No National Hockey League franchise wants a long term contract to bog their salary cap situation. Sure, team’s should lock up generational talents like Conor McDavid or Auston Matthews. However, no team should look to average players as long term answers. This situation arises every off season, especially in ones with weak free agent classes.
To some degree every single team feels pressured to make moves during the offseason. After all, NHL General Managers have a shelf life, and in some cases it can be as short as three years. This creates a feeding frenzy and is why July 1 is so exciting.