It is time for enforcers again!

[vandymeer13]

Enforcers take away from a team's skill. The difference between the cup and elimination is often a goal or two, a goal or two that an enforcer ain't scoring for you.

Enforcers dont have to play every playoff game.

 

[Devils090]

Always say it, if you want guys like Wilson and Marchand to actually face retribution bring back fighting and enforcers. Does anyone take runs at the Vegas players? No, because Reaves would end them. Players police the game, exactly how it’s supposed to be.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Get rid of the instigator rule....... a lot of your problems will be solved.

It's really isn't about safety............it's about pleasing their corporate masters who hate being critiqued by the evil media establishment.

 

[Neil Racki]

"corporate masters" ... "evil media establishments" ...

man .. down the rabbit hole we go. Bc a guy was a bit too rough on another guy in a hockey game.

How did we come to this

 

[serp]

Enforcers dont have to play every playoff game.

They do cost a rosterspot and count against the salary cap though. Just hard to fit in a guy who isn't actually helping you at the hockey part

 

[ChaoticOrange]

I was actually thinking about this this morning.

Yes, it's usually a waste of a roster spot, but if a guy like Wilson is running around unchecked, injuring star players, and the league won't do anything, it makes a kind of barbaric sense to try to hurt him first.

Sign some minor league thug an NHL deal, tell him to go beat the tar out of Wilson, it's fine if he gets suspended 20 games because he'll be making way more money than he's used to anyway. Heck isn't that pretty much how the enforcer movement got started anyway?

 

[serp]

I was actually thinking about this this morning.

Yes, it's usually a waste of a roster spot, but if a guy like Wilson is running around unchecked, injuring star players, and the league won't do anything, it makes a kind of barbaric sense to try to hurt him first.

Sign some minor league thug an NHL deal, tell him to go beat the tar out of Wilson, it's fine if he gets suspended 20 games because he'll be making way more money than he's used to anyway. Heck isn't that pretty much how the enforcer movement got started anyway?

Yeah but that doesn't compute with a salary cap and limited roster spots.

 

[jonlin]

They do cost a rosterspot and count against the salary cap though. Just hard to fit in a guy who isn't actually helping you at the hockey part

I rather have an enforcer on the bench for 1M cap, than a superstar at 8-10M injured

 

[Neil Racki]

They do cost a rosterspot and count against the salary cap though. Just hard to fit in a guy who isn't actually helping you at the hockey part

Bruins found a way to carry Frederic in their lineup and he doesnt actually help in the hockey part of things. Or was he sent down? Point is .. you can carry a negative player for the sole purpose of being a goon.

 

[ManofSteel55]

With Bettman, Parros and DoPS not willing to cut dirty play out of the league, I feel it is time to once again start having enforcers. It is not only about the last incident, but DoPS have been really bad for a long time. If I owned a team, I wouldnt want my stars to be hurt. If I was a coach I would want a guy who stands up for my guys and is actually feared by other teams on my bench. Thoughts?

My thoughts are that as soon as someone grabs someone and beats them to a pulp like an enforcer used to, DoPS would be all over that player anyway. Even if enforcers were the right solution, the NHL would make sure that things don't go back to vigilante justice. It kills the NHL's marketability.

If anyone wants an enforcer like guy though, the Oilers can trade you Kassian.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Yeah but that doesn't compute with a salary cap and limited roster spots.

It does if the rest of your roster is good enough to absorb it, and I sure hope nobody's paying a designated facepuncher more than league minimum.

Lots of teams go 11-7 these days, it gives skilled forwards more playing time and usually the 7th defenceman doesn't play more than 5 minutes anyway.

 

[tellermine]

Well you have to get a enforcer if league cant control one unstable player.

You have invested tens of millions to players and one dude just head shots them.
Surely you need same force to even it?

 

[ManofSteel55]

I rather have an enforcer on the bench for 1M cap, than a superstar at 8-10M injured

Superstars get injured with or without enforcers. They still have their place, but they need to be able to play hockey. They aren't just face punchers anymore.

 

[MadLuke]

One issue about safety brought by enforcer, is that a lot of injury came from enforcer actions, I am not sure how it end up balancing wise in term of added injury versus prevented one via fear of retribution, specially if the instigator rules are there.

 

[vandymeer13]

They do cost a rosterspot and count against the salary cap though. Just hard to fit in a guy who isn't actually helping you at the hockey part

The hawks could use one so could every team over most 4th liners or 7th dmen. Stu Grimson ryan vandenbussche for under 900k or ryan carpenter brett connolly type [vet who doesnt score or play physical] kurashev hardman] prospects who arent ready.

 

[kingsholygrail]

You mean the days when the instigator penalty didn't exist?

 

[vandymeer13]

Enforcers and fighting bring more fans and excitement rivalries to the game. Fighting accounts for 5 percent of concussions in hockey. Tell me you dont want to watch the game Wednesday night and see what happens and hope the rangers call up toughness. Hell sign colton orr to a 10 day contract

 

[Reddwit]

Always say it, if you want guys like Wilson and Marchand to actually face retribution bring back fighting and enforcers. Does anyone take runs at the Vegas players? No, because Reaves would end them. Players police the game, exactly how it’s supposed to be.

Exactly. Nothing like this ever happens with an enforcer on the ice.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Always say it, if you want guys like Wilson and Marchand to actually face retribution bring back fighting and enforcers. Does anyone take runs at the Vegas players? No, because Reaves would end them. Players police the game, exactly how it’s supposed to be.

Why is Reaves being put up on a pedestal? He's cut from the same cloth as Wilson.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Yes because it meant they got more icetime because the 4th line was just plugs.

Gretzky had an enforcer on his line.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Blame that on the Rangers for having nobody that would stand up for their teammates. If that was the Oilers you'd have Nurse, Khaira, and/or Kassian jump him the next shift. All 3 guys can actually skate/play (albeit the latter 2 are best on the 4th line). I think if anything this speaks to the need for teams to still draft players that are physical and not a soft ass team like the Rangers.

 

[Techcoockie]

Sign matt martin or trade foe him. wilson is SCARED of him

 

[mattw4466]

I’d rather have good players who are also decent fighters than a straight up goon, Guys like Kassian/Lucic/Maroon/Richie, hell even guys like Benn/Oshie/Thornton can go pretty good.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Why the hell the league, game needs to change for that/those idiot/s?.
- remove that pos (and players like him) from hockey, end of story.

 

[jonlin]

Superstars get injured with or without enforcers. They still have their place, but they need to be able to play hockey. They aren't just face punchers anymore.

Wilson needs just a guy that can skate good enough to catch him and punch his face in. He doesnt have to be on the ice for more than 30s for that.