So Bergeron is a lame duck this season.

And he has no contract extension beyond June.

I’m as classy as it gets in here.

I do hope he’s ok, but a lot of strange stuff going on with him.

Left available for the expansion draft, to a knee injury and now mental health issues. I think he’s a great guy and mean no harm.
- Garnie

Is this an 'addiction' thing? I mean, is this the process for NHL players to get their poop together. Could it be a pain pill problem since he's had injury issues??

Hope he's alright.

(frank) the Habs tho, Chiarot, Gallagher and Weber mostly, now they can see what it's like to play without a goalie stealing all the games for you. (Same feeling I have for Tampa so don't feel special Habbers, just that having the legit and best #1G in the NHL is awesome....so I hate you.)

Is this an 'addiction' thing? I mean, is this the process for NHL players to get their poop together. Could it be a pain pill problem since he's had injury issues??

Hope he's alright.

(frank) the Habs tho, Chiarot, Gallagher and Weber mostly, now they can see what it's like to play without a goalie stealing all the games for you. (Same feeling I have for Tampa so don't feel special Habbers, just that having the legit and best #1G in the NHL is awesome....so I hate you.)
- Barb34

Could be a mental health thing and not necessary an addiction. But Im sure we'll find out soon. Hope he's alright and comes back soon to just to be an average goalie.

He does seem like a good guy.

Could be a mental health thing and not necessary an addiction. But Im sure we'll find out soon. Hope he's alright and comes back soon to be average, seems like a good guy.
- Fakepartofme

Ya, always been a fan of Price. Hope he's alright too.

Is this an 'addiction' thing? I mean, is this the process for NHL players to get their poop together. Could it be a pain pill problem since he's had injury issues??

Hope he's alright.

(frank) the Habs tho, Chiarot, Gallagher and Weber mostly, now they can see what it's like to play without a goalie stealing all the games for you. (Same feeling I have for Tampa so don't feel special Habbers, just that having the legit and best #1G in the NHL is awesome....so I hate you.)
- Barb34

It's not the NHL substance abuse program. From all accounts (mostly his wife's instragram account) it looks like a mental health thing.

Minimum 30 days without him, Bergevin says he believes he'll come back during the season.

Everything OK ?
- bixll

It's not the NHL substance abuse program. From all accounts (mostly his wife's instragram account) it looks like a mental health thing.

Minimum 30 days without him, Bergevin says he believes he'll come back during the season.
- Scabeh

He'll be rested and ready to go for the first day of the playoffs.

(yes, it sucks that that thought even crosses one's mind)

No the narrative won't die and it is much more complicated than just saying that Tampa was compliant. The league made a decision to look the other way despite overwhelming evidence that Kucherov was ready to play well before the playoffs began. The hard cap is the real culprit and issue. It was brought in for several reasons, fiscal responsibility and having a level playing field for teams being the major reason. The biggest problem is that this has led to teams attempting and some succeeding at cheating the cap. Teams like Chicago, Tampa, the Leafs and Detroit have all cheated and got away with it. There are many ways not in the open yet that can and may be exploited down the road. For example
- winsix

I think there is strong evidence he was able to play as well.

But I'm not a Dr. And other Drs are not Kucherov's Dr. The league is not going to step in and say "we think this guy is healthy and needs to be activated". Too much liability there.

So...if you can prove that Kucherov's Dr lied about his ability to be activated, it is cap circumvention. Until then, it is speculation.

unsmart would be that word?
- dmnted

yes

I think there is strong evidence he was able to play as well.

But I'm not a Dr. And other Drs are not Kucherov's Dr. The league is not going to step in and say "we think this guy is healthy and needs to be activated". Too much liability there.

So...if you can prove that Kucherov's Dr lied about his ability to be activated, it is cap circumvention. Until then, it is speculation.
- Leafs43

Oh FFS, can we please quit with this "I dunno know, maybe Tampa didn't cheat?"

He skated with the team for seven franking weeks.

