An interesting look at the pros/cons of ECHL affiliation with NHL team

[LadyStanley]

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/spo...ondors)&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner

From the ECHL team's stand point. Often, they have to play the affiliate-assigned players, regardless of how well they play. But they can get "better" players (paid more) that have a low(er) hit on the ECHL weekly salary cap. And can attract better goalies, for instance.

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[No Fun Shogun]

Yeah, would've figured that any ECHL or CHL would jump at the opportunity of an affiliation agreement, if only just for a little boost when it comes to covering their payroll. And when it comes to playing affiliated guys, doesn't that vary on a team-by-team basis?

Plus, you've got to figure that even the scrubs that NHL teams have rights to would be better than some career minor leaguers.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Plus, you've got to figure that even the scrubs that NHL teams have rights to would be better than some career minor leaguers.

Sometimes, but not necessarily. Quite often a 27-year-old career minor leaguer will tear it up in the ECHL even though he has no shot at a higher level.

Still, I think the benefits outweigh the negatives for an ECHL team. It's hard enough to make it with an affiliation, not having one just makes it that much tougher.

 

[iamjs]

Sometimes, but not necessarily. Quite often a 27-year-old career minor leaguer will tear it up in the ECHL even though he has no shot at a higher level.

Plus I've noticed with the ECHL being used more by NHL teams, you don't see players like Rod Taylor, Louis Dumont, and Sheldon Gorski, who were all ECHL ringers that were unsigned and undrafted by NHL teams and but managed to light up the ECHL for the better part of the decade.

 

[Dolemite]

I was hoping for more of a 'location versus the actual East Coast teams' argument in an article from Bakersfield.