NHL commissioner Gary Bettman shared his thoughts on Thursday about the state of trade clauses in player contracts and how they have evolved over time.
With changes to the salary cap, new rules in the collective bargaining agreement, and a slew of trade requests this past off-season, contract clauses have become a hot topic around the NHL.
Originally intended to give players a say in whether they are dealt, players have now begun using them to force a move to a team they want.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has acknowledged this issue, most recently in a radio appearance on Sportsnet's The FAN Hockey Show.
"The no-trade clause was originally put in place for the following situation: 'You're going to sign a long-term contract to be at a place you want to be, maybe you're giving a hometown discount, and you want to make sure you can be where you wanted to be and where you’re signing up to be'," Bettman said.
"This notion now, where A) you can select where you want to go to and B) you can demand a trade, that was never the original intention. And if this becomes a problem, I don't think one off-season a problem makes, but if it becomes a problem, it's something we are going to have to discuss with the players association."
For Brady Tkachuk, it worked, as he is now with his brother Matthew on the Florida Panthers. For others like Dylan Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck, it's beginning to backfire.
Larkin publicly requested a trade in June and still hasn't been dealt. Now, he enters a season with the Detroit Red Wings, where he has been stripped of the captaincy and sidelined with an upper-body injury.
As for Hellebuyck, the Winnipeg Jets have suspended him without pay for failing to attend their training camp. He plans to sit out until the Jets meet his trade request.
In both cases, Larkin and Hellebuyck will reportedly only accept trades to Stanley Cup contenders and have trade lists shorter than 10 teams. This becomes an issue for the Jets and Red Wings, as neither wants to lose a trade but lacks the leverage to get what they want.
"I don't think that's a good thing," Bettman said. "I don't think it's good for the player, I don't think it's good for the club, I don't think it's good for fans watching and their connection to the game."
"It's something we're going to keep an eye on, but I think we've gotten past the way no-trade clauses were originally intended."
With trade requests from Tkachuk and Hellebuyck from Canadian markets, as well as Quinn Hughes's desire to leave the Vancouver Canucks, it's sparked a new discussion about whether Canadian teams are at a disadvantage.
"First and foremost, I think players want to play for a good organization where they think they have a chance to win," Bettman stated. "I think beyond that, they want to play in a place where they want to live, raise a family, quality of life.
"Yes, in some jurisdictions, the taxes may be higher in Canada, but by the same token, players get paid U.S. dollars when they play in Canada, and there is economic benefit to that. I think it’s more case-by-case and what suits the individual needs. Brady Tkachuk wanted to play with his brother; those things happen."
"At the end of the day, I think players want to win, and they want to play for a good organization, and that trumps everything else."
Player empowerment matters, but it has to have limits. In other sports, namely basketball and soccer, players are on the move often times, yearly. In hockey, players have been praised for their loyalty, a willingness to reach the top of the mountain with the team that believed in them from the start.
That seems to be changing, as beyond Hellebuyck and Larkin, we've seen players like Kirill Marchenko want out. We could also see more trade requests from players with full no-trade protection, like Zach Werenski.
While this isn't limited to Canadian teams, several Canadian markets have regretted drafting an American player. Bettman doesn’t think it is an issue yet, but it's seemingly getting closer.
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