Around the NHL 2023-24 - offseason part II

[HBK27]

The NHLPA has finally wised up with their management change. Salary cap/floor numbers really mean nothing. The players will get their money regardless of what the league sets up as limits.

Salary Cap floor isn't meant to get players more money as they'll always just get 50% of revenue. It was built so that teams remain somewhat competitive and don't just look to make money by lowering their payroll the way some teams in MLB do.

This was a very reasonable solution to an unfortunate (and thankfully rare) situation where Columbus is not forced into making a deal just to hit the cap floor following Gaudreau's death.

 

[HBK27]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841222069834441032

 

[Devils731]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841277604067737707

I know it’s a change to increase league revenue but I would rather have 2 more regular season games over 2 of the preseason games.

 

[Bleedred]

I trust Marty Walsh much more than Don Fehr, Bob Goodenow or any of those past PA presidents.

He's already off to a pretty good start and quickly came down hard on Babcock. There were too many times I felt Fehr was just there to fight Bettman and Bud Selig and whoever else. I think he means business, and I don't feel some of those other guys really cared too much about the players. I think if Walsh was the head of the PA during the Blackhawks scandal and Kyle Beach back in 2010 those guys would have all been ousted long ago.

I don't think he'll easily give in either though, but I'd like to think he's a guy that doesn't really wanna see games or god forbid half or full seasons cancelled over a lockout.

 

[Forge]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841334032770236689

Hopefully not serious

 

[Satans Hockey]

 

[Satans Hockey]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841277604067737707

I know it’s a change to increase league revenue but I would rather have 2 more regular season games over 2 of the preseason games.

If they are actually going up to 36 teams it makes sense to do it.

6 divisions of 6

6 games vs 5 divisional teams = 30 games
3 games vs 12 same conference teams = 36 games
1 game vs 18 other conference teams = 18 games

For a total of 84 games.

You alternate who hosts the extra in conference game every season and you alternate who you host in the west every season so that way the western conference teams still visit at least 1x every 2 seasons.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Don't want to be that guy, but I will say it. Akira Schmid looked pretty good in that preseason game for VGK.

Was following it for as long as I could since TNT rolled right into that game.

I still feel we probably should have kept Schmid over Daws. Daws is good alternate, but Schmid will always have a soft spot because of that series. Feel like we should have waited another year to see if last year was a bad fluke.

 

[My3Sons]

Don't want to be that guy, but I will say it. Akira Schmid looked pretty good in that preseason game for VGK.

Was following it for as long as I could since TNT rolled right into that game.

I still feel we probably should have kept Schmid over Daws. Daws is good alternate, but Schmid will always have a soft spot because of that series. Feel like we should have waited another year to see if last year was a bad fluke.

I would have kept both Holtz and Schmid for one more season to see if either rallied under a new coaching regime.

 

[Triumph]

I trust Marty Walsh much more than Don Fehr, Bob Goodenow or any of those past PA presidents.

He's already off to a pretty good start and quickly came down hard on Babcock. There were too many times I felt Fehr was just there to fight Bettman and Bud Selig and whoever else. I think he means business, and I don't feel some of those other guys really cared too much about the players. I think if Walsh was the head of the PA during the Blackhawks scandal and Kyle Beach back in 2010 those guys would have all been ousted long ago.

I don't think he'll easily give in either though, but I'd like to think he's a guy that doesn't really wanna see games or god forbid half or full seasons cancelled over a lockout.

Because the players' share of money is fixed by a percentage, the union necessarily cannot represent all of its members on almost all issues relating to contracts and the salary cap and escrow and whatnot. For the majority of players, they would be incentivized to take ownership's first offer - they will likely never make up the income lost by a work stoppage by increased negotiation. All they can really do is fight over the percentage, which Fehr was brought in to do. That fight seems to have stopped at 50/50. That said, I would not trust Bettman on anything relating to negotiations, but the fact that the league is even entertaining talks about the new CBA this early means that they are probably serious about not having a labor stoppage.

 

[TrufleShufle]

Don't want to be that guy, but I will say it. Akira Schmid looked pretty good in that preseason game for VGK.

Was following it for as long as I could since TNT rolled right into that game.

I still feel we probably should have kept Schmid over Daws. Daws is good alternate, but Schmid will always have a soft spot because of that series. Feel like we should have waited another year to see if last year was a bad fluke.

