It's not ideal, but none of that situation is.
- Scabeh

I just think he is extremely lucky.

If Montreal does that deal - KK will get 26 million over 5 years.

For (frank) all to date. I bet players like Alex Nylander wish they could have gotten in the middle of some RFA spat between two teams so that they could cash in pettiness.

I just think he is extremely lucky.

If Montreal does that deal - KK will get 26 million over 5 years.

For (frank) all to date. I bet players like Alex Nylander wish they could have gotten in the middle of some RFA spat between two teams so that they could cash in pettiness.
- Leafs43

Yeah well he's the big winner in all that.

But KK's awesome. And he shows up when it counts in the playoffs. He'll be worth every penny..... for whoever has him,

Well most reports have the Habs trying to trade for Dvorak (or other form of replacement for KK) with the assets they're getting from Carolina. If they succeed, they won't match and make said trade.

So I think that's their plan right now, or at least it's what sounds most likely.

Personally? I'd match the offer and try and get a long term extension with KK to tone down the AAV against a longer term. (Something along the lines of 4 years at 5M)

But I also believe in Kotkaniemi. I think he'll be more than worth it sooner than later.
- Scabeh

You obviously see him more than I do. I saw a fair number of Habs games last year, though, just because of Zoom calls, bored friends, and a variety of team interests (i.e., watching games with Winnipeg, Edmonton, or Vancouver friends leads to seeing a variety of games). I see a kid who's young and inconsistent. He has flashes that make you think he's better than he is currently showing that's for sure. He's very creative, but again, those are inconsistently applied as well.

I'd guess it's either confidence or it's what was/wasn't permissible under someone like Julien. It didn't seem like Ducharme did much to change it though, if that's it.

I think he's better than Dvorak, but I heard that rumour as well. If I were running the Coyotes a late 1st and a 3rd wouldn't do it for me. I'd be more inclined to say you keep the Canes' 1st and we'll take your 1st - that would probably do it - especially if they're sincerely trying to cut expenses.

Yeah well he's the big winner in all that.

But KK's awesome. And he shows up when it counts in the playoffs. He'll be worth every penny..... for whoever has him,

- Scabeh

If he is so great why was he scratched both at the beginning and the end of the playoffs?

You guys are being handed a golden goose here. Take the picks and run.

If he is so great why was he scratched both at the beginning and the end of the playoffs?

You guys are being handed a golden goose here. Take the picks and run.
- fifty__missions

Because as monkey said, he's still very inconsistant.

At his worst, he's invisible.

At his best, he scores a overtime goal winning game 6 against the Leafs.

I just hate the idea of getting rid of a guy with plenty of potential when he just turned 21.

Because as monkey said, he's still very inconsistant.

At his worst, he's invisible.

At his best, he scores a overtime goal winning game 6 against the Leafs.

I just hate the idea of getting rid of a guy with plenty of potential when he just turned 21.
- Scabeh

Don't call him "awesome" if he's inconsistent.

And take it from a Leafs fan: don't overpay your young players.

Big pants Canes owner is handing Bergevin a gift to get out from a bad pick.

Don't call him "awesome" if he's inconsistent.

And take it from a Leafs fan: don't overpay your young players.
- fifty__missions

I'd rather overpay a good young player than lose him for a late first and a third.

But I understand why the latter is alluring.

Topic change - backyard landscaping materials.

Changing out some 20 yr old interlocking brick and going with something different for a 10' x 20' patio. Was all in on cedar or composite decking but now I'm leaning towards stamped or some form of concrete or stone.

Any good advice/experience out there?
- The Law

We have mostly cedar, with a little bit of interlocking. And we pulled out all the grass - now cedar chips and pea gravel.

I love the cedar deck. It's now three or four years old, and the wear patterns on the stain look nice.

We have mostly cedar, with a little bit of interlocking. And we pulled out all the grass - now cedar chips and pea gravel.

I love the cedar deck. It's now three or four years old, and the wear patterns on the stain look nice.
- Atomic Wedgie

Did you put weed blocking fabric under the gravel and chips?

We have mostly cedar, with a little bit of interlocking. And we pulled out all the grass - now cedar chips and pea gravel.

I love the cedar deck. It's now three or four years old, and the wear patterns on the stain look nice.
- Atomic Wedgie

I did our fence out of the new treated lumber, which is brown instead of the old green poop. If you let it fade for 2/3 weeks and then seal it... It looks exactly like cedar. No one who has been by can tell the difference. The treated stuff is about 35% the price of cedar right now, and if it's maintained properly it's good for 25 years easy.

So that's about the only reno price hack skyrocketing building materials have left me I guess. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Even with treated lumber what cost me $900 to do pre covid cost me $2100 this summer.

I was a fan of this thinking, but I have friends who like smaller market teams and I see their frustration at basically having been a feeder team for the haves of the league. Draft a guy, train him, develop him, love him as a player and watch him leave before his prime to a team that can afford to keep him.

