You do realize the league is 30 teams. Wirtz doesn't want that cap to go higher any more than any owner does. The league set the cap based on owner and NHLPA input
- paulr

I'm not talking about the actual number. I'm talking about how the number doesn't get worked out a week ago. Playing the shell game with the teams as they are trying to plan trades and sign guys is pathetic.

One thing about the 69M figure...

...this will force SB and Co. to do something.

Still should be an interesting couple of days.
- ArlingtonRob

I agree with this and this might not be a bad thing to be quite honest with you.

I just wish the CBA included a luxury tax contingency for big spenders...

...going over would be possible, but it'll cost ya in penalties. At least that way teams aren't scrambling to dump salary, or hesitating to make deals solely for financial reasons.

but alas, it wasn't included...
- ArlingtonRob

However, teams can give out performance bonuses with contracts. Unfortunately, they count against the cap for the next season. Boston is getting dinged for $4.5 million next season.

my point in the comparison is why is a big goof that has ECHL skill making more money than a former 1st rounder with NHL talent???
- EnzoD

That I agree with completely.

Plenty of idiots on Wall Street and in businesses everywhere go bankrupt because they can't accurately project.

Stop trying to excuse these clowns.
- StLBravesFan

Where was it ever stated the cap was going to be $72M? There were warnings that the Canadian $ would have a cooling effect on the upward spiral of the cap. That's what happened or did they really need to schedule 25 outdoor games a year to keep it spiralling ever upward?

I know you don't care, but do you want a floor of about $60M so teams like Florida, Nashville, Phoenix, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Carolina and a few others go tits up?

Still think #19 and #88 are going to get $12M each?

Give it a rest, the Hawks will have to work around it and move a player or 2 and replace them with younger farmhands which they have been working at doing for a number of years.

I agree with this and this might not be a bad thing to be quite honest with you.
- dan9189

It's not ideal to have a $69 million cap but it's not the end of the world. 1-2 moves bring us back on side. Plus a low cap hit helps with the Kane and Toews negotiations.

One thing I always have wanted to see in sports with salary caps is a break for teams who develop their own players. I think if you draft a player and develop a player and the time comes for the player to hit UFA, if you extend that player to say a 5 year $20 mil deal (so $4mil per with an AAV of $4mil), the team should get a cap bonus so to speak of 25% on that deal so it will then only count $3mil against the cap instead of $4mil. I hate that teams that develop their own players eventually will have to lose them because of the cap.

@BrianHedger: Whoa RT “@JamesNeaI: BREAKING: PIT has traded James Neal to the WPG, Evander Kane is expected to he on his way to PIT in return.”

@BrianHedger: Whoa RT “@JamesNeaI: BREAKING: PIT has traded James Neal to the WPG, Evander Kane is expected to he on his way to PIT in return.”
- captainserious

Nvm. Fake.

It's not ideal to have a $69 million cap but it's not the end of the world. 1-2 moves bring us back on side. Plus a low cap hit helps with the Kane and Toews negotiations.
- DarthKane

Yep agree. Also it's not like anyone who will be traded will come as a real surprise to any of us. They probably would've been traded anyway if the cap was $70-$71 mil.

@BrianHedger: Whoa RT “@JamesNeaI: BREAKING: PIT has traded James Neal to the WPG, Evander Kane is expected to he on his way to PIT in return.”
- captainserious

@JamesNeveau: @BrianHedger Yeah......not legit. At all.

Donno wtf is goin on anymore

Stastny plus nothing equals nothing
- paulr

So are we not watching the games next season since the Hawks are (frank)ed AS OF RIGHT NOW? Or will people pull their parachute chords and float harmlessly to the ground after jumping off the ledge if Stan and co can make something happen?

@JamesNeveau: @BrianHedger Yeah......not legit. At all.

