Confirmed with Link: Ryan Callahan diagnosed with degenerative back disease | to be placed on LTIR

[ShaneinTpa]

Hard not to like Cally the person, and sorry it's ending this way for him, but let's not kid ourselves about the quality of his play. His place in the line up can be replaced by about a hundred guys on ELCs or two-ways around the league. Saving that money is very significant given our cap situation.

You also in fairness have to ask yourself if the team had traded him or bought him out, would they have replaced him with ELC’s? Without him here the Lightning only get the full benefit of his $5.8M if they do not exceed whatever the cap is and they have 20 signed contracts. If they complete the roster by re-signing Erne and Paquette that will take them from the roughly $6.5M left after re-upping Coburn to under $4M. That is not enough to extend Point. For every dollar they go over the cap is a dollar they don’t get in Callahan’s LTIR relief. Hence they still have to move another player to sign Point and complete their roster. Was Callahan’s misfortune better for the team than buying him out? Of course. But it is still no bed of roses.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Cap manipulation 101

Read his interview in my post above and Callahan says it's been an on going issue for the past few years.

 

[God King Fudge]

As it should. Just too darn convenient for a team with cap issues.

Imagine being this salty lmao

 

[Leonardo87]

Yo @DFC , thanks dude for your comments in the main thread . You really are a cool guy with a lot of class.

 

[Lightning1995]

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LTIR does not provide cap relief. It simply allows a club to exceed their upper limit. It is far from an ideal situation and can handcuff teams who use it - it limits who the club can recall - accruing cap space becomes very difficult - exceeding the limit can result in Overages
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[SRQKiter]

You also in fairness have to ask yourself if the team had traded him or bought him out, would they have replaced him with ELC’s? Without him here the Lightning only get the full benefit of his $5.8M if they do not exceed whatever the cap is and they have 20 signed contracts. If they complete the roster by re-signing Erne and Paquette that will take them from the roughly $6.5M left after re-upping Coburn to under $4M. That is not enough to extend Point. For every dollar they go over the cap is a dollar they don’t get in Callahan’s LTIR relief. Hence they still have to move another player to sign Point and complete their roster. Was Callahan’s misfortune better for the team than buying him out? Of course. But it is still no bed of roses.

I have no problem with anything you've written and agree with most of it, but I think the answer to the bolded is yes, based on what it is they were replacing and their cap limitations. Cally at the end was a marginal fourth line grinder with good PK skills. That is not a hard find.

 

[SRQKiter]

As it should. Just too darn convenient for a team with cap issues.

Even as a Lightning fan, this is not an unfair take. Imagine if it were some other team in our division facing cap trouble and an aging and ineffective vet with a big cap hit all of a sudden had a mysterious career ender. This board would be lit up with incredulous outrage.

 

[T REX]

One of my favorite players. A grinder. His grit and lockerroom presence will be missed. Wish him nothing but long term health. He truly gave everything to the game. Thank you Cally.

 

[J T Money]

Damn the cap stuff, sucks that Cally has to be forced out due to his health.

I hurt my back (got lucky I didn't actually break it) a year ago and there are many times I can't tie my own laces. Back injuries are the worst kind.

 

[Outl4w]

I am sad for him, but this does help our cap situation LTIR. This is a loss for him, but a win for the team sadly. Ryan Callahan was the epitome of a hockey player. He gave it all on the ice even when his body and skills deteriorated. Sadly, Cooper gave him a raw deal because the Lightning needed his energy and leadership from Game 1. I hope he gets a job in the organization, but I can see him going with Yzerman to Detroit or the NYR.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

2 years of constant injuries, all of last season basically being day-to-day with lower body injuries, leaving millions on the table on future contracts, damn convenient indeed.

Two years? The dude hasn't played a full season. Ever.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Oh dear! Some fans of other teams seem to have mistaken the Tampa Bay Lightning subforum for the main boards!

Feel free to accuse our team of cheating in the main boards. There's even a thread there and everything.

Cally has been a true warrior, outstanding leader and compassionate human being who gave 110% effort every single fricking time he stepped on the ice. To be told by MULTIPLE doctors that he should not play the game he loves ever again must be heartbreaking. Joe Smith said that Cally and his family still intend to spend the upcoming season here in Tampa so maybe he can continue his Callahan Foundation work with pediatric cancer patients and other community endeavors.

 

[Fabiobest]

Poor Cally I'm sorry for him
Nobody deserves to end the career in this way. In particular a true warrior and a class professional athlete like Cally is.
I really hope he'll stay in Tampa for many years, with maybe a job into the organization.

PS: if someone has the "genial" idea to come here and start to insult the Lightning organization and Callahan about the salary cap...I'll promise the mod will ban me. But that guy will not spend well the next 15 minutes here.

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

The main board's are a flaming cesspool of some of the worst. Lord help me, I feel awful for cally he gave his all for this team and community and this isn't how he should have to go out.

 

[Ducati Boy]

While of course it’s ‘convenient’ in a limited way for the salary cap, that in no way diminishes or falsifies the fact that Cally has a chronic condition that has pretty much forced him into retirement. It’s just common sense management to make the official announcement before July 1st. Nothing fishy in the least.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

BriseBois talks about Cally starting @ 4:10

 

[These Are The Days]

Not like this. Damn it I really wanted to see Callahan go out on his own terms or at least better terms. This sucks man. I can't say I'm surprised given the fact that Callahan broke and bled for this team like few others that ever came before him but I still wish it didn't have to be this way. Whatever you do Ryan do it with your heart in it. God knows that's how you played.

I hope the team can pay tribute somehow if he hangs em up

 

[Roo Returns]

Rangers fan here in peace. First off don't listen to the main boards, it's Statler and Waldorf negative nancys x 1000.

Loved Cally, he was a warrior. Sad day for the league as one of the heart and soul players is no longer active.

Salute to a great career for both our clubs.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

Two years? The dude hasn't played a full season. Ever.

He played 1 healthy season. You're grammatically wrong. Take that!

 

[Roo Returns]

I'll add one more thing from a Rangers perspective to your board and what he meant to the fanbase. Rangers every generation or so have an undersized player who plays his heart out and every shift like it's his last. In the late 70s/early 80s it was Eddie Johnston. From 91-2000 it was Adam Graves. For the blink of an eye in the early 2000s it was Todd Harvey. And from 07-14 it was Ryan Callahan.

 

[JoVel]

This sucks. He was the ultimate team first guy but unfortunately he was given a horriric contract and thus got mostly negative attention from everyone, including me.

 

[calder candidate]

It suck but at the same time how convenient for TB... they get to put there worst contract on LTIR... I would not be to worried for him...

 

[ccman68]

Do people actually think that Ryan f***ing Callahan would end his career at age 34 just to help us a bit with our cap situation before he has even won the cup. It’s just crazy how stupid people can be.

 

[Pominville Knows]

I'll add one more thing from a Rangers perspective to your board and what he meant to the fanbase. Rangers every generation or so have an undersized player who plays his heart out and every shift like it's his last. In the late 70s/early 80s it was Eddie Johnston. From 91-2000 it was Adam Graves. For the blink of an eye in the early 2000s it was Todd Harvey. And from 07-14 it was Ryan Callahan.

Dont know about the rest, but Graves was not what i would proclaim to be undersized, especially for a forward.
Although possibly being just over the median in size amongst forwards he was still a semi-beast though.

 

[J T Money]

All they have to do is win the cup this year and he gets a ring.

Theme for the year: Win it for Cally.