Comments on: The Rise and Fall of the Lifetime Contract? http://wildnation.hockeyprimetime.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-lifetime-contract/ Just another WordPress weblog Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:01:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mike http://wildnation.hockeyprimetime.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-lifetime-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-65 Mike Sun, 02 Aug 2009 04:49:30 +0000 http://wildnation.hockeyprimetime.com/?p=303#comment-65 The buyout option is THE entire reason teams are doing these deals. This is a solid article but that's a point that had to be made. http://sportsjudge.blogspot.com/2009/07/hossa-contract-under-review-by-nhl.html If and when Hossa retires with 4 years to go on his deal, the Hawks will be on the hook for 290k a year which in real terms is absolutely nothing. Why wouldn't you add on as many meaningless years as possible to the end as opposed to absorbing the full $8M cap hit that teams like Washington and Pittsburgh are with their superstars. I think the biggest problem with these deals happening over the last few years is that teams that can't afford to take advantage of this window in the CBA will be at a disadvantage when they are unable to lock up superstars after the new CBA and term limits (or whatever else) is instituted. This is 'Cash for Clunkers' on ice. Do it now or you'll be left out. To me, that's not fair to today's small market teams. The buyout option is THE entire reason teams are doing these deals. This is a solid article but that’s a point that had to be made.

http://sportsjudge.blogspot.com/2009/07/hossa-contract-under-review-by-nhl.html

If and when Hossa retires with 4 years to go on his deal, the Hawks will be on the hook for 290k a year which in real terms is absolutely nothing. Why wouldn’t you add on as many meaningless years as possible to the end as opposed to absorbing the full $8M cap hit that teams like Washington and Pittsburgh are with their superstars.

I think the biggest problem with these deals happening over the last few years is that teams that can’t afford to take advantage of this window in the CBA will be at a disadvantage when they are unable to lock up superstars after the new CBA and term limits (or whatever else) is instituted. This is ‘Cash for Clunkers’ on ice. Do it now or you’ll be left out. To me, that’s not fair to today’s small market teams.

]]> By: Chingboy http://wildnation.hockeyprimetime.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-lifetime-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-64 Chingboy Sat, 01 Aug 2009 19:55:19 +0000 http://wildnation.hockeyprimetime.com/?p=303#comment-64 I totally agree with bcbenzel. It's kind of stupid hearing about all these lifetime contracts. What I really want to know is why the NHL is so stupid. Why would they make teams take a cap hit of the average money payed in a players contract. Teams should take a cap hit of the players salary for that year. For example: (Any players name here) gets payed 6 million for the 1st year of his contract. the 2nd year 5.5 million, the 3rd year 5 million and so on. On the first year of the players contract the team takes a cap hit of only 6 mil then the 2nd year the cap hit is 5.5 million and so on. This will stop teams from cheating the salary cap. They should also make a contract to be no longer than 6 years. This way there is a better chance of having stars becoming free agents. I totally agree with bcbenzel. It’s kind of stupid hearing about all these lifetime contracts. What I really want to know is why the NHL is so stupid. Why would they make teams take a cap hit of the average money payed in a players contract. Teams should take a cap hit of the players salary for that year. For example: (Any players name here) gets payed 6 million for the 1st year of his contract. the 2nd year 5.5 million, the 3rd year 5 million and so on. On the first year of the players contract the team takes a cap hit of only 6 mil then the 2nd year the cap hit is 5.5 million and so on. This will stop teams from cheating the salary cap. They should also make a contract to be no longer than 6 years. This way there is a better chance of having stars becoming free agents.

]]> By: NHL would like to know when Chris Pronger will retire, too | ReadSports.com - Your primary source for all sporting news http://wildnation.hockeyprimetime.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-lifetime-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-60 NHL would like to know when Chris Pronger will retire, too | ReadSports.com - Your primary source for all sporting news Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:02:08 +0000 http://wildnation.hockeyprimetime.com/?p=303#comment-60 [...] Blake over at Wild Nation believes these contracts are "a plague" upon the NHL: The more long-term contracts get signed, the more teams will, not only handcuff themselves, but handcuff the league’s ability to spread parity throughout.  Not only that, but it harms the fans as well.  A lack of marquee free agents during the off season can kill any momentum that the league has with the fans. [...] [...] Blake over at Wild Nation believes these contracts are "a plague" upon the NHL: The more long-term contracts get signed, the more teams will, not only handcuff themselves, but handcuff the league’s ability to spread parity throughout.  Not only that, but it harms the fans as well.  A lack of marquee free agents during the off season can kill any momentum that the league has with the fans. [...]

