from Rick Gethin of FoxSportsOhio,
"You don't see it in a lot of sports anymore," said Blue Jackets bench boss Todd Richards. "I think it is because of the economics (of the league). Now you have the salary cap in there. There are a lot of different reasons why. It doesn't surprise me."
While every player dreams of winning the Stanley Cup, it seems as if more players are chasing that dream by trying to sign with a perceived "winner" when their current contracts are finished. This is not an indictment of the players. Rather, it's an observation of the reality of the NHL in the 21st century.
"It the salary cap now, it's that simple," said defenseman Jordan Leopold. "It's all about numbers. You have guys that sign five-year deals or whatever, and at the end of that deal there may not be enough cash to sign them back. The free market sets that number.
"It's unfortunate because when I first started 12 or 13 years ago, a lot of guys were with the same team . . . the older guys that I played against all stuck with their same team. Then the salary cap came in (2005) and the rest is history. Now you see guys bounce around a bit more and play for more teams. The allegiance just isn't there due to the fact that it's a financial decision."
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