Subj : Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Hub Ci;ies, Amnesty Buyouts, Wendel Clark
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers
Date : Sat Jul 04 2020 04:40 am
In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I'll look at what we know
about the hub cities, the proceeding conversations about a new CBA, and share
some of Maple Leafs'; favourite son Wendel Clark's insights about what
returning to hockey might mean to players this season.
Item One: Toronto and Edmonton Will Be Named the Hub Cities
Although this is not yet news, because it hasn't been confirmed, it's already
old news. Reports are coming from everywhere that Edmonton and Toronto will be
named the NHL';s return to play hub cities.
Sportsnet�reported two days ago that the two Canadian cities will be where
players will fight out the 2020 Playoffs. Edmonton is expected to host the
Western Conference and Toronto the Eastern Conference. TSN also reported
something similar, that the NHL was expected to choose Edmonton and Toronto
-�barring unforeseen circumstances.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Tavares, Nylander, Statistics & Elynuik
TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie also announced Edmonton and Toronto. The report
was further confirmed by Sportsnet's Mark Spector. Everyone's saying it, but
not officially.
EDM gets the Hub, an obvious decision that took too long to make. Lowest COVID
by far.
They'll also get Oilers and West teams, my understanding, with East playing in
TOR.
Makes no sense for TV to have East teams out West.- Mark Spector
(@SportsnetSpec) July 1, 2020
Interestingly, and this isn't necessarily about the hub cities, McKenzie also
noted that Tuesday evening the NHL and NHLPA were working through the night to
hammer out a new agreement.
Long night of negotiations/hard work between NHL/NHLPA appears to have resulted
in agreement on most issues on Phase 3/4 RTP, CBA extension, transition rules.
Still a couple of items to finalize today. NOTHING, of course, is actually
done until both sides ratify a tentative deal.- Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie)
July 1, 2020
It';s good news that the NHLPA and the NHL are working well together to settle
issues that are popping up.
Item Two: There Will Be No Amnesty or Compliance Buyouts
Speaking of hammering things out between the NHL and the NHLPA, it';s been
rumoured for months that, with the loss of revenue from the NHL's regular
season's suspension of games, teams might be allowed an amnesty or compliance
buyout to help negotiate a stagnant salary cap.
Related: Maple Leafs' Forgotten Ones: Glen Wesley
However, according to McKenzie (who seems to be everywhere), as the two sides
hammer out the final details of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA),
there haven';t been any discussions of amnesty or compliance buyouts.
Seeing all sorts of speculative chatter amongst fans discussing possibility of
new CBA amnesty buyouts to help clubs manage flat cap. Amnesty buyouts are NOT
part of agreement. They might make a GM's life easier but wouldn't help
owners/players navigate their troubled economy.- Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie)
July 2, 2020
In essence, managers who signed bad contracts (and, the Vancouver Canucks';
six-year, $36 million deal with Loui Eriksson signed in 2016 jumps to mind) are
in deep trouble when it comes to their rosters, and they will need to find
creative ways to dump salary. Some teams will lose good players and others will
have to find salary-cap loopholes to complete their rosters.
Loui Eriksson, Vancouver Canucks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
An amnesty buyout would have allowed teams a get-out-of-jail card to erase one
bad contract without penalty to help navigate a salary cap that is expected
will stay flat for the next three years according to Sportsnet's Elliotte
Friedman:
Some stuff to look forward to in modified CBA: Flat salary cap (unless changed,
numbers were $81.5M next two years, $82.5M in 2022-23); cap on escrow
(starting at 20 per cent next season, moving down after that); return to
Olympics (pending agreement with IOC)...- Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July
1, 2020
What's interesting about the Maple Leafs is that, although fans sometimes
disagree with their stars'; high salaries (and that includes me), in truth
general manager Kyle Dubas has not signed a contract that he would like to buy
out. He and his team of salary-cap geeks (a term of appreciation) seem able to
manage salary cap issues that annually haunt the organization.�
Item Three: Wendel Clark On Returning to Hockey for the 2019-20 Postseason
Yesterday Wendel Clark spoke with CBC Radio's�As It Happens�guest host Duncan
McCue about what it means to resume the NHL postseason in Canada.�I'm only
including part of that conversation here, but I found Clark's perspective
insightful.
Related: Wendel Clark for Mats Sundin: 25 Years Later
Question #1: McCue asked Clark what would be going on in his mind about
returning to the ice.
Clark responded: "I was always a player that knew we weren';t playing for a
long time, you know. You might be a player that';s got a short career and you
play four years. The average career might be 10 to 15 years. So to have one
year that you miss, that gets lessened."
Clark added: "So if you [gave] me a chance to play and be around the guys on
our team and play for the Stanley Cup, I';d always be saying, "Let';s play
hockey."
Question #2: Clark noted it was tough for young players to be away from
teammates because they missed the camaraderie. McCue asked what Clark thought
it would be like on the ice when the teams finally came together for the hockey
training camps set to resume July 10?
Clark responded: "They';ve been separated since March. And they';re missing
what they love to do: hanging out at the rink, hanging in the dressing room,
playing hockey, the game they love. And you only get to do it so long. It';s
not a sport that you get to do forever at the highest level."
Clark added: "So I think once they get back in the swing of things and you get
groups of guys together playing the game ... it';ll fall right into being fun
times."
Question #3: McCue asked Clark what he missed most about not playing or not
being able to watch hockey during the pandemic?
Clark responded: "I';m ready to watch hockey that I don';t know the outcome
[of]. We always miss what we love playing."
Then, without prompting, Clark told McCue, "We went through different player
lockouts and stuff. And, you know, I had three teammates, I think, [during] my
first lockout that we went through�that never finished. They never came back.
And they';ll tell you they wish they hadn';t [gone] through the lockout because
they can';t make up that year again. So that';s why, in the big picture, I
think if they can play and do it as safe as they can, everybody';ll love to do
it."
That';s interesting because it offers some insight into the complexity of how
players know that they have short careers and that puts them at a disadvantage
when they negotiate with management. Even if their salary seems monstrous in
comparison to most Canadians, it's hard to face losing one-tenth (for example)
of your career earnings by facing a lockout.
What's Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs have an advantage if, indeed, Toronto becomes a hub city. They
won';t have the complexity of travel, once they get to Toronto from wherever
they've been quarantining they can stay there. Although there should be no
home-ice advantage, there are advantages to playing at "home."
Related: The Worst Free Agent Signings in NHL History
As McKenzie noted, the NHL and the NHLPA are working long hours trying to
negotiate a return to play. I expect to hear more news this weekend or early
next week. July 10 is rapidly approaching.
The post Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Hub Cities, Amnesty Buyouts, Wendel Clark
appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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