Speculation: Season starts January 13th, 2021

[BoredBrandonPridham]

players only get paid in the regular season

there is this myth that players are not paid for the playoffs. yet when covid struck and there weren't fans in the seats during the playoffs, the players collectively lost hundreds of millions of dollars -- all players lost lots of money. i wonder if players think they are not paid for the playoffs.

 

[Gabriel426]

there is this myth that players are not paid for the playoffs. yet when covid struck and there weren't fans in the seats during the playoffs, the players collectively lost hundreds of millions of dollars -- all players lost lots of money. i wonder if players think they are not paid for the playoffs.

Bonuses aside. When players sign contracts, it is based on a 82 games season and not Plus playoffs. Think the two weeks paycheque schedule is divided by 82games. Put it this way, playoffs is like overtime without pay but players do get bragging rights and possibilities of a better contract in the future.
I have not been reading much but I wonder will the players be paid the same this season as other 82 games season due to COVID. As COVID is not like a player getting injured or sucks and gets send to press box. Are the players getting paid pro rata or the full 82 games

 

[rojac]

I know they never will, but they really should keep these divisions.

Aside from travel for the Canadian teams, I see no downside. It's better for the TV partners. NBC would focus on the North East division and a little on the Central. Rogers obviously on the Canadian division. Rogers is guaranteed three all Canadian playoff series plus one more involving a Canadian team. Sexy matchups for NBC in the north east division.

With the system that looks like it will be used this year, the most playoff series with any Canadian teams would be 5. Under the current system, Rogers could have as many as 14 series with a Canadian team. And is two series, each with two Canadian teams, better for Rogers' ratings than 4 series, each with one Canadian team?

 

[HellasLEAF]

Ok, I am actually now dying for some Leafs hockey. Like drop the puck I like our team this year. This time of year it's always on definitely bit of a void there. Just realized tonight how much am missing it.

It feels like still so far off and details vague.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Bonuses aside. When players sign contracts, it is based on a 82 games season and not Plus playoffs. Think the two weeks paycheque schedule is divided by 82games. Put it this way, playoffs is like overtime without pay but players do get bragging rights and possibilities of a better contract in the future.
I have not been reading much but I wonder will the players be paid the same this season as other 82 games season due to COVID. As COVID is not like a player getting injured or sucks and gets send to press box. Are the players getting paid pro rata or the full 82 games

No, players contracts are not based on 82 game season excluding playoffs. Their contract salary $ represents a slice of 50% of hockey-related revenue, including the revenue pulled in from playoffs. From each paycheck, money is withheld and put into an escrow fund, and if for some reason the playoffs are cancelled, such as in COVID, they don't get any of that escrow money back. In the case of COVID, there are knock-on effects because last year players were paid money they didn't end up earning, because there were no fans in the seats during playoffs. So the players will collectively be paying money back to the league out of their paychecks for the next ~5 years, all because one playoffs of fans in the seats were missed. When you look at it this way, players are being paid for the revenue earned in the playoffs, before the money from those playoffs are even earned!

In normal circumstances with fans in the stadiums, if there were less NHL games played, let's say a lock-shortened season, then all players will make less money on account of the league making less revenue. That's not because they didn't play the games, it's because there was less revenue. If the league, for example, fully compensated for the lost gate revenue by putting ads on jerseys, then players would get paid their regular salary, despite having only played about half the games.

If in the 2022 season the league puts ads on jerseys and it doubles the revenue unexpectedly, then a player who was on a $5m/yr contract will start making $10m/yr (well cap will go up, new player salaries will inflate which will take away from the doubling revenue pool, but you catch the drift).

It's not that players aren't paid for playoffs -- all players are. Players that don't play in the playoffs get paid for the playoffs, even if their team didn't qualify.

 

[ponder]

Damn, that top division looks tough. Boston, Washington, Philly, Pittsburgh - strong top 4. Then NYI, NYR and Buffalo all look like borderline playoff teams too. Just 1 weak team (NJ). Glad we didn’t end up there!

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

This is SO BEAUTIFUL!!! :thank you GOD!!! WE LOVE LIFE! WE AND I once again KNEW this would happen. It was surprising how many human beings were totally saying the season won't happen. Wow. I was blown away, they didn't even remember what bettman did this year already. There was no way this season wouldn't be played. We rule and rock the earth! WE KNEW EVERYTHING! You DIDNT*!!!!!!!!!!!!! I knew!!!!!! TOLD IT BEFORE AGAIN.

NO ONLY cats were saying that, and aliens.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

No, players contracts are not based on 82 game season excluding playoffs. Their contract salary $ represents a slice of 50% of hockey-related revenue, including the revenue pulled in from playoffs. From each paycheck, money is withheld and put into an escrow fund, and if for some reason the playoffs are cancelled, such as in COVID, they don't get any of that escrow money back. In the case of COVID, there are knock-on effects because last year players were paid money they didn't end up earning, because there were no fans in the seats during playoffs. So the players will collectively be paying money back to the league out of their paychecks for the next ~5 years, all because one playoffs of fans in the seats were missed. When you look at it this way, players are being paid for the revenue earned in the playoffs, before the money from those playoffs are even earned!

