thinkwild said:
And since only half the teams can be winning, or making the playoffs, we need an uneven playing field. One for teams who are winning and making money, and one for teams who are rebuilding and not sharing in big attendance and playoff revenue.
So not a system where all 30 teams are equal and trying for the cup. This is how it can work it fair. As long all 30 teams have a fair chance to build a winner and be one of the top teams if their build works.
I don't think anyone is saying any differently. You need your elite teams, your top teams, your competetive teams, your inconsistant teams, and your cellar dwellers.
The idea is, as a cellar dweller you get good draft picks, and can develop them so your team can get out of the basement and be more competetive.
That can't happen right now because teams are signing the players they are developing to large contracts, which effects every team with an up and coming star. You can't get any better when the team you are building is losing it's core guys.
I can remember when Ottawa was the most pathetic team in the league. Year after year. All I wanted was to not end up in last place.
Then we made it out of last place. Now my goal was start getting close to a playoff spot.
Then we got close and we wanted to make the playoffs. Now the goal was to be sure of a playoff spot and maybe get home ice for the playoffs.
Now our goal is for being in the presidents trophy race for regular season as one of the top teams, and have some playoff success. OK and slay Leafs too. Now we see the Cup as in reach. And with our young team, it seems its going to be there for about 5 years. This is as guaranteed as you can get. Even when we were favourites, the odds said it was 6-8 times more likely we would lose.
5 years from now, Redden, Chara, Hossa, Alfie, all UFA age, if we go 5 years, dont make it out of the first round, and all our star players are now UFAs, we have failed. We wont have the money for them. We wont be successful. It will be amazing if anyone still actually wants to keep any of the bums. But we dont get to swap them for a new playoff ready core. Thats going to take hard work and starting from scratch.
If 5 years from now, we have made the 3rd round 4 times. the playoffs every time, and have won a cup or two, we will probably be able to keep most of them.
A team averages about $1-1.5 mil in gate revenue every home playoff game. So, we are talking about at most 12 home playoff dates every playoffs if the team makes the 3rd round.
The way Salaries are going, Chara and Redden will be $10mil players, Hossa will easily get more than that (based on signings like Guerin and that for $9mil), Alfie will probably be a $6-7mil player (he seems to like being in Ottawa, so he'd probably stick around for less). Then add Spezza, who will be a $4mil player (based on contracts like the one Richards got), Havlat's probably another guy who makes about $4mil. And your starting goalie, NHL average is about $2.5 or so per year.
That in total is almost a $40mil payroll for 7 players... if you think the Ottawa Senators can afford that kind of money, even with making the 3rd round 3 or 4 times, you are seriously mistaken.
So even if all things go well, the market the teams like the Leafs and Rangers dictate will prevent the Senators from keeping all their good players... unless Mr. Melnyk decides he wants to lose money every year. And that's the Problem... Ottawa has a core of players than can have a tonne of success for years to come, but the price of that success grows faster than the rewards.
At best hope, you can increase your payroll $20mil the next season (based on winning the cup the year before), but you are in trouble if something happens and you lose in the first round the next season.
That seems fair to me. We dont have to be going for the cup every year. I want us to be able to take the time to build a great team for awhile. I'm going to be buying tickets for awhile, why not plan ahead for greatness.
And based on the current economic structure of the NHL, it won't happen... at least not in a town like Ottawa.