Contract Handcuffs

I respect the rights laid out in every players contracts and I’m also under the belief that if ownership is dumb enough to give a player either too much money, a no trade/no movement clause or 25 years of service it’s the players right to accept it! 

But I have to say, I HATE these no trade clauses. I’m a Toronto Maple Leaf fan, so if you’ve been following the deadline you understand why I would hate these clauses so much. What bothers me most is that a guy like Mats Sundin – the captain and heart of our team for over a decade — is not the only one with a no trade clause. Bryan McCabe, Darcy Tucker, and Tomas Kaberle all have these dreaded clauses. Even recently acquired (sort of recently acquired) Pavel Kubina has one!

Out of those four, Tomas Kaberle might be the only one worthy of the clause which makes me think: Why doesn’t the league have some discussions with the NHLPA and come up with a solution to a problem that handcuffs teams with terrible managerial skills? I know, I know, it’s not the player’s fault that management is dumb, but it IS the player’s fault that these clauses are brought up in discussion.

The league should look into the idea of an NFL-like “Franchise Tag” situation where a team is allotted two-to-three no-trade clauses. That way you can ONLY lock up your true cornerstones. It would limit the demand and leverage from upcoming UFAs negotiating a contract. The UFAs already have way more leverage than needed.

PLEASE consider…having about $20 million locked up for just four players makes me cry a little.

J.P. Del Monte