Donno wtf is goin on anymore
- captainserious

Faaaaaake! My fault....sorry....I'm an idiot

I'm a little dismayed. I always counted on you as one of the few voices of reason on this site.
- paulr

Paul, I am - and it's reasonable to expect that internal financial people, who are supposed to know the economic factors that affect their business, and know how important accuracy is, should be able to do a better job than they've done - and to get the final answer completed well before three hours before the draft.

They had to have known the final numbers several weeks ago - why is it only now that they come up with this?

The Canadian dollar was about $.96 a year ago; it was as low as $.89 in March; it's almost $.94 now. I don't know how the league uses this to calculate the cap, but how could they project $71MM last Jan/Feb, when the looney was lower than it is now (the average in January was $.9157), and have it be $3MM less (before the Rogers money)
now? What date is used to set the looney rate?

Seems like something else is going on.

But - it is what it is - time to move on and figure out how to maneuver this mess.

This is real

@JoshRimerHockey: The SJ Sharks will buyout Martin Havlat.


Flaaaaaarida here I come!!

Not going to lie, that's hard to excuse. The Candain dollar has gotten stronger since it took a dive in Feb/March, but it would never have climbed up enough to get back to $71m.

It makes the trading of Versteeg more odd: he might be a bargain at $2.2m if his knee gets better, but that's a bigger gamble than getting Morin some more NHL experience imo. Bollig's signing is another mystery because while he was solid, paying 3 4th liners over a million each is stupid when you have so much money tied up in the top 9. Kruger and Smith are worth it, but a Rockford guy could be trained to be as effective as Bollig.

Neither of these are huge enough deals that they're what is breaking bank right now for the Hawks, but they certainly aren't helping.
- L_B_R

What did it have to climb to?

cotsonika: Benning said Hawks were in on Kesler to the end.

Came in around 70...NHL and NHLPA compromised to 69...Agreed thouh.....off and for teams spending to the limit, they got bent over.

SnapitUpstairs is right...game of poker with all the big teams...Bost, Philly, Chic, Pitts...Bowman better be good at poker and maximize return in buyers market.

and by bowman, I mean scotty....
- SteveRain

I thought they said it came in at $68 - early Rogers money got it to $69 - that was the compromise with the PA.

Holy crap I was right on the cap!! What do I win?

Paul, I am - and it's reasonable to expect that internal financial people, who are supposed to know the economic factors that affect their business, and know how important accuracy is, should be able to do a better job than they've done - and to get the final answer completed well before three hours before the draft.

They had to have known the final numbers several weeks ago - why is it only now that they come up with this?

The Canadian dollar was about $.96 a year ago; it was as low as $.89 in March; it's almost $.94 now. I don't know how the league uses this to calculate the cap, but how could they project $71MM last Jan/Feb, when the looney was lower than it is now (the average in January was $.9157), and have it be $3MM less (before the Rogers money)
now? What date is used to set the looney rate?

Seems like something else is going on.

But - it is what it is - time to move on and figure out how to maneuver this mess.
- StLBravesFan

Is it really that crazy to think that the GM's have known this number for awhile, and planned accordingly?

If Sharp gets traded in the next couple days (if not today) for a 3rd or 4th and B level prospect then ill start to think that they really didnt know what the number was going to be.

I thought they said it came in at $68 - early Rogers money got it to $69 - that was the compromise with the PA.
- StLBravesFan

Rogers got it to $70 and the compromise was 69. The players didn't want the escalator to push it to 70, because if would've increased escrow amount

Pierre LeBrun @Real_ESPNLeBrun · 6h
Teams eagerly awaiting cap number. Said one GM: ``There is going to be some major scrambling if the number if lower than thought.''

This should make for an interesting weekend...and FA period.

Why do I get the feeling that the Hawks will NOT be a better club next year?

cotsonika: Benning said Hawks were in on Kesler to the end.
- Hemingways

Didn't we hear that on Parise?

Fixed for the long term
- Whiskey-Tango

Oh. I see... Benning is going to turn a Dorsett/Sbisa package into the 1st overall.

Also, he is sending Edler back to Sweden for a stem cell package to make the Sedins 10 years younger.

Should have known all along.