Gary Bettman critical of the Maple Leafs for possible salary cap violation
Gary Bettman wasn't too fond of Chris Tanev signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer, as he believes the Leafs indirectly violated the salary cap rules.
Tanev is 34-years-old and has had recurring injuries in his career. The Leafs signed him until he will reach the age of 40 with their six-year contract. The Leafs will likely have to place him on LTIR which will free up space on the salary cap so that they can sign another player.
Technically, the Leafs have done nothing wrong right now as Tanev is expected to start the season healthy. So, what could possibly upset Bettman if there's no true proof of any wrongdoing at the moment?
The Athletic's Eric Duhatschek explained the situation in further detail.
If the league genuinely wanted to do that [change the rules], they would find ways of plugging the loopholes in the system. This, by the way, is inherently just like the NHL. As soon as a rule is in place, teams try to find creative ways of circumventing it. Ever since the cap system was introduced, teams have found complicated, but legal ways to get around the theoretical cap ceiling.
Teams have been using this LTIR loophole for years. In 2021, almost half the league was engaging in this activity.
If Bettman and the NHL execs really want to tackle this issue, they will need to have a strong debate about it during the next rounds of CBA negotiations in a few years with the NHLPA. The Vegas Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning were true champions at exploiting this salary cap loophole over the last few years, so they will likely not be too happy when Bettman decides to change the rules one day.
Source: Blades of Steel
Gary Bettman has harsh words for Maple Leafs for violating CBA rules
Gary Bettman has harsh words for Maple Leafs for violating CBA rules
| POLL | ||
31 JUILLET | 101 ANSWERS Gary Bettman critical of the Maple Leafs for possible salary cap violation Did the Maple Leafs indirectly violate the salary cap rules with the Chris Tanev signing? | ||
| Yes | 31 | 30.7 % |
| No | 70 | 69.3 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
Latest 10 stories
