Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
Hometown discount, taking less to help the team, etc. are a bit of a myth. The NHL is a business. Not only do players want to maximize their earnings, they have agents, the NHLPA, family, etc. who pressure them to take the best contract they can. How much of a discount have Crosby, Toews, etc. taken for the good of their teams? Players might take very minor discounts if they really want to stay with a team, or their family really loves a city. But not significant discounts.
If another team is willing to give Hudler significantly more money than the Flames, he will move. I'm perfectly okay with that. And I suspect Treliving and Hudler's teammates are too.
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Nonsense.
1) Agents work for the player, not the other way around. Yes the agent does what he can for his client, but if a player says "I want to stay with team X" then the agent is forced to make the best deal he can...with that team and that team only. No pressure at all to do something else if the player doesn't want to. period.
2) NHLPA doesn't give a lick what any particular player wants to sign for any longer. It doesn't matter because there is this thing called HRR and the share that the players have to draw on. Whether Giordano (or any player) signs for 1 million or 10 million, the only effect it has on salaries are on the team he signs with.
3)Family. No question there can be pressure from the fam. But that works both ways. A player can be just as likely to want to go elsewhere for more money but succumb to the wishes of wife and kids to stay right where they are as everything is familiar and comfortable for them. Others may say it would be great to go make XX more elsewhere too, but that kind of thing is an everyday occurrence in all areas of life.
Giordano likely left over 10 million dollars on the table with this deal...so if you want to characterize that as a "very minor discount", knock yourself out, but I would suggest the vast vast majority would not agree with you.