In normal circumstances with fans in the stadiums, if there were less NHL games played, let's say a lock-shortened season, then all players will make less money on account of the league making less revenue. That's not because they didn't play the games, it's because there was less revenue. If the league, for example, fully compensated for the lost gate revenue by putting ads on jerseys, then players would get paid their regular salary, despite having only played about half the games.

If in the 2022 season the league puts ads on jerseys and it doubles the revenue unexpectedly, then a player who was on a $5m/yr contract will start making $10m/yr (well cap will go up, new player salaries will inflate which will take away from the doubling revenue pool, but you catch the drift).

It's not that players aren't paid for playoffs -- all players are. Players that don't play in the playoffs get paid for the playoffs, even if their team didn't qualify.

Although you are quite right lets face it the whole CBA $$$ situation is too complicated for da average fan and player too while we are at it ... you need a good lawyer and a good accountant to figure it all out ... thank god we got pridham

 

[Wafflewhipper]

I know they never will, but they really should keep these divisions.

Aside from travel for the Canadian teams, I see no downside. It's better for the TV partners. NBC would focus on the North East division and a little on the Central. Rogers obviously on the Canadian division. Rogers is guaranteed three all Canadian playoff series plus one more involving a Canadian team. Sexy matchups for NBC in the north east division.

I agree. Real hockey night in Canada ha. I was thinking that Ottawa will be a real spoiler in short order. I don’t think that team will be out worked for certain and reliable goaltending and slight improvements on defense will make the a handful but not quite good enough for playoffs.

Spoiler alert. Points will be important in a shortened sprint season. It will be a story that raises that team up!

 

[Wafflewhipper]

56 games is kind of a joke, but I guess i'll take any hockey.

It’s a sprint and all the extra bodies Dubas signed makes sense now. I was looking at the roster and always thinking wow, to many players for not enough ice time.
We will be relying on that depth considerably. All Canadian teams playing will make up for lost games in rivalry and intensity Leafer. Enjoy

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Although you are quite right lets face it the whole CBA $$$ situation is too complicated for da average fan and player too while we are at it ... you need a good lawyer and a good accountant to figure it all out ... thank god we got pridham

you’re welcome

 

[BallardEra]

I can't believe that the players get less than two weeks of training camp. I expect lots of injuries league wide until players get into top game shape.

The compressed schedule won't help either. Teams with solid back up goalies will most likely benefit from this.

Team depth will be huge!

 

[JT AM da real deal]

It’s a sprint and all the extra bodies Dubas signed makes sense now. I was looking at the roster and always thinking wow, to many players for not enough ice time.
We will be relying on that depth considerably. All Canadian teams playing will make up for lost games in rivalry and intensity Leafer. Enjoy

Roster should be 25 guys i think
Taxi squad should be 5 guys who practice/travel with team and ready to go if needed
So really 30 guys available to suit up
Da real issue is how to account for extra guys wrt CBA and CAP?
Lets say our Leafs have a 21 man roster for CAP purposes with $500,000 in CAP room
then 4 guys who are on roster but don't account to CAP ... how is this done Pridham if those guys have NHL contracts????? even if you can designate those guys ... could Tampa put Johnson and Killer on the extra roster list to be CAP compliant
the taxi squad may include guys like robertson so no years of service get applied to his contract?????????? and no CAP impact I would assume.
There are quite a few really interesting issues depending on what owners and players can agree to which may help da 9 teams who are not CAP compliant

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I can't believe that the players get less than two weeks of training camp. I expect lots of injuries league wide until players get into top game shape.

The compressed schedule won't help either. Teams with solid back up goalies will most likely benefit from this.

Team depth will be huge!

Every team will have 3 goalies allowed on roster in case of a COVID result ... Dubie was really smart on that call with Dell

 

[Golden_Jet]

Roster should be 25 guys i think
Taxi squad should be 5 guys who practice/travel with team and ready to go if needed
So really 30 guys available to suit up
Da real issue is how to account for extra guys wrt CBA and CAP?
Lets say our Leafs have a 21 man roster for CAP purposes with $500,000 in CAP room
then 4 guys who are on roster but don't account to CAP ... how is this done Pridham if those guys have NHL contracts????? even if you can designate those guys ... could Tampa put Johnson and Killer on the extra roster list to be CAP compliant
the taxi squad may include guys like robertson so no years of service get applied to his contract?????????? and no CAP impact I would assume.
There are quite a few really interesting issues depending on what owners and players can agree to which may help da 9 teams who are not CAP compliant

or possibly after 23 players then don't count against the cap, like usual.

If 4 guys extra, then a cap compliant team of 21 players gets 25 players.
if a 23 man roster is cap compliant then they get 27 players.

That way no unfair advantage for non compliant teams. To avoid cheating, the most expensive contracts are counted first.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

or possibly after 23 players then don't count against the cap, like usual.

