Exactly my point. You can't buy your way to a Cup according to history, so who exactly does it protect? Players? Fans? The sport itself?

Have 32 teams made the game better? Has that $600m franchise fee made the game better? Made your tickets any cheaper? How about the ESPN deal?

Carolina, Nashville & Miami can't support a team? Was there a hard cap when any of those teams had their expansion draft?

And notice I keep saying "hard cap" lik in my original post. What is the argument for not having a luxury tax?
- daddytc

The cap is as much about the salary floor as the upper limit.

No salary cap guarantees that most of the league won't be competitive. Smaller market teams used to spend peanuts on salaries, like under $10-15M total. Some big market teams w/ stingy owners -- Boston, Chicago -- would just rake in the gate receipts while letting their best players walk when their deals were up. Canadian teams couldn't attract players because of exchange rate imbalances.

Now every team has to spend to play. And you have a healthier game and healthier markets because of it.

Has any team lost 2 lesser players than PEB and Twarynski in the 2 ED?

He actually said he had received some information from two sources that alluded to it. But that anything could happen and things change.
- Flyers1218

Yes, he said that later. If you’re going to float conjecture it’s always important to say “but anything can happen.” Fletcher obviously left him with the impression he was interested in Tarasenko. Doubt that’s changed. Not sure how he makes that happen without Voracek involved.

Team's been on this trajectory ever since Dave Scott started sticking his fat finger into the pie. MJL's been screaming it from the rooftops for years now.
- Tomahawk

“Ed was pretty ill the last couple years,” Scott said. “I’ve stayed pretty close to it and I’ve got all the confidence in the world with Paul (Holmgren) as president and Ron (Hextall) as general manager. I think we all have a job to do here. My job is really to make sure we have the resources and we’re investing in the team for the long term and go for the Cup. The Flyers are going to go for it every year. That’s our heritage.”

-Dave Scott 2017

that would be collusion
- corduroy

its not like they'd get together and agree....more like the same way they seem to treat offer sheets and the GM's that do it. They freeze them a bit but it's not like they make an announcement on how they are going to do it.

its not like they'd get together and agree....more like the same way they seem to treat offer sheets and the GM's that do it. They freeze them a bit but it's not like they make an announcement on how they are going to do it.
- juiced

Nah man, they’ll totally mention it on the GM group email. Start lining up a jury.

Yes, he said that later. If you’re going to float conjecture it’s always important to say “but anything can happen.” Fletcher obviously left him with the impression he was interested in Tarasenko. Doubt that’s changed. Not sure how he makes that happen without Voracek involved.
- mayorofangrytown

Hahaha very fair.

And notice I keep saying "hard cap" lik in my original post. What is the argument for not having a luxury tax?
- daddytc

Because at the end of the day, hockey is still a fringe sport in the USA. Without cost certainty and the parity of a hard cap, teams will fall by the wayside before they have a chance to establish themselves in softer markets. Hockey is still in the "grow the game" phase.

Based on the supposed selections, there will be some interesting trades announced tonight.

Because at the end of the day, hockey is still a fringe sport in the USA. Without cost certainty and the parity of a hard cap, teams will fall by the wayside before they have a chance to establish themselves in softer markets. Hockey is still in the "grow the game" phase.
- Tomahawk

What if I’m okay with that?

🤣😂🤣😂

Fk ‘em

Is there a hard cap in the KHL, SEL, etc? I'm not trying to be a smart ass, I really don't know and I'm too lazy to research it. If the only way an entire league can exist is through a hard cap, maybe the league shouldn't be.

And how did the NHL survive from 1st expansion in '67 until the cap was implemented?

Red Barons & Golden Seals folded? Flames moved to Calgary? And yet somehow the league survived.
- daddytc

I don't know the situation or details around the KHL, but I do know that the NHL was heading for bankruptcy if they stayed on the path they were on. The NHL does not make the revenue other leagues make, primarily because of the poor TV contracts compared to the other major sports, plus the NHL has always been considered a regional sport, not a nation wide sport. However the players were expecting contracts and money equal to the other sports, and that just could not happen. The owners, who were part of the problem with their spending, knew this to be true, and thus you have the multiple lockouts in the 1990s and early 2000s. If the NHL did not implement a hard cap, I maintain there would be no league today, it would be bankrupt.

Based on the supposed selections, there will be some interesting trades announced tonight.
- BenderRodriguez

I’m more interested in seeing Francis explain his selections to his season ticket holders lol.

I think Tarasenko is out of the equation right now. Rumor was St Louis wanted to move him for cap room to go after Landeskog. They aren’t interested in Jake or JVR.
- hereticpride

And the Flyers are in the same boat, and they can't expect help from other teams to help them get Landeskog. However, unlike Tarasenko, JVR and Ghost are healthy and coming off decent years, at least by the numbers. Hopefully Fletcher can trade them quickly and open up space in time to make a serious pitch for Landeskog, or other FAs they have targeted.

I’m more interested in seeing Francis explain his selections to his season ticket holders lol.
- hereticpride

The fans can riot at the arena instead of Federal facilities.

I’m more interested in seeing Francis explain his selections to his season ticket holders lol.
- hereticpride

I don't understand your take here, Seattle already has the makings of a good team, and the trades are not announced yet.

Rangers: Colin Blackwell
Buffalo: William Borgen

I like these picks, smart!

I don't understand your take here, Seattle already has the makings of a good team, and the trades are not announced yet.
- jd250

People shat all over Vegas too when they announced their picks.

I don't understand your take here, Seattle already has the makings of a good team, and the trades are not announced yet.
- jd250

To me that roster is not good enough. Were is the top D man? The scoring? They might add some picks tonight but I’m not expecting much to impact the roster we see right now.

Has any team lost 2 lesser players than PEB and Twarynski in the 2 ED?
- hello it's me 2050

Tells you what expansion teams think of Flyers unprotected high ticket players.

And the Flyers are in the same boat, and they can't expect help from other teams to help them get Landeskog. However, unlike Tarasenko, JVR and Ghost are healthy and coming off decent years, at least by the numbers. Hopefully Fletcher can trade them quickly and open up space in time to make a serious pitch for Landeskog, or other FAs they have targeted.
- jd250

you can use picks and have a 3rd team pick up cap space, if he wants to do something there are creative ways to do it

To me that roster is not good enough. Were is the top D man? The scoring? They might add some picks tonight but I’m not expecting much to impact the roster we see right now.
- hereticpride

They have 5 really solid top 4 defenseman plus a ton of younger defenseman to develop. They also have speed, grit and toughness. Yes they don't seem to have that superstar scorer, but this will come over time. Remember they have the 2nd pick in the draft also. But so far, I really like their team.

Based on the supposed selections, there will be some interesting trades announced tonight.
- BenderRodriguez

I certainly hope those don’t leak too. 10 hours is an eternity for rumors apparently.

Most people were thinking worst case scenario Seattle takes Braun only freeing up minimal cap space. They don't even do that they take an RFA. Can't make it up.

you can use picks and have a 3rd team pick up cap space, if he wants to do something there are creative ways to do it
- wcorvette

No one else is going to eat Jakes contract. Seattle was the best chance of that happening.

What's the over/under on trades tonight.