NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 26, 2025
The Oilers take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Final, the latest on the Panthers and Hurricanes ahead of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
OILERS DEFEAT STARS, TAKE THE LEAD IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
NHL.COM: Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman each scored twice to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 6-1 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final. The Oilers hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Stuart Skinner made 33 saves and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins collected three primary assists for the Oilers. Jason Robertson replied for the Stars.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).
McDavid’s two goals vaulted him into the lead in this postseason’s scoring race with 22 points ahead of Dallas’s Mikko Rantanen, who’s been held to one assist in this series thus far. The Stars winger is tied with Florida’s Sam Bennett for the goal-scoring lead with nine goals.
Oilers forward Connor Brown left this game in the third period following a hard hit from Dallas defenseman Alexander Petrovic. Stars center Roope Hintz took the warmup but remained sidelined after suffering a lower-body injury in Game 2. He’s listed as day-to-day.
Game 4 is Tuesday, May 27, in Edmonton at 8 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner was the star of this game for Edmonton. Rantanen praised the Oilers’ goaltender, especially his play in the second period when the Stars outshot the Oilers 21-7 in the second period. Skinner’s won four of his last five games, giving up only one goal in those victories.
Apart from a dominant third period in Game 1, Dallas has struggled to score in this series. Skinner deserves credit for that, as do his teammates for limiting the Stars’ scoring opportunities.
HEADLINES
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers head coach Paul Maurice believes all his players will be ready to play in Monday’s critical Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. However, winger Sam Reinhart remains questionable after suffering a lower-body injury (right leg) in Game 2. The Panthers hold a commanding 3-0 lead in the series and can wrap things up with a win in Game 4.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Hurricanes’ once-dominating goaltending tandem of Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov has struggled against the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. After giving up 18 goals in their first two series, they’ve allowed 16 goals by the Panthers in three games.
NHL.COM: Hurricanes defensemen Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker remain questionable for Game 4. They both missed the previous contest with undisclosed injuries.
NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored in overtime as the United States defeated Switzerland 1-0 to win its first gold medal in the IIHF World Championship since 1933. The Americans dedicated their championship to Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed with his brother by an alleged drunk driver last August.
DAILY FACEOFF: Sweden defeated Denmark 6-2 in the bronze medal game. This was the Swedes’ 49th overall, putting them in second place behind Canada’s 53 medals. Denmark finished fourth, marking their best showing in the World Championship.
RG. ORG: Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov is spending the offseason living and training in Montreal. A source close to the 18-year-old winger said he’s already grown fond of the city and its culture, and will be taking French and English lessons while conducting his offseason training under the watchful eye of the Canadiens’ staff.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demidov debuted with the Canadiens in their final two regular-season games and five-game playoff series against the Washington Capitals. Next season will be his first full NHL campaign.
NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks believes the NHL must address what he considers the “glaring inequality” that six teams out of five states (Florida, Texas, Nevada, Washington and Tennessee) with no state income tax have had over the other 26 clubs over the past decade.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The salary cap addresses that inequality. The Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2004 Stanley Cup roster was swiftly depleted by the imposition of the cap in 2005. As well managed as the Lightning have been over the past 10 years, salary-cap constraints took their toll over the past three years, leading to three straight first-round eliminations.
Shrewd management played a significant role in the recent championship success of the Lightning, Panthers, and Golden Knights. The lack of a state tax may have made it easier to re-sign key players, but they were still expensive to retain, eating up valuable cap space at the expense of their overall roster depth.
The Panthers are a strong club and could repeat as champions this season. Nevertheless, cap constraints took their toll last season when top-four defenseman Brandon Montour departed via free agency. That trend will continue to affect their roster depth as it did to their rival in Tampa Bay.
Before their recent dominance, the Panthers were a laughingstock for decades. The lack of a state income tax didn’t help them during those grim years when they were mismanaged.
The Stars have done well since 2020 (four Conference Finals, one Stanley Cup Final) because of their management. Jim Nill won the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award in 2023 and 2024 and is a finalist this season. However, they missed the playoffs nine times between 2008-09 and 2018-19, with four of those under Gill’s watch. A lack of a state tax didn’t give them an edge during those lean years.
Despite the Golden Knights’ short history, management was a significant factor in their success. A lack of a state tax likely played a role in signing core players like Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo. However, the club’s impressive record was due to the efforts of former general manager George McPhee and his successor, Kelly McCrimmon.
