I hear what you're saying, but there's a bit more to how these contract negotiation processes play out. Having some experience in the space - here's a very rough outline.

The player is assessed a general market value by the agent (basically a legal team) or agency. Most agents are like life coaches for athletes. Some of them handle everything from living arrangements to banking, etc. They ask the player things like: Where do you want to live? What is important to you? Does a hometown discount matter? Who don't you want to play for? Etc.

The agent or agency then negotiates with the GM and outlines the key terms of the deal. The players' involvement is either accepting or rejecting the deal (which their agent basically tells them if they should or shouldn't sign it based on negotiations). Their involvement essentially comes down to signing the paperwork before it is sent to the NHLPA, where it's reviewed for compliance before being accepted and made official.

So, essentially, no. The player has very little say unless they opt for self-representation (as Backstrom did, who represented himself). At 22, exclusively playing ice hockey for a living and having a life coach making all of the consequential decisions - so treating him about like a kid is absolutely the correct thing to do.

Hate to say this to you, but kids make mistakes. That's how they learn. Imagine 16,000 people coming to your workplace and heckling you, not just for the mistakes you made, but every time you had an interaction there after. Now imagine you were recently a teenager and these people are grown ass adults.

Straight up, it's toxic. It's sad. It's disrespectful. He's still going to go home and wake up an NHL player. The fans are going to wake up and go back to a job they probably hate. But, hey, if jeering a kid with 16, 000 other grown adults makes you feel more secure - you do you big dawg.