This part's easy enough to fix, if the league actually wanted to. For a player to retire under these circumstances without cap penalties to their team, require league-employed doctors, unaffiliated with any team, to evaluate their condition. If those impartial doctors say that the player will never be able to play again, permit the retirement and offer full cap relief for that player rather than continuing this charade. If they say there is a chance of recovery, the team must continue to carry the player or accept the retirement cap penalty.

This doesn't address other aspects of the problem, but if you want to stop farcical retirements from gaming the system, simply give the league full control over the determination of whether the player can recover or not.
- dilbert719

Think it all the way through though.

Who would want a scenario like this? Maybe only GM's and fans.

Players and owners wouldn't go for this at all.

Looks like Jake V on the Leclair diet.
- PLindbergh31

Doctors cannot read MRIs and brain scans and determine whether or not a player is fit enough to play in every instance.

I've had concussions and the brain scan revealed nothing. However, I had headaches for a month
- PhillySportsGuy

Of course they're not going to be 100% accurate, and if they get it wrong, then the player's stuck in the current status quo. Maybe they let Pronger retire, maybe they don't. However, Pronger's not the only player this is going to apply to, and if the injury is a more obvious one (to choose a blatant, if grotesque example, presume a player on a 35+ contract gets in a car wreck and loses a leg), there's no reason to pretend he's going to strap on a blade like Oscar Pistorius and not miss a beat.

Of course they're not going to be 100% accurate, and if they get it wrong, then the player's stuck in the current status quo. Maybe they let Pronger retire, maybe they don't. However, Pronger's not the only player this is going to apply to, and if the injury is a more obvious one (to choose a blatant, if grotesque example, presume a player on a 35+ contract gets in a car wreck and loses a leg), there's no reason to pretend he's going to strap on a blade like Oscar Pistorius and not miss a bear.
- dilbert719

Bryz would

Of course they're not going to be 100% accurate, and if they get it wrong, then the player's stuck in the current status quo. Maybe they let Pronger retire, maybe they don't. However, Pronger's not the only player this is going to apply to, and if the injury is a more obvious one (to choose a blatant, if grotesque example, presume a player on a 35+ contract gets in a car wreck and loses a leg), there's no reason to pretend he's going to strap on a blade like Oscar Pistorius and not miss a bear.
- dilbert719

Its impossible to tell a person about their body with certain injuries. A broken bone is easy to read. Back spasms, concussions and neck injuries are virtually impossible.

Think it all the way through though.

Who would want a scenario like this? Maybe only GM's and fans.

Players and owners wouldn't go for this at all.
- Tomahawk

To address some of your comments from before (and I'm not getting too deep into this, since it's not really my area of expertise, but I might as well go a post or two down the rabbit hole, at least):

Owners, players and GM's all have a reason for liking LTIR as well as hating it.

To use doctors to medically force players to retire would violate the guaranteed nature of their contracts.

To make it all 'go off the books' would enrage the owners, who don't want a penny of player compensation to go unaccounted for in the revenue split.

And GM's obviously wouldn't like it if they couldn't somehow replace an injured player, even if it means having to jump through a few hoops and/or get creative with the accounting.
- Tomahawk

Who's forcing anyone? This would be a way out to be used only if the player and team decide that the player needs to hang it up. If he says he's done, rather than feign efforts to return, he could apply for medical retirement.

Who says it has to go off the books? Add a "Medically Retired" column to the balance sheet which incorporates the salary of players who have applied for this, handled in a similar fashion to the compliance buyouts. The money would be accounted for (which the owners should be for), contract slots would open (allowing for more players getting paid, which the NHLPA should in theory be for), and the GMs and players wouldn't have to deal with this particular headache anymore.

Its impossible to tell a person about their body with certain injuries. A broken bone is easy to read. Back spasms, concussions and neck injuries are virtually impossible.
- PhillySportsGuy

Again, I refer back to the bit about the status quo from before. Does it really make sense to say "This isn't going to help 100% of players with career-ending injuries, so let's forbid the (rough number here) 50% of players who it will help from taking advantage of it"?

I think it'd make sense to allow for medical retirement in cases where it's clear enough, and keep the LTIR dance available for those where it's still questionable. Seems more rational than having every player do the LTIR dance, no matter their circumstances. League lawyers might have other opinions, but it seems logical from where I sit, at least.

Hextall is back, and he's back big! Named Assistant GM!

Jacked, and pumped!

Hexy is back!

hextall.

hextall.
- hammarby31

Again, I refer back to the bit about the status quo from before. Does it really make sense to say "This isn't going to help 100% of players with career-ending injuries, so let's forbid the (rough number here) 50% of players who it will help from taking advantage of it"?

I think it'd make sense to allow for medical retirement in cases where it's clear enough, and keep the LTIR dance available for those where it's still questionable. Seems more rational than having every player do the LTIR dance, no matter their circumstances. League lawyers might have other opinions, but it seems logical from where I sit, at least.
- dilbert719

A player could always just say he's had concussions and experiences headaches daily. Are the doctors supposed to be like "No you don't"

Hexy!

Hexy is back!
- nastyflyergirl

Who was the assistant GM before? Or did we not have one? I am wondering if anyone got replaced.

Who was the assistant GM before? Or did we not have one? I am wondering if anyone got replaced.
- feelingkettle

John Paddock. He's joining T Murray in Adirondack.

Hexy!
- Sabreshark

Homer on the hot seat

John Paddock. He's joining T Murray in Adirondack.
- PLindbergh31

T Mur and J Pad in A ron.

Hexy!
- Sabreshark

http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=678000

wait .. wut?

wait .. wut?
- Crimsoninja

Hexy is our new goalie

wait .. wut?
- Crimsoninja

Flyers = Kings east

A player could always just say he's had concussions and experiences headaches daily. Are the doctors supposed to be like "No you don't"
- PhillySportsGuy

If they see no evidence of it in their testing, then yes. And in that case, the player remains on LTIR, in my scenario. Again, I'm not seeing a problem with the hypothetical you put forward.

Snider's successor!

Homer on the hot seat
- PhillySportsGuy

Yeap exactly what I was thinking good hire

http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=678000
- MBFlyerfan

This announcement felt......inevitable, quite frankly.