The salary cap, in my opinion, sucks when you're a "have" team, but it is the healthiest and best thing for the league as a whole. I despise MLB and their luxury tax system. The Dodgers are paying out $267M. Cleveland is at $49M. That imbalance is preposterous. It isn't solved by simply changing the salary floor, either. It's resolved by balancing what can be spent at the top-end and then increasing the floor to ensure that redistributed profits are directed to the team and not to the owner's pockets.

The Jays, for reference, are 11th at $151M (noting that $33M is retained or buried).

People love to talk about how Rogers is rich and can spend the money, but that's not how that works. They have a responsibility to direct baseball revenue into baseball, and keep their telecommunications revenue separate.

So bringing that back from my tailspin - fans in Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Calgary all deserve good hockey - but they need more help than some of the other markets with larger media and advertising opportunities.
- Monkeypunk

Except some of their telecommunications revenue comes from their baseball club, so it's complicated.

Did you put weed blocking fabric under the gravel and chips?
- fifty__missions

Of course, we absolutely did!

And then the dog (then a puppy) dug it up in a few spots and ripped it. Weeds in a few select places.

And the interlocking brick is from about 10 years ago, so of course there's weeks poking up here and there.

I was a fan of this thinking, but I have friends who like smaller market teams and I see their frustration at basically having been a feeder team for the haves of the league. Draft a guy, train him, develop him, love him as a player and watch him leave before his prime to a team that can afford to keep him.

The salary cap, in my opinion, sucks when you're a "have" team, but it is the healthiest and best thing for the league as a whole. I despise MLB and their luxury tax system. The Dodgers are paying out $267M. Cleveland is at $49M. That imbalance is preposterous. It isn't solved by simply changing the salary floor, either. It's resolved by balancing what can be spent at the top-end and then increasing the floor to ensure that redistributed profits are directed to the team and not to the owner's pockets.

The Jays, for reference, are 11th at $151M (noting that $33M is retained or buried).

People love to talk about how Rogers is rich and can spend the money, but that's not how that works. They have a responsibility to direct baseball revenue into baseball, and keep their telecommunications revenue separate.

So bringing that back from my tailspin - fans in Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Calgary all deserve good hockey - but they need more help than some of the other markets with larger media and advertising opportunities.
- Monkeypunk

I'd like to see a softer cap for the NHL.

I absolutely get the idea that you want parity - I can't believe anyone watches European football - in every league, every year, there's no more than two teams who have any hope of winning.

But there should be some reward for marketing your team successfully.

And let's be honest: MLB benefits from having the Yankees being a contender every year. They are the bad guys, and the rest of the US loves to hate them.

I think baseball's system is too lenient, but the NHL would benefit from allowing the Leafs to spend a little more than Ottawa and Arizona.

My two cents.

We have mostly cedar, with a little bit of interlocking. And we pulled out all the grass - now cedar chips and pea gravel.

I love the cedar deck. It's now three or four years old, and the wear patterns on the stain look nice.
- Atomic Wedgie

what did you stain the cedar with? I love the look of untreated cedar but it won't last long.

I did the underside of my front porch with untreated cedar tng 2-3 years ago and it still looks the same as the day I put it up. No sun, no moisture.

I did our fence out of the new treated lumber, which is brown instead of the old green poop. If you let it fade for 2/3 weeks and then seal it... It looks exactly like cedar. No one who has been by can tell the difference. The treated stuff is about 35% the price of cedar right now, and if it's maintained properly it's good for 25 years easy.

So that's about the only reno price hack skyrocketing building materials have left me I guess. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Even with treated lumber what cost me $900 to do pre covid cost me $2100 this summer.
- joel878

Ohhh nice tip. What did you treat it with? Just a light sealer or a stain?

I'd like to see a softer cap for the NHL.

I absolutely get the idea that you want parity - I can't believe anyone watches European football - in every league, every year, there's no more than two teams who have any hope of winning.

But there should be some reward for marketing your team successfully.

And let's be honest: MLB benefits from having the Yankees being a contender every year. They are the bad guys, and the rest of the US loves to hate them.

I think baseball's system is too lenient, but the NHL would benefit from allowing the Leafs to spend a little more than Ottawa and Arizona.

My two cents.
- Atomic Wedgie

I have leaned in this direction myself. The counter-point that offsets my thinking is that there are the original six and maybe couple of other "have" teams in the NHL: Toronto, New York, Montreal, Chicago, Boston, Detroit and I'd wager LA & Philly when things are going well. So if these can exceed the cap they can increase the overall valuation of players in the league. Now, you have a soft-cap system, so other GMs in less valuable markets have to match those elevated prices on other players - or risk losing them to a "have" team. They'll match because they just aren't that smart. History has proven this a couple of times.