If 4 guys extra, then a cap compliant team of 21 players gets 25 players.
if a 23 man roster is cap compliant then they get 27 players.

That way no unfair advantage for non compliant teams. To avoid cheating, the most expensive contracts are counted first.

Great idear ... yes that's how to do it count most expensive contracts 1st so no team manipulations ... but our Leafs then would have to be 20 men as Engvall screws up da CAP

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Roster should be 25 guys i think
Taxi squad should be 5 guys who practice/travel with team and ready to go if needed
So really 30 guys available to suit up
Da real issue is how to account for extra guys wrt CBA and CAP?
Lets say our Leafs have a 21 man roster for CAP purposes with $500,000 in CAP room
then 4 guys who are on roster but don't account to CAP ... how is this done Pridham if those guys have NHL contracts????? even if you can designate those guys ... could Tampa put Johnson and Killer on the extra roster list to be CAP compliant
the taxi squad may include guys like robertson so no years of service get applied to his contract?????????? and no CAP impact I would assume.
There are quite a few really interesting issues depending on what owners and players can agree to which may help da 9 teams who are not CAP compliant

I would imagine the taxi squad would be similar to having an AHL squad in your NHL city, where you can easily do paper transactions to "send them down" and "recall them", but the player doesn't physically change location.

Cap savings would be standard ~$1m cap savings by assigning them to the taxi squad.

How do you stop the Leafs from assigning Auston Matthews to the taxi squad to get $1m cap savings instead of assigning Robertson and getting only $826k in cap savings?

Option A: Waivers. Either standard waivers, or the league will determine that it's not fair to handcuff team depth w/ waiver eligibility and put in place some exception, with likely some caveat that a player that is otherwise standard waiver-elibile can't lose actual salary by being assigned to the taxi squad. That way you can't assign a waiver-eligible player without passing them through waivers first.

Option B: Use emergency recall structure. No player that makes more than $800k goes on the taxi squad -- seems too restrictive to me. I doubt it looks like this, unless perhaps they raise that bar to $1m to allow AHL depth and ELCs/most young developing players to be carried on the taxi squad.

If player is on taxi squad and earning AHL salary, there is no escrow, and it does not come from HRR pool, similar to AHL/NHL salary differences. Players travelling on the taxi squad get NHL per-diem and perks that go along with travelling w/ the club. Though they probably have to have a roommate, etc..

Years are service for purposes of UFA / ELC contract slide are interesting, though don't those mostly revolve around NHL games played? Which ones are based on days on roster? I would suspect if you're on the taxi squad, you aren't counting towards UFA.

 

[Dead Coyote]

It’s a sprint and all the extra bodies Dubas signed makes sense now. I was looking at the roster and always thinking wow, to many players for not enough ice time.
We will be relying on that depth considerably. All Canadian teams playing will make up for lost games in rivalry and intensity Leafer. Enjoy

Did you...did you just assume I was a Leafs fan because of my username? I think I've never been more insulted!

 

[Deebo]

Did you...did you just assume I was a Leafs fan because of my username? I think I've never been more insulted!

Uh, you're posting on the Leaf board in a thread about the season starting. I think most would assume you are a Leaf fan.

 

[Roadhouse]

Did you...did you just assume I was a Leafs fan because of my username? I think I've never been more insulted!

Uh, you're posting on the Leaf board in a thread about the season starting. I think most would assume you are a Leaf fan.

Habs fan driving by, I see there's a lost coyote in here.

 

[ACC1224]

Did you...did you just assume I was a Leafs fan because of my username? I think I've never been more insulted!

Find that hard to believe. Maybe you’re just not realizing when it happens.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

T

Roster should be 25 guys i think
Taxi squad should be 5 guys who practice/travel with team and ready to go if needed
So really 30 guys available to suit up
Da real issue is how to account for extra guys wrt CBA and CAP?
Lets say our Leafs have a 21 man roster for CAP purposes with $500,000 in CAP room
then 4 guys who are on roster but don't account to CAP ... how is this done Pridham if those guys have NHL contracts????? even if you can designate those guys ... could Tampa put Johnson and Killer on the extra roster list to be CAP compliant
the taxi squad may include guys like robertson so no years of service get applied to his contract?????????? and no CAP impact I would assume.
There are quite a few really interesting issues depending on what owners and players can agree to which may help da 9 teams who are not CAP compliant

Taxi squad count as Ahl contracts???

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Did you...did you just assume I was a Leafs fan because of my username? I think I've never been more insulted!

Sh!t am i on the wrong board.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Find that hard to believe. Maybe you’re just not realizing when it happens.

 

[Menzinger]

Hell yeah, All Canadian Brawling division. This forum and really online hockey talk in general is going to be a shit show this year. Can’t wait.

It'll actually give the fans and teams a chance to build real rivalries which should be a lot of fun

Rather than the pretend ones that Oilers/Jets/Flames/Nucks fans seem to think we have with them lol