Salary Cap: '24-'25 Salary Thread: Crosbicles Volume MMXXV - Poolman and Poolparty?!?
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RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico cited a well-informed NHL source claiming the league will drop the escrow withholding rate from players’ salaries from six percent to zero effective Jan. 30 for the remainder of the regular season.
The source also told D’Amico that, because profits are expected to be higher than previously projected, the players will receive between two and six percent in extra earnings.
This sets the stage for a substantial increase in the salary cap for 2025-26. It was projected to reach between $92 million and $93 million but could now rise higher.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s good news for the players, especially those slated to become free agents on July 1. A higher-than-projected salary cap will also provide welcome help for teams with limited cap room for next season.
3rd line, penalty killer is the worst use of McGroaty I can think of. Well I guess you could really burry him on the 4th.
Both him and Koivunen need to play in the top 6 to be successful. They need to play with other talented players they can feed off of.
Empoleon8771
Registered User
Who is McGroarty playing in the top-6 over? They're not bumping Rakell or Bunting to L3.
McGroarty starting on L3 is totally fine, especially if you're playing him with talent like Broz at center or Tomasino on RW.
It's also completely bizarre to me that people here complain that the bottom-6 doesn't have enough talent but then also say that talented players like McGroarty and Koivunen can't play in the bottom-6 because "they're better with talent".
Empoleon8771
Registered User
Like I said in a follow up post, the difference is that those guys score goals while Puljujarvi didn't. Beauvillier is their 5th highest goal scorer while Tomasino has 5 goals in 19 games.
Puljujarvi wasn't given a "fair shake" because Sullivan wants his offensive bottom-6 guys (like Tomasino and Beauvillier) to be able to score goals. He made that comment explicitly about Puustinen in the off-season, that he needs to score goals to be able to stay in the NHL. Puljuajrvi had 3 goals in 25 games, that's why he's not playing, has since been waived and no one claimed him. If you're offering nothing else beyond your offense and you're only scoring at a 10 goal pace, you're not going to stay in the lineup.
This isn't even a Sullivan thing either, this is a NHL wide thing. I mentioned Heinen as an example, but I think another really good example of this is Kahun. Kahun played for 4 different teams in 3 years despite producing pretty well (37 points per 82 games). The problem? His career high in goals was 13. He was out of the NHL after 3 years because he simply wasn't scoring enough goals for teams to keep him in their bottom-6 and he wasn't talented enough to play in a NHL top-6.
Guys like Puljujarvi, Puustinen, Heinen, Kahun, Sprong and such all fall in that same category of "we'll play you as long as you're scoring goals, and then we're cutting you as soon as you stop scoring". Sullivan's been very consistent with how he makes decisions with those players and it's not unique to Sullivan with how he handles them.
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I mean it’s great if you want him to be a pking 3rd liner but if you want him to contribute offensively, which is why he was drafted, then that’s what you should develop him to do.
This archaic thinking it why so many prospects fail. They’ve been the focal point of their team’s offense their entire career up to this point and then an organization turns around and tries to turn them into something else.
Empoleon8771
Registered User
Who is trying to turn McGroarty into something else? Almost every team starts their young prospects in lesser roles and lets them develop into higher roles.
McGroarty being able to PK just means he offers more versatility and can play in the NHL sooner in those kind of roles as well. No one is suggesting turning him into a purely 3rd line PKer like O'Connor, the suggestion is him starting in the NHL in that role and gradually moving up as he gets better. Him being able to kill penalties is just a requirement Sullivan is looking for in a player for that role, so it opens up opportunities for him that wouldn't be there otherwise.
Gurglesons
Registered User
I absolutely love the idea of Rakell for Fiala and I think it makes a ton of sense for both teams. PLD buy low vibes.
Empoleon8771
Registered User
I also don't understand where this idea comes from that you have to play top prospects in top roles immediately out of the gate. Yes, they did that with Guentzel, but a lot of teams don't do that with prospects unless they have a clear need for it.
