Quote:
Originally Posted by Islanders1932
I almost wish NHL Players couldn't play over seas in a lockout. I'm sure that would get things settled faster.
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Being here and watching a number of NHL players, one right here in my town, and many throughout the top two leagues in Germany, I can say that I......fully agree with you.
Naturally, the teams in Europe have a good bit to gain by bringing in a couple of NHL guys. Good press, helps with the sponsors, they're generally paying next to nothing to have the guys here (although all have to figure out how to cover the insurance costs) and their own players can 'benefit' from having these (usually) role models right there on an everyday basis. Not to mention, it can also lead to a few wins that they'd otherwise maybe not be able to earn.
This said, I can't help but think about the following:
- Ultimately, they're taking spots that might be otherwise going to a few younger kids or players who need that time to develop, much less the paycheck.
- Most all of the NHL guys play in a manner where it's obvious that the chief priority is 'Stay fit, but do NOT get injured'. This is, ahem, often very noticeable to the spectators, especially those who take note of who's giving what degree of effort.
- The losers here are just about every club that planned for a normal season in the summer in putting together their teams and now don't have spots or the means to add such players while their competition does.
- Two-class societies in a number of lower leagues where some of the NHLers are showing up, many of whom are still coming into the fray (for example, Salzburg just added Derick Dorsett, Derrick Brassard and Rob Schremp [naturally no longer an NHLer] all in one swoop and immediately won big time against Mickey Grabner's team in a league that is otherwise an ECHL level league).
- There's a certain hipocracy in fighting this battle on the North American front centered around so many financial aspects just to go to a lower league and play for (next to) nothing.
I know many might think all of these points are moot.
The lack of NHL action creates a whole new playing field over here and distorts things to a great degree.
It has its pros and cons, but I'd have to think things would get resolved on the NHL front much quicker if NHLers didn't have other options or weren't ready to accept any options that didn't earn them as much as they're getting in the NHL.
With the exception of a handful of players in the KHL, there's still no place on the planet they can earn more playing hockey than in the NHL, even if the next CBA leads to general leaguewide paycuts.