Salary Cap: Cap Problems next season?

[The Apologist]

We could end up 3rd, we could end up 11th.

My main point though is that the East is so ridiculously weak this year that even ending up 4'th doesn't mean much other than it's a playoff spot. Maybe I'm just worried of being jinxed - all this talk about "we're 4th " is going to end up looking pretty stupid if we miss the playoffs.

Maybe, but we are in fact in 4th. We've been between 3rd and 5th for nearly the entire season. Nothing wrong with stating we are in fourth.

Don't quote me on this, but I get the feeling that if we were 10th and four points out of fourth you would have no issue with someone constantly pointing out were tenth and NOT a playoff team?

 

[Gary Nylund]

Maybe, but we are in fact in 4th. We've been between 3rd and 5th for nearly the entire season. Nothing wrong with stating we are in fourth.

Don't quote me on this, but I get the feeling that if we were 10th and four points out of fourth you would have no issue with someone constantly pointing out were tenth and NOT a playoff team?

Of course not. But then I would be the one pointing out that we are only 4 points out of 4th.

Maybe I'm making too much of an issue out of it. Ok then, from now on, I will try not to jump on everyone who says we're in 4th. TBH, I'm not even sure what it is about it that bugs me, I just know that it does. I'd say it's the jinx factor but I'm not the superstitious type. I really don't care, I just hope we finish top 3 in our division and then I'll be happy to join the chorus.

 

[JackJ]

How do you call an injury the GM's fault? We knew he could be a rental and just like Liles ,Nonnis may still find a taker on Clarkson. Many players cant hack To. then flourish elsewhere i.e Beauchmin.

Beauchmin couldn't hack Wilson. He'd now be perfect with Phaneuf.

 

[achtungbaby]

Of course not. But then I would be the one pointing out that we are only 4 points out of 4th.

Maybe I'm making too much of an issue out of it. Ok then, from now on, I will try not to jump on everyone who says we're in 4th. TBH, I'm not even sure what it is about it that bugs me, I just know that it does. I'd say it's the jinx factor but I'm not the superstitious type. I really don't care, I just hope we finish top 3 in our division and then I'll be happy to join the chorus.

I think it's that people usually point out we're 4th when they're dismissing someone else's conversation about the Leafs that doesn't blow smoke up their *****.

"We really got outplayed that game." - "Who cares? We're 4th!"

"We need to fix our team defense as we're one of the worst teams in the league for shots against" - "Who cares? We're 4th!"

It's a very short sighted way of looking at it but to each their own. I suppose we really should wait until the end of the season to make such statements, either way you're going to spin it.

 

[blueberrie]

The long & the short of it is.....the Leafs have ZERO "cap problems" for next year.

Their young, skilled team is locked up long-term, and they have plenty of money to sign lesser guys to fill it out. Not many changes to this lineup are needed at all.

Currently, they have 12 KEY guys signed for 49.5 million, leaving 22.4 million(projected by capgeek.com) for the other 10-11 LESSER guys. Depending on whom they WANT to keep, it should be very easy to do.

To suggest there is any "problem" is simply incorrect.

Sure, there is ZERO problem if you're content with the bubble playoff team as it is.

If you are wanting/expecting improvement this capped out team becomes a problem.

It gets tough to add an impact player through trade or free agency when you have to send significant salary the other way as well.

 

[The Apologist]

I think it's that people usually point out we're 4th when they're dismissing someone else's conversation about the Leafs that doesn't blow smoke up their *****.

"We really got outplayed that game." - "Who cares? We're 4th!"

"We need to fix our team defense as we're one of the worst teams in the league for shots against" - "Who cares? We're 4th!"

It's a very short sighted way of looking at it but to each their own. I suppose we really should wait until the end of the season to make such statements, either way you're going to spin it.

I see your point, but I notice this point generally follows the usual

This team is terrible
Goodbye playoffs

18 wheeler

We need to blow it up now

what a bunch of scrubs

and the like that seems to follow every loss, in which case it is a very valid argument. While this team (like nearly every team not named Chicago or Boston) has issues that need to be corrected, they have in fact been a playoff team for the nearly the entire season, they are young, and they are developing well.

That being said, this has nothing to do with the topic at hand which seems to be the 'crisis' du jour.

 

[The Apologist]

Sure, there is ZERO problem if you're content with the bubble playoff team as it is.

If you are wanting/expecting improvement this capped out team becomes a problem.

It gets tough to add an impact player through trade or free agency when you have to send significant salary the other way as well.

But how many times are we going to 'lather, rinse, repeat' this same scenario?

As has been pointed out, we were never getting rid of Toskala, Finger, Grabo, Komi, Connolly, Liles.... (and the list goes on and on) yet somehow we did, we have continued to survive and even improve despite the fact that the team is apparently doomed and hamstrung.

