Greed vs. The Crosby Example

Stonewall

Registered User
Jan 14, 2013
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Sidney Crosby might be in the best spot in the NHL right now. Captain of his team, back-to-back Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner, now starting to be talked about as a potential Top 5 player of all time, and the Penguins have $20 million in cap space and are looking to get even better.

All this is possible because Crosby took the most team-friendly contract in the NHL. He's still making $9 million+ in salary for the next 5 seasons, but the extra 3 seasons at the end of his contract where he will make $3 million each year make all the difference. It allows his team to stay competitive.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Anze Kopitar will probably end up making $50 million or so extra in their NHL careers compared to Crosby, but their teams, especially the Blackhawks as we saw today, are struggling financially. From this day forward Crosby is going to be a lot more successful on the ice thanks to his relatively low salary and the extra money that his team has to spend.

The next superstar player who will get a giant contract is Connor McDavid. Will he go after the money like Toews, Kane, and Kopitar did... or will he follow the Crosby Example?
 
I don't think it's a fair comparison because Crosby's contract was done before they put an 8 year limit and other rules into place. He definitely still took a discount, though.
 
Malkin's probably a better example as he signed in the new CBA. He took 9.5M cap hit when guys like Toews, Kane, and Kopitar are all at 10+. Considering the impact he has Malkin took a sweetheart deal.
 
Crosbys deal wasnt that great when he signed it. He probably couldve got a bit more but that was pretty much what people thought he should get when he signed it. Its not like its a Duncan Keith contract or something. Crosby's contract with Malkin beside him has still only seen him be as successful as Toews, Kane and Kopitar (team wise) since theyve been in the league.

McDavid is going to get paid as he should. Hes likely worth around 11 million in todays NHL, or about 9 when Crosby signed his deal so I dont really see what the point of this thread is.
 
Sidney Crosby might be in the best spot in the NHL right now. Captain of his team, back-to-back Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner, now starting to be talked about as a potential Top 5 player of all time, and the Penguins have $20 million in cap space and are looking to get even better.

All this is possible because Crosby took the most team-friendly contract in the NHL. He's still making $9 million+ in salary for the next 5 seasons, but the extra 3 seasons at the end of his contract where he will make $3 million each year make all the difference. It allows his team to stay competitive.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Anze Kopitar will probably end up making $50 million or so extra in their NHL careers compared to Crosby, but their teams, especially the Blackhawks as we saw today, are struggling financially. From this day forward Crosby is going to be a lot more successful on the ice thanks to his relatively low salary and the extra money that his team has to spend.

The next superstar player who will get a giant contract is Connor McDavid. Will he go after the money like Toews, Kane, and Kopitar did... or will he follow the Crosby Example?

Stop it!!!! You making me love Sid even more than I already do!!! We have only so many bridges,tunnels and highways in Pittsburgh we can name after him in the future!!!;)
 
Crosby makes enough as it is from endorsements, so I don't think he's too worried about his contract anyway. McDavid is in the position to do the same and if I were him I would.
 
I'm too lazy to do it, but the only way to make this comparison relevant is % of cap at the time of the signing.
 
Crosbys deal wasnt that great when he signed it. He probably couldve got a bit more but that was pretty much what people thought he should get when he signed it. Its not like its a Duncan Keith contract or something. Crosby's contract with Malkin beside him has still only seen him be as successful as Toews, Kane and Kopitar (team wise) since theyve been in the league.

McDavid is going to get paid as he should. Hes likely worth around 11 million in todays NHL, or about 9 when Crosby signed his deal so I dont really see what the point of this thread is.

What? Yes it was. People were making fun of him for taking 8.7M because he's superstitious because he could have gotten a lot more.
 
I think young superstar players should get paid as much as their agent can get them early on. Players like Crosby, Kane, Malkin, Kopitar, etc deserve the money and if they can get 9M, 10M or 11M, then so be it. Don't forget injuries can ruin a career, better make the cash while you can. You never know.

What could be done though is sign for perhaps 5 or 6 years and then once the contract is up, sign for a bit less in order to give your team a chance to build a great roster around you. 6 years @ $10M is $60M + all endorsements + what you made during your ELC. That's enough money to invest and compound, etc. You're already set for life.

Perhaps it would be wise to take $5M or $6M at this point and have enough money to add a scoring winger or top-4 D to the roster.

But, you cannot blame a young guy like McDavid who is coming off his ELC as a top-3 player on earth for asking for the moon. We can judge his ''greed'' when his contract is up and he is 28 or 29 years old. Let's see what kind of deal he takes then.
 
Most team friendly?
Guess he needs one more season, But scheifele?
6 million for 8 years?

Not saying who's is better, But
Yes I like scheifele even more now for that contract
 
Sidney Crosby might be in the best spot in the NHL right now. Captain of his team, back-to-back Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner, now starting to be talked about as a potential Top 5 player of all time, and the Penguins have $20 million in cap space and are looking to get even better.

