Barry Trotz Is Right. NHL Teams in No-Tax States Have an Advantage, But It's Not the Only Factor

Is being in a no-tax state enough to make an NHL team a Stanley Cup contender? No, because management still matters. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't be addressed, says Ken Campbell.

Before and after the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup, GM Bill Zito managed to get cornerstone players Sam Reinhart and Gustav Forsling signed for deals that combine for a salary cap hit of $14.375 million. There's no way he does that if he doesn't have two players who want a chance to win more Stanley Cups.

But he also doesn't do it if his team isn't located in a no-tax state, either. Plus, the weather is good, and they now have roots there. No-brainer.

Nashville GM Barry Trotz was absolutely right on July 13 when he told TSN's Overdrive show no-tax states have a huge advantage in signing and retaining players because players are human beings, and they want to keep as much of their money as possible. But if that were the only factor, Nashville would have won a Cup or two under David Poile, and the Panthers wouldn't have gone their first 30 years without winning one.

Management, ownership, market and relevance still matter. And that's all well and good, but if you're going to go through all the trouble to make it an equal playing field, shouldn't you be making it truly a level playing field?

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