He'll improve defensively. But a 21-yo multiple 20-goal scorer is pretty rare. 30-goal per is easily within reach for him. Maybe even more.
- Tomahawk

I'm with you on the RFA front. More and more this game is being won on speed and transition game, two things that younger players do better. Although there are still notable exceptions around the league to point out, it seems more and more that you are basically discarded as almost unplayable at age 30. Wayne Simmonds is 31 and may well be out of hockey within the next year or two. He was once about the best power play net forward in the whole league.

These young guys need to get paid. As teams become more and more effecient with cap management, you'll pay your effective young guys little while they are effective and unless they are superstars, pretty much discard them by their early 30s. I would also TK's current knock as a non 200 foot player may actually help prolong his career because he won't take a pounding and just being a 30 goal sniper ages well.

Yet its interesting that those teams were the ones actually winning the cups.
- MBFlyerfan

Colorado was not a small market team in their time as they were always in the UFA mix. Not sure how they were in terms of revenue, but they definitely didn't behave as a poor team. I'd say although Jersey wasn't a big market team, they never seemed to have problems paying their guys when they had to. Ditto for Dallas.

I think the only chance a true small market team had of winning a cup at all during the pre cap 90s and 00s were the Cinderella runs of Florida and Carolina. Those teams got steamrolled in their respective finals. Tampa has always been a top half of the league attendance type team so I'm not sure I'd give them a small market label. Probably the closet thing though.

Another solution may be to revisit some of the cap rules.

Allow teams to go over by a certain % to resign their own drafted players like in the NBA

Or institute a luxury tax on teams that go over the cap like in MLB.


It seems to me that the cap and the current NHLPA stance, while helping the richer players get richer, is also killing the lowest paid players and role players as more and more of the cap is delegated to fewer and fewer players.

i work at a university, all the lids these days think they are worth triple what they actually are. pay your dues and prove yourself. Even a couple mil on a bridge deal is still great. Millions of dollars bc you are good at a game....

Don't get me wrong, their is quite a ton of skill involved in being defensively sound. I feel often not being a good two way player could just be from a lack of effort in not wanting to play defense.

Not saying TI is a slouch but some guys just want to focus on their offense.

Millions of dollars bc you are good at a game....
- Peter Richards

If nobody were watching, they'd have to settle for playing for the love of the game, like most other professional athletes.

But here you are, spending your limited free time following a team, probably paying to watch games, buying merch, etc. You only have yourself to blame.

Don't get me wrong, their is quite a ton of skill involved in being defensively sound. I feel often not being a good two way player could just be from a lack of effort in not wanting to play defense.

Not saying TI is a slouch but some guys just want to focus on their offense.
- Pelle31Forever

He's far from a liability out there. My only question is if he was playing with lesser players where would he be? You play with G and TK and put up numbers, that's great but those are our two best players on the team. Another thing nowadays no people mention, the 3 on 3 overtime inflates goal/point totals, what did he have 3 or 4 goals in that format? I guess on the flip side he's valuable in the OT.

i work at a university, all the lids these days think they are worth triple what they actually are. pay your dues and prove yourself. Even a couple mil on a bridge deal is still great. Millions of dollars bc you are good at a game....
- Peter Richards

I'm like 100% pro player so I'm somewhat biased on this. This isn't an apples to apples comparison. At a college, the average professor's career can last decades, and it would usually be where your peak is later in your career.

For an NHL player, the average career is something around 5 years. FOr most players, your best years are usually in the first half of a career. Guys like Ovy who haven't dropped off much are the exception more than the rule. People also forget Ovi isn't quite as old as you think yet, and while I don't think he will fall of a cliff anytime soon, we really don't know what he will be like when he's in his late 30s

Basically, by the time you have "proven" yourself, your best days may already be behind you. I know one of the old Puck Daddy articles refrenced a number of years ago how a players physical peak is usually over by age 27 or 28. Defense is short of 30 as well. I linked a CBC article below.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/w...-hockey-metrics-1.2646054

He looked pretty quick and was firing the puck fine. Curious what's bothering him
- arichardson22

since all the body parts seemed to be working in that video clip, i wonder if injury is to nopa head, ie concussion?

If nobody were watching, they'd have to settle for playing for the love of the game, like most other professional athletes.

But here you are, spending your limited free time following a team, probably paying to watch games, buying merch, etc. You only have yourself to blame.
- Tomahawk

That's what guys don't get. It's just a piece of the pie of all the money being generated. Hockey players are a very limited group of individuals who dedicate their whole life to a craft and are insanely good at it. They deserve every penny. Nobody blows their mind when Tom Cruise (or insert favorite actor here) gets 25 million for a flick when the movie probably generates about 500m in income. It's just a cost of doing business.

I know people gave the Fortnite champ some grief for making all that money playing a video game. My response is good for him. If people are dumb enough to watch kids play video games and sponsors silly enough to sponsor it, then yes that kid deserves the millions he won.

Another solution may be to revisit some of the cap rules.

Allow teams to go over by a certain % to resign their own drafted players like in the NBA

Or institute a luxury tax on teams that go over the cap like in MLB.


It seems to me that the cap and the current NHLPA stance, while helping the richer players get richer, is also killing the lowest paid players and role players as more and more of the cap is delegated to fewer and fewer players.
- MBFlyerfan

I've been in favor of a home-drafted cap discount (~10%) for players whom you drafted and whos rights have never been transferred to another team (i.e. neither Lindros nor Forsberg would have counted for us).

since all the body parts seemed to be working in that video clip, i wonder if injury is to nopa head, ie concussion?
- biggbear77

He can't get the gerbil out.

i work at a university, all the lids these days think they are worth triple what they actually are. pay your dues and prove yourself. Even a couple mil on a bridge deal is still great. Millions of dollars bc you are good at a game....
- Peter Richards

I agree. TK, like so many of these other meddling kids, need to pick themselves up by their bootstraps. Too much begging for the easy and early dollar without putting in the work.