]]> By: bcbenzel http://wildnation.hockeyprimetime.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-lifetime-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-59 bcbenzel Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:40:58 +0000 http://wildnation.hockeyprimetime.com/?p=303#comment-59 I completely agree with the buyout part...But I don't see a problem with "long term" contracts being defined as 5 or 6 year deals as opposed to 10-12 year deals. The idea of turnover at the top of the rankings, honestly, excites me as a fan much more than dynasties do. Sure, it's always a thrill when someone knocks off the big winner of the league, but these long term contracts are, in and of themselves, diluting the NHL. Look at the talent pool for the free agent crops in coming years and it looks very bleak...With the same teams destined to have the same players year after year, it makes rebuilding that much harder for the teams that aren't contending year after year. They can rebuild through the draft, but it's very rare that you can string together a series of drafts like the Pens did and get four cornerstones to build around. The biggest thing that having flux in the league through free agency achieves is it energizes both the league and the fan base. Look at how much buzz the New York Yankees achieved this off season by acquiring Sabathia, Burnett and Texiera in one fell swoop. Granted, with the salary cap, that would never happen in the NHL but imagine what the buzz would become if there were something similar to happen. This season was a fairly exciting off season because of the names involved...The upcoming ones, not so much. I completely agree with the buyout part…But I don’t see a problem with “long term” contracts being defined as 5 or 6 year deals as opposed to 10-12 year deals.

The idea of turnover at the top of the rankings, honestly, excites me as a fan much more than dynasties do. Sure, it’s always a thrill when someone knocks off the big winner of the league, but these long term contracts are, in and of themselves, diluting the NHL. Look at the talent pool for the free agent crops in coming years and it looks very bleak…With the same teams destined to have the same players year after year, it makes rebuilding that much harder for the teams that aren’t contending year after year. They can rebuild through the draft, but it’s very rare that you can string together a series of drafts like the Pens did and get four cornerstones to build around.

The biggest thing that having flux in the league through free agency achieves is it energizes both the league and the fan base. Look at how much buzz the New York Yankees achieved this off season by acquiring Sabathia, Burnett and Texiera in one fell swoop. Granted, with the salary cap, that would never happen in the NHL but imagine what the buzz would become if there were something similar to happen. This season was a fairly exciting off season because of the names involved…The upcoming ones, not so much.

]]> By: jschiavo http://wildnation.hockeyprimetime.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-lifetime-contract/comment-page-1/#comment-58 jschiavo Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:03:39 +0000 http://wildnation.hockeyprimetime.com/?p=303#comment-58 Totally disagree with your thoughts. What's bad for the fans is having a completely diluted NHL, each team having just one good player because they can't afford to sign more than that. Or worse, having your favorite player leave your team because his contract expired and the team couldn't afford to offer him anything more than a 1 year deal. I'd much rather see teams be able to hold onto their talent long-term than to see so much flux in the league through free agency. Also, I think that you might be forgetting the buyout. Pretty important point to realize when it comes to these front loaded, long term deals. Sure a player signed to one of these deals is not going to be as productive in his late 30s early 40s. That's another benefit of the reduction in salary. The player can be bought out for MUCH less than his cap hit would be at the time, since it is a factor of remaining salary, not average salary like the cap. Totally disagree with your thoughts. What’s bad for the fans is having a completely diluted NHL, each team having just one good player because they can’t afford to sign more than that. Or worse, having your favorite player leave your team because his contract expired and the team couldn’t afford to offer him anything more than a 1 year deal. I’d much rather see teams be able to hold onto their talent long-term than to see so much flux in the league through free agency.

Also, I think that you might be forgetting the buyout. Pretty important point to realize when it comes to these front loaded, long term deals. Sure a player signed to one of these deals is not going to be as productive in his late 30s early 40s. That’s another benefit of the reduction in salary. The player can be bought out for MUCH less than his cap hit would be at the time, since it is a factor of remaining salary, not average salary like the cap.

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