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Today Alexander Ovechkin signed a 13 year contract extension worth $124 million US, making it the richest contract in the history of professional hockey. The money isn’t the scary thing though, it’s the length. When Alexi Yashin signed on for 10 years with the Isles, people’s jaws dropped. When the same team signed goalie Rick DiPietro to an NHL reccord 15 year deal, people thought Isles owner Charles Wang had lost his mind, but at least it was a practice contained to the Island. Then earlier this season Mike Richards signed on with Philly for 12 years. Hmmm. Now, with Ovechkin signing on for over a decade, it seems the practice is spreading. It seems other teams may be opening up to the idea of signing their stars to deals that could last their entire career. The danger is that if this trend continues to spread, players might start to look at 5 year contracts as short term, pushing for similar deals that will ensure them a comfy spot and salary for a long time to come. If this happens, it can only mean further heartache for the Leafs.

Imagine if in the summer of 2006 the Leafs had’ve signed Andrew Raycroft to a 10 year deal, thinking he was a budding star, only to find out, oops, he’s a bum. We all thought McCabe’s contract was bad but we’re lucky he signed it before this looming trend blows up, otherwise the team might be stuck with him for 20 years! There is no reason to think that the Leafs are going to turn around their ways and start making good trades and signings, so if ridiculously long contracts like these continue happening, all its going to mean for the Leafs is that they’ll be stuck with the garbage talent they have for even longer!

I can just see the headline now. “Leafs sign defenseman Hal Gill to a 12 year contract”. Imagine, if this kind of crap had’ve been going on a few years ago the Laughs might still be stuck with Aki Berg on the blueline. The only guy on the entire team long contracts would be beneficial in keeping would be Sundin, but he’s a lifer anyways and doesn’t have enough seasons left in him to make it worth while. Although don’t put it past the Leafs to sign Sundin to a contract that’ll have him centering the team well into his 60’s.

Let’s just hope for the sake of all the remaining Laughs fans out there that these kinds of contracts don’t ever catch on. Odds are they’ll never become the norm, but it sure as hell is scary thinking about it.

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