Jan Levine: Salary cap could stay flat the next three years... Let that sink in...

Brian Burke went on tv this week and claimed it will 40 million next season LOL

Brian Burke went on tv this week and claimed it will 40 million next season LOL
- RogerRoeper

He must be having flashbacks to the post 2005 lockout salary cap.

Imo the best option would be to add the Seattle expansion fee to HRR to help soften the blow (but I doubt the owners would do that). The reality is that at some point this situation will get better, so just my two cents is that if we can find a way to bandaid this until it gets better that should be the course of action. No need to completely overhaul everything when things will be close to being back to normal going into the 21-22 season.

RedC - my initial reaction is that seems like not a bad idea.

But then again, I dunno the ins and outs

Obviously some sort of stimulus package will be needed for the NHL. The Seattle expansion money would be perfect. The real fear is that social distancing will remain in some form and stadiums will be half full and receipts will be clobbered. The NHL is in real trouble.

Although, in general I like the idea of an "amnesty buyout" allowance, I feel that it's really a "get out of jail free" card for teams that have mis-managed the cap. There are several teams that wouldn't necessarily need it.
So to provide a benefit to a team that manages it well, not using/needing the buyout on their players, would be for the NHL to allow trading of buyouts.

A flat cap for the next 3 years sounds a little extreme. There will be revenue coming in and they should be able meet a 3% (approx. $2.6MM) increase each year.

Everybody really needs to get it into their heads : the world (and sports) is going to be permanently changed in many fundamental ways because of this pandemic. The owners and players (and fans) will need to make major adjustments. I don't think we'll ever see packed arenas with dense crowds ever again. Governments (central and local) are already making restaurants and theatres reduce seating to enforce social distancing. Concerts, nightclubs, races, sporting events, circuses/fairs, and anything that draws large crowds are going to be things of the past. They won't go away completely, but the new "normal" for these things will look and feel very different for a long time to come.

If the cap goes down considerably then maybe sense will come back to teams and they don't hand out $6 mil per contracts to 3rd line players and second pairing d-men. Even the players getting $8 mil plus are way overpaid.

The NHL as we know it will never come back. How many teams will go out of business without fans and full arenas.

I wish someone would so a story on that. Forget about this year. The real story is how do we get back to normal.

The NHL as we know it will never come back. How many teams will go out of business without fans and full arenas.

I wish someone would so a story on that. Forget about this year. The real story is how do we get back to normal.
- TJYTJY

Agreed, let’s move forward with what’s in front of us. Make next season the exciting subject. Figure out the losses and how long it will take to get back on track. Let’s face it the contract dollar amount and length of contract will change now. Unfortunately some of the older guys will take less or have to move over for the younger inexpensive players. Maybe baseball can bring there contracts down to earth, they are the one’s in danger. NHL arena’s maybe hurting for a bit but the fans will return so the teams need to start projecting the future not this season. Look at the news now, beaches, State Capital Cities are seeing crowds and it doesn’t look like they are worried or maybe they are deep down?
I wrote this as a view NOT AS A POLITICAL STATEMENT.

Everybody really needs to get it into their heads : the world (and sports) is going to be permanently changed in many fundamental ways because of this pandemic. The owners and players (and fans) will need to make major adjustments. I don't think we'll ever see packed arenas with dense crowds ever again. Governments (central and local) are already making restaurants and theatres reduce seating to enforce social distancing. Concerts, nightclubs, races, sporting events, circuses/fairs, and anything that draws large crowds are going to be things of the past. They won't go away completely, but the new "normal" for these things will look and feel very different for a long time to come.
- GalacticStone

I know this will not be a popular theory or statement but I really think we should have all just let this go through the population as a whole and and move on like we have done with all other flu’s, illnesses before. This is not the deadly endgame pandemic all the original models said it would be. Hell 2 years ago 80,000 people died in America of the flu and you hardly heard a peep. It’s not Ebola, unless your elderly or have pre existing conditions you get sick, you recover and life moves on. You can’t just shutdown society like this, it’s crazy and now the precedents set that anytime a unknown illness strikes us we just cowtow and go into hiding, hogwash.

