NHL

Long-Term NHL Contracts Make Zero Sense

While yesterday’s sports headlines were dominated by Euro 2012, Wimbledon, and the NBA Draft, there was some big hockey news that might have slipped by the wayside. Two blockbuster contracts were handed out, with Pittsburgh signing Sidney Crosby to a 12-year/$104 million contract, and the Los Angeles Kings handing Jonathan Quick a 10-year deal worth $58 million.

The glaring number in both of these deals: years. Crosby’s deal would keep him a Penguin through age 36, and Quick’s contract would keep him in L.A. through the same age. In the NHL, playing to 36 is no guarantee. It’s a contact sport. Staying on the ice can be very difficult. Heck, just ask Crosby.

The Penguins captain has played just 28 games in the past 18 months as he has battled concussion problems. Crosby talent is unquestionable; when healthy, and performing, he is the best hockey player on the planet. But health will be the key as Crosby moves forward. Still though, even as Crosby as struggled to stay on the ice, his production is undeniable. This in an excerpt from ESPN’s story that announced the contract:

In the past two seasons, 617 players have played more games than Crosby’s 63, according to ESPN Stats & Information, but in that same stretch, only 92 players have scored more goals than Crosby’s 40.

That’s almost unfathomable. On the one hand, Crosby will not be able to play a “less physical game.” Hockey is physical in nature. Even with the NHL making every effort to “clean up hockey” by tightening up the rules, hockey’s commonplace physicality will test Crosby’s durability.

Then we have Jonathan Quick. The UMass Amherst product had slowly been making his way onto the scene, before completely busting out this past season. Quick came in second in the Vezina voting, won the Conn Smythe award, led the league in shutouts, and was in the top five in wins, goals against average, and save percentage. But contracts of this length, which are not common in hockey, are even less common among goalies.

Only two other goaltenders have ever signed deals locking them up for 10 or more years; Roberto Luongo, who signed a 12-year deal with Vancouver, and Rick DiPietro, who signed a 15-year deal with the Islanders. While Quick obviously performed this sesaon at a level that made the Kings front office feel the need to lock him up long-term, the track record of these kinds of deals is sub-par. DiPietro has battled injuries and has played a combined 172 games in the first six seasons of his deal, or 28 games per season. While Luongo has been more successful—winning a combined 69 games during the first two years of his mega-deal—it is his postseason futility that has been associated with his performance. And now there are rumors Luongo may be traded.

Plain and simple, the long-term contract is something of an enigma in the NHL.

Our inclination as fans is when we see a player perform well, we don’t want him to leave. But sustained success is difficult to come by in professional hockey. Over the last five seasons, 40 different players have scored 80 points or more in a single season. None of those players have done it in all five seasons, however. Crosby has done it twice.

In Quick, the Kings get an up-and-coming goalie who already has a good deal of experience. Since Quick took over the fulltime starter duties for Los Angeles in 2009, he has played 202 games. Quick was also the backup for team USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics, and is expected to be USA’s goaltender of the future. He’s getting a lot of work, but that’s not necessarily a good thing in terms of durability. And of course, everyone knows the questions surrounding Crosby.

Crosby and Quick have both done monumental things for their franchises and cities. Both players have won Stanley Cups during their tenures on their respective teams. Both have helped to raise popularity and attendance. But both will also now be entering a new stage of their careers. It will be easier in five or so years to say these contracts were either brilliant or busts, but that’s just the nature of the business, no matter how frustrating hindsight is. But if you were betting on how these contracts will pan out, you wouldn’t be very optimistic, right?

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