Why don’t coaches/GMs deploy this strategy?

[AvStock]

McDavid was gassed and injured along with Drai, Kane, and many others. An 82+ game season is crazy long, they have been playing since October of last year! That’s wild to think, and they are humans who can be experience burn out.

The max # of games you can play including the yoffs are 82 + 26 so 108 games in 1 season.

What is stopping a coach/GM from letting injury prone players take off 30+ games a season to remain fresh for the yoffs?

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[Stealth1616]

Because teams have to actually make the playoffs, the margin for error is pretty small.

If McDavid didn’t play for 30 games in the regular season the oilers wouldn’t of made playoffs

 

[KrisLetAngry]

You will see some teams give a player a night off or two before the playoffs begin.

A majority of teams need there players available to make playoffs. Very few teams would have this ability to have someone not play.

 

[12ozPapa]

The season needs to be shorter, period. Unreal to me that we have an 82 game season. This isn’t some summertime hobby like baseball.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

This is a tough task in a gate driven league. I mean, if the Oilers would have won would this thread have been created for the benefit of the Panthers?

 

[ClydeLee]

Well the Golden Knights do this

 

[bobholly39]

Don't forget that this is a business. It's actually not about winning - it's about selling tickets. Tickets, merchandise ,TV contracts etc.

If Edmonton sits McDavid and/or Drai for one or two random games in the season? No big deal. But if it's a trend and they miss ~5+ games that's a problem. They'd get push back from league and NHLPA, etc

Fans are buying tickets to see the best players play - both at home and in visiting cities too.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Don't forget that this is a business. It's actually not about winning - it's about selling tickets. Tickets, merchandise ,TV contracts etc.

If Edmonton sits McDavid and/or Drai for one or two random games in the season? No big deal. But if it's a trend and they miss ~5+ games that's a problem. They'd get push back from league and NHLPA, etc

Fans are buying tickets to see the best players play - both at home and in visiting cities too.

This has been a problem in the NBA which made them implement certain rules and corresponding fines to curb “load management” as it were.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Vegas does this every year

 

[DingDongCharlie]

The issue wasn’t McDavid getting gassed out. He was playing with an abdominal muscle injury.

 

[Khelandros]

Because,
1. This isn't the NBA.

2. The salary cap exists. How do you sit an $11MM player and replace them with a call up without the benefit of LTIR?

 

[SomeDude]

The season needs to be shorter, period. Unreal to me that we have an 82 game season. This isn’t some summertime hobby like baseball.

Nah, the long season and playoffs is what makes the Cup so hard and rewarding to win.

Sometimes good players get hurt/worn out and their teams lose because of it. That’s life. No need to shorten the season to accommodate those instances.

 

[swiftwin]

Have you heard of Mark Stone?