That\u2019s certainly the case today, as we have spent the past few weeks canvassing many of the top player agents in hockey for their thoughts on key big-picture questions from around the league. In all, The Athletic polled more than 20 agents, who combine to represent hundreds of NHL player contracts worth billions of dollars, on nine key questions facing the league and its future.<\/p>\n
Agents were granted anonymity to encourage honest and candid answers.<\/p>\n
Only seven teams received votes here, and unsurprisingly, most were cast for some of the most successful franchises on the ice.<\/p>\n
The Tampa Bay Lightning, in particular, were a popular choice, with many praising the way GM Julien BriseBois conducts business. Tampa Bay may be a cutthroat, top competitor for talent, but agents said they are always fair, honest and logical to deal with from their perspective. Players want to go there, and their representatives are happy to make it happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cTop to bottom, Tampa Bay,\u201d one agent said quickly. \u201cThere\u2019s no gray area. Everything Julien BriseBois says, he does. No one\u2019s ever asking why. Everyone just knows what to do; they know their roles, and they get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other teams received similar praise, including the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers and the on-the-rise Minnesota Wild.<\/p>\n
On Florida: \u201cThey take any possible excuse off the players\u2019 table. They travel well, they stay overnight usually when the flight is above two hours to try to get guys in a proper sleep rhythm. They have the new facility and training center, which is amazing. It\u2019s a player-friendly environment. Everybody knows their job and people don\u2019t step on other people\u2019s toes.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Minnesota and GM Bill Guerin: \u201cI know every team has to make the hard decisions, but you can\u2019t question Billy\u2019s track record now and what he\u2019s been able to accomplish and get things done. I think now it really comes down to whether or not this group can win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Outside of teams such as the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars that have been perennial contenders of late, the up-and-coming Montreal Canadians earned a vote for their efficient rebuild and the Los Angeles Kings received praise for their work in player development, among other under-the-radar areas.<\/p>\n
On the Canadiens: \u201cThey have it in a place that has sustainability. This is more probably (president Jeff) Gorton than (GM Kent) Hughes, but they\u2019ve had the owner in line with the bigger picture since Day 1. I think that\u2019s critical now for success.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Kings: \u201cThe management do a very good job of taking care of their players, communicating to their players, and I think throughout the minor leagues, they do a very good job of running a similar system and working guys in.\u201d<\/p>\n
The last-place Vancouver Canucks were a frequent target here after an absolutely awful season, with agents criticizing the franchise\u2019s lack of direction in particular.<\/p>\n
The New York Rangers, who have also crashed into their conference\u2019s basement this season, received similar complaints.<\/p>\n
On the Canucks: \u201cThey\u2019re a mess,\u201d one agent said, simply.\u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t know what their plan is,\u201d groused another.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey really don\u2019t have the infrastructure that the players need to remove excuses,\u201d added a third agent. \u201cIt just seems there\u2019s a lot of soap opera stuff going on around there. I just think management needs to do a better job of keeping things in-house.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Rangers: \u201cDeep down, they forget everybody\u2019s a human being. They\u2019re too forceful, and I think everything can be worked out one way or the other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other teams received votes for a variety of reasons, including the Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators both getting multiple mentions, largely over spending issues and disorganization.<\/p>\n
On the Blue Jackets, who received criticism for issues related to travel arrangements: \u201cIt has nothing to do with the location. It has to do with people running it.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Predators, who are currently searching for a new GM with Barry Trotz stepping down: \u201cLittle bit chaotic this year. Great people, really nice people, but maybe miscast and I think there\u2019s some budgetary concerns there that the players feel.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Toronto Maple Leafs: \u201cThey\u2019ve mismanaged a lot of things, and in order to do something now, it\u2019s going to have to be very bold. And I\u2019m talking trade a big guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Answers ended up being a bit all over the map, but again, it was the Lightning and other teams at the top of the standings that largely received votes for how they methodically and rationally handle things and treat their players.<\/p>\n
