NHL 2023-2024 Out of Town: Stanley Cup Playoffs - The Atlantic Division Crown runs through Florida

[Fenway]

Every arena the knights play in the fans need to chant cheaters, it’s wild how they have a cap circumvention system in place that starts and ends exactly when they need every year.

CBA allows it.......it is a farce but

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

CBA allows it.......it is a farce but

For sure, it’s not cheating per the rule book and they aren’t breaking any provable rule or ethics violation, it’s just scummy and in the spirit of cheating imo.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Vegas a #8 seed

Brutal luck for Dallas. End of the day you've got to get it done on the ice no matter who you're playing and playoffs aren't meant to be easy. But to get the champs first up despite topping the conference, and champs who basically cruised through the back half of the season doing just enough to get in and who now conveniently have a full roster again or close to it, is very tough.

Stars aren't done yet, but they've got a real mountain to climb from here.

 

[Babajingo]

Brutal luck for Dallas. End of the day you've got to get it done on the ice no matter who you're playing and playoffs aren't meant to be easy. But to get the champs first up despite topping the conference, and champs who basically cruised through the back half of the season doing just enough to get in and who now conveniently have a full roster again or close to it, is very tough.

Stars aren't done yet, but they've got a real mountain to climb from here.

Its a dilemma. I want them to lose because I hate the way they abuse the rule. But the more they win, the more they are exposed/discussed.
I'm amazed some players haven't come out and said anything. I know if I was on an opposing team, I would be pissed at Stone or whoever.

The problem is not the rule but the "honesty" of the Knights and the players to which they abuse it.
Miraculously, Stone is ok to play within that 3 day window between the end of the season and the first PO game. If he was really ready to play prior to the last game, then they wouldve had to done something with their salary.

And the league/teams/players are complicit. In the end, its the same story. The only people that are affected are the fans.

 

[ODAAT]

CBA allows it.......it is a farce but

my gut tells me this will be addressed during next CBA negotiations

 

[BlackFrancis]

Its a dilemma. I want them to lose because I hate the way they abuse the rule. But the more they win, the more they are exposed/discussed.
I'm amazed some players haven't come out and said anything. I know if I was on an opposing team, I would be pissed at Stone or whoever.

The problem is not the rule but the "honesty" of the Knights and the players to which they abuse it.
Miraculously, Stone is ok to play within that 3 day window between the end of the season and the first PO game. If he was really ready to play prior to the last game, then they wouldve had to done something with their salary.

And the league/teams/players are complicit. In the end, its the same story. The only people that are affected are the fans.

It's the honesty of the doctors. You've got people whose profession should have ethics baked in carrying water for a billion dollar enterprise while they wouldn't consider signing off on Joe Schmoe's request to extend his disability claim.

Playoff recovery miracles. Poor play being diagnosed as career ending injuries. Allergic reactions that don't need a scratch test to diagnose, but an accounting test.

If the whole thing ever changes, it will only be for the worse.

 

[Alicat]

my gut tells me this will be addressed during next CBA negotiations

It better be.

 

[whatsbruin]

@BruinDust

He looks like he is 50, but is probably about 29.

 

[whatsbruin]

He looks like he is 50, but is probably about 29.

Late again with the comment many have already made.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

For sure, it’s not cheating per the rule book and they aren’t breaking any provable rule or ethics violation, it’s just scummy and in the spirit of cheating imo.

yeah, its only ok when the Bruins do it *cough* *cough* Taylor Hall last year

 

[TCB]

Thinking game Three might get a little nasty

 

[McGarnagle]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/bob-cole-obituary-1.7184556

 

[JRull86]

yeah, its only ok when the Bruins do it *cough* *cough* Taylor Hall last year

The way the Bruins used it last year with Hall/Foligno injuries compared to Vegas doing this every single year are wildly different scenarios.

I'm not sure how to address it going forward, but something needs to change with how it's used, especially with LTIR hits for players that are effectively retired.

 

[BruinDust]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/bob-cole-obituary-1.7184556

The most iconic voice of my youth and the greatest hockey play-by-play commentator of all-time. I'm glad for him that he was given a proper send off back in 2019, it was well deserved. Arguably the most famous person to ever come out of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.


RIP Mr. Cole

 

[McGarnagle]

The most iconic voice of my youth and the greatest hockey play-by-play commentator of all-time. I'm glad for him that he was given a proper send off back in 2019, it was well deserved. Arguably the most famous person to ever come out of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.


