The NHL has announced a plan to provide cap relief to teams affected by players involved in the 2018 Hockey Canada investigation. According to NHL insider Darren Dreger, the Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, and Calgary Flames will receive this relief.
Players such as Carter Hart from the Flyers, Dillon Dube from the Flames, and Cal Foote and Michael McLeod from the Devils, who are facing legal proceedings, will have their cap hits removed from their respective teams. Hart carries a nearly $4 million cap hit, while Dube's is around $2.3 million. Foote and McLeod together have a $2.2 million cap hit. All four players are on expiring contracts.
The specifics of the cap relief remain unclear, but it's speculated that their entire cap hits will be removed for the rest of the season. Since these players are on expiring deals, the issue is expected to resolve itself by the season's end.
However, fan response to this decision has been largely negative. Many believe that teams shouldn't receive assistance dealing with players they knew might face legal trouble. There's speculation, for instance, that the Flyers were attempting to trade Carter Hart during the previous offseason, which raises questions about their prior knowledge of the situation.
Despite the backlash, the league's decision is partly understandable due to the NHL's strict salary cap constraints. Fortunately, since the players involved have expiring contracts, the issue is expected to be temporary and will likely be resolved by the end of the season.
Do you think this decision was fair?
POLL | ||
6 FEVRIER | 353 ANSWERS Three NHL Teams Receive Compensation Following The London Police WJC Press Conference Do you think this is the right move for the NHL to make regarding these players? | ||
Yes | 148 | 41.9 % |
No | 205 | 58.1 % |
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