Lol they better win it this year because they dont have enought to resign all of those guys next year!
- Philly1980

Especially with the massive cap hits of Nash, Richards, Gaborik & Lundqvist. Stepan, Hagelin, McDonagh & Sauer will all be RFAs after this season & Del Zotto is still an RFA. Gaborik, Lundqvist, Callahan, Kreider & Girardi will all be UFAs (Kreider will be an RFA) after next season.

Yeah that part I saw. Makes it more palatable, at least. It does seem our suspicions of the cap hit reverting will be correct, as well. Maybe it's my Flyers bias, but it seems a bit unfair to punish teams retroactively for things that were totally legal when the contracts were originally signed.

That said, for the Flyers end of it, I'm most concerned about the Carter deal. JvR's deal expires when he's still in his 20's and Richards will be 34. Carter will be 36 or 37.
- Jsaquella

I think Bettman is a nasty piece of work. He will go out of his way to get revenge on people who may have crossed him.

Put it another way-under the new and not yet ratified CBA, the salary floor could be $70mm in 8 years. How does that help the small market teams that were supposedly the NHL's biggest concern when they locked out the players this time?

Only the NHL owners would kill half a season to get a CBA that fails to address their own stated primary goal
- Jsaquella

Pretty amazing. I read that article by Mirtle. This CBA won't do a dam thing to help the small markets long term. It's just a band aid.

Especially with the massive cap hits of Nash, Richards, Gaborik & Lundqvist. Stepan, Hagelin, McDonagh & Sauer will all be RFAs after this season & Del Zotto is still an RFA. Gaborik, Lundqvist, Callahan, Kreider & Girardi will all be UFAs (Kreider will be an RFA) after next season.
- NickTheKid87

I personally think that the Rangers defenseman are very strong overall. Girardi is very underrated. Especially is Staal can remain healthy and rebound. Along with the quality team defense, backed up by one of the top Goalies in the League. They're a definite contender.
- MJL

No doubt they are a contender. I just think they aren't as scary as some people think.

I think Bettman is a nasty piece of work. He will go out of his way to get revenge on people who may have crossed him.
- spatso

Yeah, he does seem like a guy who will hold grudges and make a supreme effort to get his pound of flesh...Still, at least we get the NHL back for now.

Especially with the massive cap hits of Nash, Richards, Gaborik & Lundqvist. Stepan, Hagelin, McDonagh & Sauer will all be RFAs after this season & Del Zotto is still an RFA. Gaborik, Lundqvist, Callahan, Kreider & Girardi will all be UFAs (Kreider will be an RFA) after next season.
- NickTheKid87

This is life in a Cap environment. Draft well and build a top team and then struggle to keep it together. One of the reasons why I hate the Cap.

I just have this feeling that Nash will not work under Torts...Is it just me that feels that way.
- Philly1980

I agree... Only it may be more than just Nash. Torts reminds me of Mike Keenan. Great coach for a for a few years, until the star's get sick of his style.

Look at Tortorella's history. He pushes his players into total sacrifice mode, he gets one great year of commitment and play with a big fall off in the next year. Rangers are going to have large fall off from last year.
- spatso

I hope you're right, but there's not a whole lot of tortorella history to base this on. I think the "NYR's are overrated" talk is just wishful thinking. They look deadly. The only real hope there is a playoff time slump. Looks like they could have financial problems starting next season so we just need someone to get hot and knock them out this year, but I would consider them one of the favs to be doing some early summer cup hoisting.

This is life in a Cap environment. Draft well and build a top team and then struggle to keep it together. One of the reasons why I hate the Cap.
- MJL

me too

Pretty amazing. I read that article by Mirtle. This CBA won't do a dam thing to help the small markets long term. It's just a band aid.
- MJL

This was the main reason I sided with the NHLPA at the start of the labor impasse. As it became more and more obvious that we were going to end up at 50-50 split and a reduced cap, with contract limits, I stopped picking sides and blamed both.

But anyone who sided with the owners with the rationale that they locked out the players to ensure 30 healthy franchises just had his pegs knocked out from under him.

This is life in a Cap environment. Draft well and build a top team and then struggle to keep it together. One of the reasons why I hate the Cap.
- MJL

As a hockey fan, I think the cap is a great way to build the game up in non-traditional places like Dallas & Nashville (gotta get it out of Phoenix & Sunrise though) and keep the league more competitive as a whole but as a Flyers fan I hate it.

