Speculation: Off Season Thread Part II: Wake me up when September ends

[MrJoshua]

feels like eternity this summer compared to last off season

Well, this off-season was a month longer than last.

 

[GoldOnGold]

A Hawks fan posted this interesting snippet from an Athletic article on the Preds subreddit-

Hartman has already gotten comfortable in Nashville and hopes to be with the Predators for many years. He said the Predators offered three and six-year contract extensions this offseason, but he decided on a one-year deal because it made the most sense financially with him having no arbitration rights. He thought a long-term deal could be in the works eventually.

 

[TheOriginalJez]

feels like eternity this summer compared to last off season

The English league is terrible and I wouldn't usually go to games, but they start next weekend so I've got tickets just to spare my sanity. So. Damn. Long.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

Well, this off-season was a month longer than last.

seem much longer than that to me

 

[King Weber]

to me, this off-season has felt a lot shorter than last off-season.

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

2016 offseason was the longest ever. Seeing PK play for the 1st time was an anxious wait.

 

[Legionnaire11]

2004 off-season felt like like it was about 17 months

 

[Adz]

2004 off-season felt like like it was about 17 months

Seemed to go on and on and on...

 

[NoNecksCurse]

2004 off-season felt like like it was about 17 months

coming again soon to a city near you...

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

A playoff series with Dallas would be nice to see next season. For a while it looked like it was gonna happen last year before the Stars self-destructed.

 

[PredsV82]

coming again soon to a city near you...

With so many players getting their signing bonus on july 1 there will be a bit more impetus on the owners to get things done without missing much/any of the season.

A long work stoppage would be really stupid at this point.

 

[adsfan]

With so many players getting their signing bonus on july 1 there will be a bit more impetus on the owners to get things done without missing much/any of the season.

A long work stoppage would be really stupid at this point.

You realize that the NHL frequently does the stupid thing?

 

[PredsV82]

You realize that the NHL frequently does the stupid thing?

2004 was about a salary cap and they got it and it has changed the game immeasurably for the good

2012 was to get rid of truly ridiculous deals like Weber and Suter and Parise. Was worth doing but took too long.

I dont see anything left that the owners should lock the players out over.

 

[adsfan]

2004 was about a salary cap and they got it and it has changed the game immeasurably for the good

2012 was to get rid of truly ridiculous deals like Weber and Suter and Parise. Was worth doing but took too long.

I dont see anything left that the owners should lock the players out over.

It is crazy to say that I agree with you, but still think that Buttman and company still make some bad decisions?

 

[jwhouk]

2004 was about a salary cap and they got it and it has changed the game immeasurably for the good

2012 was to get rid of truly ridiculous deals like Weber and Suter and Parise. Was worth doing but took too long.

I dont see anything left that the owners should lock the players out over.

You do realize that Liarpold is a good friend of my former boss, who essentially dismantled the state employee's union for political reasons, right?

The owners would do it for one reason: break the union.

 

[101st_fan]

You do realize that Liarpold is a good friend of my former boss, who essentially dismantled the state employee's union for political reasons, right?

The owners would do it for one reason: break the union.

There's a huge difference in public and private sector unions.

 

[PredsV82]

You do realize that Liarpold is a good friend of my former boss, who essentially dismantled the state employee's union for political reasons, right?

The owners would do it for one reason: break the union.

There is zero reason to do that now. They effectively have broken the union. That happened in 2004. Things are looking too good financially to risk screwing it up with another work stoppage.

 

[Viqsi]

There is zero reason to do that now. They effectively have broken the union. That happened in 2004. Things are looking too good financially to risk screwing it up with another work stoppage.

I certainly hope that'll be the case, but I can't help but be a little cynical under the circumstances.

 

[Pred303]

if they strike again, i'm finished with the nhl

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I certainly hope that'll be the case, but I can't help but be a little cynical under the circumstances.

I find it impossible to be anything but cynical. Players are structuring their contracts with the specific assumption of another work stoppage. And it's just the nature of the business that the ownership side will want to try to carve off any little bit extra they can get. Almost precisely because it worked so well last time. They broke the union and ensured a decade of prosperity and financial success? Ok, so now why not CRUSH the union and line up another decade of even more prosperity and still greater financial success...

 

[PredsV82]

I find it impossible to be anything but cynical. Players are structuring their contracts with the specific assumption of another work stoppage. And it's just the nature of the business that the ownership side will want to try to carve off any little bit extra they can get. Almost precisely because it worked so well last time. They broke the union and ensured a decade of prosperity and financial success? Ok, so now why not CRUSH the union and line up another decade of even more prosperity and still greater financial success...

Because they have to know they run the risk of losing long term fans, like 303. There is a saying that the enemy of good is perfect.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Because they have to know they run the risk of losing long term fans, like 303. There is a saying that the enemy of good is perfect.

Just again, recent history says they don't really care. They don't know or care who 303 is or about whether he's a "long term" fan or not. As long as they ultimately gain more fans and more $$$, it's the net win they care about, not about any collateral damage along the way.

It'd be nice to think they could look at it like hey, let's keep all the existing fans and then add new ones on top. But that's kind of a fan-centric way of thinking about it. In reality, if they can hack another pound of flesh off the players, pocket that profit, and still add more new fans over the term of the new deal than they lose, which they probably can, then they'll do it.

 

[Marty Party]

I'm conditioned to look at strikes as part of the game nowadays. Expecting the worst but hoping for the best.

 

[PredsV82]

When is the next possible lockout/strike? Fall of 19 or Fall of 20?

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

When is the next possible lockout/strike? Fall of 19 or Fall of 20?

Without checking it, I think it is fall 20. That said, I think that is the NHLPA opt-out option? And usually they tick the season start from July 1st, so I guess we know on July 1st (ish?) if they are officially opting out and if we are then entering a new CBA negotiating phase. And if there is no agreement in place, is it technically a "lock out" if they don't start games in the fall, I don't remember.

Regardless, the 2020-21 season is the first one in jeopardy of a "labour disruption".

If for some reason the PA doesn't opt-out on the first opportunity, then the CBA expires 2 years later, for the 2022-23 season. But my impression so far is that we are supposed to anticipate the PA opting out at the first available opportunity.