The Gauthier situation highlights a problem the NHL has to fix. The player may be within his rights not to sign, but this primarily happens with NCAA players.
The NCAA loophole needs to be closed. These teams ask players if they want to be a Flyer or Flame or Panther before they draft them. When players change their minds with little consequence for reneging on their promise, it can damage a team's long term development.
Gauthier, Fox and Hyman are the Flyer, Flame and Panther picks who played in the NCAA and then refused to sign. There are others but I'm too lazy to google.
I expect that we will see this dealt with in the next CBA.
|