According to various informal sources, Chris Pronger just inked a 7-year contract with Philly. That means he's Flyers property until age 41 -- and with a no-movement clause at that.
The sweetest part of the deal is that it's front-loaded, meaning the Flyers can hold onto Pronger until he shows his age, then buy out the rest of the contract at a reduced price. Pronger hits the salary jackpot right away, the Flyers take a minimal cap hit for a former Hart winner, and nobody has much to lose if the deal sours.
Which brings us to the salient question: is it time for the NHL to stop the trend of front-loaded, long-term deals which skirt the purpose of the salary cap? At the very least, these deals make a mockery of "cost certainty" and severely disadvantage small-market teams. Weren't those the reasons for the cap, and the traumatic lockout?
1 comment:
Yep, time for tougher rules.
Unless your team rhymes with "Philadelphia Flyers".
Then you should be able to go on being stupid, just like normal.
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