Hockey IQ is a misnomer: Column- Meridian Source

I’ve been following the NHL draft and free agency craze on TSN recently, along with a number of other sports contracts, and it’s convinced me that there are no geniuses in the professional sports management ranks.

Let’s start with the Edmonton Oilers

Why would they or any other hockey team sign Corey Perry, a 39-year-old “yesterday man,” to a one-year, $1.4 million contract, including bonus incentives? He scored just 8 goals and did nothing in the playoffs except lace up his skates.

The NHL is a game of speed, so adding a slow player to the roster seems counterproductive. If they want someone who is good in the locker room, hire a magician or a clown for $500 a night to keep everyone loose and goosey and bench the rest.

My Toronto Maple Leafs were just as stupid by signing 34 year old Chris Tanev to a 6 year, 27 million dollar contract and then walking away from the deal! The guy is way past his sell-by date and will likely be just as useless to the team as Perry is long before he is 39. He will last two more years max.

The NBA seems even crazier now that the Boston Celtics have signed their star player Jason Tatum

to a five-year, $314 million contract extension. To put that in perspective, I just got an offer on my Tim Hortons app for a BELT bagel and muffin for $5.49 with three days to claim it!

Back to hockey, if there is a good player to draft, the NHL should limit the contract length to three years. This would prevent the stupidity of signing players like Tanev, who will be 40 by the time his contract is up! Shorter contracts would also provide an incentive for players to work hard and earn their salary.

Another sign of the lack of geniuses is the call for the Leafs to trade Mitch Marner, who is the team’s best playmaker and responsible for Auston Matthews scoring so many goals. You can’t get another Marner by trading Marner, so how does that improve the team? It doesn’t, so Plan B is to make good trades and get good draft picks, but check the IQs of management first.