This week’s show was broadcast from Valle Luna Mexican Cantina in Phoenix, AZ. Along with Dave Isaac, Greg Isaac, Ed Cole from KDUS 1060AM, and William Grigsby from lastwordonhockey.com this is podcast #11 for your listening pleasure. This week’s show idea comes from a recent article done by William regarding the salary cap issues haunting most teams and how an NHL luxury tax may alleviate some of the issues.
NHL Luxury Tax Could Help Cap Issues
Show Segments Breakdown
Dave piped in on how he thinks the San Jose Sharks have a good crop of young players and feels the losses of Joe Pavelski, Joonas Donskoi, and Gustav Nyquist will not be that crucial. He thinks they will have the equivalent of four Phil Kessels. He believes they will get about 95 points. William and Greg disagree and say the Sharks will fall, to the 87-point range and may not make the playoffs.
We all did our weekly segment of “what have I learned?” And, we go off course again doing “real movie talk” discussing Tom Hanks’ movie career.
We compare how the luxury tax has worked for other sports like the NBA and if it could function for the NHL. Would NHL team owners like it? Would the players and their agents like it more? A luxury tax would tax the teams who desire to spend more money to sign players they want. Those funds would be directed to the smaller market teams to be competitive. Which teams are considered “small” market teams would need to be determined along with the exact process of directing the tax funds.
Which RFA’s Need to Sign
Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche needs to be signed but still hasn’t even with the Avs having cap space of $15.8 million to spend. They have multiple free agents to sign next season and may be holding out to see what Rantanen will take. Will he get $8 million?
Patrik Laine‘s struggles last season may be holding him back from getting signed. We discuss what we would do about Laine getting signed if we were the general manager. Will he get $10 million? And, will it be with the Winnipeg Jets when he has stated that he is not sure if he’ll be back there?
Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning is yet to be signed. He scored 92 points and 41 goals He is waiting, as most RFA’s, until Mitch Marner signs. Teams don’t want to commit until they see a comparative player sign to value each contract.
In the end, there are at least a dozen young players coming off their entry-level contracts who haven’t been signed. Most of them are wishing Marner would get signed and then there will be some players getting signed to contracts.
How Will the Coyotes do?
We cover how well we think the Arizona Coyotes will do this next season. With Nick Schmaltz being back help to supplement Clayton Keller‘s statistics? Will Keller be able to shine this season? Can Kessel be the missing piece to spark the Arizona club? Can Christian Dvorak start earning his lucrative contract? Where does Barrett Hayton fit into the puzzle?
Until next week, sit back and listen to the podcast and thanks for listening!
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