stevkrause

So I've been doing some digging and I consider myself very well versed in the structure of the CBA and what means what, but one thing I have not been able to find, or figure out, are contract options. As many of us Tiger's fans are WELL aware of, this is heavily used in MLB for both player and team options (ie. Magglio Ordonez's last contract) - However, I am yet to see this utilized in the NHL... especially in a cap era, it only makes sense to me, that more GM's would structure contracts this way... For example - A team signs a player to a 4 year deal averaging 2.5m a year - In year 4, if the player: A. Gets X amount of points B. Plays in X amount of games C. Reaches both A and B then an automatic team option kicks in for year 5 and 6, then in year 7, there is a player option, etc, etc... obviously this could be structured a million ways... My point is, I know this is used pretty heavily for bonuses in the NHL, but I am yet to see actual contracts rely on these incentive base variables... Does anyone have any insight on this?

Taking something offered from the team as a gesture is not the same as actively seeking it...

Even the comment earlier in the thread calling for a full season, is a horrible over-reaction... as I said earlier, I think 5 games and a hefty fine (maybe upwards of 100k) from a player making league min (550k) would suffice and send a pretty good message, but I wouldn't scoff at a suspension around the upwards of 25 games, but that should be the MAX for the actions of this incident... Furthermore, there was no damage, but this could have been a million times worse and it was the pure implications of the actions that even warrant a suspension, but any legal action would be a downright joke... and hopefully any judge worth a crap will laugh that lawsuit right out of the court and HOPEFULLY even scold and reprimand them for filing it, if it goes that far... + The litigious nature of our society today is disgusting...

and he'd deserve every minute of it... I think 5 would suffice, but I have NO problem with the league really dropping the hammer on this one as this is something that can not be tolerated in any way, shape or form.

sticks and stones - the fact of the matter is, the fan did not physically engage him and it was both unprofessional and low-class for him to physically engage the fan... as I said, it paints a black eye on the league, in the sense, that it brings negative attention to the league - I never said it was a death blow... luckily, it was a VERY minor altercation, but Rypien NEEDS to be punished and almost to some extent, made an example of... I don't care HOW disrespectful, disgraceful or flat our appalling the comments the fan made were - sticks and stones. period.

yea, no kidding... I highly doubt anyone would want an NHL tough guy to come after them... The fact of the matter is, this paints a black eye on the NHL and luckily it didn't escalate worse, but this kind of behavior can NOT be allowed by the NHL... I say 5 games and a hefty fine would be fitting...

There are a few minor points (splitting hairs) that I would like different, but overall, this is EXACTLY what the league needs... Your sidenote is a very poignant one as well, I've thought for awhile that the league should start sooner and end sooner as well... and it would be the SOLE sport with impact playoff games in May, which would be great for ratings as well... I wish I could give more than just a +1 for this post...

With the parity in the league, there aren't any teams that couldn't ice one hell of a 3-man unit that could compete with any other 3-man unit in the league... the part that would separate teams would be 3-man unit #2 and #3 Detroit's (lines are arbitrary, this is just to prove a point) 1 - Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Lidstrom 2 - Franzen-Filppula-Rafalski 3 - Bertuzzi-Hudler-Kronwall that's where I'd like our chances...

I agree 100%, but the problem is, they have such crappy leadership that they can't get it right the first time... and I'd rather them get it right... What they need(ed) to do, was/is keep having these Shanahan summits and then after 5 years of GM votes(after each rule change was tested for a full season in the AHL), THEN make one set of changes all at once and don't mess with it again for at least another 5 years... at least way, it ensure that the game is played the same way for a consistent period of time before any changes... and the first one to do... IS THE 3 POINT SYSTEM!!!!!!!!!!!!

If options are disallowed, that would make perfect sense why we don't see these and that's basically what I was thinking, but I did not see it anywhere in the CBA when looking through it, that's why I thought it was odd... As for bonuses, there are a pretty considerable amount of incentive based bonuses in the game today, so...

DEAD ON!

Even Eva had not suggested full time Eaves minutes on that line in this thread, that was a post made over 4 months ago, but that's a whole different topic and there appears to be some bad blood between you two that I'm not taking either side of... my point is, as I've maintained all along, that I was merely suggesting that Eaves get a look here and there and if it works, fantastic, and also that he DOES have the shot and speed to make it worthwhile to take a look at... the problems I had with your retorts were that you were replying in a pretty much "all or nothing" manner every time... also, mentioning Kopecky is belligerent

I feel as though the Benny Hill music should play when Lebda is on the ice...

to a point that had relevance to the reply it was related to... where are you going with this?

