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Ducks do the ECHL shuffle

I've written about nonsense like this before, but it's something that's worth hammering home again and again. The NHL needs to close this salary cap loophole, if only for the sake of the bubble players stuck on these insane assignments.

At minimum, players should have to play at least a game with the affiliate or NHL team before being yo-yoed back and forth (barring a last-minute injury, of course):

Three days after they were recalled from AHL-affiliate Iowa, Ryan and Festerling were sent down to ECHL affiliate Bakersfield for a day as part of a complicated move designed to free up salary cap space.

Under NHL rules, both had to physically report to Bakersfield on Monday.

For how long?

The Ducks weren’t certain. Both players brought their skates and gear just in case they had to take practice with the Condors, who were idle.

“We never got into the rink,” Ryan said.

— Curtis Zupke, Ducks blog

Bakersfield is about a three-hour drive, and Bobby Ryan and Brett Festerling spent the night in a hotel there before waking at 5 a.m. to be shuffled back to Anaheim for a morning practice. You can bet they weren't quite as minty fresh as the rest of their teammates (although both played well in a 6-4 loss to the Capitals last night).

The Ducks are in an insane spot against the cap, one made even worse by the fact Francois Beauchemin is likely to miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Ryan's entry-level salary (with bonuses) is about $300,000 more than Beauchemin's and there's also the need to recall another defenceman in Festerling, who makes about the league minimum.

It's a good thing that David McNab's known as a top-notch capologist, because they're going to need his fine touch from this point on.

That — and a whole lot of trips to Bakersfield.

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1) The Ducks are far from the only team in this predicament. The Ducks opponent last night, the caps have a similar cap issue, wih a mere 190K in space.
2) This brings to mind a question: If a team like Anaheim or Washington suffer addtional minor injuries (enough that players can’t play, but not bad enough to get a LTI exeption) and they can not replace a roster spot without going over the cap, what does the league do? Force a higher salaried player to waivers/trade, etc?

by Fauxrumors on Nov 20, 2008 10:15 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

It's their own damn fault

Why should they be excused or get an exemption? That creates more problems than it solves.

by Afino on Nov 20, 2008 10:29 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

+1

The refusal of teams/GMs to recognize — and plan for — the fact that the unexpected can and does happen, continues to boggle me. (Do they drive without insurance, too?) No team should be living that close to the cap in November.

Imagine their budget/cap meetings: “Well, should someone — God forbid — get injured, we may have to shuffle guys meaninglessly to our ECHL affiliate.”

SBN now has a NY Islanders blog at LighthouseHockey.com.

by Dominik on Nov 20, 2008 11:12 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I'm confused

I thought the great Burke was a genius.
Wait until the cap drops in 2010-11 to $48 million as per today’s Globe and Mail.

by Exit716 on Nov 20, 2008 11:24 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

Firstly, Burke is a genius. Notice his departure.

Secondly, there’s a ton of salary coming off the books next summer for the Ducks. They’re very flexible for whatever Bob Murray wants to do next year.

Thirdly, the article points out that the salary cap ceiling won’t budge much, it’s more a shift in escrow. The expensive rosters we see today probably still will fit under next year’s cap — it’s just that every player will make less than the face value of their contract.

http://battleofcalifornia.blogspot.com/

by Earl Sleek on Nov 20, 2008 12:07 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

"it’s more a shift in escrow"

And that’s very important to remember.

Just because a player is scheduled to make $10 million this year, doesn’t mean he’s going to GET $10 million before taxes. I forget the actual levels and the trigger amounts, but I believe the escrow amount is taken out immediately THEN paid back to the players when the league hits certain revenue triggers.

by Afino on Nov 20, 2008 12:41 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Yes, that’s how it works. They alter the escrow number quarterly through the season, too, so it’s not a static percentage coming out during the season.

by James Mirtle on Nov 20, 2008 12:47 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

it's bad enough...

that Ryan has to deal with not getting a full crack at a lineup slot…

but as someone who lives an hour away from Bakersfield, I tell ya, shipping him there is just cruel, meaningless or not…

Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
The Left Coast Lock

by blurr1974 on Nov 20, 2008 12:08 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

If Bobby Ryan keeps lighting the lamp the way he did last night, maybe the Ducks should send more of their underachieving forwards back-and-forth to Bakersfield, just for good karma.

http://battleofcalifornia.blogspot.com/

by Earl Sleek on Nov 20, 2008 12:09 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Bakersfield has a pretty sweet rink, the Rabobank Arena:
http://sharkspage.com/galleries/bakersfield_longbeach1/pages/bakersfield_longbeach18.html

Very nice facility, I think it is the only professional rink in Cali with the hard glass sans stanchions that other rinks have to use with plexiglass. Makes it awesome for viewing from the seats and taking photos, but when players get checked into it the glass does not budge at all:
http://sharkspage.com/galleries/bakersfield_longbeach1/pages/bakersfield_longbeach7.html

Text me if it looks like they will have to do more than practice with the team. Friday night they host the Sharks ECHL affiliate Phoenix Roadrunners.

by pj48 on Nov 20, 2008 4:47 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

They’re already back with the Ducks again.

by James Mirtle on Nov 20, 2008 4:51 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

takes two to dance

I believe the PA agreed to this CBA.

Maybe somebody should ask Trevor Linden what the rush was to sign it.

by Dr Van Nostrum on Nov 20, 2008 6:45 PM CST reply actions   0 recs


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