Big business in modern NHL becomes the norm. This will force certain key actors in even more crucial decisions. Should they prioritize income when they lock in massive extensions or by winning?
Not all stars are motivated by the same motivation. Players like Alex Ovechkin and Kirill Kaprizov have established precedents of signing monster offers that strongly promote individual wealth, while Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid seem happy to be satisfied with slightly lower average annual values (AAV) to prolong the championship windows of their teams.
In 2008Ovechkin negotiated his Extension of contract of $ 124 million at 13 – The biggest NHL contract at the time – without agent. His agreement focused less on a negotiation and more to the fact that he enters the capital office and putting a number on the table. They gave him.
It was a monster agreement that worked for both sides, but it took a decade to the capital to finally win a Stanley Cup.
Ovechkin had already become a Washington Capitals Legend, and the team was not about to let him go away knowing that he was the only reason why fans bought tickets. It was invaluable for their market, even if there was a chance that the team was less competitive because it would be more difficult to build around it.
Ovechkin naturally knew how to hunt high numbers. Its value on this market was undeniable. But whoever argues that he first thought that the team is probably mistaken.
Rapid advance to this summer, when The new $ 136 million contract from Kirill Kaprizov, $ 136 million with Minnesota Wild guarantees that it will earn the most money ever distributed in the NHL. He is a good player, but he is probably not as good as Ovechkin was at his peak. Like the great of the capital, Kaprizov understands how important it is for the Minnesota market. He played this hand, taking advantage of another million dollars per season after dropping $ 16 million a year. The challenge for Wild GM Bill Guerin is how to build around a winger of $ 17 million.
Compare this to Crosby and McDavid.
The two have already established their inheritances to a certain extent – Crosby with three Stanley cuts PittsburghMcDavid as EDMONTON’s PAD MAN and candidate for the sustainable MVP – but their contractual decisions suggest an even greater commitment to put the team in order to win.
Crosby sadly signed extensions below the maximum amount he could have negotiated, insisting that he wanted the Penguins to keep other star players and remain competitive.
McDavid, who is would have negotiated his next contract and has expressed the desire to sign an agreement that allows Oilers To build around him and become legitimate contenders for the next seasons (which includes the addition of impact players), could theoretically take less than Kaprizov.
The two were and seem ready to lose privileged income in exchange for the possibility of arguing the Cup in its early years.
What is the right direction to take for a player?
This does not want to suggest that the different mentality among the best players means that there is a right and an evil. Financial security is essential for any athlete. There is no knowledge how long will a career last, and if money is available, the popular move could be to take it.
For Ovechkin and Kaprizov, they knew their value and everyone took the money that the team was ready to pay. They left it in the hands of their respective GMs to understand the rest. In the case of Ovechkin, it finally worked.
The mentality of franchise pillars like Crosby and McDavid could actually be rarer. The new McDavid agreement has not been announced, and there is a chance that it is higher than people expect it; However, initiates think that he will sign a lower AAV who will surprise most fans. Maybe after the Crosby’s advance, many players would not go this way, even if it is ultimately the best for the team.
These two stars asked their teams to build competitive lists with the money left on the table. It doesn’t always work either. In the case of McDavid, his short -term contract could be a means for him to continue to put pressure on the EDMONTON Oilers to do things well.
In the end, the NHL stars are motivated by money and the championships. The question becomes, who has priority?
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