Nevertheless, the salary cap also affected their roster depth. In recent years, limited space forced them to part with several core players, including 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault.
Strong management played a key role in the Predators maintaining a competitive roster under a cost-conscious ownership for years, including their march to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. Their supposed tax advantage may have helped them land Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei via free agency last summer, but it didn’t help them reach the playoffs this season, nor has it helped them return to the heights of their 2016-17 season.
As for the Seattle Kraken, their tax advantage hasn’t given them any advantage thus far in their short history, missing the playoffs in three of the four seasons of their short existence.
STLTODAY.COM: Former Blues and Cardinals executive Mark Sauer passed away on May 22. He was president and CEO of the Blues from 1996 to 2006.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Blues organization and their fans.
After winning the World Championship and rebuilding his game, now is the time to trade Swayman. After July 1, he a Bruin for life.Especially it s going to take Boston a while to rebuild,although they have their fans thinking the turnaround won t take long.
Swayman’s no-trade protection doesn’t actually start until 2026-27.
Tax inequality addressed:
Give the overtaxed teams the option to rebate the amount of their state or provincial tax in the next calendar year. True the player would have to pay the tax on the “rebate”, but it would close the gap with the untaxed clubs.
The salary cap addresses that “gap”. It’s management, not state taxes, that determines the success or failure of an NHL franchise
Lyle, how does the salary cap address the “gap”?
I’m not a cap expert, so don’t want to yak about something I haven’t read and might be missing something.
The issue, the way I understand it, is the low or no state tax teams can sign key core players for smaller cap hits as their take home $$ will still be as good as a higher salary or cap hit in a different state or province.
This leaves those team with more available cap space to use elsewhere on their roster.
At least that is the advantage I see, but maybe I am missing something.
Ray: In most cases, teams in no-tax states that sign players for less than market value often do so because of their limited cap room. It’s done more to be cap compliant than to garner any significant advantage in cap space over teams with state or provincial tax. Also, the cap “savings” aren’t that great, usually around $1 million to $1.5 million annually.
Actually salary only addresses how much you spend – it does not address the difference in taxes –
I still think that the NHL should develop a system that allows everyone to be on equal footing as far as taxes are concerned – as I said yesterday find the medium and start from there – there is no doubt there is an advantage for teams with no state tax – especially as salaries go up.
Lyle:
Non tax states sign players for the least amount they have to pay not just when they have limited cap room but because that is the only sound way to conduct business. Would GMs offer more than is asked because they have cap room?
Certainly there are a # of reasons why players sign where they do. Some may give home town discounts, so for them maximizing $ isn’t #1 in their priority list.
But were there not also reports a while ago of at least a few GMs raising the non tax state issue? Trotz acknowledged it was a factor in his negotiations with UFAs last year.
Some time ago I easily found and provided here quotes from both professional athletes saying they prefer non tax state teams and some player agents clearly stating they point out the difference between non tax and tax states in pay to their clients. It can be millions of dollars.
The quality of the non tax state benefit is twice blessed, making cap room in signing and in the ability to absorb players in trades thus making the mightier the mightiest.
To deny that non tax state team have an advantage is as credible as denying the earth is round.
LJ, I never stated that players wouldn’t prefer going to, or staying in, non-tax states.
The issue is whether that gave those teams the advantage in building and maintaining a Stanley Cup contender, which is the case that Brooks was trying to make. As I’ve previously noted with examples, that simply isn’t the case, as Trotz discovered the hard way. Smart management is the reason behind the frequent appearances of the Lightning and Panthers in recent Stanley Cup Finals, and for the Stars in three straight conference finals.
I’ve also acknowledged those clubs located in non-tax states garner an advantage, but it’s only a minimal one and doesn’t last for long. The salary cap remains the great leveler, and whatever advantage those clubs garnered swiftly disappears as the cost of maintaining an contending roster rises.
Eeek! Major error!!
As credible as saying the earth is flat!
LOL!
LJ, not sure it is in the earth is flat category, but it seems like a clear advantage to me as well.
Being able to have more available cap space due to less tax on the contracts, means you have more $ to spend elsewhere. Heck could apply to all their players not just their core guys. But non core guys could be traded as they don’t usually have NTC protection.
