Nonis Half Right

Recently the Vancouver Canucks GM criticized the new NHL for its new wide open free agency and extensive rivalries with local divisional opponents.

"I think if you assemble a good team, fans want to see that team stick together for more than one or two years. Our current agreement does not lend itself to that." Dave Nonis

That's is the whole point of the new NHL. The new NHL was designed to create parity. It was designed to force GM to constantly to change their teams and prevent them from stacking up on players or keeping them for a prolongued period of time playing for a reduced salary.

I like it. The Edmonton Oilers were able to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals and teams that drafted poorly over the years (Toronto and Vancouver) missed the playoffs because they couldn't buy themselves out of the mess they created.

It's true Pittsburgh will be in trouble in 7 years. They could keep Crosby, Malkin, and Staal and sacrifice the rest of their team or be forced to dump one of them to make salary room. But that is years away. Right now the Penguins have 3 young players who are earning far less money than they deserve and now is the time to make a serious cup run.

Nonis is right on his other point. Each NHL team doesn't need to play all its divisional rivalries over 6 times and only play a team from the other conference twice every three years. Ovechkin and Crosby should come out to the western conference more often. And players like Thornton and Phaneuf should play the eastern conference far more.