A thought for the upcoming season

[snugerud]

What would people think if we were allowed to send one players to the minors that weren't necessarily a minor leaguer.   Similar how a team in the NHL and send a player with a one contract to the AHL. 

The player would have to clear waivers to be placed in the minors (if claimed the claiming team would assume 50% of their contract. ) (if unclaimed they are placed in the minors and you see a 50% reduction in cap hit) and if recalled would need to pass through waivers again.

This is similar to the NHL's waiver and claiming system.  It would be a fun concept since there are advantages and disadvantages to placing them in the minors.  As an advantage you have a way of getting cap relief without actually completely dropping the player.  As a Disadvantage you are taking the risk of someone claiming them, especially in a recall situation which most likely would be happening when they are playing better and you are risking losing the player with no compensation.

Just as an example from my own team Cammallari.  Playing like crap.  I really dont want to give up on him but also really dont like his 6 million salary for the next 3 years.  I would love to have a way to possible stow him away should he start playing like he should. but then I would be taking a big risk on recalling him since more than likely someone would claim him and still be stuck with his 3 million.

[Rob]

I've thought about this quite a bit since we started our unique waiver system.  I'm 50/50 on it.  On one hand, it is more accurate to what the NHL does, which I like.  On the other hand, from the start I have favored a stricter approach to handling salaries.  I like the salary cap itself to be a very important element to how we run our teams.  And, inserting ways to circumvent our cap situations takes away from the strategy of dealing with the cap.  We all picked our teams and knew what bad and good contracts we were inheriting, and moving forward we make trades, sign extensions and hire FA's to help our teams.  If we make bad deals I feel we should have to suffer the consequences.  I took on the Bruins with Chara signed at $7m until he's 41 years old.  In a few years when he slows down it doesn't seem fair that I should be able to bury his contract in my minors, even if that takes away a roster position I could give to a young player. 

While it is true to what the NHL does, in reality the teams that move players via waivers to their minors are still paying these players even if they're not effecting their cap.  Where for us the money would just disappear. 

That's where I stand on it, on the fence but leaning towards no change.  I'm happy to make this change if a majority of the league wants it.  So let's hear some opinions.

[snugerud]

I am not suggesting we can completely bury the salary since I am with you and not being able to easily escape bad contracts. 

My suggested idea would still see us on the hook for 50% of their salary no matter if they are on the minor roster or if someone claims them. 

The idea of being completely free from their salary is actually not inline with the NHL since they still need to pay the player that has been demoted but typically at a reduced amount. 

I did have a 2nd idea of a buy out option.  At the start of the season teams are given the ability to buy out a players contract at a slightly reduced rate.  That way if I have more cap space one year I could use that option instead of having to pay for it for 3 years.  That way you suck for 1 year instead of 3 years.

[Rob]

I am not suggesting we can completely bury the salary since I am with you and not being able to easily escape bad contracts. 

My suggested idea would still see us on the hook for 50% of their salary no matter if they are on the minor roster or if someone claims them. 

The idea of being completely free from their salary is actually not inline with the NHL since they still need to pay the player that has been demoted but typically at a reduced amount. 

I did have a 2nd idea of a buy out option.  At the start of the season teams are given the ability to buy out a players contract at a slightly reduced rate.  That way if I have more cap space one year I could use that option instead of having to pay for it for 3 years.  That way you suck for 1 year instead of 3 years.

Ahh I misread that.  Giving a reduction to the cap hit instead of burying it would be better. 

I'm not opposed to a buyout option.  What would be a reasonable rate for the buyout?  The current year + 50% of the remaining years?  Or we could scale it so that years in the future get cheaper.  Something like:

Current year + 50% of following year + 25% of the remaining years

This would still make it tough to get out of a Chara contract, but would give teams the some flexibility with shorter/cheaper deals. 

[snugerud]

Current year + 50% of following year + 25% of the remaining years

 

[Gilly]

I love the buy out idea...it would give rebuilding teams like myself a chance to rid of someone like Jay Over Priced Boumeester and save a little bit of cap since he does diddly for the team...every little bit of cap helps

[GypsieDeathBringer]

I am pro both of those concepts as they are both used by the NHL.  Capgeek actually has a buyout calculator you can use.  Their system (maybe the NHL's system) spreads out the remaining contract amount over the number of years the contract was signed.  Under our proposed rules would we have to pay it all upfront?

[Rob]

I am pro both of those concepts as they are both used by the NHL.  Capgeek actually has a buyout calculator you can use.  Their system (maybe the NHL's system) spreads out the remaining contract amount over the number of years the contract was signed.  Under our proposed rules would we have to pay it all upfront?

That was my thought, but it's all up for debate right now.  If we do decide to spread it out I would prefer to limit the number of years it can be spread out to 3 or so. 

[cho34]

That was my thought, but it's all up for debate right now.  If we do decide to spread it out I would prefer to limit the number of years it can be spread out to 3 or so.

 

[SizzRat]

My one fear is that somebody may not have the cap space to pay for a player, but they don't want anyone else to have them, so they'll just sign the player and stuff them in the minors.

I mean, if I saw a team in my division was bidding on Henrik Lundqvist and I really didn't want him to go there, but I couldn't really afford him - who's to say I don't bid just to drive the asking price up, and if I win him, just stuff him the minors?