TheJackBurton wrote: ↑19 Jan 2026 12:17 pm
There are only so many ways to manipulate the salary cap. The cap going up and Petro getting injured were the only things saving this season. They are running out of those luxuries.
Also, like I said they are running out of assets to trade, eventually if you want to make deals and you don't have picks or prospects the only thing left is off your NHL roster and that's a recipe for disaster. Now does that mean they can't sign UFAs? I mean sure, but that's an even worse recipe for disaster as you are always getting a players declining years for way above contract value.
Yes we have said it in the past but then they get an out of nowhere LTIR that saves them. Before it was Robin Lehner, and now Petro, but they don't have many left.
On top of that, they have to re-sign Dorofeyev as he will be a RFA after this season. Good luck with that. He's going to demand 8 mil a season most likely.
Eh, we have already learned that Stone has no shame or pride on the LTIR front. He will happily sit out if needed. And that is the only problem I have with Vegas btw. I do not condone what they have done with Stone and Stone is a P[ositively] O[bnoxious] S[impleton] for going along with it.
Point being, if they need space and feel it improves the team, they will make trades even if it is a loss. Demote guys. Whatever is needed.
MiamiLaw wrote: ↑18 Jan 2026 18:14 pm
Vegas comes in and just clowns the rest of the league. I wish the Blues were this committed to icing winning teams
I don't know about that, Vegas has a huge advantage. That being a very very desirable location.
TheJackBurton wrote: ↑19 Jan 2026 12:17 pm
There are only so many ways to manipulate the salary cap. The cap going up and Petro getting injured were the only things saving this season. They are running out of those luxuries.
Also, like I said they are running out of assets to trade, eventually if you want to make deals and you don't have picks or prospects the only thing left is off your NHL roster and that's a recipe for disaster. Now does that mean they can't sign UFAs? I mean sure, but that's an even worse recipe for disaster as you are always getting a players declining years for way above contract value.
Yes we have said it in the past but then they get an out of nowhere LTIR that saves them. Before it was Robin Lehner, and now Petro, but they don't have many left.
On top of that, they have to re-sign Dorofeyev as he will be a RFA after this season. Good luck with that. He's going to demand 8 mil a season most likely.
Eh, we have already learned that Stone has no shame or pride on the LTIR front. He will happily sit out if needed. And that is the only problem I have with Vegas btw. I do not condone what they have done with Stone and Stone is a P[ositively] O[bnoxious] S[impleton] for going along with it.
Point being, if they need space and feel it improves the team, they will make trades even if it is a loss. Demote guys. Whatever is needed.
Even then he only has a season left as well so they don't have much of a chance with that either.
After these playoffs I think they'll make the LTIR playoff rules even tougher so that loophole will close even further so they won't even have that to abuse in the playoffs going forward. It's not quite as strict as I would like yet, but at least it is a start so it won't do Stone any good to play sick for 2 months and them being 10 million over the cap.
TheJackBurton wrote: ↑19 Jan 2026 12:17 pm
There are only so many ways to manipulate the salary cap. The cap going up and Petro getting injured were the only things saving this season. They are running out of those luxuries.
Also, like I said they are running out of assets to trade, eventually if you want to make deals and you don't have picks or prospects the only thing left is off your NHL roster and that's a recipe for disaster. Now does that mean they can't sign UFAs? I mean sure, but that's an even worse recipe for disaster as you are always getting a players declining years for way above contract value.
Yes we have said it in the past but then they get an out of nowhere LTIR that saves them. Before it was Robin Lehner, and now Petro, but they don't have many left.
On top of that, they have to re-sign Dorofeyev as he will be a RFA after this season. Good luck with that. He's going to demand 8 mil a season most likely.
Eh, we have already learned that Stone has no shame or pride on the LTIR front. He will happily sit out if needed. And that is the only problem I have with Vegas btw. I do not condone what they have done with Stone and Stone is a P[ositively] O[bnoxious] S[impleton] for going along with it.
Point being, if they need space and feel it improves the team, they will make trades even if it is a loss. Demote guys. Whatever is needed.
Even then he only has a season left as well so they don't have much of a chance with that either.
After these playoffs I think they'll make the LTIR playoff rules even tougher so that loophole will close even further so they won't even have that to abuse in the playoffs going forward. It's not quite as strict as I would like yet, but at least it is a start so it won't do Stone any good to play sick for 2 months and them being 10 million over the cap.
I'm happy they made the rule and it was much needed, but have we figured out how it actually works? Are they able to swap guys game to game? Like, can they play a guy in Games 1 and 2 because they have the home ice change advantage and then swap that guy out on the road for a more defensive/matchup play? Still would be beneficial for a team to keep guys fresh and take advantage of matchups...