Whether or not they were or are taking advantage of it is a separate issue, and not sure that the GM’s working in low tax states are somehow smarter or better than the others makes sense. To me anyway.
I get it they’ve done a good job, but the #’s are the #’s, and if you have more $ to spend, that # matters too.
Both reasons for their success can be true, this doesn’t need to be an either or issue. But, you can have a smart GM in a high tax state and low tax state, and the job would be somewhat easier in the low tax one.
It’s an advantage only if it frees up sufficient cap space to maintain a contender over a long period of time. It doesn’t. Salary cap constraints still depletes their roster, costing them valuable depth that inevitably leads to their decline.
LTIR, on the other hand, was more advantageous to the 2021 Lightning, the 2023 Golden Knights, and this year’s Panthers. Those clubs wouldn’t have been able to go into the trade market to bolster their rosters at the trade deadline without a high-price core player on LTIR until the end of the regular season.
So it is that the unwritten and officially unacknowledged “rule of thumb” in cap management has become
“IF your team is in a commanding spot in the standings as the season nears the final 3 weeks to a month, and you’re less concerned as to where you actually finish in the standings as you are bolstering your playoff line-up, then take full advantage of the injury situation if it happens to include one of your higher-priced players and make sure they sit out until the final season-ending game and use the LTIR freed-up cap to bring in a line-up booster.”
LTIR (rather than the silly “no-tax state” complaint) is the real issue among NHL general managers, team owners (and yes, even some players), one that reportedly is part of the current CBA discussions between the league and the NHLPA. It is a legal form of cap circumvention, one that teams complain about but happily use to their advantage. Of course, that only became an issue when the Blackhawks in 2015, the Lightning in 2021, and the Golden Knights in 2023 used it to boost their rosters once they knew a high-salaried player was sidelined until the end of the regular season. It doesn’t always work, as the Golden Knights discovered last season. However, it has become an issue worth addressing.
Hey, if it works and currently is not covered specifically in the agreement, then go for it. Getting Marchand that way has certainly boost the odds in favour of Florida.
Be interesting to see how they address it in a new agreement … if they actually do.
It’s not the only advantage Lyle, it can help build a winner too.
Let’s look at the current champs, and a team about to go to the SCF for the 3rd straight time, vs the team they just knocked out.
FLA vs Leafs. Panther players pay 16.33% less in taxes than Leaf players do. Cap this past season was $88M. So if every player took 16% less, that would be a savings of $14M in cap dollars, or extra cap $ available.
Not suggesting that is the case because lower level guys without trade protection wouldn’t agree to that, or at least they shouldn’t.
So just the guys that FLA signed as a FA’s (Tkachuk and Bob), extended (Barkov, Forsling, Reinhart, Ekblad) (not including Marchand and Jones) that have NTC’s equals $51.35M. Multiply by 16% = $8.23M in savings.
That is a lot of extra cap $ to play with. You could get a really good player with that, or a couple solid ones. Or pay a few guys you may other wise lose enough to keep them around.
I dunno, but having extra cap space, when every contender spends to the limit seems kind of big, I can’t understand how it can’t be.
And it’s the exact same advantage as LTIR; extra cap space. Correct? So if one is true, how isn’t the other one?
I guess my brain works different.
I don’t know how long I want to keep this going seeing as there are irreconcilable differences of view about the non tax state advantage.
That said, the advantage cannot be dismissed as having short term advantages. Sure, the advantage is only an advantage if it is used well, but it remains available as long as most other NHL teams don’t have it. There is no end to the disparity in sight.
In addition, it is far too narrow a window to view the advantage as only $1 million per year for a number of reasons:
There is a multiplier effect on that 1 million over time in terms of investment opportunities and other considerations, such as the boost to player pension payments at the end of the players career, for every year the contract covers. The pension payout is a reflection of contributions. Consider the extra income generated by that 1 million each year over a 3 year contract over all the above.
It is also too myopic to view it in terms of a single player contract. Except for those on ELCs the entire roster benefits from the non-tax advantage, and so does the franchise via the multiplier effect of all such contracts on the team’s total cap savings.
We can disagree on the degree of impact given all the considerations that come into it, but we should not be dismissing or ignoring all the benefits that are involved. They are real, and meaningful.