And show me the science that this social distancing is actually helping in stopping the spread of this anyhow. It’s just frustrating seeing an entire economy go to sh!t over a virus.

I actually think that there is a possibility of a few teams folding if fans do not return to the buildings. Is a total NHL bankruptcy possible. If they can not or will not honor the player contracts the only way out is to fold the league and start over

Not sure if you guys saw this but basically Lias admitted his issues were video games staying up all night and sleeping pills

https://www.aftonbladet.s...sson-det-var-daliga-vanor

I know this will not be a popular theory or statement but I really think we should have all just let this go through the population as a whole and and move on like we have done with all other flu’s, illnesses before. This is not the deadly endgame pandemic all the original models said it would be. Hell 2 years ago 80,000 people died in America of the flu and you hardly heard a peep. It’s not Ebola, unless your elderly or have pre existing conditions you get sick, you recover and life moves on. You can’t just shutdown society like this, it’s crazy and now the precedents set that anytime a unknown illness strikes us we just cowtow and go into hiding, hogwash.

And show me the science that this social distancing is actually helping in stopping the spread of this anyhow. It’s just frustrating seeing an entire economy go to sh!t over a virus.
- B2B76

definitely an unpopular opinion, but one i agree with. I mean it's basically just natural selection, right? the planet is overpopulated due to us as a species completely off-setting natural selection due to industrialization and medicine. This is just nature doing it's thing. If people are scared and don't want to get it, stay home.

I truly feel for the small business owners that are going to have their lives ruined over this as well as all the unemployed workers that can't work due to all the shutdowns. And yes, i feel for people that have lost loved ones due to this, but as I mentioned before, that's life. You lose the ones you love and life goes on. This isn't anything new.

Drunk rant over.

definitely an unpopular opinion, but one i agree with. I mean it's basically just natural selection, right? the planet is overpopulated due to us as a species completely off-setting natural selection due to industrialization and medicine. This is just nature doing it's thing. If people are scared and don't want to get it, stay home.

I truly feel for the small business owners that are going to have their lives ruined over this as well as all the unemployed workers that can't work due to all the shutdowns. And yes, i feel for people that have lost loved ones due to this, but as I mentioned before, that's life. You lose the ones you love and life goes on. This isn't anything new.

Drunk rant over.
- Mtlca66

The CDC stats show that in year 2019, between 25,000 and 50,000 people in the US died from flu complications.

What’s done is done, time to start living again, and let the chips fall where they may. We’re Not going to substantially change the way society behaves or wants to live their life. People need to work, and feed their families.

If your among the highest risk groups for a bad outcome from this virus, like myself. Stay home, follow the guidelines until such time as deemed safe.

Apparently, I've won a Season Ticket through EK's blog this weekend!!
Can't wait for the extra Insider Info!!!

definitely an unpopular opinion, but one i agree with. I mean it's basically just natural selection, right? the planet is overpopulated due to us as a species completely off-setting natural selection due to industrialization and medicine. This is just nature doing it's thing. If people are scared and don't want to get it, stay home.

I truly feel for the small business owners that are going to have their lives ruined over this as well as all the unemployed workers that can't work due to all the shutdowns. And yes, i feel for people that have lost loved ones due to this, but as I mentioned before, that's life. You lose the ones you love and life goes on. This isn't anything new.

Drunk rant over.
- Mtlca66

Testify!
Agree with what you, Brian and Oldschool are saying. Excuse my cold, blunt outlook, but no-one gets out of this alive. There wasn't this much panic during Avian, Swine, etc. Deleted the rest of what I wrote because it sounded too harsh.

Apparently, I've won a Season Ticket through EK's blog this weekend!!
Can't wait for the extra Insider Info!!!
- Tonybere

Congrats Tony!

