Could Leafs use the 'Kane Loophole'?

LeafsNation75

Registered User
Jan 15, 2010
37,975
12,506
Toronto, Ontario
Friday Five: Could Leafs use the 'Kane Loophole'? - TSN.ca

This is an interesting thought depending how long Morgan Rielly could be out, also here is part of this story that I found funny.

It’s a cap loophole or workaround that’s only been used once. Patrick Kane was injured on Feb. 24, 2015 and returned for the opening night of the playoffs on April 15. The Hawks used his long-term injury space to exceed the cap and acquire Kimmo Timonen ($2 million) and Antoine Vermette ($3.75 million). They all helped Chicago win the Stanley Cup with a payroll that wouldn’t have been cap-compliant in the regular season.

Does that break any rules? No, but there’s no doubt that rivals would argue it’s not within the spirit of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Teams are already unhappy with the Leafs creatively bending the spirit of the LTIR accommodation by acquiring David Clarkson’s dead-weight contract, on top of Nathan Horton’s, to create more space. The Leafs are spending $95 million in real salary this season on an $81.5 million cap, $10 million more than any other team.
 

AvroArrow

The way she goes
Jun 10, 2011
17,853
17,925
Toronto
Weird cause i was thinking the exact same thing today lol. If Rielly is out for the rest of the regular season it could work, assuming we make the playoffs
 

Big Muddy

Registered User
Dec 15, 2019
8,583
4,085
Depends on Reilly. If he's healthy and can get inserted a few games before the end of the season, I'd think they'd want to do that. I think I read that Dubas said the same thing iirc.
 

LeafsOHLRangers98

Registered User
Jun 13, 2017
6,572
6,718
Yea we aren't sitting Rielly for 4 extra weeks unless we get a franchise level RHD.

Could use the Ceci money but we aren't sitting Mo.
 
  • Like
Reactions: smitty10

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
40,973
32,364
St. Paul, MN
I expect this to happen.

Mentioned this in the trade thread, but we know that he had been dealing with a longer term unnamed injury that he had an mri for - and this was BEFORE the broken foot.

He also LOOKED injured earlier. Giving him a few extra weeks ro recover could be in his best interest aside from the cap savings
 

m1ker

Registered User
Apr 11, 2014
894
660
If we were firmly in a playoff spot there would be an argument for it. As it is, I don't think we can afford to keep Rielly shelved any longer than he has to be.
The idea is to use Reilly’s cap hit to get a top defenceman that can play today.
 

JT AM da real deal

Registered User
Oct 4, 2018
12,055
7,319
It depends how next 2-3 weeks go. If we go on a 7 game heater and open up by 5+ points then better chance. If we are in a dog fight at TDL then no chance. More than likely we will get another 5/6 defensive defender for a Kerfoot type trade.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jaric1862

Dekes For Days

Registered User
Sep 24, 2018
20,095
15,266
The Leafs didn't create more space with Clarkson.

I think the Leafs would rather Rielly back before the playoffs if possible. I don't know what's up with Ceci, or how long that's actually expected to be.
 

Martin Skoula

Registered User
Oct 18, 2017
11,639
16,315
Putting a rusty semi-injured Rielly into the lineup isn't the silver bullet some of you think it is. Odds are he has 5+ games where he looks even worse than he did earlier in the season getting back up to game speed.

Remember the playoffs that Sundin was injured, and him coming back ruined the chemistry that Roberts and co were winning games on?

If we can use the cap space to bring in a top-4 D that would let us shelter Rielly until he's up to speed, we come out better than getting Rielly in a few weeks early.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Drew311

Dekes For Days

Registered User
Sep 24, 2018
20,095
15,266
It was reported that Ceci is expected to miss 1 month with a high ankle sprain.
I think they said re-evaluated in a month. I thought high ankle sprains usually take longer, but maybe it's less serious? I don't know.

Actually now that I'm thinking about it, with a high ankle sprain, we'd probably want Ceci to skate in a game before the playoffs too if possible. Assuming we'd actually be planning to use him.
 

