And that's no different than the free agents. Has anyone walked because of taxes? (hoping to get someone else's homegrown player doesn't count)
Again, I'm not implying this is an epidemic by any means, but the Stamkos situation pretty clearly showed the flaw in the system. That's not to say I ever truly thought he'd leave Tampa, and I wasn't too worried either way about landing him, but there was a ton of reporting on the differential in what Toronto or other high tax markets would have had to pay to match what he ultimately got in Tampa.
It was reported in the Tampa Bay Times with the assistance of a Sports tax specialist, I forget his name, that Stamkos taking the 8year/68 million deal he inevitably ended up signing would see him take home just under $30 million dollars, and that the Leafs (or similiar) at 70 million, over 7, would still see Stamkos end up with like $7 million less. Yes, the 8th year Tampa can offer is a factor here too, but ultimately, we're talking the difference of ~12 million vs 8.5, and a reasonably decent chunk of that is tax related (~2.3 million of each year)
Even Stamkos himself has said how "“it’s obviously a perk of playing in Florida.”"
Callahan re-signing was also widely considered below market value. His agent was quoted afterwards saying taxation definitely played a role.
