NHL Season Start Date: January 13, 2021

[freester]

24 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Do the taxi squad players have to clear waivers?  I.e. does AZ have to expose a 

1 minute ago, freester said:

Nope. Arizona can keep all three goalies but the bigger issue is that they want to shed cap

 

Edited December 19, 2020 by freester

[dudacek]

The athletic is reporting the taxi squad is subject to the same waiver rules as the AHL.

If that’s the case, Arizona can keep three goalies, but they will have to pay all three NHL salaries and that will mean one less roster spot for a skater, and as Freester said, they need to move money.

The Coyotes will be active; don’t count out Carolina as a partner for a goalie.

I wonder how the holiday roster freeze is affected? Typically teams can’t make trades three or four days before and after Christmas. 

That would mean a rush today, or just before camp opens.

[freester]

14 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The athletic is reporting the taxi squad is subject to the same waiver rules as the AHL.

If that’s the case, Arizona can keep three goalies, but they will have to pay all three NHL salaries and that will mean one less roster spot for a skater, and as Freester said, they need to move money.

The Coyotes will be active; don’t count out Carolina as a partner for a goalie.

I wonder how the holiday roster freeze is affected? Typically teams can’t make trades three or four days before and after Christmas. 

That would mean a rush today, or just before camp opens.

Calgary has a Goalie they want to move to shed cap as well. David Rittich. They are also a potential trade partner. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

12 hours ago, Taro T said:

Any word on whether they're starting in bubbles or in home team rinks?

I think bubbles will be the way they go, at least in Canada.

10 hours ago, dudacek said:

Home rinks.

One province in Canada has yet to agree on the protocol yet though, so there is a chance the Canadian division may have to hub in Edmonton, at least to start.

Is Edmonton not a problem area now with several WJC players infected while inside the Edmonton bubble?

[dudacek]

7 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

I think bubbles will be the way they go, at least in Canada.

Is Edmonton not a problem area now with several WJC players infected while inside the Edmonton bubble?

The German players are not actually inside the Edmonton bubble yet.

Because they tested positive, they have yet to be released from quarantine.

[nfreeman]

 

36 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The athletic is reporting the taxi squad is subject to the same waiver rules as the AHL.

If that’s the case, Arizona can keep three goalies, but they will have to pay all three NHL salaries and that will mean one less roster spot for a skater, and as Freester said, they need to move money.

The Coyotes will be active; don’t count out Carolina as a partner for a goalie.

I wonder how the holiday roster freeze is affected? Typically teams can’t make trades three or four days before and after Christmas. 

That would mean a rush today, or just before camp opens.

 

Here's TSN today:  https://www.tsn.ca/nhl-nhlpa-reach-tentative-deal-on-new-season-but-big-hurdle-remains-1.1566391

Quote

 

> Rosters will be capped at the usual 23 men with an $81.5 million salary cap. Each team will be permitted to carry a four to six player “taxi squad,” which includes a mandatory third goaltender. All 29 (maximum) players will practice and travel with the team.

> For all salary cap intents and purposes, the taxi squad will be treated like the AHL. Players will require waivers to be sent down to the taxi squad from the active roster. Players on the taxi squad will also be paid an AHL salary if playing on a two-way contract.

 

So I think this means AZ can keep 3 goalies on their 23-man roster, but if they want to put one of them on the taxi squad, that one needs to clear waivers -- which means AZ will likely want to trade one of them.

Am I missing something?

 

[Kruppstahl]

I just finished reading the NHL/NHLPA agreement that came out last night.

Am I the only one that finds this shake-up refreshing?  They are fixing a lot of perennial problems with the league, like how it is way too long at 82 games, starts too early, ends too late, and so on.

56 games?  January start time? All-Canadian Division?  Sabres playing in an Adams/Patrick sort of hybrid?  Why not?! 

It's not like the regular season means squat in a more normal season anyway.

I like the traveling 6 man backup squad thing, too.  Makes sense.

Let's give it a month and see how it plays out.

 

 

 

 

[nfreeman]

Something else I found interesting from the TSN article:

Quote

> NHL players will be paid 72 per cent of their published salaries in 2020-21. Twenty per cent will be taken off the top to repay owners for the revenue shortfall that saw players collect more than their allotted 50-50 share; then another 10 per cent of that 80 per cent remaining will be deferred, to be repaid beginning three years later in installments.

I'm interpreting this to mean that the owners got a major economic concession from the players -- i.e. effectively a 20% across-the-board pay cut to get the split for the 2019-20 season back to 50/50.

It's not clear from the TSN article, but I would guess that the 72% is before escrow -- i.e. that 20% of the 72% will go into escrow to preserve the 50/50 split for 2020-21.

[freester]

5 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Something else I found interesting from the TSN article:

I'm interpreting this to mean that the owners got a major economic concession from the players -- i.e. effectively a 20% across-the-board pay cut to get the split for the 2019-20 season back to 50/50.