If you don’t believe so, consider this quote:
Quel est le salaire moyen en Canada ? If you make $100,000 a year living in the region of Quebec, Canada, you will be taxed $34,232. That means that your net pay will be $65,768 per year, or $5,481 per month. Your average tax rate is 34.2% and your marginal tax rate is 45.5%.
Would such a result be meaningful to you, or not?
LJ, if teams in no-tax states were re-signing key players at a significant discount compared to market value, with the signing not leading to the depletion of roster depth due to salary-cap constraints, I would certainly agree that it would provide teams in those states with a significant advantage over the other teams in the league, one that would have to be addressed.
However, that’s simply not the case. Whatever advantages they have are minimal and short-lived because of the salary cap.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a perfect example. Yes, they were able to retain core stars like Stamkos (until last year), Kucherov, Hedman, Vasilevkskiy and Point for less than market value, but they were still expensive signings that took a big chunk out of the cap space, leading to a significant depletion of their roster that adversely affected their ability to maintain their position as a Stanley Cup contender, resulting in three straight first-round playoff exits.
Being in a no-tax state couldn’t prevent that from happening.
That was Skinners best game this series…maybe even this year. Shutouts aside yesterday his positioning was solid and there was no real adventures to speak of. He looks like he is finding his groove. Let’s hope this play continues.
Good for Stu, he really struggled early in the playoffs and faced some heat because of it. And just like last season, he takes a little break, comes back and plays great.
Whatever he does during his breaks it sure seems to work!
Dallas took game over once the oil went up 2-0, and it lasted the entire 2nd period until 20 seconds left in it and McDavid sniped one. Oilers could have easily been trailing going into the 3rd.
Stu got them the win IMO. Good for him.
Both teams have a win in a game they got outplayed in. Series is 2-1, which is kinda what both teams deserve at this point.
Oil will kill ya when you give them an opportunity, wow. Similar to Florida that way. You pay for your mistakes against them.
If State Tax is a thing, then why isn’t cost of living? Edmonton is one of the cheapest cities in the NHL to live in. I’m sure even with the tax break that players get by playing in Florida, Texas, Nevada, Washington and Tennessee that Edmonton’s low cost of living evens that out. Besides Tampa, Edmonton is also safer than the cities in those states.
Is there such an economic advantage in Edmonton, Kevjam?
You are stepping over the recently referenced dispute between Tavares and a few other NHLers on what is a legitimate tax deduction, independent of income tax. Also to be considered is the limitations Canada has on foreign investment for Canadians living in Canada.
One wonders, if Tavares and the others knew they’d be in a tax dispute which may cost them millions would they have signed in Canada?
There are more such tax and investment considerations than I am aware of, but all of this underlines the important monetary advantages that some franchises can offer to players that others cannot – – and the negotiating advantages that flow from them.
KevJam, when you are in the income bracket that the players, the difference in cost of living, like food, shelter, transportation etc makes up a smaller % of what you earn vs taxes and that gap.
Unless you choose to make where you play your home, like Tavares is in Toronto and McDavid here in Edmonton.
Hey Ray,
$9,000,000.00 between Edmonton and Miami. I picked $9 million because that seems like the average salary for a top 6 forward or a top 4 d-man.
In Edmonton the player pays $4,280,728 in taxes.
In Miami the player pays $3,288,187 in taxes.
That is a difference of $992,541 which could equal the difference in a house between Edmonton and Miami.
https://cardinalpointathleteadvisors.com/nhl-tax-calculator/
Well, it’s better than nothing KevJam, but you usually only buy one house during a contract and the taxes are every year of the deal.
Plus the house is an asset you can sell and other than 08/09 they almost always appreciate.
But hey, if you plan on spending the rest of your life in Canada us forex is a nice kicker too.
LJ, don’t think for a minute that the federal IRS isn’t as “ruthless” as its Canadian counterpart – even in those no-tax states.
Hell, they even have agents attending all those huge game shows with their hands out as big winners come off the stage.
George, it is not the ruthlessness or lack thereof that is an issue (thought we can surely agree that the well off can get better tax advice and can hire lawyers to fight their battles more readily than you and me.)
It is the cumulative effect of all the considerations I’ve posted today, including what is and is not available to you depending on the country and state/province you live in.
While I sincerely do love the points of views I have read here and the thoughtful and considerate way they have been made, I have spent all my arrows. I have a dog to walk and a sunny day still in front of me.
