Nothing new in Buffalo, their ownership and team management is an utter joke. Give Skinner a $9M x 8 deal and he craps the bed, give Kyle Okposo $6M x 7 and he craps the bed. Get Eichel at a pretty good number and treat him like a dog. I wonder why Eichel (and any decent player) would want out of this franchise ASAP?
- winsix

It is a very sad state of affairs in Buffalo for sure.

Nice to see.

Vlad Guerrero Jr. hit .400 with a .500 OBP in the Tampa series. The problem? He didn't have a single plate appearance with a runner in scoring position. Here's why:

Jays - This Week's Tampa Series
Springer 2-12
Semien 1-10
Catchers: 1-12
3rd Basemen: 0-12
3rd OF: 1-10

(frank)ing TB

anyways..Finish 7-3 Jays...do the thing

Imagine him not playing the whole year.

That'd be pretty (frank)ing devastating.
- Scabeh

Why would that be devastating for Buffalo?

They are in acute tank mode.

There's no point in them finishing 21st in the league.

Doubt it. But Eichel is $10 million for 5 more years including this year and his health is an issue. Not a realistic possibility. Cheating is cheating whether its the Leafs or some other team. Leafs have a history of circumventing the cap. Lou invented Robidas Island, other teams such as Tampa and Chicago are much better at cheating. What does piss me off though is Tampa lost money last year and will be the first in line at the gravy train for handouts to pay for their spending over the cap by teams that make a profit.
- winsix

I guess. But I don't see it as cheating.

It is in the CBA. You can replace an injured player during the regular season. That's what Tampa did. The cap doesn't apply to the playoffs.

(frank)ing TB

anyways..Finish 7-3 Jays...do the thing
- senstroll

Vlad might be pretty good after he matures and gains some experience.

Why would that be devastating for Buffalo?

They are in acute tank mode.

There's no point in them finishing 21st in the league.
- Atomic Wedgie

Well it would lower Eichel's value even more.

Wheter they trade him or not, they are most like finishing in the bottom 3.

Also there's the fact that six billion doses of the vaccine have been administered and people are fine. Being anti-vax is like being anti-antibiotics or anti-x-ray, it's (frank)ing stupid.
- Zezel

they are all f'n stupid....they tie themselves to a political party and all common sense goes out the door.
Its funny though, they have no idea that they are the ones being the sheep.

Anywho, it will figure itself out...similar to when they enforced seatbelts. Anger....then acceptance.
The anti-vaxxers will soon find some other shiny stupid, illogical thing to be "angry" about and they'll move on from this.

Its not cheating if the NHL allows it. They were within the rules.
Good on them.
You wouldnt care if the leafs did the same and won the cup. You wouldnt care at all.
- Fakepartofme

Actually it is circumventing the cap, and the league chose to ignore it. The League allowed the Luongo deal (it had to be accepted by the NHL) But when he retired, screwed the Canucks because they determined that a deal they approved was circumventing the cap. Similarly Minnesota will pay with hits of $4.7 Million, 12.7Million, 14.7Million and 14.7Million as punishment for deals with Parise and Suter which were approved by the NHL but deemed cap circumvention requiring extra punishment to Minnesota. Just because the league is selective about who gets screwed on cirvumvention doesn't make it not circumvention. A similar fate is coming for the Preds as soon as Weber retires.

Well it would lower Eichel's value even more.

Wheter they trade him or not, they are most like finishing in the bottom 3.
- Scabeh

they lose with him in the line up and they'll lose with him out of the line.
More of the same for buffalo.

I guess. But I don't see it as cheating.

It is in the CBA. You can replace an injured player during the regular season. That's what Tampa did. The cap doesn't apply to the playoffs.
- Leafs43

It was 100% cheating.

Kucherov skated with the team for 7 weeks.

He wasn't healthy enough to return to the lineup for the last game of the season, but he was healthy enough for the first game of the playoffs to have the second most amount of ice time by a Lightning forward, picking up a goal and an assist.

There's a clause in the CBA that basically says that if you pull poop that isn't covered by the CBA, but it's obvious that it's circumventing the spirit of the CBA, the league can put a stop to it.

They invoked it with back-diving contracts.

They chose to ignore the Kucherov situation.

Luckily, the NHL doesn't care about embarrassing itself.

Actually it is circumventing the cap, and the league chose to ignore it. The League allowed the Luongo deal (it had to be accepted by the NHL) But when he retired, screwed the Canucks because they determined that a deal they approved was circumventing the cap. Similarly Minnesota will pay with hits of $4.7 Million, 12.7Million, 14.7Million and 14.7Million as punishment for deals with Parise and Suter which were approved by the NHL but deemed cap circumvention requiring extra punishment to Minnesota. Just because the league is selective about who gets screwed on cirvumvention doesn't make it not circumvention. A similar fate is coming for the Preds as soon as Weber retires.
- winsix

It's more complicated with the Luongo contract.

It was legal when they signed it.

They later made it illegal.

Actually it is circumventing the cap, and the league chose to ignore it. The League allowed the Luongo deal (it had to be accepted by the NHL) But when he retired, screwed the Canucks because they determined that a deal they approved was circumventing the cap. Similarly Minnesota will pay with hits of $4.7 Million, 12.7Million, 14.7Million and 14.7Million as punishment for deals with Parise and Suter which were approved by the NHL but deemed cap circumvention requiring extra punishment to Minnesota. Just because the league is selective about who gets screwed on cirvumvention doesn't make it not circumvention. A similar fate is coming for the Preds as soon as Weber retires.
- winsix

Meh, so the league allowed it.
Good for tampa.

whats done is done....doesnt matter now.

