Not sure if some people around here are ready to accept this fact even now....🤔
- fifty__missions

I was surprised by how slow he is. It reminded me of Colton Orr trying to get in on the forecheck.

I can’t see low revenue teams agreeing to a soft cap and I definitely can’t see the PA giving up guaranteed contracts.
- Canada Cup

I’d like it if a team could flat out buy a player out and it would do nothing more than pull the contract off their cap hits. But they’d have to pay out 100% of the contract all at once as well.

But I guess the NHLPA might not like that because of what the player would lose due to taxation of getting the remainder of the contract all at once.

The problem in the NHL is the teams are extremely various when it comes to a team’s income. There are a handful of teams that would just end up being dominate year after year while a handful of poorer teams would never be able to afford reaching the post season.

If it was anything even remotely close to the NFL I’d agree 100% tho.
- Dozzer

The success is amazing for a sport that has only 17 games a season really. The NHL (if you consider it a major sport) is the only major sport in NA where there is a hard cap. And the enforcement of the rules are difficult as many teams try to circumvent the cap, and the penalties are handed out in a very inconsistent manner. Some get away with it, some don't, some get really punished, some don't.

The GMs are proposing that specifically? I’m sorry but I wasn’t aware of that and thought it was just your idea. I was wondering what they were going to suggest.

I wonder how they’re going to pitch this to the NHLPA… basically asking them to agree to letting potential members lose the opportunity to earn additional money in the post season.
- Dozzer

NP. GMs have put closing the loophole on the agenda for their upcoming meeting. Daly has said in the past that this could be addressed in the next CBA and I don’t see how the league can do it unilaterally. If they do make the change in the CBA, I think they could just tell teams that the rosters they ice cannot exceed the cap. I don’t think that would result in players losing any money. They’d still be paid the same playoff money.

Amazing. Italy loses to north macedonia in world cup soccer qualifiers.

If i remember they failed to wualify kast time too.

The success is amazing for a sport that has only 17 games a season really. The NHL (if you consider it a major sport) is the only major sport in NA where there is a hard cap. And the enforcement of the rules are difficult as many teams try to circumvent the cap, and the penalties are handed out in a very inconsistent manner. Some get away with it, some don't, some get really punished, some don't.
- winsix

I’m not overly surprised that the NHL is the 4th most popular sport and is off by a ways…. I think it’s due to the southern part of their country where kids don’t really get to grow up playing ice hockey because well… the natural ponds/lakes don’t freeze.

Hence the locked cap. Right now the NHL is trying to build its popularity in southern USA and they had to put something in place that allows those teams to be competitive while they’re gaining enough popularity to be able to compete financially without a cap like that.

Amazing. Italy loses to north macedonia in world cup soccer qualifiers.

If i remember they failed to wualify kast time too.
- prock

I think I heard someone say they had 30 shots or something insane like that? And still couldn't score.

Amazing. Italy loses to north macedonia in world cup soccer qualifiers.

If i remember they failed to wualify kast time too.
- prock

From winning the European Championship at Wembley to this
Mancini from hero to zero.

NP. GMs have put closing the loophole on the agenda for their upcoming meeting. Daly has said in the past that this could be addressed in the next CBA and I don’t see how the league can do it unilaterally. If they do make the change in the CBA, I think they could just tell teams that the rosters they ice cannot exceed the cap. I don’t think that would result in players losing any money. They’d still be paid the same playoff money.
- Canada Cup

I wonder if the NHLPA would agree. Getting paid is good, however I assume players won’t like being sat due to it. That will likely be the hiccup when it comes to the NHLPA letting this happen, wonder what the league would have to offer to get them to roll with the idea as well. Maybe the player demanding a buyout if he chooses and the team would have to in the off-season.

Have you heard anything about how the NHLPA feels about this?

Until recently every time I took a look dailyfaceoff had him on the second line, now it shows him on the third with Hayton and Eriksson.

What line he’s been playing on doesn’t really matter tho… all I’m saying is he has produced for them at a pace that makes 2.5 million look like a good contract.
- Dozzer

He's not a fit on a high octane line but he can produce (when not pouting) in a 3rd and 4th line role.

From winning the European Championship at Wembley to this
Mancini from hero to zero.
- 21peter

Weren't they on some ridiculous 30+ game unbeaten streak run for a while there?

