Toronto Maple Leafs: Lessons Learned From A Painful Decade
By Tim Chiasson
Chasing Big Fish Leaves You Hungry
What the Leafs have avoided so far – save for the Stamkos rumors – with the new regime has been chasing big free agent fish.
David Clarkson, Mike Komisarek and the failed attempt at getting David Bolland are prime examples of what not to do during free agency.
Often the big fish in free agency are over-hyped, over-paid and under-performing sideshows.
The “best” free agent is a tempting thing for managers across the NHL, but many of them end up disappointed in what they’ve brought in.
The biggest issue with unrestricted free agency is that you end up paying a player for what they’ve done and not what they’re going to do for you during the massive contract you give them.
The way the league is set up you are most likely getting a player at the end of his prime, or already on the decline. You’re essentially paying for the lesser years of a players’ career. Not wise, and not recommended.
Teams that spend feverishly on July 1st end up with less money to feed the rest of the family and everyone suffers.
It’s an important, and painful, reminder of things gone wrong during the pain years.
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