PitkanenPower said:
I see what you're saying. But I don't see the huge problem. So what if Forsberg gets $30M, it doesn't matter. There are still 24 players subjected to a $50M cap. You'll forgive me if it sounds an awful lot like the "small market" fans were expecting to get loaded up with "franchise players."
A hard cap at under $40M is no more fair to the large-revenue teams than a $100M cap would have been to a low-revenue team. It's called compromise.
I certainly see your problem. You don't want to see large revenue teams lose their financial advantage over other teams. the fact is that if a small market team had forsberg and sakic, they would have lost sakic to the rangers with that offer sheet and could never have afforded to trade for blake if they had already traded for Patrick Roy.
"Loaded up" with franchise players???? HAHAHA...How many NHL teams don't have a single franchise player? A true top 30 in the NHL player?? Considering that teams like Colorado, NYR, Toronto, Philadelphia and forth can afford 4 or 5 of them at once, it doesn't leave a lot for the balance of the NHL.
That's my problem and that is a serious problem for the league. Sure people will turn on the tv to watch the Red Wings or the Avalanche and will buy tickets to see them when they show up in the smaller markets, but the dozen or so teams with no name rosters that haven't won anything can't draw flies, particularly when they are playing each other. There is a big TV draw the see the Preditors and the Bolts right now. The Lightning even as Cup winners are basically a no name team. Make it the Preds and the Oilers and no one is watching.
You have to consider that the league needs more than a couple of showcase teams to have a healthy league.