NHL Hockey thread

[Neil]

I'm looking forward to the wailing and gnashing of teeth when the young Oilers start pulling up stakes starting next year.  It's hard for the northern teams to get free agents unless they're winning.

[Barrister]

I'm looking forward to the wailing and gnashing of teeth when the young Oilers start pulling up stakes starting next year.  It's hard for the northern teams to get free agents unless they're winning.

Meh - all their young picks will only be RFAs.  But I agree - if the OIlers don't start winning, they'll all leave eventually.

[Barrister]

Offer sheets are so rare in the NHL it's pretty much assumed that owners have just colluded and agreed not to use them.

But Philly just blew up that little gentleman's agreement, giving Shea Weber a 14 year, $110 million dollar offer sheet, that would pay him $14mil in the first few years.  The speculation is that the deal is just so heavily front-loaded that however much they might want to, Nashville will be simply unable to afford that salary (the deal is structured so the overall cap hit isn't that bad, but in terms of actual cash heading out the door).

Can't see how this helps the owners at the CBA talks though.

[HVC]

Your goalies a drunk driver BB. For shame!

[HVC]

and they really have to get rid of these 10 year loaded contracts. what's the point of having a cap if you can just work around it.

[Barrister]

Your goalies a drunk driver BB. For shame!

  Yeah, I was Not Happy about that bit of news.  The worst of it was that it happened back in June, before he got his new contract, but he never informed the team (and I heard reports he didn't even inform his agent).  It was only when a Czech enws site reported the news that everyone found out about it.

[HVC]

What happens in the czech republic stays in the czech republic. it's like Vegas. but with more hookers

[Grey Fox]

and they really have to get rid of these 10 year loaded contracts. what's the point of having a cap if you can just work around it.

It's what happens when you won't let the rich teams spend as much as they want.

[Barrister]

and they really have to get rid of these 10 year loaded contracts. what's the point of having a cap if you can just work around it.

It's what happens when you won't let the rich teams spend as much as they want.

Well I think teams are starting to regret signing these kinds of deals.  Ask Vancouver what they think of the Loungo contract.  But because they've only come about in the last 4-5 years none of them have gotten so old as to be really terrible for the teams who signed them.

[HVC]

But they'll keep doing it becasue there's a fear of "if i don't someone will". unless they put a cap on contract lengths. Or beter yet, for every year over 5 years on a contract you lose 1 point in the season. Make is way more risky but still have the option to do it.

[Grey Fox]

They might regret it but they won't stop handing them out either.

The owners said no to a 46million hard cap for 5 years back in '04. The players need to clean them dry.

[Barrister]

But they'll keep doing it becasue there's a fear of "if i don't someone will". unless they put a cap on contract lengths. Or beter yet, for every year over 5 years on a contract you lose 1 point in the season. Make is way more risky but still have the option to do it.

I think they do it because they know that most off the GMs signing these deals won't be around by the time these contracts go sour.

But seriously - how on earh is it going to work in, say 2024, when Shea Weber is in his late 30s but carries a 7.5 mil cap hit?  And because it's a contract it's not as if Philly can just cut him, and he's still earning millions so why would he voluntarily retire?

[Grey Fox]

But they'll keep doing it becasue there's a fear of "if i don't someone will". unless they put a cap on contract lengths. Or beter yet, for every year over 5 years on a contract you lose 1 point in the season. Make is way more risky but still have the option to do it.

I think they do it because they know that most off the GMs signing these deals won't be around by the time these contracts go sour.

But seriously - how on earh is it going to work in, say 2024, when Shea Weber is in his late 30s but carries a 7.5 mil cap hit?  And because it's a contract it's not as if Philly can just cut him, and he's still earning millions so why would he voluntarily retire?

He won't make that much. Last 3 years his salary is 1 mil.

The contract has something around 68m in Signing Bonus in the first 6 years.

[HVC]

They'll shift him to the front office And he'll retire because they'll pay him 8 mill to keep him off the cap.

[Barrister]

But they'll keep doing it becasue there's a fear of "if i don't someone will". unless they put a cap on contract lengths. Or beter yet, for every year over 5 years on a contract you lose 1 point in the season. Make is way more risky but still have the option to do it.

I think they do it because they know that most off the GMs signing these deals won't be around by the time these contracts go sour.

But seriously - how on earh is it going to work in, say 2024, when Shea Weber is in his late 30s but carries a 7.5 mil cap hit?  And because it's a contract it's not as if Philly can just cut him, and he's still earning millions so why would he voluntarily retire?

He won't make that much. Last 3 years carry 1 mil.

The contract has something around 56m in Signing Bonus in the first 6 years.

A million per year is still millions of dollars.