The surprisingly successful Pittsburgh Penguins earned some praise here, too, with agents pointing to fledgling assistant GM Jason Spezza as a new bright light in their front office.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey communicate to the players what they’re looking for,\u201d one agent said of the Penguins. \u201cThey communicate with the agents what they are doing. And that sets them up for success.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Lightning: \u201cThe easiest doesn\u2019t mean pushovers. But I\u2019d say the easiest is Tampa because everything\u2019s clear. Everything\u2019s straightforward and there\u2019s no gray area with them, so I find that to be the easiest.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Stars: \u201cThere\u2019s a respect level with (GM) Jim Nill that you just automatically have, so you know you don\u2019t have to start high and barter. You kinda get right to the final numbers faster because he\u2019s more fair and doesn\u2019t like wasting time going through the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Kings GM: \u201cKenny Holland is a pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n
But one agent said the teams are only easy to deal with if you have someone they want. Otherwise, that’s not usually the case.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe (teams are) all magical when they’re pursuing one of your players and they want to recruit them to the organization. They’re all easy.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the second year in a row, the Anaheim Ducks were a popular choice, with agents pointing to their no-nonsense, tough negotiating tactics.<\/p>\n
The Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets also received some gripes.<\/p>\n
On the Ducks and GM Pat Verbeek: \u201cAnaheim drives the hardest bargains, but they need to be careful because they can also affect the relationship long-term with the players. And hopefully they realize that.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Hurricanes: \u201c(Owner) Tom Dundon\u2019s a pain in the ass\u201d and \u201cthe owner\u2019s in charge\u201d from two different agents.<\/p>\n
On the Jets: \u201cWinnipeg\u2019s hard, but they\u2019re fair, to be honest with you. But they\u2019re tough to deal with. Like back and forth, and very tough to deal with, but I respect them and I respect the hell out of Chevy. Winnipeg holds their ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Canucks: \u201cNo alignment with what\u2019s happening in the organization. It just can\u2019t get going anywhere. Just a discombobulation. Good people, nice guys, but it\u2019s just not working. So it makes it difficult for you to manage to bring a free agent there, hypothetically.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVancouver’s hard because they have no plan. How do you sell players on an organization where you can’t get a grasp of what they’re actually trying to do?\u201d<\/p>\n
On Anaheim: “When I start negotiating a contract with Anaheim, I tell my (partner), ‘You take the first 10 calls with (assistant GM) Jeff Solomon because I don’t want to waste my time.’ Then when it gets to the end, I get involved because otherwise we’re all wasting our f—ing time. They’ll fight like tooth and nail for like 10 grand at the end of a deal. If you have a player at a million (point) one and you want it a million (point) 15, it’s going to be a f—ing grind. Everything’s a grind.”<\/p>\n
Shockingly, even the sometimes surly group of NHL agents gave a modest thumbs-up to the new CBA, with more than half saying players made out decently well in the deal.<\/p>\n
Those who disagreed with that notion, however, pointed to the clawbacks the new deal had in the areas of signing bonuses, contract structures and term length that will hurt their ability to get better contracts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey got enough,\u201d said one agent satisfied with the deal, which carries the league to 2030. \u201cThere\u2019s tweaks to it. There were clawbacks that were able to be made. The system\u2019s working. It\u2019s not perfect, but it\u2019s working for both sides. The owners have never made more money. The players have never made more money. I don\u2019t see how anyone can complain about where we\u2019re at right now on either side.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the NHL going to an 84-game season next year: \u201cThe schedule’s too long, the contract length was reduced. In my opinion, I think (one mistake was) giving up contract length and especially this (expanded) schedule, I’m getting so many injuries this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
On wanting more playoff games instead of adding to the season: \u201cWhy aren\u2019t there more playoff teams in this system? Playoff teams bring revenue. Isn\u2019t it one of the simplest adds? We\u2019re at 32 and allegedly going to 34 teams, and we\u2019ve had 16 playoff teams per year since the ’80s. Think about that. It\u2019s ludicrous.\u201d<\/p>\n
