Gary Bettman and the NHL Looking To Make Major CBA Change After Recent Frank Vatrano Contract; Per Friedman
Frank Vatrano recently inked an extension in Anaheim, but with $9 million of deferred money, Commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL seemingly aren't very happy.
The NHL has seen some interesting and very unique contracts over the years, and recently another was signed, as the Anaheim Ducks inked forward Frank Vatrano to a three-year extension, keeping him in Anaheim until he hits 34-years of age.
The interesting part of the deal however was the deferred money involved, as both parties looked to get around California state taxes as Vatrano will be paid $900,000 per year from 2035 to 2045, totalling $9 million which will be taxed a lot less if he's out of California by then.
While many people found the deal interesting, many also wondered how the league would feel about it, and while they obviously approved it as this breaks no current CBA laws, Elliotte Friedman has revealed that they weren't happy about it, and could look to change that CBA when negotiations for a new deal begin.
While this seemingly does give teams a way to get around taxes in their current state, that's something that places like Nevada and Florida already get around with no state-tax, so it's unclear exactly why the NHL see this as such an issue.
Ultimately though, this was a great deal for Vatrano, as he's still getting paid great money during his playing days in Anaheim, and if any other California teams want to get around this in the same way, it appears as though they have a limited time as the CBA expires in 2025/26, and as of right now, signs point towards the league outlawing this type of deal.
