Predators GM Barry Trotz weighs in on the tax-free states advantage in the NHL

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Tom Banks
July 14, 2024 (2:25 PM)

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The debate has raged for quite some time surrounding the NHL and the advantage given to tax-free states, and now GM Barry Trotz has weighed in on it.

This off-season, the Nashville Predators have arguably improved more than any other team in the entire NHL, and it's put them in a position to make a deep Stanley Cup run in 2024/25. Now, their GM Barry Trotz has weighed in on one of the hottest debates in the modern NHL, whether or not tax-free states have an advantage, and surprisingly, he admitted that they do.

"There's no question it is an advantage," admitted Trotz on TSN Overdrive.

"When you talk to a Steven Stamkos... or the players that are serial winners, guys that have gone deep, had good careers and made a lot of money, it doesn't go that far," revealed Trotz. "It does help the middle group a little bit, for the elite players they are just looking for a place that is serious about winning."

This advantage has been seen in the last two Stanley Cup Champions, with the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers both being able to offer players a higher salary due to the fact that they have no state tax to deal with. However, there's ways around this, with smart General Managers being able to get quality players for cheap as well as getting the best out of underperforming players, such as we saw with the likes of Oliver Ekman-Larsson in 2024 for Florida.

Ultimately, it's something that will eventually need to be addressed by the NHL, but for now, it's safe to say that if these teams keep on winning, this will continue to be an advantage that can't be ignored.

Source: Hockey Feed
Barry Trotz admits tax-free states have competitive advantage.