One area several agents felt there should have been more movement on was paying entry-level players more when they come into the league.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt pisses me off that we have such good young players coming into the game and basically the entry-level cap has been the same for 15-plus years. It\u2019s ridiculous. Marginal increases, not even inflationary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Only one agent of all those surveyed gave an unqualified yes here. Many others teed off on NHL disciplinarian George Parros in the wake of a five-game suspension to Radko Gudas after he ended Auston Matthews\u2019 season on a knee-on-knee play last month.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s not stopping players from doing this stupid s—, those kinds of suspensions (that Gudas got),\u201d said one agent (who does not represent Matthews). \u201cSo is it working? No, because you’re still having these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
On overall consistency: \u201cThere isn\u2019t enough consistency in what we could believe could be a suspendable offense. Certain things happen, and you can\u2019t say that\u2019s automatically a two-game because if someone else does it, then it\u2019s not. I don\u2019t feel there\u2019s complete consistency on their rulings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLack of consistency. One guy will get $2,500 for a slash and the next guy gets three games. Let\u2019s just hold everyone to the same standard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to see the system be more mechanical and unbiased in its approach: The star players, many times, are viewed with a different, more lenient perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
On how suspensions are decided: \u201cI think the suspension should be on the act, not just the outcome. So just because it\u2019s Auston Matthews and it ended his season, Gudas gets a big suspension. But who\u2019s that kid in Calgary that just got hit from behind by (A.J.) Greer? That almost made me sick to my stomach. And he got what, two games? What if he broke his neck? If that kid broke his neck, and thank God he didn\u2019t, does he get two games or whatever he got?\u201d<\/p>\n
On potential changes: \u201cWe need an independent group, jointly selected by the league and Players Association, completely independent of the league and Gary Bettman, to handle supplementary discipline.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hughes vs. Makar: Who will make more and how much will they get?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s just say it\u2019s safe to say that the highest-paid defenseman isn\u2019t going to be making $11.5 million for much longer.<\/p>\n
According to the agents we surveyed, both Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar are going to reset the market for top blueliners in a big way, especially with the salary cap set to hit $104 million next season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt depends on term and it depends on if they go to marketplace,\u201d one agent explained. \u201cIf Makar\u2019s going to stay in Colorado, he\u2019s going to make less than he would by not staying. If he put himself out to market, there would be a team that would give him $20 million. If Hughes goes to open market, he could get $18-20 million. But it really depends on where. Do you want to make $20 million on a losing team or do you want to make $15 million on Minnesota, who always makes the playoffs and has a shot?\u201d<\/p>\n
“I can see them signing $15 million (a season) on three- or four-year deals,” added another agent. “We’ve taken that strategy. Much different defenseman, but (redacted), we had an eight-year deal on the table and took a shorter-term deal, only ate up two years of UFA, because we want to get back at the table after this guy’s got another 120 NHL games played because of where the cap is going.”<\/p>\n
On whether the culture of contracts will change with a higher cap: \u201cThe question becomes, are GMs going to get used to the new normal and just allow for these guys to make $16 to $20 million or is the culture of hockey going to say you can\u2019t ask for that much because you\u2019re being selfish? I think people need to embrace the new culture that the economics have changed and general managers get comfortable in that, I think these guys should get closer to that $20 million.\u201d<\/p>\n
On setting a new bar for all defensemen: \u201cThey better be dead set on resetting the market. Why isn\u2019t Quinn the Kaprizov (number of $17 million) and above? He should be setting that standard because defensemen right now are still underpaid relative to the top forwards in the game. And Makar, no reason he should be any different. In fact, in my view, he should be above Hughes. \u2026 Listen, when Kaprizov does what he does, these two better be doing it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
On how it relates to athletes in other sports: \u201cThese guys are generational players that should push the envelope like the basketball players, football players and baseball players do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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