Matt....On paper but not really in a fiscal sense. What has happened is the salaries for most players is not on the rise now. The overall amount of money is controlled so it is just shifted to benefit fewer players overall.

The Hawks model is what many teams want to emulate. Get better quickly by identifying a young core and pay them the motherload to keep them together. The Hawks "way" was also helped by drafting two 1st ballot HOF players in consecutive years, but you get my point.

As it is now every season a higher % of the cap is allocated to fewer players. This is truly "a have and have not" league. Every player has the same amount of votes and the role of a union is to not serve only 20-25% of the players. That's another issue that will have a judgement day sooner than later if the trend continues.
- Al

It is interesting to see how the Hawks model is unfolding and if it'll result in another cup or not. The haves and have-nots is exactly right, for teams and for players. The Blackhawks with like 80% of their salary tied up in 9 players now require cheap veterans and young guys to fill out the roster and it isn't clear if that model is going to work or not; it might be too top heavy. We'll see.

The reason I think the NHLPA wouldn't like the cap floor being removed is because then teams like Arizona wouldn't have to take on salaries other teams want to dump, which means those other teams would be capped out and unable to sign more players. (Like Detroit has done since dumping Datsyuk.)

The big question for me is how long does the NHL keep its parity strategy? Parity does not build interest in a league. The NHL knows this as they put the Blackhawks in an outdoor game every year. Why? Because they get viewers! The NHL would be better off changing its salary cap (as discussed in this thread previously) so that great teams can stay great. When they do eventually fall, it is a bigger story, and that's great too.

The NHL would be a stronger league if the Blackhawks (and other teams) hadn't had to dump salary after each of their Cups. TV viewership would be higher, revenues higher, quality of play higher, etc. I can see the value of some level of cap and salary floor with luxury tax, but the NHL is hurting their revenue growth with their parity strategy.
- matt_ahrens

You are correct-There is only 1 sport that can really can talk about parity and that's the NFL...But nothing compares to them and parity doesn't sell that sport.

It's a fuzzy plan by design because the bigger changes they need are difficult to swallow. In reality the made for TV point system creates more parity than having a hard cap.

The point system creates the illusion of almost everyone having a chance to make the playoffs in late Feb and March. But in reality the 3 point system makes it hard to make up ground.

Every year I look at the standings on the Friday morning after US Thanksgiving. Without fail every year 80-85% of teams slotted from 1-8 then, make the playoffs in April.

You are correct...Bettman trumpets parity and the puts the Hawks on network TV as much as allowed under the rules-It's ass backwards t0 then brag that is almost impossible to win the Cup 2 years in a row.

If Bettman had 75% of the business/marketing mind of Adam Silver the NBA boss, the league would be in a great position to flourish. Silver knows there will never be parity in the NBA-The exact opposite happens, but he can still sell the sport on TV-
People watch great teams/players because they are fans and also because they want them to lose...LeBron is the poster child for that logic.

It is interesting to see how the Hawks model is unfolding and if it'll result in another cup or not. The haves and have-nots is exactly right, for teams and for players. The Blackhawks with like 80% of their salary tied up in 9 players now require cheap veterans and young guys to fill out the roster and it isn't clear if that model is going to work or not; it might be too top heavy. We'll see.

The reason I think the NHLPA wouldn't like the cap floor being removed is because then teams like Arizona wouldn't have to take on salaries other teams want to dump, which means those other teams would be capped out and unable to sign more players. (Like Detroit has done since dumping Datsyuk.)
- matt_ahrens

They won't get rid of the floor because they feel fans will not show up for sure. That's correct but also a way to have the market eliminate the weak sisters...But as you say places like Az are needed now.

Matt....On paper but not really in a fiscal sense. What has happened is the salaries for most players is not on the rise now. The overall amount of money is controlled so it is just shifted to benefit fewer players overall.

The Hawks model is what many teams want to emulate. Get better quickly by identifying a young core and pay them the motherload to keep them together. The Hawks "way" was also helped by drafting two 1st ballot HOF players in consecutive years, but you get my point.

As it is now every season a higher % of the cap is allocated to fewer players. This is truly "a have and have not" league. Every player has the same amount of votes and the role of a union is to not serve only 20-25% of the players. That's another issue that will have a judgement day sooner than later if the trend continues.
- Al

This "haves vs. have nots" will initially play out when the "haves" - and others with signed contracts - get really tired of giving back something approaching 20% of the salaries every year and stop approving the cap escalator each June.

And just like the NBA in the early days of their cap - until the TV revenues exploded - it's a league of "upper class" and "lower class" players - the one percent vs. the masses, if you will - with a rapidly disappearing middle class.

