[News] Kucherov out for the regular season

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The guy is having hip surgery. Do we really think there is some funny business here?

Maybe if it was elbow surgery.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The guy is having hip surgery. Do we really think there is some funny business here?

Is he though? I demand that they televise his hip surgery so that I, an acknowledged expert in the field of hip surgeries, can decide for myself!

Wait...the Hip-Bone is connected to the what now?

[devo22]

I mean, I'm cynical too and everything, but I'm sure there'd be easier ways to fix your cap situation than making your best forward miss the entire regular season with a bogus injury.

[PepsiFree]

Tampa is just playing 3D chess while all the other teams are playing checkers.

More teams should be looking into forcing their star players to have season-ending surgery. Think of all the cap relief!

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The guy is having hip surgery. Do we really think there is some funny business here?

I didn't say the injury isn't legitimate. I said the timing is off. Surely, a rich millionaire in Russia could have gotten a surgery done over the past few months. Why wait until the start of the regular season? Did he not think the NHL was going to ever start up again.

Or did the hip issues just begin a week ago.

Either way, I don't buy for a second the timing of this surgery is purely coincidentally aligned with the start of a regular season when Tampa is completely screwed for cap space.

[albertGQ]

He's pulling a Scottie Pippen!

#jokingnotjoking

[Jiri Hrdina]

If they knew that surgery was the end result before this, I think it would be a tough sell to the player to delay. Players want to play.
But we'll never know for sure I suppose.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

If they knew that surgery was the end result before this, I think it would be a tough sell to the player to delay. Players want to play.
But we'll never know for sure I suppose.

There is a zero percent chance than an NHL player is going to put off surgery to specifically miss a season to help his teams cap situation. Ugh these conversations make me unreasonably annoyed.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by keenan87

I didn't say the injury isn't legitimate. I said the timing is off. Surely, a rich millionaire in Russia could have gotten a surgery done over the past few months. Why wait until the start of the regular season? Did he not think the NHL was going to ever start up again.

Or did the hip issues just begin a week ago.

Either way, I don't buy for a second the timing of this surgery is purely coincidentally aligned with the start of a regular season when Tampa is completely screwed for cap space.

so what's the argument here? Do you think Tampa told him to wait with the surgery until the start of the regular season? "Sorry Nikita, we know you want to play hockey, but please think of our cap situation"?!

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by devo22

so what's the argument here? Do you think Tampa told him to wait with the surgery until the start of the regular season? "Sorry Nikita, we know you want to play hockey, but please think of our cap situation"?!

Yup, I think this is a player who just had an incredibly long season (including playoffs) and won the Stanley Cup. This is going to be a short and grueling season.

Why not delay a bit earlier so he can have his surgery now. He gets more rest, an opportunity to recover, and probably come back fresh for the playoffs. He can help Tampa make another deep run and then start the regular season fresh in 2021-2022.

I mean, does anyone think Kucherov not playing impacts the Lightning's chances of making the playoffs at all?

They are basically replacing their Stanley Cup winning team from Kucherov to Stamkos.

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

There is a zero percent chance than an NHL player is going to put off surgery to specifically miss a season to help his teams cap situation. Ugh these conversations make me unreasonably annoyed.

Then go for a walk or better, make yourself useful and help people shovel snow. You need to take a break if you let comments on a message board impact you so much

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by keenan87

Then go for a walk or better, make yourself useful and help people shovel snow. You need to take a break if you let comments on a message board impact you so much

It’s just so whiny. We complain about our owners, we complain about the refs, we complain about draft picks and other teams winning lotteries, we complain about location and free agents, and I can handle all that. But can we just let guys have surgery/retire due to injury without worrying about how that one players salary is now going to win that team a cup, and we will lose again as a direct result!?

It comes up alllllllllll the time. Constantly. And has almost zero impact on our odds of winning a cup. Get over it. Also there is no snow here to shovel, bare roads, suckers.

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

It’s just so whiny. We complain about our owners, we complain about the refs, we complain about draft picks and other teams winning lotteries, we complain about location and free agents, and I can handle all that. But can we just let guys have surgery/retire due to injury without worrying about how that one players salary is now going to win that team a cup, and we will lose again as a direct result!?

It comes up alllllllllll the time. Constantly. And has almost zero impact on our odds of winning a cup. Get over it. Also there is no snow here to shovel, bare roads, suckers.

I don't know about whiny. Its certainly annoying but I think its incredibly smart if that is what they are actually doing..

Maybe I am just pessimistic, but the Hawks getting out of the Hossa contract and Kings getting out of the Richards contract..

I think thats genius if preplanned and hope the Flames can figure it out too one day. I mean I guess they did with Kipper.

As for no snow, you got me there haha

[neo45]

Two things can be happening at once

A legitimate injury being dealt with and a team abusing LTIR rules to stash a player with no cap hit until the games really matter to them.

Losing Kucherov for 56 games is far less consequential to the Lightning than having to gut to their championship roster in a buyer’s market in order to become cap compliant

Any headline with the words “GM solves cap crunch using LTIR” should raise immediate red flags. Managers haven’t exactly earned a “just trust us” on this

[PepsiFree]

Honestly, even if you want to go full conspiracy theorist and suggest Tampa is going to sacrifice one of their best, most highly paid players every season to circumvent the camp, I say let them go for it.

I'm sure next offseason, when Tampa is in nearly the exact same situation, Hedman will be scheduled for brain surgery. The year after that, when they are *once again* in nearly the exact same situation? Vasilevsky's turn, I'm thinking something like wrist surgery, you know, don't want to put a goaltender's knees at risk just for the cap, but the wrists are alright.

Just run with this until Stamkos retires from a rash. Playoffs are a given even without their best players, after all.

[TheScorpion]

My god, it's Julien BriseBois jumping out of the press box! He's running at Ryan McDonagh with a crowbar!

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by Locke

Is he though? I demand that they televise his hip surgery so that I, an acknowledged expert in the field of hip surgeries, can decide for myself!

Wait...the Hip-Bone is connected to the what now?

Spoiler!

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

My god, it's Julien BriseBois jumping out of the press box! He's running at Ryan McDonagh with a crowbar!

Hahaha hahahaha .. so funny

[Geeoff]

Kucherov is better than any player on the Flames. So, losing him makes Tampa worse any way you slice it.

[savemedrzaius]

They'll still win their division.

It does seem a little strange that he has the surgery now just before the regular season begins.