Using Shea Weber as an example why the new contract limitations inhibit Flyers

By Kevin Christmann
Posted on 01/07/2013 at 1:00 pm

At the risk of stating the super obvious, all NHL contracts can have salary amounts that vary from one year to the next. However, if you’re reading this, you’re probably a Flyer fan, and you probably rarely think about a player’s salary. To fans of “rich teams” like the Flyers, when it comes to contracts the only number that matters is “cap hit.” A player’s cap hit is determined by taking the average annual value (AAV) of the deal. So ultimately, the salary matters very little when it comes to filling out a roster. The now expired Collective Bargaining Agreement …

My top remaining questions about the new CBA

By Kevin Christmann
Posted on 01/06/2013 at 5:00 pm

As details slowly start to trickle out, and we await the ratification and publishing of the new NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), there will surely be speculation. Some questions you can make safe assumptions about, while others just won’t be known until it is released. With that said, here are my top outstanding questions regarding the new CBA: Is the Wade Redden Rule official? In an earlier proposal, the NHL included what became known as the Wade Redden rule. It prevents NHL teams from burying bad contracts in the minors. If the rule is official, that means the Flyers will …

Poll: Who should the Flyers exercise their compliance buyouts on?

By Kevin Christmann
Posted on 01/06/2013 at 3:00 pm

As part of the tentatively agreed to CBA agreement between the NHL and NHLPA each team has two compliance buyouts they can use over the next two summers. Compliance buyouts would not impact the team’s salary cap. I’ve included the obvious candidates as well as, for the sake of being thorough, the other long-term contracts on the roster. *One thing to note, currently, like in the expired CBA, teams cannot buy out injured players. That could throw a wrench in any plans for the Flyers to buy out Chris Pronger. Feel free to explain your reasoning in the comments!

NHL and NHLPA reach tentative agreement, so what’s changed in this CBA?

By Kevin Christmann
Posted on 01/06/2013 at 11:27 am

The lockout lasted 113 days, but it is finally over. Early this morning, after missing over 500 games, the NHL and the NHL Player’s Association (NHLPA) reached a tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. So what exactly has changed between the old CBA and the new one? The CBA has a 10 year term and includes a mutual opt-out clause after year eight. The expired CBA had a term of eight years, with an opt-out clause for both sides after seven years. The salary cap ceiling in Year One will be $60 million, however, as expected during this past summer, teams …

The Twelfth Day of Claudemas: 12 reasons to love Simon Gagne

By Kevin Christmann
Posted on 12/21/2012 at 3:00 pm

Here we are in December with little to do in this tough lockout time. What’s a blog to do? Well, it looks like a 12 Days of Christmas-themed series of posts is the way to go. But, we realize that all of you hockey fans aren’t into Christmas, so we’ve named it after the man nicknamed Orange Jesus and called it Claudemas. On the twelfth day of Claudemas, Flyers Faithful gave to me…twelve reasons to love Simon Gagne (in no particular order). 1) He’s got great flow. 2) He’s also got a pretty great beard. 3) His role in this Coatesy’s Corner with Claude Giroux. 4) …

A look back at the Vitale hit on Briere and the conceptions behind finishing games

By Kevin Christmann
Posted on 12/19/2012 at 11:00 am

I originally wrote this article back in April, at another time and place under the title “Orange-Colored Glasses”, and I wanted to bring it here to Flyers Faithful for some actual hockey talk amidst all of this lockout excitement. I’ve edited it slightly so it makes a bit more sense being that it’s referencing a game nine months ago. I write this knowing full well it probably won’t be very popular, and most people will probably disagree with me. However, I feel compelled to say it because well…I’m just way too rational of a human being, and seeing a lack …

Point/Counterpoint: Puck possession versus dump and chase

By Kevin Christmann
Posted on 12/11/2012 at 1:00 pm

Welcome to the newest edition of “Point/Counterpoint,” where a pair of Flyers Faithful scribes present both sides of one particular issue with their own unique view and flair. This week, Kevin C and…Kevin C… debate the more effective style of play, puck possession or dump and chase. The Hobbit is coming out soon and I recently saw Andy Serkis on Colbert, and I thought, “I’m going to debate with myself; Gollum versus Smeagol style”. So I hope you’re prepared for some absurdity as I take on my alter ego from my college roller hockey days….Lloyd. Point – Lloyd: Puck possession is everything in hockey. So maybe …

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Poll: After last night’s debacle, how are you feeling about the prospects of an NHL season?

By Kevin Christmann
Posted on 12/07/2012 at 5:00 pm

To amnesty, or not to amnesty: and who, is the question

By Kevin Christmann
Posted on 11/14/2012 at 8:00 am

Last week, Larry Brooks reported that the NHL and NHLPA were discussing the possibility of allowing an amnesty clause. For those that may be unaware, an amnesty clause would allow an NHL team from buying out a player without any salary cap repercussion; effectively eliminating a bad contract. It’s been discussed in many hockey circles for some time; in fact it was something we asked in an older iteration of our Five Questions series. However, I don’t intend to rehash the argument for or against the amnesty clause. For my purposes, let’s speculate what might make sense for the Flyers …

CBA 101: Mailbag questions while you’re stuck inside

By Kevin Christmann
Posted on 10/29/2012 at 1:00 pm

Is anyone reading this? Does anyone have power? Is the world over? Hurricane Sandy is here after all, and we are quickly approaching the end of the world on December 21, 2012. If you didn’t see our Tim McManus’ article last week on mailbags, you should definitely check it out. With that said, it’s time for some mailbag questions of my own! From reader Mike Tomon, “Why do I see a cap hit of $100,000 for Oskars Bartulis for the Flyers?”. This is good question Mike, and one I expect other fans will wonder if/when we ever have hockey again and …

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About Kevin Christmann