Around the NHL 20-21 pt. 1: the season begins

[joshjull]

If I understand this correctly. Keeping the cap flat due to escrow for fours years with a huge jump in TV revenue. That should certainly help teams get back on their feet financially.

 

[Paxon]

for most people, that is really bad news. NHL TV is awesome.

for those of us that rely on NHL TV to watch the sabres.....THANK GOD

This sucks for me assuming Sabres games are blacked out in-market. I have access to the MSG app on my phone and tablet but not on my TV. I use LazyMan to watch games which uses the NHL.TV feeds directly. I actually have ESPN+, so if there are no blackouts then it's good for me. I guess I could use a proxy.

 

[dotcommunism]

No idea why the Sharks are entering into Kane's mess

How would they void Kane's contract without a material breach, or is there a material breach they aren't specifying? They could buy him out, but then the creditors would go after it

If a player wants out of his contract, it's trivially easy for him to create a material breach, simply by not honoring the terms of his contract (that is, not playing, or reporting and so on).

 

[Fezzy126]

The Domi era didn't last long

 

[GellMann]

Is Savard still good? Would he be a worthwhile addition in the offseason?

 

[joshjull]

 

[tsujimoto74]

Is Savard still good? Would he be a worthwhile addition in the offseason?

I haven't watched Columbus at all this year, but do we really need another RHD? Seems like we're still good there after Montour leaves.

 

[flashsabre]

Wow, Max Domi seems to make friends everywhere he goes

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

Just let me know which countries nhl.tv will still work in and I’ll magically be located there...

 

[GellMann]

I haven't watched Columbus at all this year, but do we really need another RHD? Seems like we're still good there after Montour leaves.

I'm assuming we'd launching Miller to the sun

 

[tsujimoto74]

I'm assuming we'd launching Miller to the sun

We never launch anyone into the sun anymore

 

[Fezzy126]

I'm assuming we'd launching Miller to the sun

If he's taking slappers from the sun is it more or less likely that he hits the opposing forward right in the shin pad?

 

[Der Jaeger]

If NHL.tv isn’t an option, do we know yet if Center Ice is still available?

 

[Jim Bob]

NHL on ESPN: What the $2.8 billion deal means for the league, the salary cap and viewers

This won’t change the flat salary cap

Revenue is rising, so the salary cap will follow, right? Despite instant speculation on social media that this would be the case, Bettman confirmed in his media availability Wednesday that the cap would remain flat. One NHL source predicted that the flat cap could be in place for up to five seasons if Canadian teams aren’t able to get fans in the building for the start of the 2021-22 season.

The collective bargaining agreement that was negotiated and extended last summer included an uncoupling of hockey-related revenue and the salary cap. Escrow was set at a maximum of 20 percent, which the players are paying, plus a 10 percent deferral of salary, which will be paid back in Years 4 through 6 of the deal.

Because NHL buildings are mostly empty during the pandemic, hockey-related revenue is likely going to come in at around $2 billion this season, according to multiple sources. In the year before the pandemic, hockey-related revenue was $5 billion.

If the $2 billion figure holds, there will likely be an addition to the player’s escrow debt of close to $650 million on top of the escrow debt from 2019-20 season, which is carrying over at $250 million. It’s highly likely that the escrow debt in total for the players will be above $800 million.

That escrow debt needs to come out of revenue and be paid back to the league before the cap will start to rise again.
Among NHL agents, there seems to be a consensus that it will be at least two years before that escrow debt is paid back. One agent said every NHL team he’s spoken with has planned on each of the next two seasons having a flat salary cap, and some are even thinking about planning for a flat cap in the 2023-24 season.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I haven't watched Columbus at all this year, but do we really need another RHD? Seems like we're still good there after Montour leaves.

We could definitely use an upgrade at RD but any defenseman we give up assets for now will either be lost in the expansion draft, or will cause Joki to be lost.

 

[Team Cozens]

Is Savard still good? Would he be a worthwhile addition in the offseason?

Ya Savard is still very solid.... he shut the Leafs down in the playoffs, hence there are rumors they will be trading for him.

 

[tsujimoto74]

If NHL.tv isn’t an option, do we know yet if Center Ice is still available?

I think NHL.tv is basically just getting folded into ESPN+/Disney+ (so it'll still be the same service---streaming for all games that aren't locally blacked out---just not direct from the NHL).

 

[Sabretooth]

If NHL.tv isn’t an option, do we know yet if Center Ice is still available?

Isn't it disney that already runs nhl.tv after they acquired mlbam? That would make this essentially rebranding nhl.tv under espn+ wouldn't it? And since it is being presumed there's no additional cost above the cost of an espn+ membership and that is currently cheaper than nhl.tv, this seems like a good thing? Also with espn+/hulu having 75games / year streaming exclusive seems like it's going to be a lot better to just go with espn+ over center ice.

Center ice I would think will continue but a major benefit to getting center ice in recent years is that you could log in to nhl.tv with your center ice subscription. I'm doubtful that relationship will remain with being able to get the espn+ games with the center ice subscription, plus the streaming exclusive games likely will end up blacked out on center ice anyways like national games.

The streaming exclusive games are going to force an espn+ subscription on a lot of customers. The way I see it, that forces a decision on me to drop center ice. And center ice was the only thing keeping me on directv so that will go too.

The frustrating thing to me is, networks and cable companies have gone from suffering from cord cutting, to accelerating it with all these new pop up "plus" networks with exclusive content not shown on their cable channels. Seems they're encouraging cord cutting now. I don't understand that but probably some good reason.

 

[PG Canuck]

Apperances in Playoffs:
Canucks 28
Sabres 29

Appearances past Round 1:
Canucks 12
Sabres 13

Appearances Past Round 2:
Canucks 4
Sabres 6

Appearances in Finals:
Canucks 3
Sabres 2

Longest Playoff Drought:
Canucks 4 years
Sabres 9 years (now will be 10)

Stanley Cups:
Do we even need to go there....

WE ARE TRULY BROTHERS

 

[explore]

NHL on ESPN: What the $2.8 billion deal means for the league, the salary cap and viewers

Bettman: NHL salary cap will remain flat or near flat for 'immediate future' - Sportsnet.ca

Bettman originally said the cap would be flat for four more seasons.

This should affect contracts significantly. I really hope the Sabres use this opportunity to sign Reinhart long-term, something like $6 million x 5 years

 

[joshjull]

 

[joshjull]

 

[EichHart]

Chicago keeps on winning without 2 of their top 3 players in Dach and Toews. How do they do it?

 

[Ness]

Darryl Sutter wins his first game back as Flames coach. Must be nice to root for a team that has the balls to make a mid-season coaching change.

 

[KiwiGriff]

Just let me know which countries nhl.tv will still work in and I’ll magically be located there...

New Zealand ... I hope!