I don’t know much about the CBA, but it doesn’t make sense for anyone to have an entry-level contract who isn’t eligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy (must be 26 years or younger at beginning of season). Since Frogen is 28 and ineligible for the Calder, he shouldn’t be limited to the entry-level contract.

Posted by Muero from Ohio on 07/09/08 at 11:21 PM ET

Typical NHL. Apply a “written in stone” standard where it isn’t really necessary or appropriate (unless, of course, you think it’s necessary to save GMs from themselves), but show minimal consistency when it comes to enforcing the rules of the sport or determining suspensions. Oy!

BTW, is anyone else wondering if the original contract submitted to the league office was “under Finger” or “over Finger?”

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 07/10/08 at 01:02 AM ET

In the wake of some pretty good players either going or staying in the KHL (Yashin, Morozov, Emery, Jagr, Cherepanov) and a lack of a transfer agreement, the NHL needs to do an overhaul of the CBA to make it easier to bring in/keep players in the NHL:

- eliminate the 35 year old rule which states they count against the cap even if they retire-- if an elite player like Jagr (who had Conn Smythe-like play in the first two rounds of the playoffs) is not able to get more than a 1 year contract in the NHL, thats a big problem

- count international pro contracts as a player’s first contract

- allow players from Europe who have an opt-out clause to sign at the deadline rather than force them to sign before january

And I’m sure there are more backwards rules which I haven’t mentioned.

Honestly, I think its time the NHL accepted that hockey is an international sport, because I have a feeling that the KHL isn’t a joke, and they will start to take back all of their European talent. I’d rather see the NHL/KHL form a champions league with a new trophy modeled after the Stanley Cup (start it off as just a cup like the original Stanley Cup was) as the prize.

Posted by bcrt on 07/10/08 at 07:39 AM ET