- Chris Pronger says NHL players are right to take more control of their careers
- The Hall of Fame defenseman was traded five times and only asked out once
- Read below for what Pronger said about trade requests and the new short-term deals
Chris Pronger has no problem with players asking out.
The Hall of Fame defenseman joined Morning Cuppa Hockey on Wednesday, where co-host Colby Cohen asked him where he lands on the new era of player empowerment. Pronger came up in an NHL that worked the other way, and he sided with the guys doing the asking.
“The pendulum was so far skewed and the teams had all the power. I was traded five times. I asked for a trade once. I got vilified because I asked for a trade. But nobody complained the other four times when I got traded.”
Take a look at the full segment:
Pronger’s read is that guys are finally doing the math on how short a career actually is.
“Players are understanding, I think more so than ever, how short their careers are. And they’re really thinking more intelligently about the opportunities that are in front of them, post-playing, all the rest of that.”
This summer handed him plenty of material. Brady Tkachuk asked out of Ottawa and ended up in Florida next to his brother Matthew.
Dylan Larkin asked Detroit to move him and is still a Red Wing. Zach Werenski used the same leverage in reverse, blocking a deal to Dallas in July and recommitting to Columbus.
Contracts moved the same direction. Connor Bedard signed for five years at $15 million a season in Chicago and Macklin Celebrini took five at $18.8 million in San Jose, both skipping the seven-year max so they can get back to the table sooner. Eight-year deals vanish from the league on Sept. 16 anyway.
What Pronger doesn’t buy is the idea that any of this has hurt the hockey. He said playoff intensity is as sharp as it has ever been, and you can read it on players’ faces when a run ends.
He did draw one line under the whole thing:
“I think the players should, and rightly, when they have the option (control their careers). They’re providing the service. But just because you ask for a trade doesn’t mean they have to trade you.”
