NHL Big-money players don't have that old attraction

NHL management no longer wants players that show promise without showing production.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
DALLAS -- Maybe the best thing the Dallas Stars did last season was recognize they made some huge mistakes in free agency and then cleaned up the mess as quickly as possible.
In trading Donald Audette and Jyrki Lumme, the Stars freed themselves of Audette's $3 million and Lumme's $4 million -- and that money now is being used to pay players such as Philippe Boucher and Ulf Dahlen.
The reason that's so important is because other teams are trying to dish similar disasters and finding no buyers. Just 12 months later, the NHL has changed drastically.
The Sabres put veteran defenseman Jason Woolley on waivers. The Oilers are trying to unload Jiri Dopita. The Blackhawks would give away Bob Probert if they could. And that's not all. You could also get Audette or Lumme for a song. Nobody wants them
Simply put, it's not worth it to waste your time on guys who show promise but can't produce. With high pressure from fans and ownership, management has no patience anymore.
Toronto is example
Toronto is a perfect example of jumping in with both feet and then finding out the swimming pool was actually a tar pit. The Maple Leafs would love to rid themselves of Lumme, Shayne Corson and Robert Reichel, but they have found no takers. Because of that, they have to start shopping more valued commodities in Darcy Tucker or Nik Antropov.
And Maple Leafs fans are already asking: Is that going to solve the problem?
You have to play Corson, you probably should play Lumme or Reichel. You can only scratch a healthy veteran so many times before he becomes a divisive force in the room. Yet if you keep them, you're not going to be good.
Think if Audette were still around and had fallen into Scott Pellerin's role on the Stars. The bombastic wing wouldn't have stood for it, just as he isn't standing for the healthy scratches in Montreal. Audette would have pouted and complained out loud and been a general disturbance, just as he is doing now.
Don't need that
And the Stars don't need that. Nobody does.
The Flyers felt for sure they could rehabilitate Dopita, who two years ago was called the best player not playing in the NHL. The Czech veteran, however, didn't adapt to the NHL game. He was a distraction in Philadelphia, so the Flyers moved him to Edmonton for draft choices. Never mind what came back in return; Philadelphia is better simply because Dopita isn't there.
The Oilers also struck out with Dopita. They sent him through waivers last week and found no takers. Now he's on injured reserved because sending him to the minors would be making a bigger mess.