Is the NHL cap system too strict?

[SomeDude]

NHL GM's in the summer: happily give 3rd liner 6 x $5 million. NHL GM's mid-season: Stupid salary cap.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

The one idea I did like on the compliance buyouts whether it was 3 years or 4 or even 5, was that if you didn't use it you received another 1st round draft pick.

Gives the smaller market teams something if they decide not to use their buyout.

Compensatory picks for more things should be in play.

You lose a player to UFA in their 20s, you should get an extra selection at the end of a round, based on their age.

So if 25-27 year old walks, team gets an extra selection the end of round 2.

28-30: extra 3rd.

31 and over: you get nothing.

 

[Captain97]

I'd like to see 1 of the following:

Franchise player tag: where that player either doesn't count or counts less against the Cap. Player has to be drafted by the organization.

Or

Pseudo luxury tax: you can buy/trade for salary cap space from teams not using it. Doesn't count towards the selling teams cap hit in terms of getting to the floor.

 

[Lt Dan]

The one idea I did like on the compliance buyouts whether it was 3 years or 4 or even 5, was that if you didn't use it you received another 1st round draft pick.

Gives the smaller market teams something if they decide not to use their buyout.

Best idea so far in the thread

 

[mouser]

The NBA is proof that a hard cap is needed. Their cap is a joke


you say this but Chicago had a dynasty run from 2010-2015 and won three cups and they would have also won in 2014 if the OT in game 7 went the other way.
The Kings won 2 cups in 2012 and 2014
Pittsburgh won in 2016,2017

So yeah, the cap works

An emphasis I would add is Chicago won their Cups because the cap existed, not in spite of it. They navigated the new cap world extremely well. Remove the salary cap from the equation and Hossa would have still been a Red Wing, not a Blackhawk.

 

[biturbo19]

Kinda wanted to vote for "GM's aren't smart or creative enough" in the sense that these cap problems are largely the consequence of GMs being dumb and handing out insane contracts with very little regard for the future. It's a very shortsighted business, and it's really gridlocked the trade market at this point, especially with the flat cap.

It's not that they lack "creativity" in that there are some GMs who are pretty cleverly manipulating the salary cap through the use of LTIR, double salary retention intermediaries, etc. They come up with novel ways to skirt around the salary cap plenty. They just aren't smart enough to have kept salaries in check at the top end of things. They've let the "top earners" in the league sorta run away with insane cap hits, while the "normal players" have actually been kinda squeezed a bit on their salary. And that makes it tough to really carry quality depth, leaning instead on ELCs that are more or less pre-set to keep GMs from handing out stupid money. That's the real saving grace for these GMs. The contracts that they're literally prohibited from making into catastrophic cap disasters.

 

[Pavels Dog]

I'd like to see 1 of the following:

Franchise player tag: where that player either doesn't count or counts less against the Cap. Player has to be drafted by the organization.

I think players drafted and developed by a team should count 85% toward the Salary Cap if they re-sign after their rookie deal expires. Time to reward front offices for scouting and finding good players instead of offer sheets and free agency poaching away their talent.
Example, a $10,000,000 salary would have a cap hit of $8,500,000. If that player is traded, the team acquiring the player would take a $10,000,000 cap hit.

While those ideas may come from a place of wanting to reward good drafting, in practice they would simply make big trades even more rare and make the UFA market even more devoid of star talent, making the league more boring.

 

[abo9]

Teams/GMs are treating salary cap's upper limit as if it is the recommended payroll level. If you don't leave any wiggle room don't complain that you can't make any moves you want to make to improve.

Well its all about competition isnt it? If you dont spend to the cap limit, another team will and that other team will be offering better contracts than your team, so where are players gonna sign?

And with 32 teams, theres always a team with decent cap space to compete with you, so its not like you can just wait out teams to be maxed up.

You can get away with a smaller payroll if you have a fee superstars on their ELC or on bridge contracts or even if they reached their potential later ala Mackinon, but otherwise youre just handicaping the team.


I think the cap is fine... as mucb as it sucks as a Montreal fan that the team cant spend as much as they could But, it keeps the smaller markets more or less competitive, and more often than not teans that are garbage dont have the cap to blame. And teams that make mistakes usually ise on loophole or another to get rid of the bad contracts.


And , unpopular opinion, but I'm fine with even less player movement. As it is now, rosters are almost compmeteky overhauled every 3-5 years - its hard to care about a team that has no identity. The teams I cared the most (liked or disliked) were always teams with long standing cores like Washington, Pittsburgh, San Jose and now Tampa.

I'm a Montreal fan, but theres so much movement on that roster every year that its hard to care much... hopefully a core around Suzuki/Caufield will be successful and last

 

[Captain97]

While those ideas may come from a place of wanting to reward good drafting, in practice they would simply make big trades even more rare and make the UFA market even more devoid of star talent, making the league more boring.

I'm only proposing it for 1 player. Virtually every team has 1 star/1st line player they've drafted still on their roster.

 

[Pavels Dog]

I'm only proposing it for 1 player. Virtually every team has 1 star/1st line player they've drafted still on their roster.

It's still a massive competitive advantage for the teams that manage to land #1OA type superstars. Not every team has a Matthews, McDavid, Mackinnon.
You're already almost guaranteed a cup when you get lucky in the draft like that, the competitive balance doesn't need to be further tipped towards tanking being the only viable option.

 

[Captain97]

It's still a massive competitive advantage for the teams that manage to land #1OA type superstars. Not every team has a Matthews, McDavid, Mackinnon.
You're already almost guaranteed a cup when you get lucky in the draft like that, the competitive balance doesn't need to be further tipped towards tanking being the only viable option.

I also said It could be partially. Like your franchise player counts for 5 million less or 7.5 million less etc.

 

[Pavels Dog]

I also said It could be partially. Like your franchise player counts for 5 million less or 7.5 million less etc.

That would essentially just be a 5 million dollar cap increase wouldn’t it? Maybe 2-3 teams get punished, like Seattle.

 

[Guttersniped]

I'm chalking this one up to believing it when I see it.

You should believe how they structured the cap freeze and the limited 1m increases in order to lower escrow because that’s all in the MOU.

If you’re talking about the larger jump coming, then you do you.

I thought about this and I did want to add that I’m not all sunshine and rainbows with the regional sports networks imploding.

It seems like everyone (including the leagues) don’t know exactly what to do about that or what the aftereffects will be.

Thought I sounded overly dismissive originally

Plus I quoted myself here like a complete psycho (fun!).

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

The NHL would be much better off trying to increase the cap by increasing revenue. Try appealing to more people.

 

[Jumptheshark]

it prevents rich teams from squishing poorer teams and prevents teams from doing to the NHL what they did in the English league

 

[Kairi Zaide]

Maybe every three years or so a team should be allowed to release one contract with no penalty?

Also give the players the possibility to unilaterally void their contract and instantly become a RFA/UFA (whichever applies) 3 years into 5+ years contract if they think they should be paid more.

 

[Rob]

it prevents rich teams from squishing poorer teams and prevents teams from doing to the NHL what they did in the English league

I know I’m in the minority but I prefer a system of relegation.

 

[Breakers]

LTIR is a complete joke