>>>SNIP
>>>>
>>>>Of course not. But its within the owners' right to ask his empoloyee to take a pay cut during hard times to save the business; and it's the employee's right to leave if they don't like it.
>>>
>>>Except when there is a signed contract involved.
>>
>>Not necessarily. It seems like every year, or at least every other year, there are several players holding out to renegotiate their contracts. It's certainly more common for players to break a contract then for the owner to do so. The owners, whether they make a bad deal or not, live up to it.
>
>Owners have another weapon and they use it - TRADE. Many trades are consummated simply to relieve the current owner of a big fat juicy contract.

The problem is that the rangers won't always take those guys with fat juicy contracts. Even if they think that eventually this will get them the Stanley cup :->