It's not clear from the TSN article, but I would guess that the 72% is before escrow -- i.e. that 20% of the 72% will go into escrow to preserve the 50/50 split for 2020-21.

The 72% is after escrow. 

[dudacek]

22 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

 

 

Here's TSN today:  https://www.tsn.ca/nhl-nhlpa-reach-tentative-deal-on-new-season-but-big-hurdle-remains-1.1566391

So I think this means AZ can keep 3 goalies on their 23-man roster, but if they want to put one of them on the taxi squad, that one needs to clear waivers -- which means AZ will likely want to trade one of them.

Am I missing something?

 

I think you have it exactly right. I haven’t seen any new wrinkles yet in terms of how the AHL and NHL rosters function on paper. 
The only difference I’ve seen is that in practice is that up to six members of the farm team can travel and practice with the big club.

Im looking for info on anything in there affects Quinn and Cozens.

14 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Something else I found interesting from the TSN article:

I'm interpreting this to mean that the owners got a major economic concession from the players -- i.e. effectively a 20% across-the-board pay cut to get the split for the 2019-20 season back to 50/50.

It's not clear from the TSN article, but I would guess that the 72% is before escrow -- i.e. that 20% of the 72% will go into escrow to preserve the 50/50 split for 2020-21.

Pretty sure this is not new, just what was decided in the CBA last summer.

[Taro T]

41 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I think you have it exactly right. I haven’t seen any new wrinkles yet in terms of how the AHL and NHL rosters function on paper. 
The only difference I’ve seen is that in practice is that up to six members of the farm team can travel and practice with the big club.

Im looking for info on anything in there affects Quinn and Cozens.

Pretty sure this is not new, just what was decided in the CBA last summer.

The bolded is correct.  That was in the MOU.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, Kruppstahl said:

I just finished reading the NHL/NHLPA agreement that came out last night.

Am I the only one that finds this shake-up refreshing?  They are fixing a lot of perennial problems with the league, like how it is way too long at 82 games, starts too early, ends too late, and so on.

56 games?  January start time? All-Canadian Division?  Sabres playing in an Adams/Patrick sort of hybrid?  Why not?! 

It's not like the regular season means squat in a more normal season anyway.

I like the traveling 6 man backup squad thing, too.  Makes sense.

Let's give it a month and see how it plays out.

 

 

 

 

Can you post a link to last night's agreement?  Have seen recaps of it, but haven't found it directly.  TIA.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

Something else I found interesting from the TSN article:

I'm interpreting this to mean that the owners got a major economic concession from the players -- i.e. effectively a 20% across-the-board pay cut to get the split for the 2019-20 season back to 50/50.

It's not clear from the TSN article, but I would guess that the 72% is before escrow -- i.e. that 20% of the 72% will go into escrow to preserve the 50/50 split for 2020-21.

The 1st 20% is going into escrow and will be paid back to the owners to help cover overages from the previous season.  The next 10% going into escrow (which ends up 8% of the original on-paper salary) will be paid to the players in 3 installments beginning 2 years from now.

The MOU sets the base escrow %ages for the remaining seasons covered by the CBA but they will be adjusted by the balances remaining in the escrow account.

[Shootica]

4 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Something else I found interesting from the TSN article:

I'm interpreting this to mean that the owners got a major economic concession from the players -- i.e. effectively a 20% across-the-board pay cut to get the split for the 2019-20 season back to 50/50.

It's not clear from the TSN article, but I would guess that the 72% is before escrow -- i.e. that 20% of the 72% will go into escrow to preserve the 50/50 split for 2020-21.

Even after that cut, the revenue split for this season won't be close to 50/50 from what I've heard.  The players collectively will owe the owners a substantial amount of money that people seem concerned may carry through the rest of the CBA.

I'm curious if the CHL transfer agreement still applies to the taxi squad.  It is effectively being treated as an extension of the AHL roster, so would guys like Quinn be barred from joining the taxi squad?  Not that I think that's  good idea for Quinn, but I'm curious what the ruling there is.

[Thorner]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

The athletic is reporting the taxi squad is subject to the same waiver rules as the AHL.

If that’s the case, Arizona can keep three goalies, but they will have to pay all three NHL salaries and that will mean one less roster spot for a skater, and as Freester said, they need to move money.

The Coyotes will be active; don’t count out Carolina as a partner for a goalie.

I wonder how the holiday roster freeze is affected? Typically teams can’t make trades three or four days before and after Christmas. 

That would mean a rush today, or just before camp opens.

Increasingly likely our roster is pretty much set. 

[Brawndo]

 

[nfreeman]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

I think you have it exactly right. I haven’t seen any new wrinkles yet in terms of how the AHL and NHL rosters function on paper. 
The only difference I’ve seen is that in practice is that up to six members of the farm team can travel and practice with the big club.

Im looking for info on anything in there affects Quinn and Cozens.

Pretty sure this is not new, just what was decided in the CBA last summer.

