Credit: @Canucks on Facebook
The NHL is in the midst of a huge transformation. Players are no longer simply waiting for the teams to decide their fate. Whether it’s a big-time trade or precedent-setting offer sheets, stars are actively driving where they play. The control has been brought closer to the athletes.
From Reaction to Action
Leo Carlsson’s massive offer sheet from Philadelphia showed one path: seizing an opportunity when it appears. Some people have been more proactive. Quinn Hughes was adamant that he wouldn’t sign a major contract in Vancouver and decided to find a move to Minnesota.
Brady Tkachuk went with his brother’s wishes and got a trade to Florida. Dylan Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck are both publicly requesting a trade with many years left on their contracts. Bowen Byram has told Buffalo that he isn’t interested in extending, and he’s been dealt to Chicago.
They are made for various reasons – family, opportunity to win, comfort, or health. Players point out careers are brief, and when they don’t go the way they want, they must pitch in.
The Broader Impact
Most of the staff have been supportive of teammates who have been left behind. Mark Scheifele, Jake Sanderson and Alex DeBrincat have discussed the importance of supporting friends even when they are leaving.
Meanwhile, the trend calls into question. When stars want to get out of their contracts years before they’re set to go free, it can be less stressful. The pattern is a subject of League officials’ interest and could be discussed in future collective-bargaining talks.
For now, the new reality continues. Players think that they are the product and their destinations are something that they deserve to be involved in. The decisions have ramifications – both teams face public criticism and doubt. But the appetite for such expenses has increased. In the current NHL, control, choice, and consequence are three things that go hand in hand with a career.
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