Quote (Hizkuntza @ Aug 6 2021 12:16pm)
I think it's good to see dmen getting paydays. A legit #1 is going to log more ice time than any other skater, including their best forward.
Like... Ovie will get paid 9.5M to basically sit in the slot and score 30-40 goals with the understanding he might be a net liability. Guys like Marner have 8-digit salaries to just score. Yet a #1 dman is expected to not just be the main backend threat but to do everything defensively and take the most shifts... only fair that the gap is closing between top forwards and dmen.
All of the advanced analytics has played a large role in that.
Not many guys can play 30 minutes (or close to it) a night and be given the toughest matchups every game.
All of this while also being relied upon on special teams.
The amount of versatility and importance of a top pair defenseman provides is certainly worthy of a high salary.
Top offensive players are probably ~ 20 minutes a night and many of them don't even kill penalties or play shutdown roles.
Have to keep in mind though that player salaries are also tied to marketability. A flashy scorer is going to sell merchandise and put people in the stands so a premium will always be paid for that.
This post was edited by Killingyouall on Aug 6 2021 01:29pm