NHL owner puts young players on blast publicly for demanding big money immediately after entry-level deals
We all know about the struggles that come along with being a cap team. Teams who want to contend have to spend to the cap and when you spend to the cap, you tend to have at least a few guys who are probably a bit overpaid. Conversely, on cap teams, you'll often also find players who are underpaid for the value they add.
In Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi's mind, the landscape of contract negotiations around the NHL have changed substantially in recent years. At one point in time, young players were seeing gradual increases in pay, while veterans were taking on the lion's share of the salary. Now, the script has essentially flipped, and Gaglardi joined The Cam and Strick Podcast on Tuesday to talk about the state of the NHL in the modern salary cap era. He's seemingly none too pleased with these young players are coming in demanding the world before they've put in the time.
"There's two big things that have changed in the last few years - the absense of a second contract. And so a kid in the third year of his ELC puts up 40 goals and now he wants to make $7M. If you want term with that player, it's gonna take you higher than that, so that's a big change.
"What's really happening is that the [young] stars are taking all the money. The guys in the middle are getting squeezed... The veterans who don't score a lot are getting squeezed. You know, I don't like it. I think there's a lot of players in the league making a million dollars who are better [all-around] players and the guys who can put the puck in the net are getting too big a piece of the pie."
-Stars owner Tom Gaglardi on how young players' contract demands are getting out of control
"What's really happening is that the [young] stars are taking all the money. The guys in the middle are getting squeezed... The veterans who don't score a lot are getting squeezed. You know, I don't like it. I think there's a lot of players in the league making a million dollars who are better [all-around] players and the guys who can put the puck in the net are getting too big a piece of the pie."
-Stars owner Tom Gaglardi on how young players' contract demands are getting out of control
Gaglardi seems to be hinting at a situation that is very close to him and that is, of course, RFA winger Jason Robertson, who scored 41 goals last season in the final year of his ELC and remains unsigned mere weeks before training camp.
If Gaglardi really is airing his frustrations in public, perhaps it's to send a message to Robertson, his agent and any other young player who hasn't quite paid their dues yet. He does have a point in that one massive season shouldn't entitle a young player to anything. They should be able to prove themselves as consistent and reliable before they earn their paydays.
This is also nothing new for Gaglardi, who has gone on the record in the past and expressed his frustrations with captain Jamie Benn and alternate captain Tyler Seguin, who are each earning in excess of $9M for several more seasons. Gaglardi doesn't feel as though he's getting his money's worth. Perhaps he's concerned that the same thing will happen with Robertson should he receive a huge early pay day.
In the end, there are cases to be made for and against paying these young guys big money. On one hand, they probably haven't earned it yet. On the other hand, it makes far more sense to pay your most skilled players rather than overspending on veterans who have lost a step or who might be one dimensional specialists who only excel in one area. Food for thought.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 30 | 347 ANSWERS NHL owner puts young players on blast publicly for demanding big money immediately after entry-level deals Are young players coming out of their ELC's making too much money right away? | ||
| 100% | 170 | 49 % |
| No, those are the right guys to pay | 58 | 16.7 % |
| Don't care, just win | 36 | 10.4 % |
| There should be a cap on post-ELC deals | 83 | 23.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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