It happens once every year. The NHL free-agency market opens, and is quickly flooded with talent that teams salivate over. Today (July 1st) is that very special day, and agents will clog their phone lines in conversation with potential managers for their clients. Look for the lines to start getting busy at 12pm, which is the official opening of free-agency. Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail believes that the most sought after free agents will be off of the market within 48 hours and may get contracts of up to $8 million per year [Off-ice action should be fast, furious].
Daniel Brière is one of the more attractive free agents, and is represented by none other than Pat Brisson of mega-power, CAA. Brisson expects more deals to be made on the first day of free-agency now that the start time has been pushed back from midnight to noon. He also sees the window for signing players beginning to close a bit.
From The Globe and Mail article:
Nowadays, an agent needs to be aware of how many seats there are for a player of a certain type. For example, if eight teams have a need for a No. 1 player and there are only three on the market, the action on them figures to be fast and furious.
“Before, a lot of times, we’d go back and forth and the client would talk to his wife, and his family, his mother and father, and sometimes it would take hours,” Brisson said this week. “There’s no such luxury now. You’ve got to be ready; you’ve got to be quick. You need to understand the market, so we’re preparing our clients for that — now, more than before.”
Teams that may be more willing to spend extra dollar bills to ratchet some big name players are the Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings. Just wait until next year, when the salary cap for teams will rise $6.3 million to a total of $50.3 million per team [NHL salary cap rises to $50.3 million next season]. Only 2 seasons ago, the salary cap was $39 million. Will teams be able to handle the rise in cap dollars while it seems like the sport of hockey continues to die? Will players be making more than $8 million per year coming in free agency deals?
It is a scary thought, but you know what happens when there is drastic over-valuation. Bubbles pop. Markets crash. What’s in line for the NHL? Everyone should listen to Brisson and take his words out of context when he says “You need to understand the market, so we’re preparing our clients for that — now, more than before.” Get your NHL clients as much money as the market will allow currently, before owners realize that filling their caps will be fiscally irresponsible.
-Darren Heitner
