There is nothing wrong with the system. There is only an issue with over-reactions to something that has worked almost flawlessly since 2005.

Are there a couple of instances that appeared to circumvent the cap? Yes.

Did the cap actually get circumvented? Hard to say, but the league claims due diligence investigating those issues and no one has provided evidence to the contrary.

Is it going to change soon? Not a chance. Players and GMs both benefit from the current system and the revenue is still shared 50/50. Until players get paid to play in the playoffs, there won't be a "cap" for the playoffs.
- ElbowingPenalty

I don't like what Tampa and Vegas did/are doing either but the reality is that cases like this will be few and far between. They also didn't/aren't breaking any rules, so it's hard to get angry about it.

What I'd like to see the league do is crack down harder with an independent medical assessment of players placed on LTIR. I don't like the idea of teams manipulating their players on LTIR with impunity and stretching the amount of time they're out for their benefit. If a player is legitimately injured and needs to be designated that way then so be it, but if he's healthy with a game or two left in the season then they should be forced to remove him from LTIR deal with the ramifications of that. This alone will make teams thing twice about adding at the trade deadline if there's a chance that an injured player will be back before season's end.

Also, not allowing players on LTIR to be traded would be nice too.

I don't like what Tampa and Vegas did/are doing either but the reality is that cases like this will be few and far between. They also didn't/aren't breaking any rules, so it's hard to get angry about it.

What I'd like to see the league do is crack down harder with an independent medical assessment of players placed on LTIR. I don't like the idea of teams manipulating their players on LTIR with impunity and stretching the amount of time they're out for their benefit. If a player is legitimately injured and needs to be designated that way then so be it, but if he's healthy with a game or two left in the season then they should be forced to remove him from LTIR deal with the ramifications of that. This alone will make teams thing twice about adding at the trade deadline if there's a chance that an injured player will be back before season's end.

Also, not allowing players on LTIR to be traded would be nice too.
- eichiefs9

That process of an independent medical assessment is already a part of the CBA. The league can challenge any injury diagnosis involving LTIR.

I agree completely about having to activate the player as soon as he is healthy.

The theory of second best at work. Certain clubs couldn't control their spending so a salary cap was introduced to temper player salaries. The owners pointed at rising salaries disingenuously as a phenomenon they didn't create. Bullshinto.

The problem is the hard cap itself. Fixing LTIR doesn't fix the problem. The impulse to spend was never removed by the cap. Modifying LTIR will only create more loopholes which will be exploited. Clubs want to win and will bend the cap somehow to do so.

Get rid of the hard cap, and replace it with nothing or a luxury tax.

The theory of second best at work. Certain clubs couldn't control their spending so a salary cap was introduced to temper player salaries. The owners pointed at rising salaries disingenuously as a phenomenon they didn't create. Bullshinto.

The problem is the hard cap itself. Fixing LTIR doesn't fix the problem. The impulse to spend was never removed by the cap. Modifying LTIR will only create more loopholes which will be exploited. Clubs want to win and will bend the cap somehow to do so.

Get rid of the hard cap, and replace it with nothing or a luxury tax.
- Only_A_Ladd

Definitely self inflicted wounds

That process of an independent medical assessment is already a part of the CBA. The league can challenge any injury diagnosis involving LTIR.

I agree completely about having to activate the player as soon as he is healthy.
- MJL

Yea I know that, and I believe I read recently they were being more diligent about it with Vegas (I think), but I didn't get the impression that the they were particularly proactive in doing so in the past.

I'd like it to be more of a mandatory independent review than the league just having the "ability" to challenge the diagnosis, as they see fit.

Definitely self inflicted wounds
- MJL

Remove the cap, let several North American teams die, and expand into Europe where the league only has to deal with soccer and not MLB, NBA, and NFL. Several owners will get mega rich. The money available to players will increase. The player pool will expand. The product for the fans will be better. It will be a painful decade or two but it will be the best thing for the sport.

Remove the cap, let several North American teams die, and expand into Europe where the league only has to deal with soccer and not MLB, NBA, and NFL. Several owners will get mega rich. The money available to players will increase. The player pool will expand. The product for the fans will be better. It will be a painful decade or two but it will be the best thing for the sport.
- Only_A_Ladd

Yeah I'm not sure the NHLPA is exactly dying for their players to have to deal with transcontinental travel every season

Remove the cap, let several North American teams die, and expand into Europe where the league only has to deal with soccer and not MLB, NBA, and NFL. Several owners will get mega rich. The money available to players will increase. The player pool will expand. The product for the fans will be better. It will be a painful decade or two but it will be the best thing for the sport.
- Only_A_Ladd

The money available to players will definitely increase if you remove the cap. That's why there is a cap. Regardless of how much money is made, without the cap the problem will still be there. It's not about not having enough money to pay players. It's about giving them too much of available money.

Remove the cap, let several North American teams die, and expand into Europe where the league only has to deal with soccer and not MLB, NBA, and NFL. Several owners will get mega rich. The money available to players will increase. The player pool will expand. The product for the fans will be better. It will be a painful decade or two but it will be the best thing for the sport.
- Only_A_Ladd

And then most fans will be priced out of attending games when ticket prices soar to pay for those players

What about any player designated LTIR is done for the season and cannot play until the following year? This would leave players that can come back from injury listed on IR whose contract and salary cap would still count for the team.

I personally don't like teams that trade for LTIR contracts, where the player will never resume his career, for the sole purpose of using his salary as cap space

What about any player designated LTIR is done for the season and cannot play until the following year? This would leave players that can come back from injury listed on IR whose contract and salary cap would still count for the team.

I personally don't like teams that trade for LTIR contracts, where the player will never resume his career, for the sole purpose of using his salary as cap space
- Up2nuthun

Players placed on LTIR contact and salary cap still count for the team.

And then most fans will be priced out of attending games when ticket prices soar to pay for those players
- Up2nuthun

More eyeballs on streams, so bigger media contracts. More advertising money. The cost to the "fans in the seats" is not material.

Players placed on LTIR contact and salary cap still count for the team.
- MJL

I know the cap hit still counts for the overall team payroll, but doesn't it allow the team to use that LTIR player's cap hit to replace the player and still be cap compliant?

Yeah I'm not sure the NHLPA is exactly dying for their players to have to deal with transcontinental travel every season
- eichiefs9

Everyone pays a price for higher salaries. Discomfort of travel can be offset by extended road trips.

The money available to players will definitely increase if you remove the cap. That's why there is a cap. Regardless of how much money is made, without the cap the problem will still be there. It's not about not having enough money to pay players. It's about giving them too much of available money.
- MJL

I frame the cap as protecting poorer ownership.

I frame the cap as protecting poorer ownership.
- Only_A_Ladd

Poorer ownership are not the teams that drove player salaries up to 80% of league revenue.

I know the cap hit still counts for the overall team payroll, but doesn't it allow the team to use that LTIR player's cap hit to replace the player and still be cap compliant?
- Up2nuthun

LTIR is an exemption to spend over the upper limit to replace an injured player IF replacing that player puts the team over the upper limit.

Isn't it the Patrick Kane rule?