I leave the battlefield to the rest of you.
Although a good point, cost of living goes beyond the controls of a hockey team.
The tax issue is real and does give an unfair advantage to those markets.
Teams like Montreal @ approx . 52 % and Winnipeg,@ about 48% will never be able to compete out in the open market to obtain premiere free agents because they would have to overpay . – changing the dynamic of the salary cap to include tax assessment based on total taxes being paid at least gives them a chance.
Canadian teams already have strikes against them, some more than others
I see Winnipeg and Montreal having the hardest time getting players to sign there.
besides the taxes, there is
The cold weather – most Canadian teams have this issue. (Except Vancouver)
Canadian markets are so passionate- players are on a microscope.
For Montreal
The highest taxes, cold weather, language, culture and lastly the pressure of playing in front of the most rabid fans in hockey – but it is the Mecca of hockey in North America’s safest city .
To All you whiner’s on state taxes. Why don’t you fix your own state tax instead of crying about states that get it right. More than likely the state that doesn’t pay income tax makes up for it in excessive sales taxes.
Turk
what ? When the small market teams and the non traditional market teams couldn’t compete with the large market teams – they created the salary cap to help get these teams on equal footing – as the salaries rise and because of the taxes we are no longer on a level playing field.
This is not a government issue, it’s an NHL issue .
Even with Vegas’ tax breaks you see how the ‘going all in’ trades already effect the moves they can make for the next few seasons.
That’s the main reason behind their success. They have management willing to make bold moves.
Win now teams – these teams are usually listed with the worst farm systems, very little on the shelf. Low taxes help, but it’s the team’s philosophies towards trades and drafting that translate to winning today.
if somehow Eichel doesnt resign in Vegas that team will be grim soon though
I am not as big on Eichel as others are
Sr… agree if they are going to move Sway it will probably have to be now …I don’t think both Bruin goalies will be traded but one will be for sure
Also reading in print that the Bruins might be thinking about moving Zacha ( 4.7 million) and Mittelstadt ( 5.7 ) … if they move Korpisalo..Mittelstadt & Zacha for draft picks and prospects that adds 10 million to their cap .. they have 5 RFA that they need to make a decision on ….
This Bruins retool just might just might end up being a moderate rebuild
That isn’t going to be easy, Joe … there can’t be a huge market for a goalie making $8,250,000 off the cap who just experienced a significant downturn in performance.
previous season 44gp 2.53gaa 0,916 save %
season just ended 58gp 3.11gaa 0.892 save %
Trading Swayman would signal a rebuild involving a major roster teardown. That’s not what they’ve got in mind, especially with core players like Pastrnak and McAvoy under long-term contracts. I think they hang onto Swayman because they’ll expect him to have a bounce-back performance next season, plus there aren’t any suitable replacements in the trade and free-agent markets.
GeorgeO other than Winnepeg,Dallas,NYR,Fla.and TB who wouldn t be evaluating their long term goalie situation?Swaymans performance in the World Tournament might have helped.
Well, if you’re going to use the World’s performance as a selling point, and not be concerned abut the $8,500,000 cap hit … then why are you so anxious to see him out the door in Boston?
As for other teams and their goaltending, again there are more than a few who simply do not have the cap space to take that on. And besides the teams you mention who clearly have their goaltending established, you have St. Louis with Binnington, Ottawa with Ullmark, Nashville with Saros (who wasn’t the problem with their tumble this past season), Minnesota with Gustavbsson, NJ with Markstrom, Calgary with Wolf, Toronto with Stolarz and NYI with Sorokin.
GeorgeO I think your
Stretching it with that many teams who could not look at another goalie.So by numbers 50. % of the teams in the NHL are not totally locked in.The Boston organization is not going through a quick turn around even thought that s what they are selling to the fans.When if ever did Mcavoy play a full season w/ out some long term injury? Lindholm missed the entire year with a broken kneecap. They are a way from a quick turn around.
Sr, while you may be right on their thinking as opposed to what they are saying, when all is said and done none of us has a CLUE as to the “truth.” So, please don’t take the 8787 stance.
As for “stretching it with that many teams who could not look at another goalie …” what I am saying is, yes, there are that many teams who I think would not even look at a goalie with that recent record taking up $8,500,000 of the cap for several more seasons.” Some, with their cap situations, simply could not even if they thought he could become a consistently dominant tender. If he was making around $5 mil – sure. But he’s not.
