Speculation: Trade, FA & Rumours (Mod warning OP)

[Mortimer Snerd]

I don’t see anyway that (A) happens. My guess is they want to push back the season as far as possible with the hope of getting fans in the stands. I foresee the playoffs being played after the Olympics with the hope they can play to full arenas in September or October. Start the next condensed season in December and get back to the regular schedule in 22-23.

I don't see the border opening before April. I doubt there will be fans in the stands in most cities before June. I don't think the Olympics being played is a slam dunk either.

I think it is either start play in Jan or Feb without fans, or cancel the season.

 

[tbcwpg]

What I mean is that they play 60-82 games from Feb-Jul, break for three weeks, then the playoffs, with the hope there’s a vaccine by then.

I really don't see that happening. I think the goal is playing a shortened season starting in January, ending before the Olympics, restarting 2021-22 in October as usual. I don't see them pausing before the playoffs to let the Olympics happen before restarting.

 

[Weezeric]

I don't see the border opening before April. I doubt there will be fans in the stands in most cities before June. I don't think the Olympics being played is a slam dunk either.

I think it is either start play in Jan or Feb without fans, or cancel the season.

There’s no way they’re going to cancel the season while other leagues continue to play. That would be league altering and potentially fatal. It’s hard to predict what things will look like 6 months from now. I imagine they will keep all their options open.

 

[Weezeric]

I really don't see that happening. I think the goal is playing a shortened season starting in January, ending before the Olympics, restarting 2021-22 in October as usual. I don't see them pausing before the playoffs to let the Olympics happen before restarting.

A shortened season will require quite a tense negotiation with the players over prorated salary.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

What I mean is that they play 60-82 games from Feb-Jul, break for three weeks, then the playoffs, with the hope there’s a vaccine by then.

I could see playing Jan/Feb to June/July, 48 games. Straight into PO.

I think it is just barely possible that fans might be allowed for those PO. But any further delay and they might just as well wait and start the '22 season with fans.

 

[cbcwpg]

A shortened season will require quite a tense negotiation with the players over prorated salary.

This is the one thing that could kill the next season. My understanding is the players expect ( unreasonably IMO ) to be paid their full salaries if they play just 1 game. The teams obviously don't agree with that.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

There’s no way they’re going to cancel the season while other leagues continue to play. That would be league altering and potentially fatal. It’s hard to predict what things will look like 6 months from now. I imagine they will keep all their options open.

Then they need to start in Jan/Feb, play a shortened season, PO, and move on. If they wait for possible fans, then they need to cancel the season. Keeping their options open and waiting for things to improve could also be called dithering.

But I can see the possibility of fans in the stands by this time next year and I certainly hope we are able to open the borders by then.

I think that there will be a strong desire everywhere to put the pandemic behind us get back to normal as quickly as possible. So assuming there is an effective vaccine widely distributed by a date X, the league will want to be playing normally ASAP, not still cleaning up loose ends from the Covid season.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

A shortened season will require quite a tense negotiation with the players over prorated salary.

Not sure but I think that is already a done deal.

If not, it will be very simple, no tense negotiation. Either prorated salary or no salary.

 

[Jetsfan79]

About prorated salaries, what is the precident? Did players get full salaries or prorated when they played 48 game lockout shortened seasons?

If they got prorated pay cheques in an owners induced work stoppage, I can't see how the players can agrue for full salaries for something that is out of everyone's control

 

[BatVader]

Pulock just signed 2x5aav... makes a Laine to Isles deal interesting

 

[tbcwpg]

Pulock just signed 2x5aav... makes a Laine to Isles deal interesting

Makes it less interesting to me as it probably kills any chance of it happening.

 

[Jimmyjets]

There’s no way they’re going to cancel the season while other leagues continue to play. That would be league altering and potentially fatal. It’s hard to predict what things will look like 6 months from now. I imagine they will keep all their options open.

I don't agree that there is no way they cancel the season.

The NHL doesn't have the lucrative TV deals that other leagues have. The teams need the gate revenue. Add on top that in the new CBA they've limited the amount of escrow they will collect and this shortened year, if played, would be financially very difficult on the owners.

The players have said that they won't play the season in a bubble and the boarders are likely to remain closed for a while. So you talk about having a Canadian division, etc. but does it make sense to be flying all over the country to play in different empty arenas?

The NHL has lost an entire season before due to a lockout and bounced back just fine.

I can see a business case for cancelling the season as it's going to be shortened anyway and hoping that a year from now things look better on the COVID front and you're back to business as usual on your typical operating months.

We'll see how things shake out in the next couple months, but I won't be surprised if they just scrap the whole thing and I don't think Jets ownership will be surprised either. Afterall, the put in the condition with Stastney's trade that if he doesn't play 5 games they don't get the pick. Maybe it's because they were worried he was going to retire instead of coming here, but maybe it's because they knew even at that point that there is a very real chance next season doesn't happen.

