Bob McKenzie
10/11/2006 8:48:50 PM
When Daniel Briere was awarded $5 million in salary arbitration this past summer, many wondered whether the whole arbitration system is necessary or even practical in a salary cap system.
Briere undoubtedly liked it, as he picked up a $3 million a year pay raise.
But in a system where the owners cannot spend more than a fixed amount, 54 per cent of revenue, and teams cannot contract more than $44 million, what broad purpose does arbitration serve?
Many GMs don't like it because it makes building a team within the cap system difficult, to say the least. And, surprisingly, some players aren't as excited about it now as before because big arbitration awards like Briere's, and their potential ripple effect, mean the owners will have contracts worth more than the 54 per cent of revenue.
And when that happens, all the players have to pay it back in the form of escrow, which reduces their pay checks, perhaps by as much as 10 to 15 per cent.
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