While NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is worried about the number of no-trade clauses around the league, NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh doesn't see it as an immediate issue.
The NHL has an unprecedented number of players with trade protections built into their contracts in comparison to other major North American sports.
Recently, players have weaponized those clauses to force trades to specific teams, like Brady Tkachuk's off-season move to the Florida Panthers. Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings and Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets have also limited their teams' potential trade partners.
Bettman expressed his concern earlier this month.
"This notion now where, a) you can select where you want to go to and b) you can demand a trade. ... That was never the original intention," Bettman said on Oct. 1. "If this becomes a problem — I don't think one off-season a problem makes — but if this becomes a problem, it's something we're going to have to discuss with the players' association.
"While it may be good for a player in a particular case, though based on what we're seeing now, I'm not so sure it's good for the player either, but we have to look at what's good for the game, good for the players overall, good for the league, and so it's something we're going to keep an eye on."
Walsh had his chance to respond to Bettman on Wednesday, and said he also believes that one summer doesn't mean it's time to panic.
"I don't think one season or one off-season sets the tone for overreacting or making changes," Walsh said on the FAN Hockey Show Wednesday. "I have not talked to Gary Bettman about this. We just entered a new collective bargaining agreement in September of this year, so we have a four-year deal. And I'm sure that four years from now, there will be a lot of conversations we will have about different issues that come up. Maybe no-trade clauses is one of them, maybe it's not, but we will see what happens."
Walsh then went to bat for the players.
"It's the player's right when they negotiate a contract," Walsh said of no-trade clauses. "That's one of the things they can put in their agreement. And I think 300-plus players have it, so general managers have no issue negotiating with players and putting it in there"
While Walsh was less combative, NHLPA assistant executive director Ron Hainsey took a more direct approach.
"The beginning of this conversation about no-move and no-trade clauses, we do take as an attack on players' CBA-negotiated rights," Hainsey said in response to Bettman earlier this month. "And we will treat it as such.
"It’s a player’s right to negotiate salary, salary structure, term, as well as a no-move or no-trade with their club if they’re able to do so and bargain in good faith. It’s pretty simple if you’ve negotiated a no-trade. Whether it’s 10 teams or 15 or 32, the club isn’t able to trade you to those teams without your consent. Our position is that the clauses are acting as they were intended to work."
