[Report] GMs contacting Bill Daly regarding salary cap/LTIR compliance

[RWJC]

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Deputy Commissioner of the NHL, Bill Daly, has begun taking calls from numerous General Managers across the league regarding LTIR usage around the salary cap in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Unlikely to be resolved before the end of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and the NHLPA, it is most likely an issue that will be debated over the next rendition of the CBA. Over the last several years, teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights have allegedly kept players “hidden” on LTIR throughout the regular season, only to be activated for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs to avoid the need for salary cap compliance.

https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2024/06/evening-notes-bowman-quenneville-ltir-levshunov.html#ref=home

 

 

 

Daly: GMs express desire to tweak LTIR salary cap rules for playoffs

 

TSN.ca Staff

Published Jun 08, 2024 at 06:54 PM ET

 

Many general managers across the National Hockey League have voiced a desire to "tweak" the long term injured reserve rules when it comes to the salary cap and playoffs, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun on Saturday.

 

Daly added that the NHL isn't sure they can negotiate any changes on the subject with the NHL Players' Association prior to the end of the current collective bargaining agreement ends in two years time.

Concerns about LTIR were raised at the beginning of the playoffs when Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone activated just in time to begin the team's first round against the Dallas Stars.

 

The 6-foot-3 centre had been placed on LTIR each of the last two seasons after back surgery in 2023 and a lacerated spleen this season, only to be activated as soon at the playoffs began.

 

Having players such as Stone on LTIR to finish the season allowed the Golden Knights to have space to acquire pieces such as forward Ivan Barbashev last season and forward Tomas Hertl and defenceman Noah Hanifin this season.

 

The practice is not just limited to the Golden Knights as Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Nikita Kucherov missed the entire 2020-21 shortened 56-game season after undergoing hip replacement surgery that off season and was activated at the beginning of the their playoff run.

 

As well the Chicago Blackhawks placed superstar winger Patrick Kane on LTIR prior to the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, which allowed them to add three players at the trade deadline.

 

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/bill-daly-gms-express-desire-to-tweak-ltir-salary-cap-rules-for-playoffs-1.2132182

 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2024 by RWJC

[HKSR]

Good.  About time it is being discussed.  Several asterisks for recent Cup winners.

[Gurn]

" teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights"

 

I wonder if any of these teams would be more interested in trading away their first round picks, for the first  couple of years of the new cba?

Kinda get some value, before the league retroactively punishes them for cap circumvention.

[Wilbur]

52 minutes ago, Gurn said:

" teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights"

 

I wonder if any of these teams would be more interested in trading away their first round picks, for the first  couple of years of the new cba?

Kinda get some value, before the league retroactively punishes them for cap circumvention.

Great, now I envision a future where the Canucks collect 1st round picks from Chicago, Tampa, and Vegas only to have the league take them away anyway....but Chicago, Tampa, and Vegas get to keep what they got in return

[R3aL]

3 hours ago, Wilbur said:

Great, now I envision a future where the Canucks collect 1st round picks from Chicago, Tampa, and Vegas only to have the league take them away anyway....but Chicago, Tampa, and Vegas get to keep what they got in return

we've been hurt haven't we

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

I still think the easiest way would be to place any players still on LTIR by a threshold game (maybe 3-5 games prior to end of season) on an "activation prohibited" list for the playoffs, so that those players can't suddenly find a miracle and participate in game 1 of their 1st round series (or any playoff game thereafter for the season).  That way, you need to be cap compliant even before the playoffs begin and the roster won't suddenly have a boost during the playoffs.

 

AHL/black ace players are fine to join for the playoffs, unless they too were on LTIR.

Edited June 9, 2024 by 6of1_halfdozenofother

[Hank, Dank, and Tank]

Truly about time. Injuries always confer advantages and disadvantages in the playoffs. But the salary cap was meant to help level the playing field. The least the league could do is ensure it remains effective regardless of when injuries arise. 

 

No one wants to see others skirt a rule that their team has pinched pennies to comply with.

 

 

 

[RWJC]

2 minutes ago, Hank, Dank, and Tank said:

Truly about time. Injuries always confer advantages and disadvantages in the playoffs. But the salary cap was meant to help level the playing field. The least the league could do is ensure it remains effective regardless of when injuries arise. 

 

No one wants to see others skirt a rule that their team has pinched pennies to comply with.

 

 

 

Won’t be until next CBA though 

[Hank, Dank, and Tank]

3 minutes ago, RWJC said:

Won’t be until next CBA though 

Yeah seems like that's right. Can't come soon enough IMO. It's unfair even to the players. Until they change the rule, every chance injury down the stretch is going to carry a whiff of cap circumvention...