... and then we're in another lockout seeking to rollback 23% of salaries.

Now, I would like to see some form of tax scaling to correct the market. In a league that is so "go go parity", they ignore many factors that affect this delicate parity. It hurts all Canadian teams and favours all American teams over any Canadian team (some just happen to be more) - go figure. I'm not an accounting-nerd, but there has to be some consideration you could work into a similar process to escrow that would consider this and adjust the cap or salaries appropriately.

what did you stain the cedar with? I love the look of untreated cedar but it won't last long.

I did the underside of my front porch with untreated cedar tng 2-3 years ago and it still looks the same as the day I put it up. No sun, no moisture.
- The Law

You'd have to ask the guy who did it.

I'm not that handy.

Ohhh nice tip. What did you treat it with? Just a light sealer or a stain?
- The Law

I used a deck+fence stain/sealer, believe it was Olympic and an 8 year. I used just the natural but there's colours if one prefers (red cedar and golden Oak I think).

Like 60 bucks a gallon, a gallon covered about 80 feet of a 6' fence one coat (both sides) It's been 3 years since I did the original section and it still looks the same as it did back then. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I have leaned in this direction myself. The counter-point that offsets my thinking is that there are the original six and maybe couple of other "have" teams in the NHL: Toronto, New York, Montreal, Chicago, Boston, Detroit and I'd wager LA & Philly when things are going well. So if these can exceed the cap they can increase the overall valuation of players in the league. Now, you have a soft-cap system, so other GMs in less valuable markets have to match those elevated prices on other players - or risk losing them to a "have" team. They'll match because they just aren't that smart. History has proven this a couple of times.

... and then we're in another lockout seeking to rollback 23% of salaries.

Now, I would like to see some form of tax scaling to correct the market. In a league that is so "go go parity", they ignore many factors that affect this delicate parity. It hurts all Canadian teams and favours all American teams over any Canadian team (some just happen to be more) - go figure. I'm not an accounting-nerd, but there has to be some consideration you could work into a similar process to escrow that would consider this and adjust the cap or salaries appropriately.
- Monkeypunk

I like the way the NBA does it - create some exceptions allowing you to go over the Cap and at a certain point you put a punitive Luxury Tax hard line.

Simple exceptions - you can exceed the Cap to re-sign your own veterans as long as they've played XX number of years with the team. The money's all going to the superstar 21-26 yr old now. It'd be a way to reward some vets and keep some continuity.

I have leaned in this direction myself. The counter-point that offsets my thinking is that there are the original six and maybe couple of other "have" teams in the NHL: Toronto, New York, Montreal, Chicago, Boston, Detroit and I'd wager LA & Philly when things are going well. So if these can exceed the cap they can increase the overall valuation of players in the league. Now, you have a soft-cap system, so other GMs in less valuable markets have to match those elevated prices on other players - or risk losing them to a "have" team. They'll match because they just aren't that smart. History has proven this a couple of times.

... and then we're in another lockout seeking to rollback 23% of salaries.

Now, I would like to see some form of tax scaling to correct the market. In a league that is so "go go parity", they ignore many factors that affect this delicate parity. It hurts all Canadian teams and favours all American teams over any Canadian team (some just happen to be more) - go figure. I'm not an accounting-nerd, but there has to be some consideration you could work into a similar process to escrow that would consider this and adjust the cap or salaries appropriately.
- Monkeypunk

Fun to talk about, but it's never going to happen.

Here's another debate to have after three beers:

Keep the salary cap exactly as is, including ELCs.

Eliminate the draft. Every kid turning 18 is a UFA.

Fun to talk about, but it's never going to happen.

Here's another debate to have after three beers:

Keep the salary cap exactly as is, including ELCs.

Eliminate the draft. Every kid turning 18 is a UFA.
- Atomic Wedgie

Watch NHL teams in undesirable locations fold with this one simple step.

You'd have to ask the guy who did it.

I'm not that handy.
- Atomic Wedgie

When is. Mrs Wedgie free?

When is. Mrs Wedgie free?
- Canada Cup

- Scabeh

What the hell are you laughing at?

I'd like to see a softer cap for the NHL.

I absolutely get the idea that you want parity - I can't believe anyone watches European football - in every league, every year, there's no more than two teams who have any hope of winning.

But there should be some reward for marketing your team successfully.

And let's be honest: MLB benefits from having the Yankees being a contender every year. They are the bad guys, and the rest of the US loves to hate them.

I think baseball's system is too lenient, but the NHL would benefit from allowing the Leafs to spend a little more than Ottawa and Arizona.

My two cents.
- Atomic Wedgie

Great post, well said and I agree. This approach plus making skill more important and cracking down on clutch and grab and cross-check to eliminate skill would go a long way to grow the game. Something is wrong with the fact that 2nd stringers and bench warmers in the NBA can make more money than Connor McDavid.