The issue is not Kreuger's contract and wether he is overpaid by 500k but the wonder twins getting overpaid by 2million each on their contracts
- molly2522

Yeah, Molly, they should have drawn a line in the sand, and saw how fast the two UFAs found new homes where the GMs wouldn't have thought twice about signing Kane and Toews.

It is interesting to see how the Hawks model is unfolding and if it'll result in another cup or not. The haves and have-nots is exactly right, for teams and for players. The Blackhawks with like 80% of their salary tied up in 9 players now require cheap veterans and young guys to fill out the roster and it isn't clear if that model is going to work or not; it might be too top heavy. We'll see.

The reason I think the NHLPA wouldn't like the cap floor being removed is because then teams like Arizona wouldn't have to take on salaries other teams want to dump, which means those other teams would be capped out and unable to sign more players. (Like Detroit has done since dumping Datsyuk.)
- matt_ahrens

Gary's parity mindset won't be completely satisfied until he gets his Ottawa vs Edmonton or Arizona Stanley Cup Final. And then a couple of days after it's finished the networks and owners will fire his arrogant little ass.

You are correct-There is only 1 sport that can really can talk about parity and that's the NFL...But nothing compares to them and parity doesn't sell that sport.

It's a fuzzy plan by design because the bigger changes they need are difficult to swallow. In reality the made for TV point system creates more parity than having a hard cap.

The point system creates the illusion of almost everyone having a chance to make the playoffs in late Feb and March. But in reality the 3 point system makes it hard to make up ground.

Every year I look at the standings on the Friday morning after US Thanksgiving. Without fail every year 80-85% of teams slotted from 1-8 then, make the playoffs in April.

You are correct...Bettman trumpets parity and the puts the Hawks on network TV as much as allowed under the rules-It's ass backwards t0 then brag that is almost impossible to win the Cup 2 years in a row.

If Bettman had 75% of the business/marketing mind of Adam Silver the NBA boss, the league would be in a great position to flourish. Silver knows there will never be parity in the NBA-The exact opposite happens, but he can still sell the sport on TV-
People watch great teams/players because they are fans and also because they want them to lose...LeBron is the poster child for that logic.
- Al

ALL OF THIS^^-- agree 100% Al-- as well as your statement that the NHLPA will have its say when the salary base isn't increasing except for the top players-- that won't sit well for the rank and file players--

Bettman needs the Hawks and the NHL needs a change at the top-- at some point it all stops-- There will never be enough TV ratings for NHL hockey if they don't support the dynasty team (Hawks) by at least reforming the cap to eliminate the huge losses of the drafted and developed players-- when they hit the second contract-- The 3 point system is a joke-- and makes the weak teams have false hope-- even tough the standings tell the majority of the playoff story in late November every year--

Happy now as the carrot for some is they lose $20-$30 mill a season but think they can bank on franchise values going up. Something has to give-TV #'s are down in general...Something to worry about and there are still too many weak sisters.
- Al

Right on, Al. And the current trajectory is going to land the league into a prolonged stoppage. IMHO, that could very well happen after year 8 of the current deal, when negotiations can be re-opened; this being after '19-'20.

Hard to tell right now which side may blink first, escalator on the PA side and big vs small mkt on the owner side.

Taking out macro economic influences, if HRR doesn't turn around soon, the NHL could be in deep dooty. I do not know if NBC has any "out" clauses either.

Stamkos was able to see the Cap stagnate for two summers when it came time to sign his new deal vs when Toews signed his.
- HawkintheD

Stamkos didn't win a Cup, so there wasn't going to be a 10.5 mil offer.
There is no State income Tax in Florida,
and
He clearly was knows how very close he was to drinking out of Lord Stanley's Cup, as did his teammates, and they almost all feel that staying together is more important and taking another few runs at it than filling their pockets.

just an aside:

When I was a kid, in the Stanley Cup playoffs, there was one guy designated the emergency goalie for both teams.
I never forget when Roger Crozier was that guy in a playoff series between Blackhawks - Wings.

It felt odd, b/c he was the Bruce Norris minor league back up, not Bruce's brother James Norris' minor league back-up.

Would he let in pucks for guys/ ateam he knew?

Usually someone with goalie experience who is playing at some level...BUT hasn't had a NHL contract of any kind before.
- Al

Makes sense. Last resort for any team. Better scenario obviously is if the Icehogs are on a homestand and not playing the same night, then it's easy for the Hawks to call up Leighton or Carruth or whoever will be the goalies on the farm this season.

This "haves vs. have nots" will initially play out when the "haves" - and others with signed contracts - get really tired of giving back something approaching 20% of the salaries every year and stop approving the cap escalator each June.

And just like the NBA in the early days of their cap - until the TV revenues exploded - it's a league of "upper class" and "lower class" players - the one percent vs. the masses, if you will - with a rapidly disappearing middle class.
- StLBravesFan

Yes and the value of a players union diminishes.