I did read earlier and as I've said several times, going back to ties is a horrible idea for the regular season... we're not discussing playoffs here, that format is perfect and should NEVER change... we're discussing the regular season. They cannot play forever for a win as a team, because they need to get to the next city and need time to recuperate for a long 82 game schedule, but ties suck. Ties leave the fans walking out of the arena feeling as though they've wasted their time and as if they just watced a 2.5 hour game, for essentially no outcome - whether you feel that way or not is neither here nor there - it IS the majority. Just concede to the fact there is, and WILL be a shootout and with that in mind - the current system sucks. A team should not be awarded the same point total for winning as individuals, nor should a team be punished for losing as individuals with a goose-egg, after they played a hard fought 65 minute game with no result. Also, although I don't hate the 2-1-0 format(2 for reg/ot win, 1 for so win, 0 for loss) it still makes the sum total of points awarded for a game inconsistent and jacks up standings... The 3 point system allows for all games to be worth the same cumulative total, while putting an emphasis on winning AS A TEAM and makes the shootout worth less, essentially making it a tie+

Ok 1pt - Reg/OT win .66pts - SO win .33pts - SO loss There, does that make you happier, since you're so hung up on a ridiculous point total in total amount, instead of the value of the total and what it represents....

and while Miller was getting some 2nd line minutes with Franzen out, Eaves was getting a few first line minutes with Z and Dats... so I don't think it was necessarily as much a matter of who Babs thinks higher of, but who fits better where... Eaves is a RW by nature and Bert has been playing on the R side for that line, so maybe Babs just didn't want to mess with the line chemistry by putting players out of their comfort zones just to make it happen... I like them both, actually, I just like Eaves upside more...

When everyone IS healthy, that 4th line should be Abdelkader-Helm-Eaves night in and out, I think Miller has played very well and done everything expected of him, so this is not to say that he doesn't deserve the ice time, it's just that those 3 deserve it more based on skill set alone...

this is very true, they looked horrible as a whole that night... however, from what I watched of the game, he was pretty invisible when he WAS on the ice, so that's never a good sign sign for a player getting his first game with a new team...

he just played for them Sat night... just not very well... 0pts, -3

I'm still not crazy about this one, as it makes some games worth a different cumulative point total than others, but I can get on board with this one a LOT more than going back to stupid ties, or the current jacked up point system, which makes SO games worth MORE (grand total points awarded on the night) I don't have a problem with the consolation point for teams that lose in a SO, because you're not losing as a team and it's essentially a tie+ Reg/OT Win - 3pts SO Win - 2pts SO Loss - 1pt Loss in Reg/OT - 0pts ALL GAMES WORTH 3 TOTAL POINTS. It seems maddeningly obvious to me...

I feel as though we've discussed this a million times on this board... I do agree with many others that they need to keep the changes to a minimum and they should not be changing them ever couple years, it DOES affect credibility AND makes it hard for new fans to catch on, when things are constantly changing... with that said, in a perfect world, they would have got it right, right out of the lockout, but they didn't and it needs adjustment... the problem is... it needs one last adjustment and then they need to leave it as is for at least 10 years... I've been very adamant about my stance on this and I still think the 3pt system is the single best solution - Reward teams who win as a team and make all games worth the same cumulative point total.

PERFECTLY stated.

The term "Whatever American" needs to go away... FOREVER... People are not Asian American, African American, Irish American, etc... they are American, Canadian, Russian, or wherever else their allegiance and citizenship lies... furthermore, the idiocy behind referring to a Canadian born and bred player as "African American" in itself is moronic and Iginla's interview where he lambasted the interviewer for referring to him as such, gave me a whole different level of respect for him... How about we stop caring about the color of a players skin and instead focus on the quality of the person off the ice and the player on the ice... I think it's great that this amazing game is expanding to all classes and races, but that should just be looked at as normal, not as something to be applauded, just something to be expected. Until we can get over ourselves, the PC BS that divides us (such as these titles) and STOP caring about these things, we will never evolve...