All this is possible because Crosby took the most team-friendly contract in the NHL. He's still making $9 million+ in salary for the next 5 seasons, but the extra 3 seasons at the end of his contract where he will make $3 million each year make all the difference. It allows his team to stay competitive.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Anze Kopitar will probably end up making $50 million or so extra in their NHL careers compared to Crosby, but their teams, especially the Blackhawks as we saw today, are struggling financially. From this day forward Crosby is going to be a lot more successful on the ice thanks to his relatively low salary and the extra money that his team has to spend.

The next superstar player who will get a giant contract is Connor McDavid. Will he go after the money like Toews, Kane, and Kopitar did... or will he follow the Crosby Example?

Crosby signed that deal because he is crazy superstitious. 8.7mil/yr for 12 years as his cap hit
 
He signed a $104m contract. Take out those last 3 back diving years, and it's a $11.6m cap hit. He didn't take one for the team. His agent and the Penguins just took advantage of the rules as they were. Crosby is a saint though. Look what he sacrificed with that last contract.
 
Sidney Crosby might be in the best spot in the NHL right now. Captain of his team, back-to-back Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner, now starting to be talked about as a potential Top 5 player of all time, and the Penguins have $20 million in cap space and are looking to get even better.

All this is possible because Crosby took the most team-friendly contract in the NHL. He's still making $9 million+ in salary for the next 5 seasons, but the extra 3 seasons at the end of his contract where he will make $3 million each year make all the difference. It allows his team to stay competitive.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Anze Kopitar will probably end up making $50 million or so extra in their NHL careers compared to Crosby, but their teams, especially the Blackhawks as we saw today, are struggling financially. From this day forward Crosby is going to be a lot more successful on the ice thanks to his relatively low salary and the extra money that his team has to spend.

The next superstar player who will get a giant contract is Connor McDavid. Will he go after the money like Toews, Kane, and Kopitar did... or will he follow the Crosby Example?

McDavid has to set a new high water mark on NHL contracts. It would be irresponsible to the rest of the NHLPA for him to sign at a $9 million glass ceiling, 10 years after Crosby did it.
 
Crosby makes enough as it is from endorsements, so I don't think he's too worried about his contract anyway. McDavid is in the position to do the same and if I were him I would.

This is a big kicker too. Most endorsement $ in NHL sure softens the blow.
 
He signed a $104m contract. Take out those last 3 back diving years, and it's a $11.6m cap hit. He didn't take one for the team. His agent and the Penguins just took advantage of the rules as they were. Crosby is a saint though. Look what he sacrificed with that last contract.

Agreed 100%. SIDS second contract was 5x8.7 at a time when the cap was <60. His current is a back diving contract, not as bad as hossas' but still subject to recapture penalties. Saint Sid indeed
 
A guy with a history of concussions signing a $100 million dollar contract (under a different CBA no less) is not taking a discount.
 
He signed a $104m contract. Take out those last 3 back diving years, and it's a $11.6m cap hit. He didn't take one for the team. His agent and the Penguins just took advantage of the rules as they were. Crosby is a saint though. Look what he sacrificed with that last contract.

This.

There was nothing significantly altruistic in Crosby's decision and attempting to rewrite history is disingenuous.
 
I get the sense that Crosby doesn't really care about the money, or even personal awards. He really, really likes winning.
 
I get the sense that Crosby doesn't really care about the money, or even personal awards. He really, really likes winning.

Well I'm sure he cares about the $$$ to a point, but yeah, he's all about the Cup. Little bit obsessed IMO.
 
Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Anze Kopitar will probably end up making $50 million or so extra in their NHL careers compared to Crosby,

I agree with much of what you said but this here is completely unaccurate
 
The only reason Crosby signed that contract at 8.7 million is because his number is 87. (Looks like CHI is really wishing that Toews signed at 1.9 million a year) He has so many more endorsement deals than any other hockey player that an extra million or two a year won't make or break him. LOL

McDavid is going for 14 million and you know why? Cuz why the **** not. And that's the truth of it. If he wants championships, ya maybe take a pay cut to get another second liner or top 6 forward with the extra 4-5 million and live off endorsement deals like Sid, but at the end of the day why not go for max money?

I also wonder why the superstars have to be the guys that take the lower cap hit? Why are the Penguins being featured in so may playoff games? Why are so many Penguins games nationally televised? Why are so many young players buying Penguins jerseys? The answer to all these questions is "because of their superstars". They are the guys who are earning the team money, so they deserve to be paid. Its not a good business decision to make your company millions of dollars and then take a pay cut. Jim Rutherford and Peter Chiarelli would be laughing. Sid is definitely getting paid lots of bonuses and has contracts with CCM that would pay a guy's mortgage off faster than you can say "Phil Kessel is a Stanley Cup champion".
 
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Crosbys 5 year contract from 09-13 was 17% of the cap when signed. Real team friendly.
 

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