Every season the same thread pops up (with different names of course), yet every season our management figures it out.

You'll have to excuse some of use for growing tired of the same, lame sky is falling garbage when there are legitimate concerns to be discussed with this team (read: Defense).

 

[achtungbaby]

I see your point, but I notice this point generally follows the usual

This team is terrible
Goodbye playoffs

18 wheeler

We need to blow it up now

what a bunch of scrubs

and the like that seems to follow every loss, in which case it is a very valid argument. While this team (like nearly every team not named Chicago or Boston) has issues that need to be corrected, they have in fact been a playoff team for the nearly the entire season, they are young, and they are developing well.

That being said, this has nothing to do with the topic at hand which seems to be the 'crisis' du jour.

Agreed there, you'll find those comments a lot in the GDT's and PGT's. Which is why you'll rarely see me in one of those threads as there are too many folks who react too strongly to every loss or win. However, in the threads trying to discuss ways to improve our team I feel that constructive criticism is warranted. Others seem to feel that any negative word spoken about the team, the players, or the management requires them to charge to the rescue to defend their team from "haters".

 

[hotpaws]

But how many times are we going to 'lather, rinse, repeat' this same scenario?

As has been pointed out, we were never getting rid of Toskala, Finger, Grabo, Komi, Connolly, Liles.... (and the list goes on and on) yet somehow we did, we have continued to survive and even improve despite the fact that the team is apparently doomed and hamstrung.

Every season the same thread pops up (with different names of course), yet every season our management figures it out.

You'll have to excuse some of use for growing tired of the same, lame sky is falling garbage when there are legitimate concerns to be discussed with this team (read: Defense).

Tosk was a ufa and we traded him and Blake for another teams cap dump - Giggy

Finger/TC were buried in the minors - this isn't allowed un the new CBA

Komi was buried in the minors and we used our amnesties on him and Grabo - we're only allowed two

JML was traded for another cap dump

You know all the this but choose to ignore it . Discussing our cap situations doesn't mean we think the sky is falling , it just means we're discussing how we're going to improve our weaknesses without creating other holes .

 

[Holymakinaw]

But how many times are we going to 'lather, rinse, repeat' this same scenario?

As has been pointed out, we were never getting rid of Toskala, Finger, Grabo, Komi, Connolly, Liles.... (and the list goes on and on) yet somehow we did, we have continued to survive and even improve despite the fact that the team is apparently doomed and hamstrung.

Every season the same thread pops up (with different names of course), yet every season our management figures it out.

You'll have to excuse some of use for growing tired of the same, lame sky is falling garbage when there are legitimate concerns to be discussed with this team (read: Defense).

You're right, of course. It's NOT just a friendly discussion to figure out how to meet our challenges. It's the usual "what are the Leafs doing WRONG" discussion.

The very title of the thread is "cap PROBLEMS", and that's what is getting so frustrating. It's always some sort of "problem" we have, when that's simply not true.

We are working under a cap. And it looks like we have close to 20 million left for 10-11 guys for next season.

No problem at all.

 

[achtungbaby]

You're right, of course. It's NOT just a friendly discussion to figure out how to meet our challenges. It's the usual "what are the Leafs doing WRONG" discussion.

The very title of the thread is "cap PROBLEMS", and that's what is getting so frustrating. It's always some sort of "problem" we have, when that's simply not true.

We are working under a cap. And it looks like we have close to 20 million left for 10-11 guys for next season.

No problem at all.

The semantics of the words we use to say that the Leafs could use improvement in key areas frustrates you?

 

[Holymakinaw]

The semantics of the words we use to say that the Leafs could use improvement in key areas frustrates you?

No, it's the same constant negative and unfair viewpoints, under the guise of "realism", constantly expressed by the same group of posters, that frustrates me.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

No, it's the same constant negative and unfair viewpoints, under the guise of "realism", constantly expressed by the same group of posters, that frustrates me.

In response, you like to mock those posters

Very mature of you

 

[achtungbaby]

No, it's the same constant negative and unfair viewpoints, under the guise of "realism", constantly expressed by the same group of posters, that frustrates me.

If you don't like negative viewpoints, you might want to stay away from threads with the word "problem" right there in the title. I'm sure those that preach that there is no problem in every thread annoy some people as well. We all have our little crosses to bear.

 

[Holymakinaw]

In response, you like to mock those posters

Very mature of you

Meh. Quite frankly, they/you deserve it, at times.

If you cats could SOMETIMES be fair, then I'd love to have good talks with you.

 

[Holymakinaw]

If you don't like negative viewpoints, you might want to stay away from threads with the word "problem" right there in the title. I'm sure those that preach that there is no problem in every thread annoy some people as well. We all have our little crosses to bear.