Buds17

Registered User
Nov 29, 2015
8,221
3,343
Well, if their real salary is already exceeding their cap total anyway...:naughty:

This being done just the one time previously might be an indication of what is/isn't? to come, particularly considering that one time was successful. Kane was important to that Hawks team. Rielly is important to this Leaf team. The playoff reward might turn out to be worth the regular season risk. Should be an interesting development to follow over the next couple of weeks or so.
 

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
40,973
32,364
St. Paul, MN
I think they said re-evaluated in a month. I thought high ankle sprains usually take longer, but maybe it's less serious? I don't know.

Actually now that I'm thinking about it, with a high ankle sprain, we'd probably want Ceci to skate in a game before the playoffs too if possible. Assuming we'd actually be planning to use him.

Yes. It was kne month until "evaluations" werr to happen, which likely implies a longer wait
 

Canada4Gold

Registered User
Dec 22, 2010
42,973
9,179
Friday Five: Could Leafs use the 'Kane Loophole'? - TSN.ca

This is an interesting thought depending how long Morgan Rielly could be out, also here is part of this story that I found funny.

It’s a cap loophole or workaround that’s only been used once. Patrick Kane was injured on Feb. 24, 2015 and returned for the opening night of the playoffs on April 15. The Hawks used his long-term injury space to exceed the cap and acquire Kimmo Timonen ($2 million) and Antoine Vermette ($3.75 million). They all helped Chicago win the Stanley Cup with a payroll that wouldn’t have been cap-compliant in the regular season.

Does that break any rules? No, but there’s no doubt that rivals would argue it’s not within the spirit of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Teams are already unhappy with the Leafs creatively bending the spirit of the LTIR accommodation by acquiring David Clarkson’s dead-weight contract, on top of Nathan Horton’s, to create more space. The Leafs are spending $95 million in real salary this season on an $81.5 million cap, $10 million more than any other team.

Sounds like the leafs need to rent Brandon Pridham out because other teams don't know how the cap works. The extra space the Leafs gained from Clarkson(5.25 million) is entirely used up by having David Clarkson(5.25 million). They did it because it made an in season Marner signing possible. Once he signed Clarkson is basically meaningless.

This would be more of a NHLPA issue if a team were holding out players who were ready to come back because they didn't have room to take them off LTIR as a planned move. Ceci might bitch about that if it happened. I doubt Rielly would.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: LeafsNation75

Canada4Gold

Registered User
Dec 22, 2010
42,973
9,179
It was reported that Ceci is expected to miss 1 month with a high ankle sprain.

"re-evaluated in a month" is different than miss 1 month. Like Mikheyev would be re-evaluated in 3 months, a Rielly in 6-8 weeks, that doesn't mean that's their timelines. Depending on the severity of course high ankle sprains usually take more than a month. I expect them to massage it for him to be out for the year but who knows.
 

hockeywiz542

Registered User
May 26, 2008
15,909
4,983
HC analyst Elliotte Friedman joins Lead Off to discuss whether he thinks Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas will trade for a defenceman ahead of the deadline, especially given the opportunity he might have to manipulate the salary cap rule for playoffs.

 

sxvnert

Registered User
Nov 23, 2015
11,023
6,033
They will 100% for both Rielly and Ceci. Having Rielly back for a couple of weeks is far less important than an extra 5m or 9m player(s) in the playoffs.
 

Deebo

Registered User
Jan 28, 2005
8,327
1,822
Toronto
Sounds like the leafs need to rent Brandon Pridham out because other teams don't know how the cap works. The extra space the Leafs gained from Clarkson(5.25 million) is entirely used up by having David Clarkson(5.25 million). They did it because it made an in season Marner signing possible. Once he signed Clarkson is basically meaningless.

I think the writer probably just made up that teams are unhappy with the Leafs
 

LeafsNation75

Registered User
Jan 15, 2010
37,975
12,506
Toronto, Ontario
"re-evaluated in a month" is different than miss 1 month. Like Mikheyev would be re-evaluated in 3 months, a Rielly in 6-8 weeks, that doesn't mean that's their timelines. Depending on the severity of course high ankle sprains usually take more than a month. I expect them to massage it for him to be out for the year but who knows.
Either way he's still missing at least 1 month.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->