Salary Cap Discussion

[Rob]

I think we should keep our projected 13/14 salary cap and adjust for the new CBA for the 14/15 season.  Our cap has always been tied to the real salary cap and since this years is essentially unaffected by the CBA (teams can still spend the prorated cap that was announced pre-lockout), our cap for next season should probably also be unaffected.  This will give teams more time to adjust to the cap decrease.  Here's my cap projections for the next couple years:

12/13 - $75.8m
13/14 - $82.8m
14/15 - $75.8m

This is scaled directly from the NHL cap, which looks like this:

11/12 - $64.3m
12/13 - $70.2m (pro-rated)
13/14 - $64.3m

We always lag a year behind the actual league, as do our extension values (which I haven't updated yet). 

Now, assuming everyone agrees to this structure (and I am open to your input) do we want to include amnesty buyouts like the NHL did prior to our 14/15 season?  We have more time to adjust, unlike the actual league.  So I'm not sure if it's necessary or not.  I think if we do buyouts we should only do 1 each since we get the extra year to adjust.  They should also only be allowed at the end of the 13/14 season.

Thoughts?

[snugerud]

i vote , no buyouts. everyone has enough time to adjust. 

[GypsieDeathBringer]

I would say 1 buyout but only for contracts that were inherited from actual NHL contracts.  So, no buyouts for contract extensions that any of us have made. 

I think it would bring an interesting free agent period when I can see guys like Zetterberg, Luongo, Franzen, Lecavlier, Chara, Hossa, maybe Kovalchuk and Nash that are 2 years older, not producing at their salary and are burning a hole in their owners wallet.  They amnesty them and then bidding wars ensue. 

[Tarheels55]

I would say 1 buyout but only for contracts that were inherited from actual NHL contracts.  So, no buyouts for contract extensions that any of us have made. 

I think it would bring any interesting free agent period when I can see guys like Zetterberg, Luongo, Franzen, Lecavlier, Chara, Hossa, maybe Kovalchuk and Nash that are 2 years older, not producing at their salary and are burning a hole in their owners wallet.  They amnesty them and then bidding wars ensue.

 

[Rob]

Just wanted to bump this and finalize a decision on free drops.  I'm leaning heavily toward no free drops since we have plenty of time to plan for the decrease.  If anyone feels strongly otherwise please speak up now.

[Tyler]

I personally would want "ZERO" free drops as I feel a lot of time was had by all to correct the roster if need be

[snugerud]

100% agree with no free drops.  teams all have 2 years to get cap compliant.  If we were dropping back for next year I would agree.

[norrya66]

I personally would want "ZERO" free drops as I feel a lot of time was had by all to correct the roster if need be

 

[jmtrops]

I think we should keep our projected 13/14 salary cap and adjust for the new CBA for the 14/15 season.  Our cap has always been tied to the real salary cap and since this years is essentially unaffected by the CBA (teams can still spend the prorated cap that was announced pre-lockout), our cap for next season should probably also be unaffected.  This will give teams more time to adjust to the cap decrease.  Here's my cap projections for the next couple years:

12/13 - $75.8m
13/14 - $82.8m
14/15 - $75.8m

This is scaled directly from the NHL cap, which looks like this:

11/12 - $64.3m
12/13 - $70.2m (pro-rated)
13/14 - $64.3m

We always lag a year behind the actual league, as do our extension values (which I haven't updated yet). 

Now, assuming everyone agrees to this structure (and I am open to your input) do we want to include amnesty buyouts like the NHL did prior to our 14/15 season?  We have more time to adjust, unlike the actual league.  So I'm not sure if it's necessary or not.  I think if we do buyouts we should only do 1 each since we get the extra year to adjust.  They should also only be allowed at the end of the 13/14 season.

Thoughts?

Why dont we leave it at the 75.8M for 13/14 season and we wont have to make any changes like buyouts?

[Rob]

Why dont we leave it at the 75.8M for 13/14 season and we wont have to make any changes like buyouts?

Because the increase was announced before free agency started last summer. I don't like reducing the cap after GMs built their teams around it. Also our current extension prices are based on 12/13 player salaries which are still based on the original cap announced by the NHL last spring. We would be paying higher salaries in proportion to the cap if we don't increase.

Either way I don't see buyouts happening. We have the luxury of time to get adjusted.