This is not really accurate. Oilers, Flames Canucks, and Leafs have all landed big name free agents in recent memory.

Oilers: Lucic
Flames: Neal
Canucks: Eriksson, Myers
Leafs: Tavares, Marleau

Now, obviously most of those signings ended up being mistakes, but at the time, they were all big ticket free agents who were highly sought after, and they all chose Canadian markets.

The only teams that Struggle are Ottawa, Montreal and Winnipeg, because players across the league don't want to play there for various reasons.


So called "great UFAs" don't come around that often, and one of the best ones in recent memory, John Tavares picked a Canadian.

Also most cup teams don't build teams through free agency. They build their core through drafting and trading.

my point here was that for the same guy a canadian market will have to overpay. Also i know they're others various reason about signing somewhere i am well aware of that. Tavares is native from toronto and they build their team with the draft so it was a good opportunity for him.

But let me give you an exemple of how its bad to attract a UFA/RFA

Lets say a guy like brayden point who sign in tampa at 6.75 m and we are just talking of money here not of the imponderables.

He wins 6.75 millions but clear 4.077 millions at a taxes rate of 39.6% in tampa

If Montreal want to sign him because they are contender like Toronto right now (witch is not the case but just imagine montreal is better and want to make improvements in the summer to become more succesful and similar to tavares ufa signature because they have a great core with youngs prospect that were draft) , for point to have the same money in his pocket in montreal and in tampa, Montreal will have to propose a 8.7 millions salary but the impact on the cap is higher in montreal for the exact same guy.

So yes i agree players choose to go there or not for many reasons but now in our days, cash is something to consider and the impact on the cap is not the same for the exact same amount in the pockets of the players which is my point. All other things equal you have the choice to make clear in your pocket 3 millions in montreal (for 6.75m) or 4 millions in tampa for (for 6.75m) so on four years contract you put 4 millions more directly in your pockets in tampa.So 95 % of people will choose tampa as all other things are equal than the money. I dont know if you undertsand my meaning here and i took brayden point example because it was something in montreal this summer but its the same everywhere in canada.