TheJackBurton wrote: ↑19 Jan 2026 12:17 pm
There are only so many ways to manipulate the salary cap. The cap going up and Petro getting injured were the only things saving this season. They are running out of those luxuries.
Also, like I said they are running out of assets to trade, eventually if you want to make deals and you don't have picks or prospects the only thing left is off your NHL roster and that's a recipe for disaster. Now does that mean they can't sign UFAs? I mean sure, but that's an even worse recipe for disaster as you are always getting a players declining years for way above contract value.
Yes we have said it in the past but then they get an out of nowhere LTIR that saves them. Before it was Robin Lehner, and now Petro, but they don't have many left.
On top of that, they have to re-sign Dorofeyev as he will be a RFA after this season. Good luck with that. He's going to demand 8 mil a season most likely.
Eh, we have already learned that Stone has no shame or pride on the LTIR front. He will happily sit out if needed. And that is the only problem I have with Vegas btw. I do not condone what they have done with Stone and Stone is a P[ositively] O[bnoxious] S[impleton] for going along with it.
Point being, if they need space and feel it improves the team, they will make trades even if it is a loss. Demote guys. Whatever is needed.
Even then he only has a season left as well so they don't have much of a chance with that either.
After these playoffs I think they'll make the LTIR playoff rules even tougher so that loophole will close even further so they won't even have that to abuse in the playoffs going forward. It's not quite as strict as I would like yet, but at least it is a start so it won't do Stone any good to play sick for 2 months and them being 10 million over the cap.
I'm happy they made the rule and it was much needed, but have we figured out how it actually works? Are they able to swap guys game to game? Like, can they play a guy in Games 1 and 2 because they have the home ice change advantage and then swap that guy out on the road for a more defensive/matchup play? Still would be beneficial for a team to keep guys fresh and take advantage of matchups...
I believe it is the team on the ice has to be cap compliant. They can still have the overage but they can't suit anyone up who puts them over the salary cap, but they can rotate them in and out.
I'm with you, just like with MLB, you submit a roster for each round of the playoffs and those are the only players accessible until the next round, and the entire team, even the healthy scratches have to be cap compliant.
TheJackBurton wrote: ↑19 Jan 2026 12:17 pm
There are only so many ways to manipulate the salary cap. The cap going up and Petro getting injured were the only things saving this season. They are running out of those luxuries.
Also, like I said they are running out of assets to trade, eventually if you want to make deals and you don't have picks or prospects the only thing left is off your NHL roster and that's a recipe for disaster. Now does that mean they can't sign UFAs? I mean sure, but that's an even worse recipe for disaster as you are always getting a players declining years for way above contract value.
Yes we have said it in the past but then they get an out of nowhere LTIR that saves them. Before it was Robin Lehner, and now Petro, but they don't have many left.
On top of that, they have to re-sign Dorofeyev as he will be a RFA after this season. Good luck with that. He's going to demand 8 mil a season most likely.
Eh, we have already learned that Stone has no shame or pride on the LTIR front. He will happily sit out if needed. And that is the only problem I have with Vegas btw. I do not condone what they have done with Stone and Stone is a P[ositively] O[bnoxious] S[impleton] for going along with it.
Point being, if they need space and feel it improves the team, they will make trades even if it is a loss. Demote guys. Whatever is needed.
Even then he only has a season left as well so they don't have much of a chance with that either.
After these playoffs I think they'll make the LTIR playoff rules even tougher so that loophole will close even further so they won't even have that to abuse in the playoffs going forward. It's not quite as strict as I would like yet, but at least it is a start so it won't do Stone any good to play sick for 2 months and them being 10 million over the cap.
I'm happy they made the rule and it was much needed, but have we figured out how it actually works? Are they able to swap guys game to game? Like, can they play a guy in Games 1 and 2 because they have the home ice change advantage and then swap that guy out on the road for a more defensive/matchup play? Still would be beneficial for a team to keep guys fresh and take advantage of matchups...
I believe it is the team on the ice has to be cap compliant. They can still have the overage but they can't suit anyone up who puts them over the salary cap, but they can rotate them in and out.
I'm with you, just like with MLB, you submit a roster for each round of the playoffs and those are the only players accessible until the next round, and the entire team, even the healthy scratches have to be cap compliant.
I still don't really understand why the cap can't just apply to the playoffs in the same way it does during the season. Is it because some teams are not playing, and obviously each team can play a different number of games based on when they are eliminated and how long each series goes, so the per game/per diem formula gets messed up?
It just seems like inventing a problem and then having to come up with creative but flawed ways to fix it.
