Ducks clear waivers
Elliotte Friedman: Anaheim Ducks forward Derek Grant and defenseman Greg Pateryn cleared waivers.
Lehtonen back the KHL
Chris Johnston: After refusing to report to the Columbus Blue Jackets AHL team, and having his contract mutually terminated, defenseman Mikko Lehtonen signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburgh of the KHL.
Andersson fined
NHL Player Safety: Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson was fined $5,000 for roughing Edmonton Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto.
Here’s Rasmus Andersson’s full account of what happened with Edmonton’s Kailer Yamamoto on Saturday night.
Andersson was assessed a double minor on the play (elbowing and roughing) and fined $5000 by the league. #Flames pic.twitter.com/Z3vBi1C8o4
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) October 17, 2021
MacKinnon still COVID positive
Peter Baugh: Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon isn’t traveling with the team after testing positive again. One more negative test for defenseman Jack Johnson would allow him to travel.
Leafs use emergency recall for Hutchinson
Leafs PR: The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled goaltender Michael Hutchinson from the AHL on an emergency basis.
Puck Pedia: As an emergency recall, Hutchinson can remain with the team with a salary cap hit until their injured players return and have the cap space to add him.
On teams playing shorthanded
Carlo Colaiacovo: “The NHL is the best hockey league in the world. Which means, teams should never have to have shortened lineups or rely on renting goalies because of cap issues. Time for NHL to bend on hard cap & create a system more flexible so that the NHL players & fans aren’t embarrassed”
Allan Walsh: (agents thread replying to Colaiacovo’s tweet) “I have been advocating for a soft cap, luxury tax and meaningful revenue sharing for many years. Gary’s triple hard cap system has obliterated the NHL middle class. Elite players each take up approx 12%-13% of team salary cap and many others pushed down to the $750k minimum.”
Main issues with a hard salary cap.
- “1. It allows a team to pay a player less than they would without a cap.
- 2. It prevents clubs from rebuilding their rosters as they have unmovable contracts.
- 3. It’s divisive for the players, pitting groups of players (older v younger players) against each other. It’s no longer about free market value. Every dollar going to Player A on a team is one less dollar for Player B.
- 4. It forces clubs to get rid of popular players or to take a pass on signing players who can help improve the club. Fans take a back seat under a cap where capologists rule, players come and go and winning becomes secondary.
- 5. The players are forced to accept a fixed percentage of revenues, but have no say in the running of the business. Gary had made some horrible business decisions for the NHL and the players have no voice in preventing any of these colossal failures.
- 6. In a world turned upside down, leagues now using players unions via CBA as a means to impose a salary cap on players. The union becomes the vehicle to restrict players rights. Would players be better off without a Union? Great arguments exist in favor of union decertification.
- 7. In 2004, Gary claimed the lockout and the need for a hard salary cap was “for the fans”. He promised ticket prices would fall in a cap system. He was fighting for you! Listen closely. The primary goal of Gary’s salary cap was increasing franchise values. Mission accomplished!”
