Oh hell yes, the Chicago Blackhawks do have a very real, very serious problem. Tom Benjamin, bless his soul, is right about this. And in case he hasn't made it clear enough, it is surely irrelevant to the status of the contracts of the players in question whether the team's qualifying offers were filed on time with the league office, the NHLPA office, the Commissioner of Baseball, the Flat Earth Society, or the Emperor of Ice-Cream. These guys are pretty clearly free agents. And their official representatives need to ignore the conflicting interests of their other clients and obey their fiduciary duty. Hello, that's why it's called that!
Comments (11)
Wow. Just Wow. If it comes to pass, the oilers could actually move up the management incompetence charts from worst to second or third worst. Probably some obscure articling student's fault...but wow.
Posted by tomtuttle | July 4, 2009 8:42 AM
Posted on July 4, 2009 08:42
None of them are coming to Edmonton, so don't get your hopes up!
Posted by Temujin | July 4, 2009 8:00 PM
Posted on July 4, 2009 20:00
Where did I say I had my hopes up? I am making the point that the press should not be hasty in dismissing this issue just because someone told them that, yes, of course a hockey team can unilaterally complete a binding contract with a player in the absence of an offer, in spite of about a thousand years of contract law, the language of a collective bargaining agreement, common sense, and league precedent.
From a hockey standpoint, I am a fan of one of 15 Western Conference teams that would be pretty comfortable with the partial destruction of an emerging Central Division powerhouse. No more than that.
Posted by Colby Cosh | July 5, 2009 5:24 AM
Posted on July 5, 2009 05:24
As a still bitter Canucks fan, I'm also quite comfortable with that.
I never said you had your hopes up, I was merely warning you against getting them up. Not only because I think this will all be swept under the rug, but because apparently no one wants to play in Edmon (err, except the ones that do). These guys are pretty clearly free agents., as you say. But, they aren't.
Do you really think the press has been hasty in dismissing this issue? TSN still has the story on the front page headlines. The hideous mess that is Sportsnet.ca has an article up in their Blackhawks section. The Score is reporting it on their NHL section, and even ESPN has reported it.
Posted by Temujin | July 5, 2009 10:44 AM
Posted on July 5, 2009 10:44
I don't think they necessarily understand the issue. TSN's current story still says the Blackhawks may be trapped unless "the NHL and the NHLPA find a way." It's not the union that has to be made whole here, it's the players as individuals.
Posted by Colby Cosh | July 5, 2009 11:45 AM
Posted on July 5, 2009 11:45
I'm not dismissing it outright (it's certainly a story) but there's a solid chance nothing comes from this. Dreger's now saying it's up the PA if it wants to grieve the situation, so we'll know soon enough.
The players all appear to be saying they don't want to loophole their way into free agency.
Posted by James Mirtle | July 5, 2009 1:05 PM
Posted on July 5, 2009 13:05
They don't want to get their liberty and make extra millions as free agents? Good God, where's Scott Boras when you need him?
Posted by Garnet | July 5, 2009 1:53 PM
Posted on July 5, 2009 13:53
Well, I suppose if you're on a team like the Hawks, with so much upside, it's a no-brainer to want to stick around and sign anyway, let it slide and stick with a winner. So, sure, no big deal. And, had it had remained quiet, no harm no foul.
But, if you get a talented prospect on a lousy team who wants to test the market, it's a big deal. So, no that it is in the open there will be serious discussion about what to do when it happens next time.
Posted by thor | July 5, 2009 2:36 PM
Posted on July 5, 2009 14:36
Really? It's a no-brainer to not want millions of dollars? We're certain this is going to be the final decision of these players? Think I'll stick with Gar here: if Boras hears about this situation he'll be rappelling down to Cam Barker's apartment with a bullhorn in the other hand.
Posted by Colby Cosh | July 5, 2009 5:16 PM
Posted on July 5, 2009 17:16
It appears the denouement was that the 'Hawks signed all their RFAs, but at prices close to their UFA value.
Posted by Ryan Cousineau | July 9, 2009 10:32 AM
Posted on July 9, 2009 10:32
Yes. And the Hawks are currently a little over the cap for '09-'10, which they wouldn't have been.
Posted by Colby Cosh | July 9, 2009 10:38 AM
Posted on July 9, 2009 10:38