TK hasn’t paid his dues yet. He has only worked hard to become a professional hockey player for 20 years. Maybe when he picks his own teeth off the ice will he be worthy.

That's what guys don't get. It's just a piece of the pie of all the money being generated. Hockey players are a very limited group of individuals who dedicate their whole life to a craft and are insanely good at it. They deserve every penny. Nobody blows their mind when Tom Cruise (or insert favorite actor here) gets 25 million for a flick when the movie probably generates about 500m in income. It's just a cost of doing business.

I know people gave the Fortnite champ some grief for making all that money playing a video game. My response is good for him. If people are dumb enough to watch kids play video games and sponsors silly enough to sponsor it, then yes that kid deserves the millions he won.
- 2sticks1puck

A lot of management stooges lurking around here. It’s mind boggling.

I'm like 100% pro player so I'm somewhat biased on this. This isn't an apples to apples comparison. At a college, the average professor's career can last decades, and it would usually be where your peak is later in your career.

For an NHL player, the average career is something around 5 years. FOr most players, your best years are usually in the first half of a career. Guys like Ovy who haven't dropped off much are the exception more than the rule. People also forget Ovi isn't quite as old as you think yet, and while I don't think he will fall of a cliff anytime soon, we really don't know what he will be like when he's in his late 30s

Basically, by the time you have "proven" yourself, your best days may already be behind you. I know one of the old Puck Daddy articles refrenced a number of years ago how a players physical peak is usually over by age 27 or 28. Defense is short of 30 as well. I linked a CBC article below.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/w...-hockey-metrics-1.2646054
- 2sticks1puck

I was referring to the younger generation all expecting a corner office and a 6 digit salary out of school with one or two years of experience. Yes different paths but similar. TK sounds like he wants money similar to voracek. However, just like an internship where you were successful and the company offers 60,000 to start but the student says i'm holding out for that 100,000 dollar job. Well, enjoy serving my food. Nothing wrong with that either. It's what i did when i was younger.

The point he wants top dollar for what? yes he is good offensively, playing with the teams best players for the last two seasons. another however, so was ville leino a couple years ago. Heck raffl had 21 goals playing with G. To me he is a great support piece. I wouldn't spend more money on the tv stand as opposed to the tv

I for one am glad young RFA's are standing up for themselves. It's become a league driven by the production of early 20-yo's. There's no market failure here, players like TK rightfully should get a big slice of the pie. If the team will be profiting off his near-term production gains, so should he.
- Tomahawk

That's fine. I think it's reasonable for players in their prime and producing at a high level to be highly paid. As long as the market compensates on the back end when they're past their prime and no longer producing at that level.

That's fine. I think it's reasonable for players in their prime and producing at a high level to be highly paid. As long as the market compensates on the back end when they're past their prime and no longer producing at that level.
- MJL

I think that's the whole idea of the bridge deal, you either take long term security or bet on yourself.

I've been in favor of a home-drafted cap discount (~10%) for players whom you drafted and whos rights have never been transferred to another team (i.e. neither Lindros nor Forsberg would have counted for us).
- jmatchett383

Simply not possible.

I was referring to the younger generation all expecting a corner office and a 6 digit salary out of school with one or two years of experience. Yes different paths but similar. TK sounds like he wants money similar to voracek. However, just like an internship where you were successful and the company offers 60,000 to start but the student says i'm holding out for that 100,000 dollar job. Well, enjoy serving my food. Nothing wrong with that either. It's what i did when i was younger.

The point he wants top dollar for what? yes he is good offensively, playing with the teams best players for the last two seasons. another however, so was ville leino a couple years ago. Heck raffl had 21 goals playing with G. To me he is a great support piece. I wouldn't spend more money on the tv stand as opposed to the tv
- Peter Richards

If he wants Voracek money, then yes it would probably behoove the Flyers not to cave in. Just remember though, the market is dynamic and constantly evolving. From TK's POV you just saw your team sign a 2C to a contract worth 7 AAV, a winger who is better right now, but is somewhat also 1 dimension and older for a similar amount to Hayes, and watched the Yotes sign Keller to that contract. Although he isn't as good as Nylander, you also saw that contract get signed. I don't think it's unreasonable for him to at least ask for that. It probably is unreasonable if the Flyers signed it.

Also don't think it's fair to compare him to Leino or Raffl because TK has been consistent.

Simply not possible.
- MJL

Not possible or not going to happen?

Edit: Assuming the CBA would be amended.

since all the body parts seemed to be working in that video clip, i wonder if injury is to nopa head, ie concussion?
- biggbear77

There are all sort of arm and torso injuries where a player can skate and shoot, but isn't cleared for contact.

There are all sort of arm and torso injuries where a player can skate and shoot, but isn't cleared for contact.
- Feanor

I'm telling you guys, the gerbil is stuck.

ttt

I don't really have an opinion on sides per se with TK and management because I don't know the ask/offer and without that info its really not possible for me to "take sides" but I will say this isn't good for TK or the Flyers.

- nastyflyergirl

Same and I agree

There are all sort of arm and torso injuries where a player can skate and shoot, but isn't cleared for contact.
- Feanor

I have to agree. Shooting a puck and getting slammed into the boards are two very different things if you are dealing with a sore or consistently separated shoulder. I have no idea what his injury is. This is just for example purposes...