. Get as much as you can, when you can, and pay someone else to ignore social media for you.

 

[traparatus]

I think sometimes players can do themselves a favor by taking a little less money.

Carey Price is an interesting case to me. Montreal had to sign him for whatever he asked. There was simply no way of avoiding that contract. I just can't understand why Price wouldn't make his life a little bit easier. Become the highest paid goalie in the league and draw the line there. Price has made a lot of money in his career. What is it that you can do for $10.5m a year that you cannot do for $9m? He has to know that at some point in the next few years he will be living in a world of misery, negativity and constant stress.

Contrary to many posters' opinion, there are many very rich, very unhappy people out there.

 

[PunkRockLocke]

Absolutely not.

Fans should direct the anger and frustration at the GM that handed out the deal, not the player that signed it.

I swear, guys that are overpaid yet are very good middle six/bottom six forwards or #4-6 D are called "not NHLer's anymore", "waste of a roster spot", etc. You can be overpaid and still a good player. Get mad at the GM for the overpayment. Not the player for saying yes. I'd like to see you say no.

And if you think you're so much better at salary cap management then why aren't you working for an NHL team?

 

[Menzinger]

Money matters more than reputation to most folks, and hard to blame them.

That said, players shouldn’t get the blame for bad contracts, they were only able to sign them because they were offered it by a management group.

 

[Barrie22]

I didn't say anything about it being his fault, but that contract is the major reason he was out of the NHL at the age of 32. IMO, there's a solid chance he's still playing on a team's bottom 6 right now if he had taken a lesser deal.

Yes you are right its his salary that has kept him out of the league. Has nothing to do with his back injury.

 

[Jot]

Hmm great question.

From my point of view. Actually, From a Business Stand Point.

Its quite simple actually, as an NHL PLAYER, i earn money 2 ways basically.

1) As an Employee.
- This one is easy to grasp. Since most of all of us worked jobs. I signed a contract, they pay me, i have to work. Thats that. If im valuable, my pay is more. If not, my pay is less. I don't care about brand or anything.

2) As a Brand. (Self-Brand)
- This option is only being used for star players. Branding means getting more involved with community, doing signings, jersey sales, digital presence, commercials, partnering up with strong valued companies, shirts, etc..

From an earning standpoint, i think we all can agree. Branding pays more than employee. Which means as a superstar, i may want to opt for a fair contract, look at all risks associated, make sure i have enough confidence in my self to perform during that time frame, because literally the fans(marketplace) will be paying me.

To answer the question: "Should players be more wary of the contracts they sign?"
- Yes, if they are superstars in the league. Otherwise as lets say a great 3rd liner, you wouldn't care much.

 

[PunkRockLocke]

Contracts should have guaranteed money limit, then if a player doesn't perform he gets the boot.

How could you define "perform" though? It can't just be about points, as some guys get paid for doing other things well on the ice.

Ever contract would need to have its own individual very specific performance stats written into it...talk about a can of worms. No way the NHLPA would entertain this. As they shouldn't

Also, a player's performance can drop due to coaching, systems, quality of teammates. All factors out of his control.

The current system is just fine.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Am looking at this guy named Jonathan Woes over at the Blackhawks forum, and man he is getting destroyed in there. Deservedly so, I'd say, he is nowhere the level you'd expect from that contract. Not just about points either, he's not the same player he used to be simply. Will his reputation be destroyed by the time he retires? It's like seven years away.


Any way, back to the title. Should they?

Why in the f*** should players care? They're getting paid. The only thing they should be wary of is getting low balled.

 

[Seras]

Instead of making 120k per year how about you make 96k per year but receive your employers deep gratitude along with the decrease in salary knowing that those around you appreciate your sacrifice.

 

[Nick Hansen]

Instead of making 120k per year how about you make 96k per year but receive your employers deep gratitude along with the decrease in salary knowing that those around you appreciate your sacrifice.

I don't think that is a relevant comparison. The difference is far more accentuated when talking about money that low. Like asked before me: what is it that 10.5M does for Carey Price that he couldn't do with say, 9M?

 

[DrDrai]

How could you define "perform" though? It can't just be about points, as some guys get paid for doing other things well on the ice.

Ever contract would need to have its own individual very specific performance stats written into it...talk about a can of worms. No way the NHLPA would entertain this. As they shouldn't

Also, a player's performance can drop due to coaching, systems, quality of teammates. All factors out of his control.

The current system is just fine.

exact system as the NFL, sign a 60 million dollar contact, 23 million is guaranteed, if the player gets cut then the team owns them the remainder of the 23 million. good players get more guaranteed money.

It also can allows teams to give shoe me contacts like, 4 year 50 million, but 10 guaranteed, if that player shows up for 4 years they get paid, flop and you make only a 1/4 of that

 

[Seras]

I don't think that is a relevant comparison. The difference is far more accentuated when talking about money that low. Like asked before me: what is it that 10.5M does for Carey Price that he couldn't do with say, 9M?

You are giving up more money in your example. Much more

 

[Hockeyholic]

Am looking at this guy named Jonathan Woes over at the Blackhawks forum, and man he is getting destroyed in there. Deservedly so, I'd say, he is nowhere the level you'd expect from that contract. Not just about points either, he's not the same player he used to be simply. Will his reputation be destroyed by the time he retires? It's like seven years away.


Any way, back to the title. Should they?

I wouldn't be shocked if both Bowman and Quenneville are fired if they don't go far.

As for Toews, it was a brutal contract the moment it was signed.

 

[StreetHawk]

Would he have problems taking care of himself and his fambly with say 9.0M a year? I think it is the jump over 10 million dollars that make people so critical. 9M a year, and people wouldn't have cared nearly as much. But now his reputation is in the process of being destroyed. Sad.

NHL players are not like NBA players where they make more off the field than they do on the field.

Durant, Curry, LeBron, Harden, Westbrook all make more from endorsements than their NBA contracts.

Sid, I think his prior deal with Reebok back in 2010 was $10 million over 7 years. Yes, that's $1.4 million per year. Harden signed with Adidas for $200 million over 13 years in 2015. Over $15 million per year.

So, in the NBA, guys can take a couple of million less cause they make it up elsewhere.

Players should get what they can for themselves. In the end, only the elite players are the ones who anyone cares whether they have won a Cup or not.

McDavid can leave money on the table and then watch his GM piss it away to sign junk players.

 

[Oddbob]

One way to look at the good players who are slowing down making big money, who once were a huge part of success, is they are now getting paid more than they should be, however when they were starting and doing the great things, the were generally underpaid by league standards. For example, Crosby makes 925,000 (base salary) in his rookie season, and puts up 100 pts, which would be way underpaid for the production, versus lets say when he is 37 making 8 million and only puts up 50 pts for example which would be and overpayment for the production. I think some of the time, the contracts are about paying them for what they helped accomplish when they made only a little money, eventhough they longer are as good. Same thing with Carey Price, some of his monster contract, is about paying him the money he would have been worth when he was more dominant. I think the same with Toews and other big stars. Chicago certainly made a lot of money from the 3 Cups and and ton of success with Toews and company, so they probably have less worry about paying him more now, when he is slowing down production wise.