SIGN OF THE TIMES:Strong moves by small-market teams, such as the Blue Jackets’ trade with the Flyers for star center Jeff Carter has The Post’s Larry Brooks feeling good about the future of the league, even as the flyers’ subsequent signing of Jaromir Jagr (above) has him scratching his head. (Reuters )
No doubt there will be grumbling from the few NHL precincts with owner ship issues that prevented a handful of clubs from joining either Friday’s free agent festivities or last week’s blockbuster trade market, and no doubt the folks on Sixth Avenue will frown and jot down in indelible ink the list of perceived abuses that must be eradicated in the next collective bargaining agreement to ensure that one size — small — fits all.
The fact, however, is that the willingness shown by franchises in Columbus, Buffalo, Florida and Calgary to spend and then spend some more if necessary is a good sign for the league, which instead of seeking to use the next round of labor negotiations to pound every team down to the lowest common denominator by reducing the cap and eliminating critical tactics such as front-loading on long-term deals, should be seeking ways to direct more revenue to small-market teams with small-minded owners who live for charity and sympathy.
Overspending for overspending’s sake, which is what it appears the Panthers did to reach the floor, is silly, especially when the spree concludes with Jose Theodore as the team’s No. 1 goaltender, but at least general manager Dale Tallon seems to recognize that the onus is on management to build a winner in order to get people to come to the building.
It’s hard to imagine that the Blue Jackets’ acquisition of Jeff Carter’s $58M contract that runs through 2021-22 is going to be a winner in the long run, the same for GM Scott Howson’s decision to sign free agent defenseman James Wisniewski to a six-year, $32.5M contract on Friday.
But the Blue Jackets too have come to the conclusion that the only way to attract fans and generate revenue is by investing in payroll to build a winning program after 10 years in the NHL with one playoff appearance and zero playoff game victories to show for it.
Lowering the bar diminishes the incentive of managements to build great teams. In this league, with this cap, it has become about being mediocre enough to squeeze into eighth place while hoping for one of those anything-can-happen springs (even though it rarely does happen).
The dynastic Islanders became great because they had to be in order to knock off the Canadiens. The Oilers were forced to become great in order to end the Islanders’ run. The Red Wings, Avalanche and Devils played leapfrog with elite teams for the decade preceding the canceled season.
Those are the teams that create history, the ones with staying power, the ones with marquee names, the ones with stars who bring the paying customers — paying more than ever, by the way — into and then out of their seats.
It’s great for the league that Buffalo owner Terry Pegula operates with a big-market mentality. It’s great for the league that Calgary went to the mat in its attempt to entice Brad Richards to join the Flames. It was great for the league that New Jersey had the wherewithal to keep Ilya Kovalchuk last year, despite the derision the franchise drew.
What Friday demonstrates (other than Los Angeles’ annual inability to seal the deal on a marquee free agent) and what last week’s trades demonstrate, is there is money after all in the pockets of those small market owners.
Some are even willing to spend it in order to try and win.
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The fact that the Maple Leafs couldn’t spend their money on Friday even though GM Brian Burke wanted to spend oodles of it on Brad Richards is somehow reassuring, too. Toronto isn’t for everyone, just as New York isn’t.
Of course, when Burke refuses to avail himself of the front-loading tool provided by the CBA — and codified last year via the Kovalchuk Amendment — that grants an advantage to a revenue-generating monster like the Maple Leafs because he simply doesn’t believe in it, then perhaps it’s time for ownership to intervene.
Slap Shots has been told, however, that Richards had little desire to play in the Toronto fishbowl, so maybe a dramatic front-load wouldn’t have worked, anyway.
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Sorry, not buying that the Kings’ inability to seal the deal is travel-related each and every time and not buying it this time at all.
News: One-time powerhouse Colorado, now a floor team that’s less than an afterthought throughout the league and in its own market, apparently plans on going into the season with Semyon Varlamov and J-S Giguere as its goaltending tandem.
This just in: John McEnroe tells Avalanche GM Greg Sherman: “You cannot be serious!”
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There goes Jaromir Jagr, just destroying his legacy all over again — to hear the wailing from the folks in Pittsburgh who have spent the last decade doing a pretty good job stomping all over it themselves.
Maybe Jagr decided in the end that he’d be judged against the 26-year-old version of himself in Pittsburgh, maybe he decided that he wanted to play in the Winter Classic Old-Timers’ Game for the Rangers before changing into the Flyers’ No. 68 for the real Jan. 2 matchup.
This much is certain, however: Flyers-Penguins is the new Rangers-Islanders, Canadiens-Nordiques and Oilers-Flames.
This, too: The Flyers will be worth the price of admission.
That’s to their locker room, I mean.