Armchair GM Thread 2022-2023

[Joe S.]

Maybe I don?t get how it works. But I thought if you have a player on LTIR allows you to exceed the cap by the difference of the salary and the cap space available.

So if the player has a 5mil cap hit and you have 1 mil of cap space you can exceed the cap by 4 mil.

So why wouldn?t this be beneficial? Or am I completely wrong in how this works?

As others have pointed out, it's not how it works - and, if it were, why would teams trade away that advantage? Why would they have to include assets to shed those contracts? It really boggles my mind how many media types, bloggers, etc., still get this wrong.

There are also some other wrinkles to LTIR that make it a disadvantage. For instance, LTIR space can't be used to absorb a pro-rated amount of a player's cap hit - you have to be able to fit the full season AAV regardless of what point in the season you acquire them. It also can't be used to account for performance bonuses, as it disappears when the season ends while performance bonuses aren't charged against the cap until after the season.

That?s why I posted this asking. It wasn?t a statement. I?m asking for someone to explain this plainly. I realize that I have this wrong, but the explanation still doesn?t make any sense to me.

For example, why did the leafs take on Horton?s contract? I?m not arguing at all, I genuinely don?t get how it works.

 

[bustaheims]

For example, why did the leafs take on Horton?s contract? I?m not arguing at all, I genuinely don?t get how it works.

The Horton thing was about real dollars - his contract wasn't insured, so the Blue Jackets were still paying his salary. With limited resources, it was obviously in their interest to have those dollars going to an actual roster player. For the Leafs, it was an opportunity to move on from Clarkson and "free up" that cap space by turning it into potential LTIR space instead of using in on a useless Clarkson, as they have much lesser concerns re: actual dollars. Every penny of Horton's contract still counted against the cap, but the potential LTIR space gave the Leafs flexibility. It didn't create more space than they would have had without Horton's contract, but it did mean they could essentially re-use those cap dollars on other contracts.

That's probably the easiest way to look at it - it doesn't create additional space, but, rather, it allows space to be used twice. The team's functional cap ceiling remains the same (with some of the complications I mentioned in my previous post).

 

[bustaheims]

You have to be cap compliant before the start of the year so you can't take advantage of LTIR in the offseason unless you have handshake agreements to sign contracts the day after the calendar season goes into effect.

There are some exceptions here re: players who missed the entire season with a career ending injury. I'm not 100% clear on how it works, but teams do get some relief for these contracts in the offseason.

 

[L K]

You have to be cap compliant before the start of the year so you can't take advantage of LTIR in the offseason unless you have handshake agreements to sign contracts the day after the calendar season goes into effect.

There are some exceptions here re: players who missed the entire season with a career ending injury. I'm not 100% clear on how it works, but teams do get some relief for these contracts in the offseason.

Yeah.  That has to arbitrated by the NHL I think? 

 

[bustaheims]

You have to be cap compliant before the start of the year so you can't take advantage of LTIR in the offseason unless you have handshake agreements to sign contracts the day after the calendar season goes into effect.

There are some exceptions here re: players who missed the entire season with a career ending injury. I'm not 100% clear on how it works, but teams do get some relief for these contracts in the offseason.

Yeah.  That has to arbitrated by the NHL I think?

I believe so, yeah.

 

[Joe S.]

Thank you busta that helps. And honestly I had completely forgotten that Clarkson went the other way. I had actually forgotten Clarkson ever existed actually.

 

[bustaheims]

Thank you busta that helps. And honestly I had completely forgotten that Clarkson went the other way. I had actually forgotten Clarkson ever existed actually.

No problem. LTIR stuff gets misrepresented all the time, it?s no wonder people get confused. It was as clear as mud when the cap first came into play, and a lot of the misinformation from then has remained.

 

[herman]

And then Clarkson came back on a magnificent LTIR deal

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/blueandwhite93/status/1536819228224983041

 

[bustaheims]

https://twitter.com/blueandwhite93/status/1536819228224983041

Direct quotes from Campbell's agent in an article on The Athletic refute the notion the Leafs haven't had dialogue on Campbell. There just isn't a huge sense of urgency with 4 weeks left before free agency opens.

?There?s still so much time,? Overhardt said, noting that teams, including the Leafs, were likely in the midst of, or had recently completed, their pro scouting meetings. ?With Jack, obviously he?s really interested in coming back and would be committed to do that. We continue to talk to the club, and we?ve got an open dialogue.

?Nothing to report other than that.?

Also, Gibson has come out and denied the rumours of a trade request, so...

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/kpapetti/status/1541973421122375682
Alright pull the trigger on the trade now

 

[CarltonTheBear]

#BringStromeHome

 

[herman]

#SkyDomeStrome

 

[bustaheims]

#GoBigandGoStrome

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/JhanHky/status/1542128520108937216
Bonus appearance/analysis by everyone's favourite (literally everyone here likes him)

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/stapeathletic/status/1542632110913110018
Julien Gauthier and Alex Georgiev have requested trades from NYR

Edit: and then
https://twitter.com/puckpedia/status/1542999669667610624

 

[hobarth]

Players I'd like to see return:

Matthews
Marner,
Nylander,
Tavares,
Bunting,
Engvall

Lilly,
Sandin,
Giordano

Campbell,
Kallgren

Mostly, the top 4 forwards did their job this year, the other 2 were alright and provided value. The other forwards while reasonably productive during the regular season provide little value in the playoffs, especially Kerfoot and Mikheyev.

If Rielly isn't scoring or moving the puck, his d play irks me, no physicality, gap control iffy, generally more a rover than d-man and for 7.5 mil. TO needs more. Muzzin and Brodie are simply aging out, both play better d than Rielly but since they aren't much at moving the puck, the puck spends more time in TO's zone than what should be necessary for guys who are as well paid as them. If Holl had any physicality I'd be happy to see him remain a Leaf, right now his greatest value is how much he's paid and how much more Keefe trusts him over Lilly and Sandin.  Lyubushkin, plays physical but I question his hockey IQ in all situations but again a player Keefe prefers to Lily and Sandin.

I like Campbell and if TO can make the $s work I hope he remains. I don't get Mrazek, he's been around forever but he's that bad, why did Dubbie sign him? Kallgren's stats weren't great but he was a rookie and pressed into service late in the year when there wasn't any possibility to ease him in, maybe this year without so much pressure he'll have more opportunity to be sheltered until he demonstrates he's ready.

Of course, I know what I want isn't going to happen.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1543954764110651392
And for a limited time, if you trade for Mikheyev's rights right now, you can sign him for 8 years instead! Get that AAV down a little bit closer to 5M, Ken Holland. He's is way better than whoever you'll pick at 29th overall and will be immediate help in the McDavid/Draisaitl window of contention. One less skater who can keep up with McDavid on the opposing team!

 

[herman]

The draft coming after the signing bonus day (July 1) really should be a boon for the Leafs to moving Kerfoot's cap hit (3.5M) to a cash-strapped team looking to make the floor. He only has league minimum left to pay in real dollars (750k) for the season.

 

[herman]

https://theathletic.com/3398758/2022/07/03/blackhawks-draft-primer-alex-debrincat-picks/

The Blackhawks could begin addressing their goaltending situation this week. Look for Davidson to have discussions with the Toronto Maple Leafs about taking on goalie Petr Mrazek and his contract in exchange for draft picks and/or prospects.