NHL Free Agency Is Fun For Fans, But Hurts The NHL

For some NHL free agency is fun and exciting, but in the big picture this frenzy of overpaying and reaching for talent could be hurting the NHL. Every year without fail teams are signing old players who are inching past their prime to contracts that are ridiculous. While this year was not as out of control to this point, the very idea of teams needed talent so badly that they have to leverage the franchises salary cap future to land a player is one reason I am starting to believe the league needs fewer teams. It’s not that 30 teams are unsustainable; it’s that under the current system NHL free agency is hurting the NHL. There is not enough top talent for the current system.

There are not many day’s that give NHL fans hope and NHL free agency can build hope, but only if your team has been smart, and has not been spending money like it’s going out of style. In order to win a Stanley Cup it has been made clear that your team needs big time all around talent. The days of having a 60 goal scorer with a -30 rating are behind us. The NHL game has changed but to a large degree it’s

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been business as usual for years. Sure, it’s fun to sit by the TV or radio and wait to hear if your team has landed the big free agent defensemen, or the top goaltender available. But, if signing that one player to an inflated contract ultimately is the undoing of your dreams it’s not really a good thing.

Now that the top tier of NHL free agency is over and teams have stopped spending wildly fans can look at the current rosters and try to figure out who fit’s their team, and are they willing to come to their city. For some smaller markets or “non-traditional” hockey markets NHL Free Agency is nothing more than a day to watch the rich get richer. But, maybe the financially weaker franchises are the lucky ones. They are forced to work within their means, and not write crazy checks for the aging few.

I know, I’m nuts right? But, really how can spending money so recklessly be good for the NHL in the long run? It’s not just NHL free agency that is to blame. There is the crazy over inflated contracts that player demand just to stay where they are. All in all the system is broken and players and GM’s alike are to blame. There is no player in the NHL who would turn down money; I can’t blame them for that. But, the salaries have gotten out of control and the NHL post-lockout has not fix a darn thing.

There will likely be another NHL lockout if the teams and NHL don’t figure out a better way to control spending and player’s contracts. NHL free agency is only the tip of the issue, but I don’t see why it needs to be the way it is.

Next: Jack Eichel Signs Pro Contract

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