Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk are rewarded for forcing a transaction

For a long time, and still today, player empowerment – the fact that players increasingly control their own destiny – has not been particularly well received in the NHL. Let’s say it’s a phenomenon we see more in the NBA, where transactions are multiplied and the league’s stars incessantly force transactions in order to play with the team they want.

It’s become normal, the world finds it boring, but has no choice but to accept it.

Will the NHL ever be like this? The 2023 Stanley Cup Final may well play an important role in a possible change of guard on the Bettman circuit.

The two main offensive stars of this series, Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk, have taken control of their careers by demanding/forcing a trade from the club that drafted them. One of them will win the Stanley Cup this year, giving credibility to this process in a big way.

Enjoy your Sunday read! ✍️@TSNHockey@TSN_Sports@StarSports https://t.co/ZTna65l2Uz

– David Poulin (@djpoulin20) June 11, 2023

And considering the trend, it could be worrying for the future of the NHL’s more northerly markets. Calgary and Buffalo, two unglamorous cities where it’s not very warm, have been abandoned in favor of southern markets, which are two of the most popular cities in the United States.

If Pierre-Luc Dubois ends up in Montreal, it would be a counter-argument that Canadian players are more likely to force a deal in Canada, and vice-versa. That said, many Quebec players prefer to play in the sun rather than in Quebec.

Teams may have to adapt and draft players more likely to stay with the organization, and all this would make clubs more accountable for their treatment of star players.

We’re not 2 years away from seeing player movement in the NHL as volatile as in the NBA, but the change in mentality could start with these two success stories.

A reward like this for a controversial process could change things.

In a gust

– Vegas on the verge of victory.

– Special though.

– Wow.