NHL Contract Term-Limit Proposal Affords Players More Options
A major sticking point in the stalemate between the NHL and NHLPA is the disagreement over a proposed five-year term limit on standard player contracts. The NHLPA is opposed to setting a term limit on standard player contracts. However, only approximately 20-percent of the 750 NHLers (148) are signed to contracts that are five or more years in length. Of those 148 contracts, 91 exceed five years. There are 44 contracts that are signed to seven or more years, which is only 6-percent of all players.
It is difficult to understand why the NHLPA would be opposed to the NHL’s proposal of a five year term-limit on contracts. Limiting the length of players’ contracts to five years offers players greater opportunities to maximize their earnings. Let’s use Evgeni Malkin as an example. After completing his entry-level contract in 2009, Malkin signed a five-year deal worth $43,500,000, an average annual value of $8,700,000. Malkin’s five-year contract expires in 2014, at which time he will become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 27. If Malkin signs another five-year contract, he will have another opportunity to pursue free agency when he turns 32.
Setting a five-year term-limit could enable players to explore free agency at a far greater frequency, which may maximize their earning potential in a competitive market. The first opportunity to explore free agency comes after the entry-level contract expires, at which time most players are in their early 20s. The second opportunity at free agency comes by the time players are in their late 20s. The third opportunity comes when players are in their early 30s, thus allowing them to explore free agency for a fourth time when in their mid 30s.
The NBA has a five-year term-limit on player contracts. The NFL also has a set limit on the length of player contracts. Additionally, both the NBA and the NFL are salary capped leagues like the NHL. Therefore, limitations on contract length should be accepted in the next CBA agreement between the NHL owners and players. The limitations will not impede the earning potential of players. The term-limit presents more options for players, as it creates a more competitive market for signing free agents, and it allows them to explore free agency at a much higher frequency than under the previous CBA. The biggest gain that the clubs will see from term-limits is the elimination of cap circumventing contracts. The elimination of these types of contracts will allow more teams to offer competitive salaries to free agents, and a competitive market will mean more dollars can be spent on players. The notion that players will have nothing to gain by accepting a term-limit on contracts is misguided.
Below is a list of players by team who have signed contracts that are five years or greater, with their terms in parentheses.
Cam Fowler (5 ys, $4MM)
Ryan Getzlaf (5 yrs, $5.3MM~)
Corey Perry (5 yrs, $5.3MM~)
Bobby Ryan (5 yrs, $5.1MM)
Marc Savard (7 yrs, $4MM~)
Tyler Seguin (6 yrs, $5.75MM)
Zdeno Chara (7 yrs, $6MM~)
Nathan Horton (6 yrs, $4MM)
Ville Leino (6 yrs, $4.5MM)
Ryan Miller (5 yrs, $6.25MM)
Tyler Myers (7 yrs, $5.5MM)
Christian Ehrhoff (10 yrs, $4MM)
Michael Cammalleri (5 yrs, $6MM)
Jarome Iginla (5 yrs, $7MM)
Alex Tanguay (5 yrs, $3.5MM)
Dennis Wideman (5 yrs, $5.25MM)
Mark Giordano (5 yrs, $4MM~)
Miikka Kiprusoff (6 yrs, $5.8MM~)
Eric Staal (7 yrs, $8.25MM)
Jordan Staal (10 yrs, $6MM)
Cam Ward (6 yrs, $6.3MM)
Jeff Skinner (6 yrs, $5.7MM~)
Patrick Kane (5 yrs, $6.3MM)
Jonathan Toews (5 yrs, $6.3MM)
Patrick Sharp (5 yrs, $5.9MM)
Marian Hossa (12 yrs, $5.25MM)
David Bolland (5 yrs, $3.3MM~)
Brent Seabrook (5 yrs, $5.8MM)
