The lower limit was set at $61.7 million, the midpoint at $72.6 million and the upper limit at $83.5 million. Remember too that three days before the free agency opened, the NHL and NHLPA established the payroll range for the 2023 24 season. This year, when the doors opened, it was like a Black Friday sale with clearance merchandise racing out the door, right from the start. It used to be, teams needed to wait until the third or fourth or seventh day of free agency to do any real bargaining hunting. It was a never-ending cycle, and even if teams knew better than to offer so much money and term, they still couldn’t stop themselves.Ĭompare that to what unfolded this year, where there were bargains galore to be had, right from the opening bell. Invariably, the loser was the team that tendered the top bid. Financially, the player emerged as the clear winner. Opening day would generally feature feverish bidding wars among multiple teams for top players – where the regret could sink in almost as soon as the ink was dried on the contract. You probably don’t need to be reminded that in years past, most teams overpaid significantly and stupidly in free agency. In fact, this was a positively unique UFA year just because teams had so little financial wiggle room. And a clean financial slate, in the flat-cap era, has never been a greater advantage.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |