In an age where you are bound by the restrictions of the cap how could you possibly offer this deal unless you were dealing with an absolute bona fide Superstar ( think Jagr, Ovechkin, Crosby etc ...)?!
It cripples you!
Look at Philly. They used to have a virtually unlimited amount of money to throw at the fire to account for injuries, slumps, Bob Clarke's mad, paranoid halucinations. The injuries they sustained this year would have killed them if they did not have depth on the Phantoms. And even then it was apparent in the play-offs that they had to live with what they had and it simply wasn't enough.
It's real simple. You need to be smart with the dough and leave yourself wiggle room for the inevitable issues ( injuries, guys having off years, glaring weaknesses that need to be addressed to get you over the hump).
Tampa has taken a huge gamble here. What if Richards continues to be what he is? A strong, solid and capable NHLer. Quite good, darned good ... but not a gamebreaker. It will hamper them being able to properly address other issues for years to come.
What if next year they say:
"We need a top flight starting goaltender". Sorry, don't have the cap space.
"We need a solid two way winger". Ooops ...
There is a rule under the CBA that they cannot offer to pay any of his salary to the team they are trading him to. They are stuck with him. If he lives up to his billing they won't trade him. If he doesn't who is going to take him?
This will haunt them for a long time just like the Islanders with Yashin.
Is this just an anomoly or does this indicate that the GMs in the NHL did not learn from the lock-out?
