Signing a contract doesn't mean that you're without leverage for certain things. This just happens to be one where the right guys will have that leverage. A breach of contract only works as a threat if a team is actually willing to pursue that case. The Sharks absolutely will not do any such thing with Vlasic. Same likely applies to someone like Ovechkin. It absolutely is kowtowing when it comes to the Olympics. Players shouldn't be obligated to the league making that decision for them.
So what makes the league obligated in any way shape or form to cater to what the players/IOC wants? The Olympics doesn't do a damn thing for them. If they gave them some concessions and the travel/insurance cost for the players was consistently covered (it costs MILLIONS), then we'd probably see a different outcome here. They made the smart business and financial decision.
You say you don't have respect for some of these players complaining. If your respect level is based off of them wanting to represent their country and it's all over a game then I don't think your respect is worth caring about because that is so very trivial. The initiative that individual players have with regards to a decision that had generally been done between the league and the PA was this time essentially forced upon the PA by the league so if they seem to have an issue with that, why does anyone complain about the complaining like you're doing? That is merely people falling in line with the league for various reasons whether it's because it'll affect your team or whatever it doesn't really matter. They don't have to complain to the media to try and solve anything. That's not any one individual's job and they are allowed to have an opinion on it.
Of course their allowed to have an opinion on it. At any point did I say he couldn't speak his mind? I merely shared my opinion on it. And why exactly is your opinion or respect any less trivial than mine? "I disagree with you so your respect or lack thereof and opinion is trivial". Real nice.
It has nothing to do with the actual Olympics. It's that they're complaining that they can't temporarily back out of a contract to do something that benefits them. It's also clear that some of them are not really looking at the dollars and cents reasons as to why this happened, or don't care. It's a very reactionary stance and everyone should have seen this coming from a mile away. The NHL didn't pull a fast one on them.
Certainly some players have more leverage than others. But we will ultimately see what happens in this scenario. I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that the players will just happily up and abandon their contracts and leave to play in Russia or somewhere else for the rest of their careers over this. I think certain players like Ovechkin, and older players might not care. But what about younger guys like McDavid and Eichel, or players that genuinely don't want to leave North America?
I don't think it's any guarantee one way or the other that all star players band together and leave the NHL or all GM's band together and block them from leaving. What I do think is that we might have a mess on our hands if things come to a head.