Pretty amazing. I read that article by Mirtle. This CBA won't do a dam thing to help the small markets long term. It's just a band aid.
- MJL

I think it slows down the accelerated growth. All the Canadian teams most of the northern US teams can do a $70m cap. But there are 8 to 10 teams that just do not have the financial muscle to keep up. I think Bettman is going to leave that to the next commissioner to fix.

As a hockey fan, I think the cap is a great way to build the game up in non-traditional places like Dallas & Nashville (gotta get it out of Phoenix & Sunrise though) and keep the league more competitive as a whole but as a Flyers fan I hate it.
- NickTheKid87

The trouble is, the cap alone doesn't really sustain small markets. All the other leagues that have caps also have revenue sharing between teams that ensures that the small markets have the ability to approach the salary cap in spending

As a hockey fan, I think the cap is a great way to build the game up in non-traditional places like Dallas & Nashville (gotta get it out of Phoenix & Sunrise though) and keep the league more competitive as a whole but as a Flyers fan I hate it.
- NickTheKid87

I don't see how it works for the lower level teams.

The trouble is, the cap alone doesn't really sustain small markets. All the other leagues that have caps also have revenue sharing between teams that ensures that the small markets have the ability to approach the salary cap in spending
- Jsaquella

True. Cap is only worthwhile if revenue sharing is reasonable. I've supported greater revenue sharing as well.

No doubt they are a contender. I just think they aren't as scary as some people think.
- NickTheKid87

Anything can happen in the regular season (e.g. injuries) and the playoffs (e.g. bad bounce, bad ref call, etc) but I think the Rangers are the best team in the league.

I don't see how it works for the lower level teams.
- mayorofangrytown

Like Jsaquella pointed out, there needs to be a good revenue sharing system in place or else the cap is essentially irrelevant. If both are in place than it can keep the small markets competitive. That way, hockey as a sport will grow in these markets as well, which has actually been the case over the past few years. A good sign for USA hockey for sure.

Home games... Giroux starts, Schenn, then Coots.
Away games... Coots take the draws versus the top lines, Grioux, Schenn.
- leon neon

I look forward to the season where Giroux, Schenn and Couturier all center their own lines but as long as Briere is an active player with the Flyers, I see Schenn Flip flopping between wing and center. Also I am much more higher on Schenn then Couturier right now. I honestly believe Schenn and Giroux will dominate both together and apart at some point, much like Forsberg and Sakic.

True. Cap is only worthwhile if revenue sharing is reasonable. I've supported greater revenue sharing as well.
- NickTheKid87

That's where it breaks down. The Sniders and Jacobs are violently against expanded revenue sharing. The problem is, what good is a $64mm cap when a team can't spend more than $48mm?

I don't see how it works for the lower level teams.
- mayorofangrytown

Well Nashville is a good example. They bring in a deep pocketed owner who offers a directors loan to the corporation to help bridge the financial shortfall. After a bunch of years the corporation is sold or refinanced and the director's loan is repaid. There is no tax on the repaid loan

That's where it breaks down. The Sniders and Jacobs are violently against expanded revenue sharing. The problem is, what good is a $64mm cap when a team can't spend more than $48mm?
- Jsaquella

Exactly. It becomes irrelevant. This is also where it becomes a political issue almost.

I hope you're right, but there's not a whole lot of tortorella history to base this on. I think the "NYR's are overrated" talk is just wishful thinking. They look deadly. The only real hope there is a playoff time slump. Looks like they could have financial problems starting next season so we just need someone to get hot and knock them out this year, but I would consider them one of the favs to be doing some early summer cup hoisting.
- TS_Downes

They are a very good team....I just think torts system will wear down on them...Blocking shots the way they do will eventually wear them down on such a shortened schedule...if they can get through that pain threshold without it igniting a locker room mutiny and guys not wanting to play for torts, than i think they will go far.

Like Jsaquella pointed out, there needs to be a good revenue sharing system in place or else the cap is essentially irrelevant. If both are in place than it can keep the small markets competitive. That way, hockey as a sport will grow in these markets as well, which has actually been the case over the past few years. A good sign for USA hockey for sure.
- NickTheKid87

sorry, aren't the same 18 teams rotating in and out of the playoffs every season if they get in at all?

They are a very good team....I just think torts system will wear down on them...Blocking shots the way they do will eventually wear them down on such a shortened schedule...if they can get through that pain threshold without it igniting a locker room mutiny and guys not wanting to play for torts, than i think they will go far.
- Philly1980

They are a team that has an all star goalie a d a great work ethic. I thought they were overrated in the last half of last year. I thought Ottawa got lucky when they drew the Rangers in the playoffs and I thought Ottawa was going to knock them off. I think they have to fight hard to make the playoffs this year.