Great News to see Eric Lindros to finally make the Hall! This sets the stage to finally see his number retired, for those who care about that kind of thing.

The more I think about UFA, the more I have to have faith Hextall will sign a top 6 forward, hopefully at LW. I like the idea of signing Loui Eriksson who is a pure shooter and can kill penalties. I like the idea of possibly moving Voracek to the second line, while having Eriksson player with G and Simmonds. It sounds a bit like a recreation of the Forsberg, Gagne and Knuble line. If I'm Hextall I'm working on all the big fish in Stamkos, Eriksson, Backes, Lucic, Ladd and Okposo (feelings aside from any of yhem). We just need an upgrade and scoring help. I also like Matt Martin in a bottom 6 role (third line)

I'm hoping Streit, Read and Vandevelde all get moved somehow. I think Eriksson, Provorov and Martin make us better to replace those guys.

You guys may hate my post already buckle up. If we go 0 for any UFAs, I think I would talk to Toronto about their plans with Kadri or JvR. My gut tells me Stamkos is going to Toronto.
- roenick97

it would be great if hextall went in on some of those guys, but i think he will have restraint. i miss the days of holmgren. he would have whipped up a 7 year 42 million dollar deal for lucic in a heartbeat.

nice to see Lindros get into the HHOF but surprised to not see Recchi get in with this class.

Absolutely because it screams of a mismanaged team. They have the contracts but don't have to pay out because they can't afford to. It's welfare disguised as, well, shoot, it's not even disguised.



It's different if they still have a payroll obligation to the player/contract that they take.




Yes, it's an available tool. I know this. I just think it's a crappy tool and shouldn't be available.
- Scoob

Yup that's my take as well. It's mickey mouse.

The escalator is kicking them in the ass. They need to endure a static or reduced cap at some point if they want to get angry about the escrow. They're doing to themselves.

The loop holes don't matter when it comes to the players getting paid.
- mayorofangrytown

Sure they do. Can't say that a team having 11M in cap hits without matching salaries isn't effecting players being paid. Same goes for the other side, which is what my entire point is about. The focus point is the 50/50 split.

Hell yeah, now we will finally see the 88 in the rafters!

Great News to see Eric Lindros to finally make the Hall! This sets the stage to finally see his number retired, for those who care about that kind of thing.

The more I think about UFA, the more I have to have faith Hextall will sign a top 6 forward, hopefully at LW. I like the idea of signing Loui Eriksson who is a pure shooter and can kill penalties. I like the idea of possibly moving Voracek to the second line, while having Eriksson player with G and Simmonds. It sounds a bit like a recreation of the Forsberg, Gagne and Knuble line. If I'm Hextall I'm working on all the big fish in Stamkos, Eriksson, Backes, Lucic, Ladd and Okposo (feelings aside from any of yhem). We just need an upgrade and scoring help. I also like Matt Martin in a bottom 6 role (third line)

I'm hoping Streit, Read and Vandevelde all get moved somehow. I think Eriksson, Provorov and Martin make us better to replace those guys.

You guys may hate my post already buckle up. If we go 0 for any UFAs, I think I would talk to Toronto about their plans with Kadri or JvR. My gut tells me Stamkos is going to Toronto.
- roenick97

I don't think Hextall is going to do anything.

And if circumstances were such that JvR could come back here at some sort of reasonable price, I'd be cool with the Pigeon back on the team. He'd bring size, speed, and that coveted sniping skill that so many were pining for over the weekend.

nice to see Lindros get into the HHOF but surprised to not see Recchi get in with this class.
- MrPerfect316

I'm shocked at that. I think Recchi deserves to get in before Makarov. Great to see Lindros voted in.

I'm shocked at that. I think Recchi deserves to get in before Makarov. Great to see Lindros voted in.
- MJL

You would think being the 12th all time leading scorer in NHL history would carry some weight.

Congrats to #88!

I'm shocked at that. I think Recchi deserves to get in before Makarov. Great to see Lindros voted in.
- MJL

On NHL merit - no question, but I think Makarov's entry was because of the importance on his Soviet National team days.