I'll never try to understand or predict goalies, to me it's too much like poker. You can think all you want and make all the educated guesses based on what you see in front of you, but the dude holding a 2/7 can just end up with a full house still.

Just keep all the goalies forever. Never fold.

 

[NJDevs26]

While to a degree I do think we mothballed Schmid too quickly last year, the fact is he’s never been spectacular in the AHL and only played well in the NHL one season. Even that 20-25 memorable NHL games isn’t gonna give you a lot of leeway if you’re always above a 3 GAA and under .900 the rest of the time.

Holtz got a lot more of a look with the NHL coaches though and was on the roster all of last year. But this is the Around the NHL thread and neither of these guys have yet done anything relevant in a game that matters for Vegas

 

[Whaddagoal]

I'll never try to understand or predict goalies, to me it's too much like poker. You can think all you want and make all the educated guesses based on what you see in front of you, but the dude holding a 2/7 can just end up with a full house still.

Just keep all the goalies forever. Never fold.

That's a unique analogy. I like it.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841293558151549015

 

[mdj12784]

Would anyone take a HR swing for Swayman? Yes we have Markstrom, but he’s not a long term solution. Should at least kick the tires.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Would anyone take a HR swing for Swayman? Yes we have Markstrom, but he’s not a long term solution. Should at least kick the tires.

unfortunately, its too late for that at this point. But I love Swayman and would have been all over it.

 

[Saugus]

I would have kept both Holtz and Schmid for one more season to see if either rallied under a new coaching regime.

I don't think Fitz had time enough to continue that experiment. Given the glaring need for a goalie, he needed to bring in a proven, veteran guy as the starter. Anything less and we'd be mad at him for neglecting it.

Of course, bringing in Markstrom meant that we didn't have spots for all of our goalies. Schmid simply lost at musical chairs.

 

[My3Sons]

I don't think Fitz had time enough to continue that experiment. Given the glaring need for a goalie, he needed to bring in a proven, veteran guy as the starter. Anything less and we'd be mad at him for neglecting it.

Of course, bringing in Markstrom meant that we didn't have spots for all of our goalies. Schmid simply lost at musical chairs.

That’s fair. I guess the decision was to keep Poulter?

 

[Brodeur]

Would anyone take a HR swing for Swayman? Yes we have Markstrom, but he’s not a long term solution. Should at least kick the tires.

We'll see if Boston even considers trading Swayman at this point. Obviously it's taken longer than both sides would like but I remember the old days when Scott Niedermayer signed right before Thanksgiving in 2000. Or Patrik Elias signing a week before Halloween in 1999.

 

[HBK27]

That’s fair. I guess the decision was to keep Poulter?

Seems to be the case.

I'm not sure how NJ would've realistically kept all 3 of Daws, Schmid & Poulter this season. They clearly wanted two vets in Markstrom / Allen at the NHL level.

That leaves 2 AHL spots for 3 guys that should not be playing any lower. Daws and Schmid both have NHL experience and will be 24 this season. Poulter is a year younger, but was the best of the 3 in Utica last year. Crucial development year for all 3 and for one to make their case as Markstrom's backup for next season. They had to pick 2 of the 3 and Schmid was the odd man out.

I like Akira and wouldn't be surprised if he eventually does put it all together, but unfortunately he was given a golden opportunity last season to establish himself as an NHL regular and he completely dropped the ball. I'm sure management/coaches had to be frustrated at his play last season given the level of opportunity he was granted when they didn't bring in another goalie.

 

[Goptor]

Teams don't wait until a week before the season opener to find their starting goaltender.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

I just hope there was more to the decision to choose Daws over Schmid than Daws was Marty’s pick.

 

[Call Me Al]

i always liked schmid and wouldn’t be surprised if he has a good nhl career. hoping daws can be something but i haven’t seen the ability to be “they guy” on a contending team. we’ll see though, he’s young. and rogalski has to get fired eventually right?

im half expecting markstrom and allen to look terrible just because

 

[Bleedred]

I expected all along that one of Schmid or Daws would be sent ouf of town this past offseason.

I just thought that whoever went would be going the other way back for Markstrom or whatever potential goalie we acquired. And that wound up not being the case. I'm not surprised at all that he was traded, I expected it, unless it was Daws instead.

I am surprised that he was traded and not as a part of the Markstrom trade.