Tage’s winner was a laser shot.
Contrary to some opinion I have heard about Russian players in Montreal, the fan base usually falls in love with them, Kovalev, Markov, Kovalchuk and now Demidov even before arriving.
The kid has wisely chosen to stay in the city and learn French and English which will endear him to the fans.
Tax issue I’m on board with Lyle, the advantage in recent years is good management, shrewd moves ahead of the others.
Is it just me or is Dallas running a rugby scrum in Skinner’s crease all game and are shocked to not be scoring.
No, habfan30, I think you described it well. I was sitting here thinking the same thing. How could Dallas not score with all those guys in the crease? Oilers got to be better with not allowing that but that is Dallas; they are good at it. Oilers power play needs to get it in gear. But holy moly, the oilers have got it going on. They need to keep it up because Dallas is opportunistic!!!
I’m thinking, if I’m a Russian player these days, I’m staying in Montreal too.
Let’s see – Moscow? Montreal? Tough one.
Has the kid done his military service yet?
Spector has it right here, the no tax states just levels the playing field for those teams. It all comes down to management, teams like TB, FLA, DAL have strong management structures, while big market (high tax) markets would rather spend big money on toys for the fans instead of building a winning team. More important for the owners of those big markets to have high attendance and therefore big sales off skyhigh ticket prices. Maybe the whiny big market owners should look in the mirror and actually invest in management
Mike p,
I disagree, the salary cap, puts every team in the same playing field – this is not rocket science
It is simple arithmetic.
There is a min. and a maximum
And each team decides where they want to be.
Taxes – to make it a playing field like you said, would have to include a formula that makes it fair for everyone .
The salary cap was created to help the non traditional hockey and small markets teams , which I understand – but some of those markets have an advantage because they are a no tax state and are able to offer a better return on players salaries.
For a team like Toronto
To pay a player for a same return – they will have to overpay – and because of that, they will have less cap space to spend on someone else.
This is a win win for these teams- of course management still has to make hockey decisions- but the cards are stacked in their favour.
Solid effort once again from the Oilers up and down the lineup. They’ve played well enough to be up 3-0 in the series. They should have won Game 1 but let it slip away with a few minutes of costly penalties and poor PK. Similar to Game 3 against Vegas when a few soft minutes cost them. It didn’t hurt them in the Vegas series and it may not against Dallas. But something tells me that letting a winnable game slip away may not be inconsequential against Florida.
The Florida teams and Dallas have both no state tax and superior management. That combination is of great attraction to FA’s and players that will waive their NTC or not block them on their NTC.
Johnny Z: As I said earlier, the salary cap is the great leveler. Look no further than the Lightning, a once-great team depleted by cap constraints. The Golden Knights felt the pinch this season and could do so again this season. The Panthers lost top-four defenseman Brandon Montour last summer, and are at risk of losing Bennett or Ekblad, possibly both. The Stars have done a great job thus far, but they too will face a cap crunch within a couple of years that not even their lack of a state tax will help them.
Brooks was trying to make the claim that the lack of a state tax benefitted every team based in those states. He’s wrong, as I’ve clearly demonstrated.
At best, it’s a short-term benefit for only two well-managed teams right now, one that won’t last for long as the cost of maintaining a Cup contender rises, as it inevitably does.
That’s more or less the way I’ve viewed it as well.
As I’ve harped upon (at about the same rate as a certain someone on the inability of Dubas to “see the light”) the main problem stemming from a hard cap is to retain some of the pending RFAs and, occasionally, UFAs they’d like to re-up, because they chose to pay upwards of 6 players close to 60% of whatever the cap is in any given year.
That that somehow works – for a while anyway – is evident in the fact that 3 of the 4 teams still standing (one of which could win back-to-back cups) will, next season, be forking over 55%-57% of their caps to 6 players each. It worked for Tampa and Vegas in recent seasons – before some players they might otherwise have liked to retain departed simply because they couldn’t afford them under cap constraints.
