Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolven
The problem is that these LTIR retirements are another cap circumvention. Marchand getting a 6 year contract at age 37, meaning it triggers the 35+ rules in the CBA, shows that they are going to play him until his body breaks down from age instead of some specific ailment and then put him on the LTIR until his contract runs out.
This is slightly different from Pietrangelo, Price, or Weber who signed contracts in good faith and are unable to play them out because of real issues but the last thing you want to do is create a special "LTIR retired" category that invites the bad faith version of this behaviour.
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I agree with your point, but Weber's 14 year offer sheet was clearly meant to circumvent the cap and Philadelphia/Nashville and the player knew that he likely wouldn't be playing up to his $7.8m contract at 41--or playing at all by then.
It was likely one of the reasons the NHL lockout happened in 2012/13 as the NHL was determined to cap contract lengths.