And let the unfair ones run roughshod through every thread?

I offer the positive viewpoint, wherever possible. What a bad guy, huh?

Perhaps I can convince one of them to be cool once in a blue moon, so decent discussions could ensue?

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

Meh. Quite frankly, they/you deserve it, at times.

If you cats could SOMETIMES be fair, then I'd love to have good talks with you.

If someone made an outrageously optimistic comment, I guarantee you wouldn't be mocking them. Honestly, mocking others is just silly. You just act like you are BETTER than the rest of us

I am willing to admit when I am wrong. Ex. Bozak. But I cant have a civil discussion with someone when they have to resort to taking jabs at others at some point in their post

 

[ACC1224]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs...t_prices_to_increase_but_so_will_options.html

“The NHL salary cap is predicted to rise very aggressively, so we’ve got to grow the business here,” Hopkinson says. “We’re taking some of that burden off our season seat holders.”

Noticed this is the Ticket increase article.

 

[Holymakinaw]

If someone made an outrageously optimistic comment, I guarantee you wouldn't be mocking them. Honestly, mocking others is just silly. You just act like you are BETTER than the rest of us

I am willing to admit when I am wrong. Ex. Bozak. But I cant have a civil discussion with someone when they have to resort to taking jabs at others at some point in their post

LOL. Why on earth would anyone mock someone for being too optimistic??? THAT'S A GOOD THING TO BE.

 

[Morbo]

Well, I'd rather keep him around for a few more years than buy him out in the summer and have him contaminating the cap until almost the 2030s if we can't trade him.

It really depends on if they come across an opportunity to improve the team if they just had that extra cap room, a possibility that seems more likely in the mid term with the news of the cap perhaps not being as high as thought last year.

Right now we have to assume there isn't such an opportunity, so we chop another 2 years off the buyout hit if we did it next year instead. I'm fine with that.

But ultimately no team should pay an impact forward salary to a 3rd-4th line player. Clarkson was always a buyout waiting to happen, it's just a matter of time.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

LOL. Why on earth would anyone mock someone for being too optimistic??? THAT'S A GOOD THING TO BE.

So when you're being blindly optimistic and someone else is being blindly pessimistic it creates a good, constructive dialogue

 

[Holymakinaw]

So when you're being blindly optimistic and someone else is being blindly pessimistic it creates a good, constructive dialogue

That's why I would love us to meet in the middle, and maybe SOMETIMES make the odd fair comment!!

Crazy idea, huh?

 

[achtungbaby]

And let the unfair ones run roughshod through every thread?

I offer the positive viewpoint, wherever possible. What a bad guy, huh?

Perhaps I can convince one of them to be cool once in a blue moon, so decent discussions could ensue?

Apply for a mod job then I guess. Have a good day.

 

[blueberrie]

But how many times are we going to 'lather, rinse, repeat' this same scenario?

As has been pointed out, we were never getting rid of Toskala, Finger, Grabo, Komi, Connolly, Liles.... (and the list goes on and on) yet somehow we did, we have continued to survive and even improve despite the fact that the team is apparently doomed and hamstrung.

Every season the same thread pops up (with different names of course), yet every season our management figures it out.

You'll have to excuse some of use for growing tired of the same, lame sky is falling garbage when there are legitimate concerns to be discussed with this team (read: Defense).

I think it's how many times management is going to "lather, rinse, repeat" the scenario?

They seem to keep straddling themselves with these awful contracts that are a pain to move, and just as they get two get out of jail free cards they sign a brand new anchor.

It's going to be interesting to see how they can get out of this new one, which has significantly more term and hit than the others.

A capped out team isn't doomed and it doesn't matter at all if you're content with your core at hand but for a team that needs significant defensive improvements it will be tough to add a top 4 defence men or top 6 center.

For instance, what if Vancouver desperately starts to shop Hamhuis? We can't add his 4.5 cap hit unless we send back Lupul, Gleason++ or some combo of Franson/Kulemin/Bolland/Gunnarsson. Making us short in other areas of the team.

Nonis said he thought he sent a better offer than Montreal for Vanek, perhaps it was contingent on the Islanders retaining salary and that's what cost the Leafs Vanek?
EDIT: May be wrong about that one, I think the Islanders did retain salary.

I know I'm probably grouped in the "sky is falling" poster crew, but it just seems like for every step in the right direction management takes they take two steps back.

 

[seanlinden]

One thing I think the Leafs have to consider with the way Raymond has played this year, is if they can do better with him than Joffrey Lupul.

Presumably, he could fetch a pretty good defenceman in return, and that $5.25m would free up a lot of cap space, while Raymond would probably come in around 1/2 of that.