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In yesterday’s write up there was a focus on a few things. Of course, it was interesting to see how Rasmussen has carved a spot for himself and earned a four year extension.
Cap Friendly shows around 14 players on expiring deals, but the major focus is going to be Seider. That will dictate dollars spent. Raymond is up for a raise and has elevated his play. Would love to keep Perron but if it came down to a spot for him or Sprong I’d probably take Sprong. Would be nice to have Ghost and Kane back in the fold but without the final numbers available it’s difficult to tell what Detroit will end up doing (along with a few players in GR who are pushing for a role).
That said, it’s difficult to see major moves involving draft picks or prospects even as there is very little breathing room between Tampa, Detroit and New Jersey for the wild card spots.
There is, and should be, some optimism about what the prospect pipe is producing. Looking forward to Danielson’s camp this year.
That said, I made a huge mistake in talking about land mass yesterday.
You can see here that Russia is the largest land mass in terms of space, Canada is the second largest. In terms of population density, the great north is sparse. With the U.S. having over 330m and Canada having around 38m you see the gaps of population. Add to the a current exchange rate of around $1.35 CAD to $1USD and the Tavares lawsuit stands to set a precedent that could greatly impact one of Toronto’s greatest draws - the signing bonus.
Regardless of the point, the incorrect information on land mass is irksome. I do apologize to the readers.
The reality that right now Canadian teams need to produce about 35% more in terms of player salaries is causing issues. Winnipeg was mentioned as having some financial issues as the prices were causing issues for patrons. There still really isn’t an answer.
I’ve had Canadian fans suggest a league taxation to make every market equal. That would never pass through the NHLPA. At this point, a couple of markets should be moved to a partnership that can and will back the team and reduce the strain put on by what feels like intentional incompetence by one USA team in particular.
We’re getting closer to playoff season and the final numbers are going to dictate some of the upcoming changes. Detroit is doing much better this year in terms of general energy and enthusiasm but the sport needs to grab numbers.
Again, apologies for the inaccurate reporting on land mass, hopefully population density and currency issues weren’t lost in the mix.