RIP Mr. Cole

As an American who got some exposure to him through highlights and such, something about Cole was so quaint and quintessentially Canadian. But I read the bio in his obituary and realized that he actually was born and grew up in a time where Newfoundland was an independent dominion of the British Empire and he wouldn't have even become a Canadian citizen until he was 16 when Newfoundland confederated with Canada.

 

[BruinDust]

As an American who got some exposure to him through highlights and such, something about Cole was so quaint and quintessentially Canadian. But I read the bio in his obituary and realized that he actually was born and grew up in a time where Newfoundland was an independent dominion of the British Empire and he wouldn't have even become a Canadian citizen until he was 16 when Newfoundland confederated with Canada.

Born in 1933 long before Newfoundland joined Canada. He was apparently terrific athlete in his own right in several sports like curling and competitive rowing.

I started following the NHL (and the Bruins) in 1990. For me, him and Harry Neale (his color commentator from 1987 to 2007) are the definitive hockey broadcasting duo and it's highly likely that will never change for me.

 

[Pia8988]

The way the Bruins used it last year with Hall/Foligno injuries compared to Vegas doing this every single year are wildly different scenarios.

I'm not sure how to address it going forward, but something needs to change with how it's used, especially with LTIR hits for players that are effectively retired.

The Bruins abused it in the exact same method. Stone was legitimately injured with the spleen this year. It was very convenient for Vegas, but trying to moralize how the Bruin method was okay and not Vegas when it's the same exact method. Laughable

 

[sarge88]

I’ll never understand why they make the salary cap so difficult.

Just give a team a floor and a ceiling…….aay 60 million and 90 million.

Assign a player their salary as their cap number.

Never allow a team to ice a lineup where the players annual salaries total less than the floor or more than the ceiling.

 

[BamBamCam]

How the Toronto media Trolls the Leafs LMAO

 

[Dreghorn2]

The sour grapes towards Vegas is pretty amazing to me.

All of this was addressed by Kelly McCrimmon prior to the playoffs starting. The NHL was all over the Mark Stone situation, their doctors were involved at every step and they had to sign off on everything.

You know what the biggest advantage that team has. It's their ability to identify the types of players that win in the NHL playoffs, that's it.

They have also created an environment where players they acquire want to stay there, and it's not just money, Hanifan could easily have been a top free agent target for, really most of the league, he was acquired gave it a little time and signed a long term deal.

As an aside i really wish DKH's buddies had been right about Hanifan possibly signing here he would have been a tremendous add for the Bruins.

The Knights are everything we wish the Bruins were; fast, big, tough, disciplined. All the things we love. If this team played in Boston they'd be worshiped.

 

[bruinsfan1968]

The Bruins abused it in the exact same method. Stone was legitimately injured with the spleen this year. It was very convenient for Vegas, but trying to moralize how the Bruin method was okay and not Vegas when it's the same exact method. Laughable

Not to the tune of being 16M over the cap, that includes signing bonuses for Vegas, so not even close!. Or does that not even matter?.

 

[Pia8988]

I’ll never understand why they make the salary cap so difficult.

Just give a team a floor and a ceiling…….aay 60 million and 90 million.

Assign a player their salary as their cap number.

Never allow a team to ice a lineup where the players annual salaries total less than the floor or more than the ceiling.

Because the cap is calculated daily and money is banked. The NHLPA never agrees to this method and neither does the GMs since this hurts trading. It's not even that difficult or complicated.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

The sour grapes towards Vegas is pretty amazing to me.

All of this was addressed by Kelly McCrimmon prior to the playoffs starting. The NHL was all over the Mark Stone situation, their doctors were involved at every step and they had to sign off on everything.

You know what the biggest advantage that team has. It's their ability to identify the types of players that win in the NHL playoffs, that's it.

They have also created an environment where players they acquire want to stay there, and it's not just money, Hanifan could easily have been a top free agent target for, really most of the league, he was acquired gave it a little time and signed a long term deal.

As an aside i really wish DKH's buddies had been right about Hanifan possibly signing here he would have been a tremendous add for the Bruins.

The Knights are everything we wish the Bruins were; fast, big, tough, disciplined. All the things we love. If this team played in Boston they'd be worshiped.

I've got no problem with Vegas. They're taking the rules as they are and operating to maximize their chances within those parameters. If I were their GM I'd do the same. It's the rules themselves that need changing. Silly to have a cap that just gets thrown out the window when the important stuff starts and suddenly we can have one team icing $10 mil worth of extra talent than their opponent simply because of fortuitous circumstances.

