Day Three of NHL Free Agency has come and gone and one of the two big names is finally off the board. Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall has signed with the 25th place Buffalo Sabres. Wait, what? He signed a one-year deal worth $8 million this coming season. Huh? On the face of it, this contract makes no sense, but let’s dig into it and find the method within the madness.
The 2019-20 season ended prematurely, with the NHL taking heavy losses to their yearly revenue. According to the CBA, players are owed 50% of all revenue, with any discrepancies being evened out with escrow (a percentage pay back or pay forward).