No-Trade Flaws

With the NHL trade deadline approaching -- 3 p.m on Tuesday, February 26 -- there's been a lot of talk in Toronto about no-trade and no-movement clauses as part of players contracts.

Esteemed CBC hockey analyst and former NHL goaltender Kelly Hrudey writes in his Behind The Mask blog on CBC.ca that team
General Managers should respect these clauses and not ask players like the Maple Leafs' Matt Sundin, Ottawa Senators' Wade Redden and LA Kings' Rob Blake to waive their rights because these stipulations were negotiated into their contracts.

This may be fine and good, but should the discussion be why there are these no-trade and no-movement stipulations in the first place?

It's bad enough that pro athletes are a select few employees that make extraordinarily more than their immediate bosses. Now they want the power to have the power to dictate what actions their bosses can do to make changes in the organization that pays their salary? No worker -- whether typing at a desk, or scoring 40 goals a season -- should have that authority. If they want that power, let them run their own business!