The opening game of the playoffs, he had the second most amount of ice time of any Lightning forward, tallying a goal and an assist.

He was ready a month before the playoffs began. Everyone franking knew it.

It was pure cap circumvention, and Bettman sat on his hands and did franking nothing.

And now you have Kucherov running around wearing "$18M over the cap" t-shirts.

The league finds new ways to embarrass itself every year.

It's not the NHL substance abuse program. From all accounts (mostly his wife's instragram account) it looks like a mental health thing.

Minimum 30 days without him, Bergevin says he believes he'll come back during the season.
- Scabeh

I believe that program is for players who (generally) have been 'caught' doing something bad and substance abuse is the root cause - sometimes the bad thing they get caught doing is the use / abuse of illegal substance(s).

I found this description in a couple of articles explaining what the Player Assistance program is - including one about preds goalie Connor Ingram who entered the same program last winter. Seems substance abuse is one of the things that program is also set up to help with.

The player assistance program was started in 1996, with players able to call a confidential phone line. The program helps players and their families deal with mental health, substance abuse and other matters with counsellors available in each NHL city.

I think there is strong evidence he was able to play as well.

But I'm not a Dr. And other Drs are not Kucherov's Dr. The league is not going to step in and say "we think this guy is healthy and needs to be activated". Too much liability there.

So...if you can prove that Kucherov's Dr lied about his ability to be activated, it is cap circumvention. Until then, it is speculation.
- Leafs43

It may be semantics, but let us agree that the league chose to ignore it. I also feel that it may have been different had the team circumventing the cap were say the Rangers, Toronto or Vancouver. Tampa lost money last year despite winning the cup. We can blame covid, but think about this. Tampa will actually receive league money paid for by successful teams to help pay for their cheating.

Oh FFS, can we please quit with this "I dunno know, maybe Tampa didn't cheat?"

He skated with the team for seven franking weeks.

The opening game of the playoffs, he had the second most amount of ice time of any Lightning forward, tallying a goal and an assist.

He was ready a month before the playoffs began. Everyone franking knew it.

It was pure cap circumvention, and Bettman sat on his hands and did franking nothing.

And now you have Kucherov running around wearing "$18M over the cap" t-shirts.

The league finds new ways to embarrass itself every year.
- Atomic Wedgie

I have already addressed most of these points.

Bettman couldn't do anything because he signed off on poop LTIR rules. The LTIR system is stupid and doesn't work as intended.

The only way he could punish Tampa Bay would be to challenge the Drs that claimed Kucherov was not healthy enough to be activated. Have fun winning that fight. The PA would likely also get involved - because they don't want the league stepping in and overriding team Drs who say a player isn't ready to go.

Tampa won while abiding by (stupid) rules. Get over it.

Just in case you missed it, Ek says the Sharks are in on Eichel.

Oddly enough, he's a little light on actual details.

Oh FFS, can we please quit with this "I dunno know, maybe Tampa didn't cheat?"

He skated with the team for seven franking weeks.

The opening game of the playoffs, he had the second most amount of ice time of any Lightning forward, tallying a goal and an assist.

He was ready a month before the playoffs began. Everyone franking knew it.

It was pure cap circumvention, and Bettman sat on his hands and did franking nothing.

And now you have Kucherov running around wearing "$18M over the cap" t-shirts.

The league finds new ways to embarrass itself every year.
- Atomic Wedgie

What is worse is that there is no question that Tampa already has a tax advantage. Conservatively, I would guess 10% is a fair estimate of the discount they can afford to offer.

Between that, and the circumvention, they were playing with 108 million, or what, 27 million more than anyone else.

How do we think Montreal would have done if Hedman + Kucherov + another top-6 F were on the Habs instead?

Just in case you missed it, Ek says the Sharks are in on Eichel.

Oddly enough, he's a little light on actual details.
- Atomic Wedgie

He hasn't been given the go-ahead to release details of any of the potential deals.

He will explain how it all went down after it happens, with whatever details he is allowed to reveal.

I have already addressed most of these points.

