GMs Pitch Interesting Solution to LTIR Salary Cap Circumvention Issues

The debate about LTIR salary cap circumvention wages on today as the Tampa Bay Lighting kick off their playoff series with the New York Islanders. Some argue that the Lightning didn’t do anything wrong and that the timeline of Nikita Kucherov’s injury, recovery and return is exactly what GM Julien BriseBois said it was — the stars aligning for the team. Others aren’t convinced and are calling it cap circumvention, no matter how you slice it. One NHL insider notes that GMs are pitching an interesting solution.

Related: Lightning GM Suggests LTIR Kucherov Controversy Just “Stars Aligning”

Gord Miller of TSN noted in a tweet on Sunday, “The @TBLightning haven’t broken any rules, and their drafting/development is exceptional. As for the Kucherov situation, some GMs suggest this: to play in the playoffs, you have to have been on the regular season roster at some point.”

I agree 100% with @rayferrarotsn here. The @TBLightning haven’t broken any rules, and their drafting/development is exceptional. As for the Kucherov situation, some GMs suggest this: to play in the playoffs, you have to have been on the regular season roster at some point. https://t.co/r0XGJ0Yov0

— Gord Miller 🏳️‍🌈 (@GMillerTSN) June 13, 2021

Ray Ferraro is like many who suggest that the Lightning could have put Kucherov on the ice a few games earlier. He admitted he’s not a doctor and doesn’t know exactly what was going on there, but he argued this team was a good team anyways and should be given credit for drafting and developing the rest of their roster.

While I tend to agree, the point I don’t agree with here is that their drafting and developing has anything to do with the conversation about salary cap circumvention. In a way, it argues that Tampa would be contending anyways, but it doesn’t solve the problem or answer the question of whether or not the Lightning held Kucherov out just a couple games more than was necessary and, as a result, got a ton of cap space flexibility.

Miller’s point about the GMs suggesting the easy way to know if a player is good to go is simply to have them play at least one regular season game doesn’t necessarily solve the problem either. Sure, if the player can return by the end of the regular season and he plays, that would kick the salary cap back in and then this entire debate would be a moot point. But, what if the player suits up for two or three games at the start of the season, then sits the rest of the year before returning in the playoffs? Same problem, but the one regular season game rule is in play.

No Easy Solution Here

Unfortunately, there might not be an easy solution to this problem. Regardless, if the CBA doesn’t count salary in the postseason, teams will find a way to use it to their advantage. Whether clubs have a player dress for the opener and then schedule surgery or the rule doesn’t change at all, it’s going to remain a contentious point of debate.

And, it’s not as easy as just saying, make the salary cap count in the playoffs. The player’s regular paychecks stop coming at the end of the regular season. That’s the main reason the cap stops too. You’ll have a hard time convincing 32 GMs that popping the salary cap back on for postseason games is the right way to go.

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