Duncan Keith (13 yrs, $5.5MM~)
Paul Stastny (5 yrs, $6.6MM)
R.J. Umberger (5 yrs, $4.6MM)
James Wisniewski (6 yrs, $5.5MM)
Fedor Tyutin (6 yrs, $4.5MM)
Jack Johnson (7 yrs, $4.35MM~)
Loui Eriksson (5 yrs, $4.25MM)
Brenden Morrow (6 yrs, $4.1MM)
Trevor Daley (6 yrs, $3.3MM)
Kari Lehtonen (5 yrs, $5.9MM)
Pavel Datsyuk (7 yrs, $6.7MM)
Henrik Zetterberg (12 yrs, $6MM~)
Johan Franzen (11 yrs, $3.95MM~)
Niklas Kronwall (7 yrs, $4.75MM)
Shawn Horcoff (6 yrs, $5.5MM)
Taylor Hall (7 yrs, $6MM)
Jordan Eberle (6 yrs, $6MM)
Ryan Whitney (6 yrs, $4MM)
Stephen Weiss (6 yrs, $3.1MM)
Brian Campbell (7 yrs, $7.14MM~)
Anze Kopitar (7 yrs, $6.8MM)
Mike Richards (12 yrs, $5.75MM)
Jeff Carter (11 yrs, $5.27MM~)
Dustin Brown (6 yrs, $3.175MM)
Drew Doughty (8 yrs, $7MM)
Jonathan Quick (10 yrs, $5.8MM)
Zach Parise (13 yrs, $7.5MM~)
Ryan Suter (13 yrs, $7.5MM~)
Dany Heatley (6 yrs, $7.5MM)
Mikko Koivu (7 yrs, $6.75MM)
Pierre-Marc Bouchard (5 yrs, $4.08MM)
Tom Gilbert (6 yrs, $4MM)
Scott Gomez (7 yrs, $7.35MM~)
Tomas Plekanec (6 yrs, $5MM)
Brian Gionta (5 yrs, $5MM)
Rene Bourque (6 yrs, $3.33MM~)
Max Pacioretty (6 yrs, $4.5MM)
Josh Gorges (6 yrs, $3.9MM)
Carey Price (6 yrs, $6.5MM)
Shea Weber (14 yrs, $7.85MM~)
Pekka Rinne (7 yrs, $7MM)
Martin Erat (7 yrs, $4.5MM)
David Legwand (6 yrs, $4.5MM)
Mike Fisher (5 yrs, $4.2MM)
Kevin Klein (5 yrs, $2.9MM)
Ilya Kovalchuk (15 yrs, $6.66MM~)
Patrik Elias (7 yrs, $6MM)
Dainius Zubrus (6 yrs, $3.4MM)
Anton Volchenkov (6 yrs, $4.25MM)
Rick DiPietro (15 yrs, $4.5MM)
John Tavares (6 yrs, $5.5MM)
Michael Grabner (5 yrs, $3.0MM)
Kyle Okposo (5 yrs, $2.8MM)
Lubomir Visnovsky (5 yrs, $5.6MM)
Rick Nash (8 yrs, $7.8MM)
Marion Gaborik (5 yrs, $7.5MM)
Brad Richards (9 yrs, $6.66MM~)
Marc Staal (5 yrs, $3.975MM)
Henrik Lundqvist (6 yrs, $6.875MM)
Jason Spezza (7 yrs, $7MM)
Erik Karlsson (7 yrs, $6.5MM)
Milan Michalek (6 yrs, $4.33MM~)
Kyle Turris (5 yrs, $3.5MM)
Danny Briere (8 yrs, $6.5MM)
Ilya Bryzgalov (9 yrs, $5.66MM~)
Scott Hartnell (6 yrs, $4.75MM)
Chris Pronger (7 yrs, $4.92MM~)
Kimmo Timonen (6 yrs, $6.33MM~)
Andrej Meszaros (6 yrs, $4MM)
Luke Schenn (5 yrs, $3.6MM)
Wayne Simmonds (6 yrs, $3.975MM)
Max Talbot (5 yrs, $1.75MM)
Keith Yandle (5 yrs, $5.25MM)
Antoine Vermette (5 yrs, $3.75MM)
Martin Hanzal (5 yrs, $3.1MM)
Zbynek Michalek (5 yrs, $4MM)
Sidney Crosby (12 yrs, $8.7MM) [Note: Crosby's extension begins in 2013-14.]
Evgeni Malkin (5 yrs, $8.7MM)
Marc-Andre Fleury (7 yrs, $5MM)
James Neal (6 yrs, $5MM)
Paul Martin (5 yrs, $5MM)
Brooks Orpik (6 yrs, $3.75MM)
Martin Havlat (6 yrs, $5MM)
Dan Boyle (6 yrs, $6.66MM~)
Brent Burns (5 yrs, $5.76MM)
Marc-Edouard Vlasic (5 yrs, $4.25MM)
St. Louis Blues:
David Backes (5 yrs, $4.5MM)
T.J. Oshie (5 yrs, $4.175MM)
Roman Polak (5 yrs, $2.75MM)
Vincent Lecavalier (11 yrs, $7.72MM~)
Steven Stamkos (5 yrs, $7.5MM)
Ryan Malone (7 yrs, $4.5MM)
Matt Carle (6 yrs, $5.5MM)
Victor Hedman (5 yrs, $4MM)
Mattias Ohlund (6 yrs, $3.6MM~)
Phil Kessel (5 yrs, $5.4MM)
Mikhail Grabovski (5 yrs, $5.5MM)
James van Riemsdyk (6 yrs, $4.25MM)
Dion Phaneuf (6 yrs, $6.5MM)
Mike Komisarek (5 yrs, $4.5MM)
Daniel Sedin (5 yrs, $6.1MM)
Henrik Sedin (5 yrs, $6.1MM)
Ryan Kesler (6 yrs, $5MM)
Roberto Luongo (12 yrs, $5.33MM~)
David Booth (6 yrs, $4.25MM)
Kevin Bieksa (5 yrs, $4.6MM)
Jason Garrison (6 yrs, $4.6MM)
Dan Hamhuis (6 yrs, $4.5MM)
Keith Ballard (6 yrs, $4.2MM)
Alex Ovechkin (13 yrs, $9.53MM~)
Nicklas Backstrom (10 yrs, $6.7MM)
Mike Ribeiro (5 yrs, $5MM)
Brooks Laich (6 yrs, $4.5MM)
John Carlson (6 yrs, $3.96MM)
Evander Kane (6 yrs, $5.25MM)
Andrew Ladd (5 yrs, $4.4MM)
Dustin Byfuglien (5 yrs, $5.2MM)
Ron Hainsey (5 yrs, $4.5MM)
Tobias Enstrom (5 yrs, $5.75MM)
Ondrej Pavelec (5 yrs, $3.9MM)
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