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2015 NHL Off-season Thread


Derlique

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I was talking to my brother last night at the store by my house about how Kessel has a good chance to score 50 next to Crosby. Some ranger fan was walking by and scoffed, then told me "Cmon man, Crosby sucks and Kessel is wayyyy overhyped. Maybe he gets 30." It just always seems like the rags fans are the ones who think Crosby is awful. The same Crosby that got Chris Kunitz to 40 goals.

Generally speaking, Ranger fans are pretty fvcking stupid so this doesn't surprise me.
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Yep, take it for whatever it's worth because I'm just some random internet guy but my cousin played Juniors with a now-professional hockey player and has remained good friends with him (gonna remain nameless for obvious reasons) but according to him, the most eye-opening part of the league was that nearly half his team were recreational drug users... And I'm not talking about weed

For sure. Think about it this way: These guys are playing a sport where the average force of a hit is greater than football and they have to play 82+ games. Addiction to painkillers is very common for a reason. Not to mention these guys are young and rich. I'd wager 2/3 of the U30 players partake in recreational drugs (non weed) or abuse painkillers

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For sure. Think about it this way: These guys are playing a sport where the average force of a hit is greater than football and they have to play 82+ games. Addiction to painkillers is very common for a reason. Not to mention these guys are young and rich. I'd wager 2/3 of the U30 players partake in recreational drugs (non weed) or abuse painkillers

I think money is the biggest symptom of this problem.  With enough money, they can likely get any drug they want.  I wouldn't be surprised painkillers are a common addiction for players who likely enjoy it and have easy access to them

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For sure. Think about it this way: These guys are playing a sport where the average force of a hit is greater than football and they have to play 82+ games. Addiction to painkillers is very common for a reason. Not to mention these guys are young and rich. I'd wager 2/3 of the U30 players partake in recreational drugs (non weed) or abuse painkillers

Not even taking into consideration a lot of guys that go the junior route don't even finish high school. They don't know anything in life but hockey.
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Saad got a six year deal over $36 million and RoR got a 7 year $52 million deal.

The Sabres can afford a deal like that so good for them, hopefully RoR helps them turn it around.  Buffalo is looking good.  I think that deal for Saad is going to leave Columbus in some cap trouble after they have to sign some of these other players.  I don't know off of the top of my head, but some guys have to be due for contracts and they already had trouble with Atkinson.  

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The Sabres can afford a deal like that so good for them, hopefully RoR helps them turn it around. Buffalo is looking good. I think that deal for Saad is going to leave Columbus in some cap trouble after they have to sign some of these other players. I don't know off of the top of my head, but some guys have to be due for contracts and they already had trouble with Atkinson.

I think Johansen is due for another deal soon isn't he? Although this addition of Saad should make him happy.

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I think money is the biggest symptom of this problem. With enough money, they can likely get any drug they want. I wouldn't be surprised painkillers are a common addiction for players who likely enjoy it and have easy access to them

You don't need money to get drugs. It's easier to have a coke habit if you have enough money laying around, sure, but it's more of an environment thing I'd guess.
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Insane that Saad and ROR are given those contracts. They haven't shown enough to warrant those figures imo.

Man if you're a young guy coming to the end of your RFA years, you must just have dollar signs in your eyes.

I can almost hear the next lockout inching closer and closer.

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Insane that Saad and ROR are given those contracts. They haven't shown enough to warrant those figures imo.

Man if you're a young guy coming to the end of your RFA years, you must just have dollar signs in your eyes.

I can almost hear the next lockout inching closer and closer.

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The market has changed.  You often can't win by sitting on your young players and paying older players what the market demands they be paid.  O'Reilly has been in the league for 6 years and he's demonstrated that he is a top line center - the Sabres get most of his best years at a fair number for what he brings.  Brandon Saad's contract is a little more dicey, but it's the same thing - they are betting on the player that he will live up to that deal, instead of just throttling him until they have to pay.  And again, they get all his best years.  

 

The lockout is coming anyway and maybe the owners will try to claw back an arbitration year but they won't get it, instead they'll just reduce the piece of the pie the players are getting.  Again.

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Insane that Saad and ROR are given those contracts. They haven't shown enough to warrant those figures imo.

Man if you're a young guy coming to the end of your RFA years, you must just have dollar signs in your eyes.

I can almost hear the next lockout inching closer and closer.

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The money is just shifting from over 30 UFA monster deals to young players who have a chance to living up to the contract. Think the league is in better shape this way.

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The money is just shifting from over 30 UFA monster deals to young players who have a chance to living up to the contract. Think the league is in better shape this way.

I have to agree, because those over 30 deals are too much. And it still doesn't change the fact that if the contract turns sour or wasn't worth it; it is much easier to trade a 22-26 year old than a 38 year old.

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Any chance we try to see a second contract cap? I remember Holik talking about this in the past. Or they'll try to get NGC's like in the NFL.

If the owners try going the NGC route, we'll be losing another entire season. The players will die on that hill. We're talking about Donald Fehr here. Edited by MadDog2020
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If there is a lockout coming, I don't think you'll lose much if any of the season. The last lockout went beyond just coming up with a number for revenue splits. Contract length and cap recapture were apparently more contentious issues last time around than the revenue split. Those issues are basically taken care of.

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If the owners try going the NGC route, we'll be losing another entire season. The players will die on that hill. We're talking about Donald Fehr here.

I agree. No way in hell the players agree to that without a massive fight. We would could easily lose an entire season over it.

Edited by Satans Hockey
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If there is a lockout coming, I don't think you'll lose much if any of the season. The last lockout went beyond just coming up with a number for revenue splits. Contract length and cap recapture were apparently more contentious issues last time around than the revenue split. Those issues are basically taken care of.

 

 

I haven't thought about it and I don't want to think about potential battlegrounds, but a lot of people were saying "well we'll lose a month max" last time around.

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I haven't thought about it and I don't want to think about potential battlegrounds, but a lot of people were saying "well we'll lose a month max" last time around.

Information I had from a certain someone that knows a certain member of the NHLPA was that the players were told back in June of 2012 was to expect to miss at least a month of the season.

It's still a ways away, but I think it's ultimately a fight over a few numbers. I think fundamentally everything else is pretty much in place. Although maybe the players will want to add relocation and expansion fees to hockey revenue if the cap doesn't get to $85 million by the time the CBA is up.

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