NHL Free Agency: 2016 class has not lived up to the hype
By Carson Trask
Just two seasons later, the 2016 NHL free agency class has been a major disappointment.
Giving out long-term contracts during NHL free agency is like making a deal with the devil. Teams know that the last few seasons of the deal will look bad, but if it leads to a Stanley Cup, does it matter? The examples are endless of players signing huge deals, only to be placed on waivers and bought out a short time later.
Fans are quick to blame the players for the failed experiment, but it’s not just the player’s fault. Players would be foolish to pass up the silly money teams are willing to pay them. It is up to the team to make sure that the investment pans out. By the time most players hit UFA status, we know what they are. It is foolish to expect a player to drastically improve their career production overnight.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
The problem every team faces is that offering short-term contracts to players in free agency won’t get the deal done. Long-term security is near the top of the priority list for free agents. If a team has any chance to get them, they have to go long term. The cap hit alone isn’t what gives teams headaches. Long-term deals cause a negative ripple effect throughout the rest of the lineup and if it doesn’t work out, also cost people their jobs.
The bad organizations across the NHL try to rush their rebuild by being extra aggressive in free agency. That’s not what free agency is for. Drafting well, coupled with good player development creates a good core for a franchise. Once that strong core is in place, free agency can be used to supplement it.
Building through free agency will never work. The 2016 UFA class has given very little return to the spending teams. Let’s look at what players hit it big and how they have faired since signing.