Bettman couldn't do anything because he signed off on poop LTIR rules. The LTIR system is stupid and doesn't work as intended.

The only way he could punish Tampa Bay would be to challenge the Drs that claimed Kucherov was not healthy enough to be activated. Have fun winning that fight. The PA would likely also get involved - because they don't want the league stepping in and overriding team Drs who say a player isn't ready to go.

Tampa won while abiding by (stupid) rules. Get over it.
- Leafs43

I'm already over it.

I'm not over people saying "it's speculation."

It's not. We know they cheated.

They got away with it, Bettman handed them the trophy, they printed the t-shirts. It's over.

But don't expect me to swallow the crap that we didn't know they cheated.

I'm over the USSR hockey team winning all those gold medals at the Olympics from the 1950s-90s - but it doesn't change the fact they cheated with respect to "amateur status."

It's not the NHL substance abuse program. From all accounts (mostly his wife's instragram account) it looks like a mental health thing.

Minimum 30 days without him, Bergevin says he believes he'll come back during the season.
- Scabeh

First Drouin and now Price. What the hell is happening in Habville?

I think there is strong evidence he was able to play as well.

But I'm not a Dr. And other Drs are not Kucherov's Dr. The league is not going to step in and say "we think this guy is healthy and needs to be activated". Too much liability there.

So...if you can prove that Kucherov's Dr lied about his ability to be activated, it is cap circumvention. Until then, it is speculation.
- Leafs43

It may be semantics, but let us say the League chose to look the other way, despite it being obvious that it was circumvention. It may have been different had the team been say Toronto or NYR IMO. Here is one other thing to consider. Tampa lost money last season despite winning the cup. Because of the league's revenue sharing policy, teams like Toronto, Montreal, NYR will send money to Tampa to help pay for their cheating and salary spending that they couldn't afford, but knew they could recover through NHL welfare.

What is worse is that there is no question that Tampa already has a tax advantage. Conservatively, I would guess 10% is a fair estimate of the discount they can afford to offer.

Between that, and the circumvention, they were playing with 108 million, or what, 27 million more than anyone else.

How do we think Montreal would have done if Hedman + Kucherov + another top-6 F were on the Habs instead?
- Aetherial

Here's a scary little tidbit for you:

According to TSN, Tampa has four of the top thirteen players in the league.

Want to hear something scarier?

Stamkos isn't one of them.

I'm already over it.

I'm not over people saying "it's speculation."

It's not. We know they cheated.

They got away with it, Bettman handed them the trophy, they printed the t-shirts. It's over.

But don't expect me to swallow the crap that we didn't know they cheated.

I'm over the USSR hockey team winning all those gold medals at the Olympics from the 1950s-90s - but it doesn't change the fact they cheated with respect to "amateur status."
- Atomic Wedgie

Say the leafs cheated too (albeit on a smaller scale) and I'll believe you.

What is worse is that there is no question that Tampa already has a tax advantage. Conservatively, I would guess 10% is a fair estimate of the discount they can afford to offer.

Between that, and the circumvention, they were playing with 108 million, or what, 27 million more than anyone else.

How do we think Montreal would have done if Hedman + Kucherov + another top-6 F were on the Habs instead?
- Aetherial

Plus nobody ever brings up Tampa's unfair advantage of drafting great players in random rounds and developing talent.

He'll be rested and ready to go for the first day of the playoffs.

(yes, it sucks that that thought even crosses one's mind)
- Aetherial

Playoffs?!

Say the leafs cheated too (albeit on a smaller scale) and I'll believe you.
- Leafs43

The Leafs cheated, albeit on a much, much smaller scale.

And it's too bad that there wasn't a stronger rule in place, because it would have prevented us from making that horrendous Foligno trade.

It's funny nobody is talking about that one - top 5 worst trades in Leafs history.

Plus nobody ever brings up Tampa's unfair advantage of drafting great players in random rounds and developing talent.
- AdamFrench

Exactly.. But, they clearly did cheat... And bragged about it.