 

[surixon]

Makes it less interesting to me as it probably kills any chance of it happening.

Yup. The Jets aren't trading for someone that can walk as a FA in two years.

 

[Nedarb]

Yup. The Jets aren't trading for someone that can walk as a FA in two years.

He would Still be an rfa according to capfriendly. Not to sure how myself though.

edit: I stand corrected it appears they have fixed it to UFA now

 

[boydkc]

What would it take to get Bjorkstrand out of Columbus. Roslovic sign and trade who else.

What about Harkins ,Roslovic and Niku.

then sign 2 free agents.

Connor,Schiefele,Wheeler
Vesalainen,Granlund,Laine
Ehlers,Stastny,Bjorkstrand
Copp,Lowry, Appleton
Perrault

Morrisey,Demelo
Samberg,Pionk
Heinola,Vatanen
Forbort,Appleton

 

[boydkc]

What would it take to get Bjorkstrand out of Columbus. Roslovic sign and trade who else.

What about Harkins ,Roslovic and Niku.

then sign 2 free agents.

Connor,Schiefele,Wheeler
Vesalainen,Granlund,Laine
Ehlers,Stastny,Bjorkstrand
Copp,Lowry, Appleton
Perrault

Morrisey,Demelo
Samberg,Pionk
Heinola,Vatanen
Forbort,Appleton

Poolman not Appleton on Defence

 

[Easternbull]

There are two alternate scenarios being presented by professional hockey writers,

A) that due to continued loss of revenue this upcoming shortened season, there will be even less money and capspace available for GM's next offseason.

B) Seattle will take close to 80m of cash from the teams in the league during the XD and there will be more capspace for teams and GM's to work with next of season.

What do you think?

 

[GaryPoppins]

There are two alternate scenarios being presented by professional hockey writers,

A) that due to continued loss of revenue this upcoming shortened season, there will be even less money and capspace available for GM's next offseason.

B) Seattle will take close to 80m of cash from the teams in the league during the XD and there will be more capspace for teams and GM's to work with next of season.

What do you think?

or Seattle takes the opposite approach as Vegas and realizes that:

many teams need to clear certain contracts despite many of them being useful players and they could get additional assets

bank on the honeymoon season lasting a few years and building from the group up versus starting at the top like Vegas

 

[ps241]

This is the one thing that could kill the next season. My understanding is the players expect ( unreasonably IMO ) to be paid their full salaries if they play just 1 game. The teams obviously don't agree with that.

The players didn’t get paid for a full season when there was a lock out and I don’t think they would this time. I heard an interview where Bettman or Daly hinted they preserved that right in the new CBA.

 

[PhilJets]

The whole world with a good % of people lost jobs or took a reduced salary.
Majority of these players should and probably will understand that they will need to porfeit part of their salary next season.


If its 48 games only that's 40% reduction.
What they will get is still much better than many.

 

[ps241]

About prorated salaries, what is the precident? Did players get full salaries or prorated when they played 48 game lockout shortened seasons?

If they got prorated pay cheques in an owners induced work stoppage, I can't see how the players can agrue for full salaries for something that is out of everyone's control

The player push back would be because they have already agreed to a very tough deal that is having serious consequences. I think they will correctly feel they have already taken a massive hit for this season and the three seasons to follow .

The problem is this season is getting close to worst case scenario and the owners will need more and yes they are getting crushed too.


The reality is this is “Fugly” and unprecedented. Even in the past the owners came back back to busy buildings after work stoppage. In this scenario owners and players will both be coming back to empty buildings.

 

[surixon]

The player push back would be because they have already agreed to a very tough deal that is having serious consequences. I think they will correctly feel they have already taken a massive hit for this season and the three seasons to follow .

The problem is this season is getting close to worst case scenario and the owners will need more and yes they are getting crushed too.


The reality is this is “Fugly” and unprecedented. Even in the past the owners came back back to busy buildings after work stoppage. In this scenario owners and players will both be coming back to empty buildings.

Well said. The issue is that they have to make whole the 50% revenue either way so is it best to take the hit now or try to defer it until later in the CBA. I imagine the current group of players is happy throwing future players under the bus to keep as much as they can now. The issue is that the owners are likely going to really hurt this year and paying full salary less agreed upon escrow for a shortened season isn't likely palatable to them.

 

[Buffdog]

The money has to come from somewhere. NHL is a gate driven league... at the end if the day, 50% of HRR is 50% of HRR. No gates = low HRR which isn't too hard to understand.

 

[Heldig]

If the players demand a full salary there will be no season. It is simply unaffordable.

 

[robertocarlos]

If the players demand a full salary there will be no season. It is simply unaffordable.

But the US TV contract!

There will be no season.