Free agency is rarely a good place to spend money as an NHL general manager.<\/p>\n
Teams typically have to overpay to lure talented free agents away from their previous teams, and with a hard salary cap, these moves particularly the ones with longer term tend to age worse.<\/p>\n
These are the worst free agent contracts ofthe salary-cap era (2005-06). <\/p>\n
Position: Left wing<\/p>\n
Year: 2019 <\/p>\n
Thecontract\/team: 8 years, $72 million with the BuffaloSabres<\/p>\n
Theskinny: How can a contract be so bad so soon? Considerthat the COVID-19 pandemic has forced a flat salary cap for the foreseeablefuture in the NHL, and Skinner is clogging up almost 10 percent of Buffaloscap for the next six seasons. <\/p>\n
Thatd be a problem if Skinner were producing at an elite level, instead he has scored just 21 goals in 112 games and already been a healthy scratch over his two seasons since he signed the deal. <\/p>\n
Did we also mention theres six more seasonsleft?<\/p>\n
Position: Goalie<\/p>\n
Year: 2011<\/p>\n
Thecontract\/team: 9 years, $51 million with the PhiladelphiaFlyers<\/p>\n
Theskinny: The Flyers signed Bryz to be their franchisegoalie, and he was one of the great characters in hockey, and this contractfortunately gave us all insights into his belief system via Philadelphiasappearance on HBOs Road to the Winter Classic series in 2011-12.<\/p>\n
Bryzgalov played just 99 games in a Flyersuniform, posting ghastly numbers (.905 save percentage, 2.60 goals-againstaverage) before they bought out the contract after just two seasons. <\/p>\n
Making matters worse, the Flyers offloadedfuture star Sergei Bobrovsky in 2012 to make room for Bryzgalov in net.<\/p>\n
Position: Right wing<\/p>\n
Year: 2013<\/p>\n
Thecontract\/team: 7 years, $36.7 million with the TorontoMaple Leafs<\/p>\n
Theskinny: Clarkson was a 30-goal scorer in New Jerseywhen the Maple Leafs made him one of the highest-paid players of the 2013offseason. <\/p>\n
The contract was panned at the time and madeworse by the fact Clarkson scored just five goals in 60 games in the firstyear. <\/p>\n
He spent only a season-and-a-half in Torontobefore he was traded to Columbus. The Blue Jackets employed him for just 26games before injuries derailed his career.<\/p>\n
Position: Left wing<\/p>\n
Year: 2016<\/p>\n
Thecontract\/team: 7years, $42 million with the Edmonton Oilers<\/p>\n
Theskinny: Lucic was a stalwart for the Boston Bruins,helping them to the Stanley Cup Final twice and a Cup win in 2011. <\/p>\n
After a year in Los Angeles, Lucic wasrewarded with the long-term deal in Edmonton that was widely panned from themoment it was signed.<\/p>\n
But his heavy style of play aged poorly, andEdmonton traded him to rival Calgary in 2019, where hell undoubtedly play outthe remainder of his contract.<\/p>\n
Position:Left wing<\/p>\n
Year: 2011<\/p>\n
Thecontract\/team: 6 years, $27 million with the BuffaloSabres<\/p>\n
Theskinny: Leino parlayed a career year in Philadelphiawhere he scored 19 goals and had 53 points into the long-term contract inBuffalo. <\/p>\n
But Buffalo tried to make Leino a center, andthat backfired as Leino had just 10 goals and 46 points in 134 games for theSabres before his contract was bought out after just three seasons.<\/p>\n
Position: Center<\/p>\n
Year: 2014<\/p>\n
Thecontract\/team: 5 years, $27.5 million with the FloridaPanthers<\/p>\n
Theskinny: Bolland was a hero for two Stanley Cupchampionship teams in Chicago and cashed in by signing the huge contract withthe Panthers as a 28-year-old. <\/p>\n
However, he played just 78 games and postedonly 28 points in a Florida uniform before injuries forced him out of theleague. <\/p>\n
Bolland received his entire contract despitethe fact he could not play beyond the 2015-16 NHL season. <\/p>\n
Position: Left wing<\/p>\n
Year: 2014<\/p>\n
Thecontract\/team: 5 years, $25 million with the BuffaloSabres<\/p>\n
Theskinny: Moulson earned the contract by playing withJohn Tavares, but when he was no longer playing next to Tavares his productioncratered. <\/p>\n
Moulson scored 30-plus goals in threeconsecutive seasons with the New York Islanders, however in Buffalo he scoredjust 35 goals in 239 games. <\/p>\n
He was exiled to the AHL placed on loan withthe Kings minor-league affiliate for the final two seasons of the contract.<\/p>\n
Position:Defenseman <\/p>\n
Theyear: 2008<\/p>\n
Thecontract\/team: 6 years, $39 million with the New YorkRangers<\/p>\n
Theskinny: Redden was a perfectly serviceable defenseman,however he was 31 when he signed a six-year contract in a league that wasgetting faster each year. <\/p>\n
Reddens foot speed diminished quickly, and heplayed only 156 games in a Rangers sweater before they banished him to the AHLin a cap-savings maneuver. His contract was bought out by New York in 2013.<\/p>\n
Position: Defenseman<\/p>\n
Year: 2008<\/p>\n
Thecontract\/team: 4 years, $14 million with the TorontoMaple Leafs<\/p>\n
Theskinny: Finger was 28 and had played just 94 NHL gameswhen he signed his multi-year contract with the Maple Leafs on July 1, 2008. <\/p>\n
Then-Toronto GM Cliff Fletcher had to justify the deal from the start, but it quickly became indefensible as Finger scored just 33 points in 105 games before his contract was buried in the AHL. <\/p>\n
Position: Left wing<\/p>\n
Year: 2009<\/p>\n
Thecontract\/team: 11 years, $85 million with the TampaBay Lightning<\/p>\n
Theskinny: Lecavalier was a star who had delivered theStanley Cup to Tampa when he signed the lengthy, back-diving contract thatonly wouldve expired after the 2020 season. <\/p>\n
However he was 29 when the deal kicked in, andhis skillset diminished shortly thereafter. <\/p>\n
The Lightning bought out Lecavaliers dealafter just four seasons when the NHL gave teams compliance buyouts after the2013 lockout.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Read more here:<\/p>\n
The 10 Worst Free Agent Contracts Of The Salary-Cap Era - Casino.Org News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Free agency is rarely a good place to spend money as an NHL general manager. Teams typically have to overpay to lure talented free agents away from their previous teams, and with a hard salary cap, these moves particularly the ones with longer term tend to age worse. These are the worst free agent contracts ofthe salary-cap era (2005-06) Continue reading