He's not a fit on a high octane line but he can produce (when not pouting) in a 3rd and 4th line role.
- mjones242

That’s all I’m really trying to say… if he floats between 0.4-0.6 PPG he’s signed very fairly imo.

Maybe just agree that after a certain date all injuries are reviewed by independant league sanctioned medical to ensure it is legit? Don't leave it up to team docs to say it is or isnt and if a team is caught the player then goes to invalid for use in the whole playoffs as penalty. Thinking that would solve it real quick and easy.
- Roadrunner75

Except that’s pretty much what happened with Kucherov, other than there being penalties. The league had its doctors review the files and they decided everything was kosher. The problem was Kucherov’s doc was the top hip surgeon in the country (and also the Rangers’ team doctor) and they weren’t going to or weren’t able to contradict him. The other problem is that if they did overturn a guy’s doc and say go back to play and he’s hurt, they’re all (frank)ed.

Weren't they on some ridiculous 30+ game unbeaten streak run for a while there?
- mjones242

I don't know.
And all the Italians knows is that they miss the 2nd World Cup in a row...

I wonder if the NHLPA would agree. Getting paid is good, however I assume players won’t like being sat due to it. That will likely be the hiccup when it comes to the NHLPA letting this happen, wonder what the league would have to offer to get them to roll with the idea as well. Maybe the player demanding a buyout if he chooses and the team would have to in the off-season.

Have you heard anything about how the NHLPA feels about this?
- Dozzer

Haven’t heard anything. My guess is that in principle they’re against extending the cap even if there’s no direct impact. Like you say they might reluctantly agree in return for a little sumpun, sumpun

i wasn't sure I was ever gonna say this in my life but that felt great

highly recommend going to the dentist for a cleaning
- TheMussel

Was there yesterday - agreed!👍

I don't know.
And all the Italians knows is that they miss the 2nd World Cup in a row...
- 21peter

I don't hate italy by any means, but there's a hilarious leafiness about it

Except that’s pretty much what happened with Kucherov, other than there being penalties. The league had its doctors review the files and they decided everything was kosher. The problem was Kucherov’s doc was the top hip surgeon in the country (and also the Rangers’ team doctor) and they weren’t going to or weren’t able to contradict him. The other problem is that if they did overturn a guy’s doc and say go back to play and he’s hurt, they’re all (frank)ed.
- Canada Cup

The optics were awful. Kucherov had been practicing with the team - full practice for about a month prior to the playoffs. The player was off for 2 months longer than the standard amount of time for that particular injury. Kucherov played for 20 minutes a game, didn't miss a shift and was ready for the first faceoff of the playoffs. I wouldn't care if the doctor signing the ok was the greatest MD in history - it was pure cheating. I'm confident that the doctor was well compensated for his service. I could just imagine the conversation about fees for service A or service B.

I don't hate italy by any means, but there's a hilarious leafiness about it
- TheMussel

I think you're mistaking Italia with England. They are the perfect analogue for the Leafs.

Amazing. Italy loses to north macedonia in world cup soccer qualifiers.

If i remember they failed to wualify kast time too.
- prock

And then won the Euros, arguably a tougher tournament to win than the WC....

I think you're mistaking Italia with England. They are the perfect analogue for the Leafs.
- mjones242

Leafy since '66

I think you're mistaking Italia with England. They are the perfect analogue for the Leafs.
- mjones242

Nah. They made it to the WC semis, and the Euro final. They've made some progress, and are a legit contenders for the next WC. They have an absolutely stacked roster of very good young players to choose from, too .

I think you're mistaking Italia with England. They are the perfect analogue for the Leafs.
- mjones242

I can't remember a specific time that England was an embarrassment, they're more just perennially irrelevant.

I will forever remember Italy failing to qualify for two world cups in a row and Baggio's missed free kick in the 1994 world cup finals though

Nah. They made it to the WC semis, and the Euro final. They've made some progress.
- fifty__missions

They have never won the Euro and they haven't won the World Cup since '66. They ARE the Leafs.

I can't remember a specific time that England was an embarrassment, they're more just perennially irrelevant.

I will forever remember Italy failing to qualify for two world cups in a row and Baggio's missed free kick in the 1994 world cup finals though
- TheMussel

To be fair to Italia, UEFA is a (frank)ing ridiculous conference. So missing a World Cup may seem embarrassing but when you swim with all of those sharks, poop can happen.