OT: Around the NHL

[Big McLargehuge]

Baseball added a 26th roster spot for covid. If conservative-as-f*** baseball can deal with temporary roster rule changes I see no reason why the NHL couldn't do something similar.

The problem here is making this work with the cap...having teams unable to ice full rosters because of being at the cap is a punishment that makes sense in normal situations, but not if a team is being forced to ice less than a full roster because of a pandemic. They're gonna have to find a way to not count a spare player or two (gotta be talking league minimum or near) or reduce restrictions when it comes to injury lists and call-ups.

I also have to imagine that increased roster size would help one other issue...getting players to/from a lot of these AHL markets is going to be a bit more difficult with there being fewer flights in general. Smaller regional airports have been hit the hardest by the reduction in flights and Avoca (WBS) is one of many small regional airports that AHL teams rely on that is handling only a couple/few flights a day, almost exclusively to hubs. Then again this is only an issue if we have an AHL season where players are called-up/sent down to, which feels like a long-shot right now.

 

[EightyOne]

Do AHL teams commonly fly, finally? I swear the days of 8 hour bus rides were still common.. At least in the East? If they do fly, it's gotta be charter right? So flights in general wouldn't matter.. Like... The Gulls aren't rolling onto Southwest up to San Jose, right?

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Do AHL teams commonly fly, finally? I swear the days of 8 hour bus rides were still common.. At least in the East?

Buses for the teams going between games in most situations, I was specifically thinking about getting a player from their AHL market to the NHL market.

WBS is drivable, but not if we're talking about replacing a positive covid test the afternoon of a game.

 

[EightyOne]

Buses for the teams going between games in most situations, I was specifically thinking about getting a player from their AHL market to the NHL market.

WBS is drivable, but not if we're talking about replacing a positive covid test the afternoon of a game.

AHHHH

Am I supposed to read posts before I reply???

Lol lol

 

[Tom Hanks]

 

[Tom Hanks]

Seems like quite a bit of negotiating to happen still before the season start is ticked off with escrow already at 20% and now a much bigger deferment than agreed upon (an extra 13%).

NHL wants players to defer more money despite recent deal

 

[Tom Hanks]

 

[Tom Hanks]

 

[EightyOne]

Sucks for all of them, from arena staff to players

 

[Tom Hanks]

 

[Tom Hanks]

I didn’t think we’d have hockey until February anyway but this seems like the players are going to push back hard against the NHL as they try to renegotiate the CBA. Can’t see January 1st happening.

 

[TySmith4Norris]

Have to wonder how much of the hold up league wide is teams waiting for the Lightning to move cap out

 

[EightyOne]

I'm less confident season starts sooner rather than later

 

[Tom Hanks]

Per LeBrun:


Again, as players and agents have suggested to me this week, imagine if the tables were turned and the NHLPA went to the NHL asking to tweak a just agreed upon CBA just four months later. How would that have been received?
One player agent told me this week that owners are quick to point out the reason expansion fee money doesn’t go in the hockey related revenue pie with the players is because owners put up all the financial risk when owning a team so expansion money should not be shared. But now that owners are hurting financially with the pandemic, this agent feels it rings hollow that the players are being asked to come to the rescue. And there’s some merit to all that.

 

[EightyOne]

They aren't wrong

But end of the day, the owners and players need us more than we need them

So.... I dont really feel sympathy for either group

It's a entertainment business. Yes real humans are involved. But.... I can't possibly care if their gravy train derails a bit... They can all join the rest of us who've been making sacrifices all year, too.

 

[Zirakzigil]

I get that the owners are bleeding money right now, but they literally just agreed to a new CBA. Time to suck it up, you had your chance months ago to get that concession from the players, or even get the option for it written in. Start the season ASAP, youll probably get fans in some buildings right off the bat and more as vaccines roll out in the new year.

 

[Tom Hanks]

 

[Honour Over Glory]

40 player roster limits or GTFO.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Lol that's scraping from the bottom of the barrel.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I get that the owners are bleeding money right now, but they literally just agreed to a new CBA. Time to suck it up, you had your chance months ago to get that concession from the players, or even get the option for it written in. Start the season ASAP, youll probably get fans in some buildings right off the bat and more as vaccines roll out in the new year.

I feel zero sympathy for owners that have for years jacked up prices, priced out families that can't go to games and show their kids the experience they had when their parent took them and the vendors that have made billions as well.

I'm gonna shed a tear for these ? Nah mate.

 

[Zirakzigil]

I feel zero sympathy for owners that have for years jacked up prices, priced out families that can't go to games and show their kids the experience they had when their parent took them and the vendors that have made billions as well.

I'm gonna shed a tear for these ? Nah mate.

Oh I agree. I usually dislike both, but especially how much the players whine about being paid to play a game. The little guys get paid nothing and the stars make bank on both salary and endorsements. However, the owners really dont have any leg to stand on in this, they knew the risks going into this season, should of brought more of it up during the CBA negotiations.

 

[BHD]

So the Leafs will have 6 borderline NHL defensemen instead 0f 5. Neat.

Dubas is banking on his top dollar players to come through, again...

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

So the Leafs will have 6 borderline NHL defensemen instead 0f 5. Neat.

Dubas is banking on his top dollar players to come through, again...

Sid had presences like Gary Roberts, Marc Recchi, Mario, and Bill Guerin to teach him how to lead or play in the playoffs. I have to assume that the adding Spezza and Thornton are attempts to teach their young guns how to win in the playoffs. Funny thing though is neither of them have won it all.

 

[BHD]

Sid had presences like Gary Roberts, Marc Recchi, Mario, and Bill Guerin to teach him how to lead or play in the playoffs. I have to assume that the adding Spezza and Thornton are attempts to teach their young guns how to win in the playoffs. Funny thing though is neither of them have won it all.

Eh... Matthews and Tavares accounted for 4 of the team's 10 goals. Furthermore, Marner, Nylander, and Kapanen combined for just 2. Meanwhile, Koprisalo channelled his inner Halak behind a sound defence. I guess it begs the question: was it a case of the puck simply not going in the net, or are there serious issues holding them back?

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Per LeBrun:


Again, as players and agents have suggested to me this week, imagine if the tables were turned and the NHLPA went to the NHL asking to tweak a just agreed upon CBA just four months later. How would that have been received?
One player agent told me this week that owners are quick to point out the reason expansion fee money doesn’t go in the hockey related revenue pie with the players is because owners put up all the financial risk when owning a team so expansion money should not be shared. But now that owners are hurting financially with the pandemic, this agent feels it rings hollow that the players are being asked to come to the rescue. And there’s some merit to all that.

Owners are shite. Those wankers deserve the hit.