 

6 hours ago, Taro T said:

The bolded is correct.  That was in the MOU.

I think you guys are probably right, and that this isn't a change in the deal reached in the MOU.  The TSN article was a bit misleading:

Quote

 

For now, at least, the NHL and NHLPA have nailed down details and transition rules, subject to ratification:

> NHL players will be paid 72 per cent of their published salaries in 2020-21. Twenty per cent will be taken off the top to repay owners for the revenue shortfall that saw players collect more than their allotted 50-50 share; then another 10 per cent of that 80 per cent remaining will be deferred, to be repaid beginning three years later in installments.

 

 

 

 

5 hours ago, Taro T said:

The 1st 20% is going into escrow and will be paid back to the owners to help cover overages from the previous season.  The next 10% going into escrow (which ends up 8% of the original on-paper salary) will be paid to the players in 3 installments beginning 2 years from now.

 

But that next 10%/diluted 8% is just a deferral, right?  It's not escrow and thus not subject to forfeiture?

 

2 hours ago, Shootica said:

Even after that cut, the revenue split for this season won't be close to 50/50 from what I've heard.  The players collectively will owe the owners a substantial amount of money that people seem concerned may carry through the rest of the CBA.

 

I think this is right, which is why I am surprised that the owners agreed to reduce escrow to 10% in year 2 from now and 6% thereafter, and haven't insisted on reopening those #s. 

 

[Brawndo]

 

[dudacek]

6 hours ago, Thorny said:

Increasingly likely our roster is pretty much set. 

I think we are going to see an unusual amount of roster activity in-season after teams put guys on LTIR, freeing up space. There may also be creative things done in terms of banking space in order to sign or trade for players later, although I’m not well-versed enough in how the cap works to suggest how.

There remains 10 teams over the cap and 4 more within $1 million of it, so there is definitely movement coming. And the deal isn’t signed yet, and the GMs are probably still figuring out all the nuances.

I see the case for our roster being set (other than the odd question of Mittelstadt), but I don’t see why you think the likelihood is increasing. What’s really changed?

[Thorner]

24 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I think we are going to see an unusual amount of roster activity in-season after teams put guys on LTIR, freeing up space. There may also be creative things done in terms of banking space in order to sign or trade for players later, although I’m not well-versed enough in how the cap works to suggest how.

There remains 10 teams over the cap and 4 more within $1 million of it, so there is definitely movement coming. And the deal isn’t signed yet, and the GMs are probably still figuring out all the nuances.

I see the case for our roster being set (other than the odd question of Mittelstadt), but I don’t see why you think the likelihood is increasing. What’s really changed?

More less amounts to the idea that the closer we get to Jan 13 without moves, the less runway remains for any sort of significant change.

If they weighed a G upgrade as highly as I do I doubt we'd be sitting where we are at this point in time, they'd be leaving too much to chance. 

It's probably a situation where they have their eyes open but KA sees things as more likely than not finished. 

Edited December 20, 2020 by Thorny

[dudacek]

22 minutes ago, Thorny said:

More less amounts to the idea that the closer we get to Jan 13 without moves, the less runway remains for any sort of significant change.

If they weighed a G upgrade as highly as I do I doubt we'd be sitting where we are at this point in time, they'd be leaving too much to chance. 

It's probably a situation where they have their eyes open but KA sees things as more likely than not finished. 

Ah, OK. That makes sense from an aggressive shopping sense.

I’ve been looking at more like he’s playing the patient game, waiting for the sellers to be motivated enough to sell. The motivation comes when they are forced to cut costs. For example, he might have the best offer on the table for Kuemper, but Armstrong doesn’t really want to dump Kuemper and is trying to move Kessel instead. Or he has an offer for Raantta, but Armstrong likes Carolina’s offer better, it’s just that Carolina needs to clear salary and hasn’t been able to make that happen yet.

So I don’t think it’s Jan. 13 that shifts the runway, it’s the moves that other teams make.

Edited December 20, 2020 by dudacek

[PerreaultForever]

14 hours ago, dudacek said:

The Coyotes will be active; don’t count out Carolina as a partner for a goalie.

I would think Washington would be talking to them as well. 

[dudacek]

10 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I would think Washington would be talking to them as well. 

Probably make the call, but Lundqvist was only making $1.5 and the Caps are over the cap right now. Plus they really want a good backup.

Raantta and Kuemper both make over $4.

Carolina has less than $1 million in space. The Hawks have $5 million but still have to sign Strome.

Assuming money is the reason the Coyotes trade a goalie, of all the teams in the goalie market, the Sabres really are in the best position right now to help them in that way.

[Brawndo]

 

[Shootica]

 

I think the Arizona goalie dream starts to fizzle with this requirement.  This takes away any pressure the Yotes had to move a goalie, keeping all three on the active roster costs them nothing extra and is no worse than having one on the taxi squad.

They probably would still like to move Raanta for financial reasons, but they'll be happy to wait as long as it takes to get a decent return.