Ted Leonsis Addresses Trade Demands
From Ted Leonsis:
This season, Brendan Witt, one of our long standing team members, has asked to be traded. He will be a free agent at the end of the season and with the trading deadline fast approaching we will most likely honor his request and trade him to a contender.
Brendan has made his request public on numerous occasions, but he has played hard all season long. He has been loyal to his teammates, and carried himself with dignity. He is a terrific player, and a great guy who has contributed a lot to our team and to the community. He will be missed.
Mr. Leonsis (Ted?), also wrote Peter Bondra, Trevor Linden and Steve Konowalchuk.
Looking at hockey as a job, it’s easy to understand where most players are coming from. Live in a different city, be closer to your family or friends, the same thoughts many “average” people have.
However, looking at hockey as a game, sometimes these trade demands are confusing, and it can make one question whether a player truly wants to win. After all, how can fans expect to cheer for players who ask to be traded from playoff-bound teams?
In the end, it makes sense for management to meet most trade demands. Unhappy players rarely play as well as comfortable ones, but even more than that, it’s about getting something over nothing. Most players making trade demands are soon-to-be free agents. If a team isn’t a true Stanley Cup contender (and what makes that is a debate for another day) it only makes sense to pick up at least one or two prospects for the demanding player, even if it means exiting the playoffs in 5 games instead of 7 - but what if it’s a round 1 exit instead of a round 2 exit? Aren’t the playoffs where the money is made? Isn’t hockey a business? Is trading a key veteran just to get something rather than nothing worth a playoff round? It depends on what that “something” is, of course, but it’d be interesting to see a list of players who demanded to be traded, what position their team was in, and which players were traded for (and obviously, this only works years after the fact). Something to think about nonetheless as the trading rush has started this season.
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