On NHL merit - no question, but I think Makarov's entry was because of the importance on his Soviet National team days.
- Pixote Andolini

Agreed, his entire body of work is pretty incredible. Recchi was no slouch, and had a better NHL career, but I think Makarov had the better overall career.

#88 is the reason I'm a flyers fan. The greatest to ever wear black and orange IMO

Very happy for 88. Not his fault his career was too short due to injury. He was as dominate as they come when he played at his peak.

It's hard for me to think of a player right now that is as dominate in this day and age. McDavid, Ovechkin, Crosby (earlier years), Perry, Karrlson, Doughty, Toews, Kane? Not really sure. The other interesting thing to me is how 88 dominated. Scoring and through physical punishment- not really something you see in todays NHL.

I remember feeling like something exciting was going to happen every single shift he was on the ice. It was awesome!

#88 is the reason I'm a flyers fan. The greatest to ever wear black and orange IMO
- Just5

Very happy for 88. Not his fault his career was too short due to injury. He was as dominate as they come when he played at his peak.

It's hard for me to think of a player right now that is as dominate in this day and age. McDavid, Ovechkin, Crosby (earlier years), Perry, Karrlson, Doughty, Toews, Kane? Not really sure. The other interesting thing to me is how 88 dominated. Scoring and through physical punishment- not really something you see in todays NHL.

I remember feeling like something exciting was going to happen every single shift he was on the ice. It was awesome!
- coffee junkie

Ovechkin is probably the closest thing to what Eric Lindros was, after filtering through the 'new NHL'.

Ovechkin is probably the closest thing to what Eric Lindros was, after filtering through the 'new NHL'.
- Pixote Andolini

Agreed. Ovi can through a hit and score all day long but doesn't have the nastiness. I would take the BigE in his prime over him. Not to take away from Ovi but Lindros was a monster.

I'm shocked at that. I think Recchi deserves to get in before Makarov. Great to see Lindros voted in.
- MJL

Recchi, absolutely.

Sure they do. Can't say that a team having 11M in cap hits without matching salaries isn't effecting players being paid. Same goes for the other side, which is what my entire point is about. The focus point is the 50/50 split.
- MJL

A 50/50 split is a 50/50 split.

That contract doesn't mean a thing except on paper. The players will only get 50% of hockey related revenue. No more, no less.

A 50/50 split is a 50/50 split.

That contract doesn't mean a thing except on paper. The players will only get 50% of hockey related revenue. No more, no less.
- mayorofangrytown

This. Exactly.

Unless every team spends to the max, they'll never actually reach that 50% number anyway.

This. Exactly.

Unless every team spends to the max, they'll never actually reach that 50% number anyway.
- PepinoPamplemousse

They always reach 50% no matter who spends what. The minimum is set so that at the end of they year the owners don't have to reach too deep into their pockets to fulfill the CBA.

Time to make some trades
- PhillySportsGuy

Of course

Of course
- ob18

Hey! Who are we taking next year?





Too soon... ?

A 50/50 split is a 50/50 split.

That contract doesn't mean a thing except on paper. The players will only get 50% of hockey related revenue. No more, no less.
- mayorofangrytown

Missing the point of the discussion and why there are loopholes found and executed by teams. It's about how you get to the 50/50 split. If the cap was better designed, and implemented, there wouldn't have been the extremes in the past of players getting 10M salaries with cap hits half that, there wouldn't be the high escrow percentages that players don't like. There wouldn't be new rules that need to be put in place, limiting contract structure, or a rule to retroactively punish teams for contract structure put in place, for contracts that were approved under the rules of the previous CBA, and there probably wouldn't have been a lockout the last time. Some things you can't predict such as the fall of the Canadian dollar, but overall, it's very much a work in progress. if the league can limit player contract structure because they want cap hit to match salary, then the players can look at the opposite, and say the same, with the extent to what a team like Arizona is doing.

congrats to the big E for making the hhof. Well deserved and overdue for one of my favorite all time flyers.