Unrestricted free agency is often a strong temptation for players to leave their teams in search of bigger bucks with other teams. 

Sometimes, however, there are exceptions to that rule. Sometimes, playing on the same line with a superstar on a Stanley Cup champion is not only incentive to stay put but also to accept a pay cut if that team has limited cap space. 

Such was the case for Ruslan Fedotenko, who re-signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins worth $1.8 million, down from the $2.2 million he made last season. 

The Penguins wanted to keep Fedotenko, particularly after his strong performance in this spring's playoffs, but their limited cap space led to expectations he'd follow Rob Scuderi out of town in search of a better contract. 

Playing on Evgeni Malkin's wing evidently is a very strong motivator to stick around and accept less money. I'm guessing that if Fedotenko has another good year the Penguins will re-sign him to a longer term for more money next year when they potentially have more cap space.