Paul Stewart: End the LTIR Games

Agreed. At minimum, I'd like to see a system where a traded player's cap hit doesn't change teams until the player actually plays a game for the new team.

Briesbois in Tampa will need a fainting couch if he reads this. 100% correct Stew.

Dave the part about stashing players on LTIR then activating for the playoffs was on point. The part about a CEIR was not. The cap is about ensuring that revenue is shared equally between players and the teams. Any money paid to players, has to be accounted for on the cap as part of the players share. Otherwise, it would result in millions of dollars paid to players not accounted for. Skewing the 50/50 split.

Dave the part about stashing players on LTIR then activating for the playoffs was on point. The part about a CEIR was not. The cap is about ensuring that revenue is shared equally between players and the teams. Any money paid to players, has to be accounted for on the cap as part of the players share. Otherwise, it would result in millions of dollars paid to players not accounted for. Skewing the 50/50 split.
- MJL

Good point about the CEIR. However, Paul is on point about the LTIR shenanigans. The problem lies with the owners though. Mr Bettman works at the behest of the owners. If enough of them want a solution, the league will find one. Think of the “have” teams, where they enjoy circumventing the cap, and the “have not” teams, that reach the cap floor without spending the bigs bucks, all the while being profitable, but still suck! Unless a large majority of owners want to fix it, I doubt it will happen.

All that being said, I applaud Paul for addressing it, and MJL for clarifying the CEIR.

The Coyotes situation is why this won’t be addressed. Costs way less to give them a LTIR subsidy while letting competitive teams juggle their cap space.

Spot on here. I can’t tell you how SHOCKED I was the day I learned that the cap no longer applied come playoffs. I was so mad. I felt dumb, cheated, and as if the entire concept was utterly pointless.

Gotta say, I love that whenever you present an issue or problem in your articles, you offer a solution as well. Granted, as you humbly put, the powers that be aren’t likely to come banging down your door for it, still, nothing worse than the guy with a handful of issues and not a good idea to move forward with.

Always appreciate the insights!

Spot on here. I can’t tell you how SHOCKED I was the day I learned that the cap no longer applied come playoffs. I was so mad. I felt dumb, cheated, and as if the entire concept was utterly pointless.

Gotta say, I love that whenever you present an issue or problem in your articles, you offer a solution as well. Granted, as you humbly put, the powers that be aren’t likely to come banging down your door for it, still, nothing worse than the guy with a handful of issues and not a good idea to move forward with.

Always appreciate the insights!
- 13of39

Why? Players salaries are fully paid after the regular season is over. There is no reason to have a cap then. The author only offered one solution that made sense. The other didn't. The key is understanding the cap, how it works and what it's for. If you do, your emotions about there being no cap in the playoffs wouldn't exist.

@MJL

Well, generally, emotional reactions act as a motivation to do things, such as, learn more about the cap and how it works.
And the notion that all of the rules and regs of managing roster construction with regarding to the thing keeping your talent pool together just go out the window at the end of the regular season is disingenuous to say the least.
If we are in a capped league the cap shouldn’t poof be gone the moment the games really start to count.
Do the player bonuses not count against the cap either with regards to team playoff success? (Real inquiry, not trolling).

@MJL

Well, generally, emotional reactions act as a motivation to do things, such as, learn more about the cap and how it works.
And the notion that all of the rules and regs of managing roster construction with regarding to the thing keeping your talent pool together just go out the window at the end of the regular season is disingenuous to say the least.
If we are in a capped league the cap shouldn’t poof be gone the moment the games really start to count.
Do the player bonuses not count against the cap either with regards to team playoff success? (Real inquiry, not trolling).
- 13of39

There is nothing disingenuous to it. What is the cap for? It's for ensuring that league revenue is shared fairly between the players and the owners. The 50/50 split. Again, player salaries are fully paid when the regular season ends. Therefore, there is no need to have a cap for the playoffs. Team still has to abide by roster rules. Playoff bonus money such as a player winning the Conn Smythe has to be accounted for on the cap.

Why? Players salaries are fully paid after the regular season is over. There is no reason to have a cap then. The author only offered one solution that made sense. The other didn't. The key is understanding the cap, how it works and what it's for. If you do, your emotions about there being no cap in the playoffs wouldn't exist.
- MJL

"Players salaries are fully paid after the regular season is over" .. actually means very little.

The SPC does say that, today .. but that doesn't mean it has to tomorrow

"Players salaries are fully paid after the regular season is over" .. actually means very little.

The SPC does say that, today .. but that doesn't mean it has to tomorrow
- farooge

That doesn't make sense.

Look at Boston this year for example, if Hall and Foligno weren't on IR they wouldnt have been able to make deadline moves. you dont want it to swing as bad as the NBA, when the Celtics literally had a dead player taking up cap space, but right now those are the rules and teams would be stupid not to take advantage of those rules when they can.

Look at Boston this year for example, if Hall and Foligno weren't on IR they wouldnt have been able to make deadline moves. you dont want it to swing as bad as the NBA, when the Celtics literally had a dead player taking up cap space, but right now those are the rules and teams would be stupid not to take advantage of those rules when they can.
- 77emac77

Foligno is on IR. There is no cap relief by placing a player on IR. Only a roster exemption.

Dave the part about stashing players on LTIR then activating for the playoffs was on point. The part about a CEIR was not. The cap is about ensuring that revenue is shared equally between players and the teams. Any money paid to players, has to be accounted for on the cap as part of the players share. Otherwise, it would result in millions of dollars paid to players not accounted for. Skewing the 50/50 split.
- MJL

For the most part wouldn't CEIR be paid for by insurance money? I'm just thinking back to the Nathan Horton / David Clarkson trade. Where Horton's contract wasn't insured by an mistake so they traded for Clarkson because they could at least play him vs actually paying for nothing.

For the most part wouldn't CEIR be paid for by insurance money? I'm just thinking back to the Nathan Horton / David Clarkson trade. Where Horton's contract wasn't insured by an mistake so they traded for Clarkson because they could at least play him vs actually paying for nothing.
- Beercules

Teams are required to insure their top 3 contracts according to the CBA I believe. If a contract is ensured, that is still revenue paid to a player. Insurance for contracts is not free.