We all know the NHL is a joke.

Actually it is circumventing the cap, and the league chose to ignore it. The League allowed the Luongo deal (it had to be accepted by the NHL) But when he retired, screwed the Canucks because they determined that a deal they approved was circumventing the cap. Similarly Minnesota will pay with hits of $4.7 Million, 12.7Million, 14.7Million and 14.7Million as punishment for deals with Parise and Suter which were approved by the NHL but deemed cap circumvention requiring extra punishment to Minnesota. Just because the league is selective about who gets screwed on cirvumvention doesn't make it not circumvention. A similar fate is coming for the Preds as soon as Weber retires.
- winsix

My guess is Weber will either comeback next season or retire next summer.

He's been in constant contact with the players during the summer to make sure everyone is doing ok, basically doing his job as captain despite him being out.

(frank) I'll miss him.

Well it would lower Eichel's value even more.

Wheter they trade him or not, they are most like finishing in the bottom 3.
- Scabeh

He needs tricky neck surgery.

He has no value right now. They can't trade him until summer 2022.

He needs tricky neck surgery.

He has no value right now. They can't trade him until summer 2022.
- Atomic Wedgie

So he has no value but they're asking for 2 firsts, a top prospect and a roster player?

Sounds like a great plan bu the Sabres.

Actually it is circumventing the cap, and the league chose to ignore it. The League allowed the Luongo deal (it had to be accepted by the NHL) But when he retired, screwed the Canucks because they determined that a deal they approved was circumventing the cap. Similarly Minnesota will pay with hits of $4.7 Million, 12.7Million, 14.7Million and 14.7Million as punishment for deals with Parise and Suter which were approved by the NHL but deemed cap circumvention requiring extra punishment to Minnesota. Just because the league is selective about who gets screwed on cirvumvention doesn't make it not circumvention. A similar fate is coming for the Preds as soon as Weber retires.
- winsix

I doubt that very much. Think of Pronger. LTIR till his contract is up.

Actually it is circumventing the cap, and the league chose to ignore it. The League allowed the Luongo deal (it had to be accepted by the NHL) But when he retired, screwed the Canucks because they determined that a deal they approved was circumventing the cap. Similarly Minnesota will pay with hits of $4.7 Million, 12.7Million, 14.7Million and 14.7Million as punishment for deals with Parise and Suter which were approved by the NHL but deemed cap circumvention requiring extra punishment to Minnesota. Just because the league is selective about who gets screwed on cirvumvention doesn't make it not circumvention. A similar fate is coming for the Preds as soon as Weber retires.
- winsix

I suspect that should he retire, the league will find a way to not punish the Preds.

- the contract was legal when signed (and approved by the NHL)
- the Preds didn't write the contract - they matched an offer sheet from Philly

Robidas Island, anyone?

Vlad might be pretty good after he matures and gains some experience.
- bixll

doubt it

So he has no value but they're asking for 2 firsts, a top prospect and a roster player?

Sounds like a great plan bu the Sabres.
- Scabeh

I suspect this is just both sides posturing.

It's a franking mess, to be sure.

My guess is Weber will either comeback next season or retire next summer.

He's been in constant contact with the players during the summer to make sure everyone is doing ok, basically doing his job as captain despite him being out.

(frank) I'll miss him.

- Scabeh

Is he showing up to training camp, or have they already told him not to bother and put him on LTIR?

It's more complicated with the Luongo contract.

It was legal when they signed it.

They later made it illegal.
- Atomic Wedgie

The bottom line is the cap is a hardship that almost any successful franchise will try to manipulate to their advantage. The fact that the League chooses to ignore many cap transgressions and punish others makes it unjust. A soft cap would be better IMO and luxury taxes would help financially struggling teams. Why have a hard cap if some teams are allowed to cheat but Gary gets to punish others?

It was 100% cheating.

Kucherov skated with the team for 7 weeks.

He wasn't healthy enough to return to the lineup for the last game of the season, but he was healthy enough for the first game of the playoffs to have the second most amount of ice time by a Lightning forward, picking up a goal and an assist.

There's a clause in the CBA that basically says that if you pull poop that isn't covered by the CBA, but it's obvious that it's circumventing the spirit of the CBA, the league can put a stop to it.

They invoked it with back-diving contracts.

They chose to ignore the Kucherov situation.

Luckily, the NHL doesn't care about embarrassing itself.
- Atomic Wedgie

TB could just argue that they thought he would be hurt longer. He rehabbed quicker than anticipated, and once the TDL passed, they were stuck, there was literally no way they could be cap compliant if they took Kucherov off LTIR.

The LTIR system doesn't work as intended.

There is nothing TB could do in those last few weeks. The only way to stay cap compliant was to keep Kucherov on LTIR. The league either needs to look the other way, or admit that their LTIR system is (frank)ing stupid and doesn't offer a viable way to replace injured players in season.

re: the PP drop pass

https://twitter.com/MikeK.../1441041996437614597?s=20

good bit here, i see a lot complain about the Leafs drop pass PP...which I never got.
it works..and most teams do it.

Is he showing up to training camp, or have they already told him not to bother and put him on LTIR?
- Atomic Wedgie

From what I understand, they didn't ask him to be at camp but confirmed he'll remain "around the team" most of the year.

No idea what that means.

doubt it
- senstroll