Free Agency shifts power to players
Tavares showed free agency is nothing to fear; several stars are about to follow suit
The names are overwhelming, a who’s who of stars, award winners and future hall of famers.
Vezina Trophy-winning goalies such as Pekka Rinne and Sergei Bobrovsky. Norris Trophywinning defencemen such as Erik Karlsson and Zdeno Chara. A crop of forwards that includes Tyler Seguin, Max Pacioretty, Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, Jeff Skinner and Joe Pavelski.
And that’s just a taste of what’s to come.
Even with Drew Doughty re-signing in Los Angeles and Logan Couture re-upping in San Jose, the list of players entering the final year of their contracts is unlike any other. If they reach free agency — and if they work together in choosing where they want to play — we could see a power shift in the NHL.
Then again, do you really think they’ll get to the open market?
In past years, the question was rhetorical. Star players might have flirted with the notion of free agency, might have even openly thought about playing elsewhere, but when push came to shove, no one ever went all the way to July 1. Few even stepped onto the ice without wrapping themselves in the safety blanket of a long-term deal.
But that was before John Tavares signed in Toronto this summer. As one agent who did not want to be identified said, “since Tavares, everything has changed.”
Tavares’ reasons for leaving the Islanders might have been unique, but it was a player looking around and deciding what works best for him both financially and professionally. If you’re a GM — particularly one working in Dallas — you had to be a little worried.
At least, that’s what Seguin might be banking on.
When the Stars centre told reporters he was “disappointed” not to have an extension in place this summer, it sounded like a player using the media to send a message to his GM. This isn’t the same as Tavares’ situation in New York. Seguin likes Dallas, where there is no state income tax and the team has the pieces in place to go all the way.
As long as the money makes sense — based on his numbers he should demand as much or more than Tavares signed for — Seguin will stay in Dallas.
Then again, those close to the situation insisted that is no longer a guarantee. The longer Seguin goes without a deal, the more this starts looking like Tavares all over again.
It’s not just Seguin. From Panarin cutting off contract talks with the Columbus Blue Jackets to Stone signing only a one-year deal in Ottawa, more players are heading down the same route Tavares paved a year ago. And you can’t really blame them. Tavares, who eventually signed a seven-year contract worth US$77 million with the team of his choosing, is on a team that should be a perennial contender for the duration of his contract.
The NHL might not get to the same level of player-controlled orchestration as the NBA, where pending free agents are acting like general managers and putting together so-called “dream teams,” but we could be seeing the start of a power shift.
Panarin, who is coming off an 82-point season in Columbus, has snuffed out talks of re-signing with the team he was traded to a year ago. Instead, the 26-year-old is reportedly trying to get moved to the upstart New York Rangers or Cup-contending Tampa Bay Lightning. Either way, he’s doing it his way. Or rather the Tavares way. “It’s changing,” said one agent who did not want to be identified. “Look at Tavares. Look at Panarin. They could have signed with their teams, but a lot of players are willing to wait and choose where they want to play.”
The Tavares situation was unique. It wasn’t just that he wanted to play for his hometown Leafs. It was that he had become disillusioned after missing the playoffs year after year with the New York Islanders, who are without a stable arena and changed managers and coaches in the off-season. He wanted to play for a winner. And he wasn’t willing to wait around for it to happen.
That’s not exactly the same as what Karlsson or Pacioretty are going through in Ottawa or Montreal, respectively. But it’s similar in that both players are on teams that appear to be going nowhere and are in need of a change.
Whether the team facilitates that change or not, the players are moving.
One agent said star players are more aware that they cannot waste their prime money-making years on teams that are missing the playoffs or in rebuilding situations.
Another said there’s no longer the fear of not playing without a long-term contract in place for the following season.
If you’re good, you’re going to get your money. And as Tavares showed everyone, if you’re really good, you can choose where you get it from.
Look at Tavares. Look at Panarin. They could have signed with their teams, but a lot of players are willing to wait and choose where they want to play.