 

[Dreghorn2]

I've got no problem with Vegas. They're taking the rules as they are and operating to maximize their chances within those parameters. If I were their GM I'd do the same. It's the rules themselves that need changing. Silly to have a cap that just gets thrown out the window when the important stuff starts and suddenly we can have one team icing $10 mil worth of extra talent than their opponent simply because of fortuitous circumstances.

An excerpt from an Athletic story regarding this situation;

Question: If teams had to be cap-compliant for every playoff game, how would Vegas have looked with Stone, Hertl and Hanifin all in the opening night lineup vs. Dallas?

Before we add up the totals, what’s your guess?

Are they cap-compliant? Close to compliant? Or miles over?

The correct is b) close.

For the 20 Vegas players in the lineup against Dallas, the salaries add up to $84.247 million, or $747,000 over the 2023-24 salary cap of $83.5 million.

If they had to be cap-compliant for the opener, the Golden Knights could have done so by replacing one of their third-liners, Brett Howden ($1.9 million) or Anthony Mantha ($2.85 million), with one of their three forwards who earn less than $1 million. In other words, they could have gotten under the number, with minimal difficulty.

Nor, it should be noted, is Vegas the only team in NHL playoff history to take advantage of the current rules as they relate to LTIR. Chicago, in 2014-15, did the same with Patrick Kane and won the Stanley Cup. And in 2020-21, Tampa Bay had arguably its best player, Nikita Kucherov, on LTIR the entire regular season and activated him ahead of Game 1 of that year’s playoffs. Kucherov showed no signs of rust at all — finished with 32 points in 23 games — and helped Tampa Bay with the Stanley Cup. So Vegas has company.

Two points to stress here.

First, there’s no question that all three of the aforementioned players who have created an LTIR flashpoint over the past decade were legitimately injured.


Second, Vegas wasn’t the only playoff team to aggressively use LTIR this past season. According to CapFriendly, Toronto actually used LTIR the most. They exceeded the cap by $14.145 million. Tampa Bay was second, at $10.276 million. Vegas was next at $8.739 million. In all, 22 of the NHL’s 32 teams used LTIR at some point. St. Louis had the smallest charge — only $12,349.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

An excerpt from an Athletic story regarding this situation;

Question: If teams had to be cap-compliant for every playoff game, how would Vegas have looked with Stone, Hertl and Hanifin all in the opening night lineup vs. Dallas?

Before we add up the totals, what’s your guess?

Are they cap-compliant? Close to compliant? Or miles over?

The correct is b) close.

For the 20 Vegas players in the lineup against Dallas, the salaries add up to $84.247 million, or $747,000 over the 2023-24 salary cap of $83.5 million.

If they had to be cap-compliant for the opener, the Golden Knights could have done so by replacing one of their third-liners, Brett Howden ($1.9 million) or Anthony Mantha ($2.85 million), with one of their three forwards who earn less than $1 million. In other words, they could have gotten under the number, with minimal difficulty.

Nor, it should be noted, is Vegas the only team in NHL playoff history to take advantage of the current rules as they relate to LTIR. Chicago, in 2014-15, did the same with Patrick Kane and won the Stanley Cup. And in 2020-21, Tampa Bay had arguably its best player, Nikita Kucherov, on LTIR the entire regular season and activated him ahead of Game 1 of that year’s playoffs. Kucherov showed no signs of rust at all — finished with 32 points in 23 games — and helped Tampa Bay with the Stanley Cup. So Vegas has company.

Two points to stress here.

First, there’s no question that all three of the aforementioned players who have created an LTIR flashpoint over the past decade were legitimately injured.


Second, Vegas wasn’t the only playoff team to aggressively use LTIR this past season. According to CapFriendly, Toronto actually used LTIR the most. They exceeded the cap by $14.145 million. Tampa Bay was second, at $10.276 million. Vegas was next at $8.739 million. In all, 22 of the NHL’s 32 teams used LTIR at some point. St. Louis had the smallest charge — only $12,349.

Interesting, thanks. And yeah ok Vegas are not 10 over. But they are over, whatever exact figure you put on it. Remains the case that you've got a system that allows and basically promotes inequality and encourages exploitation. That to me is a problem. Not a major one, but it does tarnish the competition. Have the feeling it won't be addressed, but it would be nice.