Interesting Friedman article about Devellano's comments

[StuperousFunker]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/opin...-comments.html

Really good article by Friedman.

[Bomm Bastic]

Thanks for that, SF, interesting. Ya know, for years media pundits and sports talking heads have always referred to offer sheet controversy as an "unwritten rule", and for years I just blindly accepted it, regurgitated it as if it was indeed a legit rationale.

Now having read this Friedman article, I have to wonder why no one has ever brought this up in the past (lazy media canard aside).

Do Devellano's comments evidence collusion? And can years of inaction on the part of the NHLPA be construed as tacit acceptance of this "unwritten rule" and, therefore, mitigate (if not completely exonerate) the owners' practice?

Food for thought...

[Shenanigans]

Thanks for that, SF, interesting. Ya know, for years media pundits and sports talking heads have always referred to offer sheet controversy as an "unwritten rule", and for years I just blindly accepted it, regurgitated it as if it was indeed a legit rationale.

Now having read this Friedman article, I have to wonder why no one has ever brought this up in the past (lazy media canard aside).

Do Devellano's comments evidence collusion? And can years of inaction on the part of the NHLPA be construed as tacit acceptance of this "unwritten rule" and, therefore, mitigate (if not completely exonerate) the owners' practice?

Food for thought...

Realistically Bomm ?

Although there may indeed have been tacit acceptance by the NHLPA on the issue... I don't think you could call that a grievance without merit.

It's hard to argue their acceptance as "past practice"..when they would have had to have hard proof in their corner, to even broach the issue.

Just my opinion. Habeas Corpus, Ipso Facto, etc, etc.

.

[Bomm Bastic]

It's hard to argue their acceptance as "past practice"..when they would have had to have hard proof in their corner, to even broach the issue.

Just my opinion. Habeas Corpus, Ipso Facto, etc, etc. .

Good point, actually.

Henceforth, and so-and-so....

[ericdaoust]

No collusion here. Tons of reasons not to do it. It generally does not work, and to pry away a player you have to offer an absurd contract. Plus there's the revenge factor from the "victim" team or from other teams (example: the Backes/Kesler offer sheet exchange from a few years back).

And to kill the case for collusion, well we still get 1-2 offer sheets per year.

[LawMan]

I think the writer it making too much out of this comment and making a large leap comparing the blatant collusion of the MLB years with the NHL "collusion" of recent years. Frankly I don't think this comparison would have been made at all if Fehr wasn't the rep in both situations.

There's simply too many reasons to NOT make an offer sheet and frankly we do see a few a year so there's really no evidence for the players. If the players want more offer sheets in the future they need to reduce the compensation paid in offer sheet situations in the new CBA and it seems unlikely they'll get any improvements over the current situation.

[DuklaNation]

Its an unwritten rule because the offer is likely to be matched for above average players and all it accomplishes is further driving up salaries (matched or not). Refer to Penner signing by Oilers, it raised the bar for RFAs across the board. After that everyone was getting a big pay raise after 2-3 yrs in the league.

[sparrowtrini]

Its an unwritten rule because the offer is likely to be matched for above average players and all it accomplishes is further driving up salaries (matched or not). Refer to Penner signing by Oilers, it raised the bar for RFAs across the board. After that everyone was getting a big pay raise after 2-3 yrs in the league.

That clearly says it.

Love my JD though. Totally respect the man. Torrey gets all the credit for the isles great years & Holland in Detroit.
But JD was the true architect, mastermind behind both franchises