Right now, Tampa Bay is playing Connor Geekie on L3 in a 2-way role (47.4% OZS) with Girgensons and Chaffee. Geekie was the 11th overall pick in McGroarty's draft year so he's the same age, and Tampa has no issues playing him in a bottom-6 role to start. Why is it a problem to be playing McGroarty in a similar L3 role to that? He'd likely be playing with more talent than what Geekie is playing with, Girgensons is especially terrible (0 goals and 2 points in 43 games this year).
If you're starting with something like McGroarty-Ponomarev-Tomasino on L3, I don't see how that is any sort of problem.
Right now, Tampa Bay is playing Connor Geekie on L3 in a 2-way role (47.4% OZS) with Girgensons and Chaffee. Geekie was the 11th overall pick in McGroarty's draft year so he's the same age, and Tampa has no issues playing him in a bottom-6 role to start. Why is it a problem to be playing McGroarty in a similar L3 role to that? He'd likely be playing with more talent than what Geekie is playing with, Girgensons is especially terrible (0 goals and 2 points in 43 games this year).
If you're starting with something like McGroarty-Ponomarev-Tomasino on L3, I don't see how that is any sort of problem.
Ragamuffin Gunner
Lost in the Flood
Alan Walsh said it'll be 97M on his podcast last week.
Coastal Kev
There will be "I told you so's" Bet on it
So the plan is to stay mediocre or slightly above to keep are aged stars content; thereby extending any rebuild further down the road??? Don't get it, never got it, never will get it.
Gurglesons
Registered User
Darren McCord
Registered User
- Dec 15, 2015
- 10,293
- 8,732
There is like a 5% chance this team makes playoffs with or without Fiala. If we are going for a high paid winger, I would rather move Rakell of picks and prospects and throw money at Marner in the offseason.
Clean out some cap and get picks then spend money on players.
Rakell for Sam Bennett is better…we can pay him…we need someone who can center the top two lines…
Gurglesons
Registered User
Doubt you’re getting picks worth it for Rakell without heavy retention.
Taking advantage of his positive year to get three years younger and adding a play driver to the 2nd line would pay dividends. You can also then retain in 2-3 years on Fiala and gets assets. Same concept as PLD.
Sam Bennett addition makes 0 sense for us lol.
Ugene Magic
EVIL LAUGH
The issue with matching Johnny Hockey's signing with GBJ is that "he chose them". Who thinks Marner is going choose the Pens? Why, and he's not going to revitalize Geno.
Empoleon8771
Registered User
Geekie and Paul have been flipping between L2 and L3 from what the line charts say. From his NST page, he has played about equal in the top-6 (198 minutes with Cirelli and 25 minutes with Point) and bottom-6 (236 minutes away from both).
That's pretty much exactly the kind of usage McGroarty would likely be getting if he started out on L3 here, especially considering how much Rust gets hurt.
Gurglesons
Registered User
Geekie was immediately placed on the Hagel, Cirelli line to start the season.
Just like in CBJ.
Darren McCord
Registered User
- Dec 15, 2015
- 10,293
- 8,732
This doesn't make sense to me at all. If you think Rakell needs heavy retention why one earth do the kings do this? Like it is very contradictory.
Rakell has 3 more seasons after this at 5million. He is on pace for 70 points. He isnt overpaid especially with the cap going up.
Jonathan Marchessault just got 5 years 5.5 million at age 33 after a worse season.
Gurglesons
Registered User
No it doesn’t. If we are targeting a 2C it should be someone like Novak, Frost, etc that we aren’t bounding ourselves to for 7 years.
Because the Kings need a goal scoring RH shot, they have Fiala on their 3rd line, and it saves them cap. Same reason Ducks swapped Hagelin for Perron. Better fit for the need.
Empoleon8771
Registered User
No he wasn't. Their 2nd line was Hagel-Cirelli-Paul to start the year;. Geekie was starting with Atkinson and either Sheary or Eyssimont.