Not sure if you guys saw this but basically Lias admitted his issues were video games staying up all night and sleeping pills

https://www.aftonbladet.s...sson-det-var-daliga-vanor
- MeltingPlastic

Damn! Maybe he straightens this out and shows up to camp and earn a spot. Did you find a translation?

Damn! Maybe he straightens this out and shows up to camp and earn a spot. Did you find a translation?
- Fenrir

https://www.foreverbluesh...-why-he-left-the-rangers/

Here you go was going to post yesterday.
Honestly now this kid could take a hike . There are plenty of guys on this team going thru the same things...home sick...being young in a big city...plenty of people to lean on. I might sound harsh but I don't feel sorry for him.

Testify!
Agree with what you, Brian and Oldschool are saying. Excuse my cold, blunt outlook, but no-one gets out of this alive. There wasn't this much panic during Avian, Swine, etc. Deleted the rest of what I wrote because it sounded too harsh.
- Fenrir

I understand wanting to protect people but it's reached lunacy, and I am an at risk person. I am watching people ride bikes and walk outside with nobody around while wearing masks. Even people driving in their own personal cars with masks on. The mask does (frank) all for you. It hopefully helps to mitigate the infectious stuff your mouth breathing exhausts to keep it away from others.

Their testing for antibodies will show a much broader impact and will also lower the death rate a great deal. I also wonder if it has been in our country significantly longer than currently reported/known.

I will say this though, the amount of death in a short period of time is quite alarming. I've already lost someone I worked with to it. Here's to hoping it mutates and loses the ability to continue infecting people.

https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/report-lias-andersson-opens-up-about-why-he-left-the-rangers/

Here you go was going to post yesterday.
Honestly now this kid could take a hike . There are plenty of guys on this team going thru the same things...home sick...being young in a big city...plenty of people to lean on. I might sound harsh but I don't feel sorry for him.
- topshelf17

Thanks.
One more year left on his contract, enough time to pull it together or get traded.

I understand wanting to protect people but it's reached lunacy, and I am an at risk person. I am watching people ride bikes and walk outside with nobody around while wearing masks. Even people driving in their own personal cars with masks on. The mask does (frank) all for you. It hopefully helps to mitigate the infectious stuff your mouth breathing exhausts to keep it away from others.

Their testing for antibodies will show a much broader impact and will also lower the death rate a great deal. I also wonder if it has been in our country significantly longer than currently reported/known.

I will say this though, the amount of death in a short period of time is quite alarming. I've already lost someone I worked with to it. Here's to hoping it mutates and loses the ability to continue infecting people.
- JRR1285

Everyone in China wears masks, look where that got them.
I was holed up in a cocoon for 3 month, went back to work early February in hospital for 2 weeks and got pretty sick because my immune system hadn't been exercised. Did I have the flu or Covid? Who knows.
Love seeing people driving around wearing the same gloves they've been wearing all day. Idiots
These viruses rarely mutate to become less harmful.

I understand wanting to protect people but it's reached lunacy, and I am an at risk person. I am watching people ride bikes and walk outside with nobody around while wearing masks. Even people driving in their own personal cars with masks on. The mask does (frank) all for you. It hopefully helps to mitigate the infectious stuff your mouth breathing exhausts to keep it away from others.

Their testing for antibodies will show a much broader impact and will also lower the death rate a great deal. I also wonder if it has been in our country significantly longer than currently reported/known.

I will say this though, the amount of death in a short period of time is quite alarming. I've already lost someone I worked with to it. Here's to hoping it mutates and loses the ability to continue infecting people.
- JRR1285

The main reason this virus is taking a toll in America has more to do with the state of disease already in the country.
Obesity, lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, liver disease and auto immune disease, are all leading factors in the bad outcomes for this mess.

If anything good comes of this, and I sincerely doubt it, maybe people will start to take better care of themselves, so that they’re not so vulnerable.