Big NHL Markets in Trouble?

Every year when Free Agency opens on July 1st there are big ticket names that cause hockey fans to salivate at the idea of those players putting on their team's jersey. These players are difference makers. When a General Manager gets the opportunity to add a difference maker to their roster without giving up anything but money, you bet that they will do their due diligence and make calls.

Last year it was Brad Richards, this year it was Parise and Suter. Previous big name free agents include: Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa, Martin Havlat, Marian Gaborik, Zdeno Chara, and the list goes on.

What most of these players have in common is their ending location. Most big ticket names pick big ticket cities to play in. That would be your Toronto, Boston, New York, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Philadelphia, San Jose, or any other contending team with a good hockey market.

This year we saw that trend come to a staggering end. There were times when it appeared certain that Parise would sign in Pittsburgh and Suter would sign with Detroit. Both teams fit the bill of being contending teams where hockey is a big deal.

That is why when it was announced that they had both signed with Minnesota, people were shocked. Minnesota looked good on paper heading into last season with newly acquired Dany Heatley and Devin Setogouchi in their forward ranks. Unfortunately for them, they could not build off a strong start and failed to make the playoffs. The Wild finished with a top ten draft pick this past June.

Then there was Justin Schultz. When it was reported that teams like Toronto, Detroit, Vancouver and many more were interested in his services why wouldn't he pick a winning franchise like Detroit where he could take his time developing and potentially fill the offensive defense man gap left by Niklas Lidstrom's retirement?


Instead Schultz picked the Edmonton Oilers who have set the NHL record with THREE consecutive 1st overall picks. This is the same Oilers team who finished dead last in the NHL in two of the last three years.

So what gives? What happened to New York, Chicago, Detroit and company always landing the big free agents?

More after the jump

As a fan of a smaller market hockey team, I tempered expectations every year and stopped hoping my team would pull off the unthinkable. After this summer, I think I can let my imagination run wild again.

The teams that could outspend small market teams (New York, Chicago, etc) are no longer dominating the free agency scene. Players are now signing with teams that might not offer as much when it comes to the on ice product.

A reason for this could be that players are becoming more patient. In the past we have seen stars sign with teams that are close to winning a championship. These players go in with the mindset that they could be the missing piece that a team needs to get over the hump and win a championship.

Now we see players sign with teams that aren't close to winning a Stanley Cup. Let's look at where the some of the bigger free agents signed this summer and how the team fared before their arrival:

Minnesota: Zach Parise, Ryan Suter - Missed playoffs
Tampa Bay: Matt Carle, Sami Salo, Anders Lindback - Missed playoffs
Calgary: Dennis Wideman, Jiri Hudler - Missed playoffs
Dallas: Jaromir Jagr, Ray Whitney - Missed playoffs
Winnipeg: Olli Jokinen - Missed playoffs
Anaheim: Teemu Selanne, Bryan Allen, Sheldon Souray - Missed playoffs
Colorado: P.A. Parenteau - Missed playoffs

The players mentioned above signed big contracts this summer or were the biggest names available via free agency. Excluding players who are on the tail end of their career (Jagr, Whitney, Salo, Selanne) the rest of those big ticket names signed long term deals.

Gone are the days where Marian Hossa signs a 1-year contract with Detroit to win a Stanley Cup. It appears as though players are becoming more patient and willing to be part of a team if it means more years of contending.

The trend has become that term is just as important as dollar. Teams willing to add on an extra year (or two)  from their initial offer seem to be the ones making headlines.

So where is New York? Toronto? Pittsburgh? Detroit? Philadelphia?

The aforementioned teams all had been rumored to be involved in significant moves  this summer but were unable to lure players to their teams.

How many times have we heard the cliches: "I've always wanted to play for an original six team", "There is so much history there", "I grew up watching _________" and the list goes on.

Of course there are players that still will sign with these teams but the trend has now switched from signing with a team that has a rich tradition, to signing with a team where they can make a rich tradition.