Why should he give them a hometown discount when he has to pay so much in taxes? If he had gone to Florida to play for the Panthers or Lightning, there is no income tax at all in Florida and he would have kept a few million extra in his pocket.
I totally agree with you. But it's been done in the past, for example, Martin Brodeur with the Devils. But the player rarely winds up winning when this happens. This is a business, after all. Now Brodeur still hasn't found a team that wants him and he could have earned more money had he gone on the market a few years ago.