a player cannot get paid as much to play in the NHL as he would be in European leagues. This can occur because the salary cap prevents a player from getting his worth on the open market or it can occur because of restrictions on entry level salaries or it can occur because of the limits on two-way contracts and re-entry waivers . For example, a team may be uncertain if a player in Europe will win a spot on their roster and thus be unwilling to offer him a one-way contract because that would make it impossible to recall him from the minors should he get sent down because he would not clear re-entry waivers. However, the player would make far more than the $95,000 limit on minor league salaries that would not require re-entry waivers if he stayed in Europe, so he does not come to the NHL. So far this summer, several NHL capable players have signed with European teams. These players include Alexei Yashin, Jussi Markkanen, Oleg Saprykin, Jamie MacLennan and Petr Nedved. While none of these players are coming off of all star seasons, they are all likely better players than the guy who will take their spot in the NHL. Many of these players have potential to have a very good year under the right circumstances (Yashin certainly has the talent to do so), but NHL fans will not see it. These players are likely only the tip of the iceberg of the NHL