Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
This used to be true but isn't necessarily so anymore, due to the salary cap (the great equalizer).
Back in the day, when you got a generational player, you had a huge advantage - you just had to build around him and you automatically had the best team. And other players wanted to come and play there.
Now, you are limited by the cap. More money on this player means less money for that player. So instead of an accumulation of talent (like the old days), now it is an optimization exercise. Teams must find pieces that fit together. And must get as many value pieces as possible.
McDavid is an awesome player. But it is not a foregone conclusion that he will lead them to anything. You have to be able to draft and develop players so that you always have people contributing that are on cheap contracts.
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This is all very true. We are only starting to really and truly see the dawning of the salary cap era. The cap circumvention contracts are either becoming burdensome with players struggling to play to even the value of the deal (Hossa, Luongo) or extinct.
Crosby is on a value deal & the Leafs are paying a portion of Kessel's contract. Even with the both of those, they were still dependent on their drafting & development to push them over the top to the Cup last season. This season, Crosby's contract has really showed its value compared to Toews, Kane, Kopitar.
Eberle & RNH are both not $6 million dollar players. Hall is, & they spent that chip. If they want to get rid of either one, or both, they will either swallow hard on salary retention, buyouts, or a significant draft pick. Either way, there is no get out of jail free card.
As Enoch Root pointed out, perennial contenders requires elite talent, value contracts, & shrewd player/salary management. You make a couple of mistakes... you will pay.
If you have this conversation with the average Oiler fan, hopefully it is a 3rd grader, because then their ignorance would be understandable. If not, they will most likely reach into their bag of logical fallacies and irrelevantly tell you to look at the Brouwer contract, forgetting that we're not talking about the Flames cap management.
There are a few Oil fans that have a clue (no not pathetic hack AlbertaOiler). A few that have learned from their faulty reasoning in the past and a few are even knowledgeable.
But...
You never hear from those people because they know all of this is looming... along with that bottle of Buyout 120 Proof Lucic.
Great job making the playoffs & winning a round. Penny wise this year... pound foolish looming.