Quote:
Originally Posted by blender
Haven't read the whole thread so apologies if this has been covered.
Has anyone added up all the cap space available league-wide and compared it to a reasonable estimate of what all these unsigned players are going to cost?
In another thread someone suggested there simply wasn't enough cap space league-wide. Is this the case, and if so have the GMs mismanaged themselves and the league into a corner whereby there are good players unable to play?
Could it lead to a compliance buyout window or some sort of intervention?
Just thinking out loud, but seems like there is a fundamental problem developing.
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It is not as simple as adding up the currently unaccounted cap space, because the cap and roster situation for every team is different. Some teams's cap-hits presently account for 25 players, while others have signed only 20. By opening night, every roster will be pared up or down to 22- or 23-players. A lot of players that are presently on rosters now and occupying cap space will be demoted by opening night. I.e., one of Washington's 14 forwards will not be on the opening night roster; the same holds for Montreal, who will also dispatch one of their eight defensemen.
In other words, the solution to this problem is the same as it always was: as a smaller pool of elite players continue to take more of the players's 50% revenue split, rosters will continue to compensate by saving money at the bottom end. This once meant min. salary contracts for the bottom line/bottom pairing, but will likely expand to include third line forwards and second pairing defensemen making less and less.