With the cap due to rise to $95,500,000, here’s how the remaining 4 teams will stand with respect to % of their cap on their top 6 players along with pending key UFAs and RFAs:
Dallas – $54,900,000 – or 57% of the cap – 7 pending UFAs including Duchene, Benn, Granlund and 1 key RFA (Bourque)
Edmonton – $52,375,000 – or 55% of the cap – 6 pending UFAs (no really big-ticket key players) but 1 key RFA (Bouchard)
Florida – $52,125,000 – or 55% of the cap – 8 pending UFAs including Marchand, Bennett, Ekblad – no RFAs
Carolina – $39,736,042 – or 42% of the cap – 6 pending UFAs including Fast, Burns, Orlov – no RFAs
Jesper Boqvist… Sweeney let him walk last offseason for $775,000 … he’s enjoying himself with the Panthers… just another well placed Sweeney move
Joe
Did you not watch him with bruins? He was not good. Good for him in FL
Different style of game approach? Better line-mates?
Sr,
I wouldn’t want Swayman as my goalie, he was locked in long term for too much money.
He has swagger I’ll give him that but so far he hasn’t shown that he can be a #1 who is dominant with that full load.
You can see how his contract is a problem re his performance and GMs around the league see it too.
Your Zacha suggestion you made yesterday I happen to like, wonder what Sweeney would want for him.
Agree HF30, not sure you could get anything for him even if you decided to trade him. Heck, might have to eat some salary, and that ain’t happening with that much term left.
Many of us B’s fans suggested the Bruins not give in and let him sit and that he hadn’t proven he could be a #1 guy who plays 55 + games. Still hasn’t, just getting paid like he has. Maybe the pressure of the contract got to him, I dunno.
Swayman is the 5th highest paid active tender (not counting Price). Have a look at that list and ask your self if he has accomplished anything close to what any of them have.
To save ya’ll some time, he hasn’t.
Sweeney was catching heat as the fans expected another winning season and saw his absence as preventing that happening. Hindsight 20/20, his signing didn’t prevent it either.
Hope he gets it going, but his job won’t get any easier with the team in front of him IMO.
In hindsight letting sit would’ve been a better idea
But as we all know hindsight is always 20/20
He will bounce back next season
Habfan. I would take him over any Hab goalie right now. Unless you cast Price is healthy
Mb4
Swayman- 58 games, 3.11 gaa .892
$8.25 million.
Montembeault,62 games, 2.80 gaa, .902 $3.15 million.
The numbers show otherwise when taking an unbiased critical view.
Ray
My unpopular opinion last year was Boston should keep both Ullmark and Swayman because as a platoon they covered a lot of the warts that in any case were poorly covered.
I’d have let Swayman sit in the wind till he either signed a platoon worthy contract, sat out or was traded to be another team’s headache.
The team as is will have trouble doing a retool, there are far too many holes and not enough ready prospects.
Draft picks are good 1 1st 2 late 2nds this year and 2 1sts 1 2nd next year.
Given what was unloaded to date Sweeney might just do some more offloading if he could add additional round 1 and or 2 picks.
Columbus and the Habs have 2 first rounders each this year that could be in play.
I get why Sweeney traded one of them HF30, they needed help elsewhere and needed the cap space to do it. Plus Ullmark would be a UFA this July anyway.
Don’t think he was staying if it was a platoon either, so might as well move him and get something.
I threw the idea of keeping Ullmark as I have always been an Ullmark fan and thought he was the more proven entity. But I understand why they went the way they did. Swayman is younger and had better playoff #’s. Both are just reality.
I hope Swayman gets it going, and if they continue to struggle, maybe they can find a home for him? IMO even if he plays great, they are close to being a contender.
Habfan30, I would think young players or draft picks. Something you guys have a lot of
In the 2016 NHL draft Tage Thompson ( 6’6” 220 lb
center ) was passed by 25 teams and the team that did draft him traded him away….
Heh Joe … that 2016 draft was a doozy in more ways than one.
After Austin Matthews went # 1, Winnipeg took Laine 2nd … 9 years later he’s on his 3rd team .. then Columbus grabbed Dubois 3rd … 9 years later he’s on his 4th team. Edmonton then took Puljujarvi 4th, and 9 years … well, never mind.
Not to be outdone, Vancouver then drafted Juolevi 5th, who has played all of 41 NHL games in 9 years – none since 2021-22.
It’s pretty wild to think that the Oilers really should be up 3-0 in games but for that one horrible third period in game one.
They’re looking better than last years Cup run.