Makes sense. Last resort for any team. Better scenario obviously is if the Icehogs are on a homestand and not playing the same night, then it's easy for the Hawks to call up Leighton or Carruth or whoever will be the goalies on the farm this season.
- AEL_Fox

It doesn't happen often but it seems when it does is because one of goalies is unable to stay on the bench due to injury and they already called up a AHL player. Then if one of those two gets hurt during a game the phone calls start quickly.

It doesn't happen often but it seems when it does is because one of goalies is unable to stay on the bench due to injury and they already called up a AHL player. Then if one of those two gets hurt during a game the phone calls start quickly.
- Al

Weren't home teams required to have a "spare" in the stands in case of emergency?

Or was that before each team dressed two goalies for each game?

Weren't home teams required to have a "spare" in the stands in case of emergency?

Or was that before each team dressed two goalies for each game?
- StLBravesFan

As far as I know not now... Back in the day the spare also was the equipment mgr or a part time trainer. At one time Gunzo was the backup, when Wiz was in high school.

JJ anything on this yet? Know it hasn't been all that long since you posted it but bored by the lack of any hockey news and like many on here think that more will (need to) be done by Stan & co. Meanwhile, I'm watching the replay of 2010 SCF game 6.

EDIT: 6 years later it's really interesting to watch what's getting called in this game. They were actually calling cross checks.
- Marlowe

Name I heard and this was a suggestion of someone a friend thought they should invite: Jiri Tlusty

Have not heard back whether he is a name they are considering, would not surprise me however

Well said. I'll take the 3 Cups and the current
- HawkintheDmismanagement of the team any day.

In 2006 I certainly didn't see one let alone 3 Cups being in the cards when discussing the Hawks 10 year plan.

Be greedy—expect a 4th.

John....Bowman needs to hope Kempney is the real deal and at least one other young forward. Because Bowman needs options and won't have many without some pleasant surprises.
- Al

I agree, you don't really know what you have with Kempny until midway through the season–unless he really excels or really poops the bed right out of the gate. On paper and by reputation, he appears to have all the tools and pro experience. Remains to be seen how he applies it on the smaller sheet against the best competition in the world.

And yes, Stanley needs some "lighting in a bottle" at the forward positions: a kid, a veteran PTO, and/or some creative reconfiguration of the resources they have.

On paper, and as far as "improving" on last year's problems, that situation does not look so good.

Name I heard and this was a suggestion of someone a friend thought they should invite: Jiri Tlusty

Have not heard back whether he is a name they are considering, would not surprise me however
- John Jaeckel

Not been a big Tlustu fan since his Toronto days, he's soft and is often injured. A PTO doesn't hurt, but Tanguay would be a better option (and he's not a good option).

I agree, you don't really know what you have with Kempny until midway through the season–unless he really excels or really poops the bed right out of the gate. On paper and by reputation, he appears to have all the tools and pro experience. Remains to be seen how he applies it on the smaller sheet against the best competition in the world.

And yes, Stanley needs some "lighting in a bottle" at the forward positions: a kid, a veteran PTO, and/or some creative reconfiguration of the resources they have.

On paper, and as far as "improving" on last year's problems, that situation does not look so good.
- John Jaeckel

Every year since 2010 there have been holes in the lineup...Forever at least an issue with 2nd line center.

What I think is different this time is not only trying to find a left wing to play with Toews-But losing Shaw leaves a big void and they got nothing in return.

So it's not only about filling a hole that existed but also replacing Shaw's skill set...And that may take awhile.

There is absolute gold going on in Tanner's blog.....as he defends runblad......it's the most fun ive had in here in a long time

Be greedy—expect a 4th.
- John Jaeckel

I definitely think a 4th is possible with this Core.

Every year since 2010 there have been holes in the lineup...Forever at least an issue with 2nd line center.

What I think is different this time is not only trying to find a left wing to play with Toews-But losing Shaw leaves a big void and they got nothing in return.

So it's not only about filling a hole that existed but also replacing Shaw's skill set...And that may take awhile.
- Al

Yeah, that one stings. At least in AA they have another guy who's very good in front of the net.

Can't have enough of them which is one of the reasons I'm sad they had to part company with Shaw.

There is absolute gold going on in Tanner's blog.....as he defends runblad......it's the most fun ive had in here in a long time
- southernhawk

I love this one "So, just to be clear: David Rundblad has played just over one full season of NHL hockey, during which he put up stats that show he is a very good first pairing player or an elite second pairing player. "

Name I heard and this was a suggestion of someone a friend thought they should invite: Jiri Tlusty

Have not heard back whether he is a name they are considering, would not surprise me however
- John Jaeckel

Any chance Tuomo Ruutu is invited on a PTO?