Fifth Avenue Forum

I'm glad Tampa won. They've been good and so close for a few years now, and they are going to be in cap hell going forward, so this run while not their last, was probably their best chance with this crew.

It's so freaking hard to win the cup, even if you have everything lined up.

Part of me wanted to see a team that talented just never win, because I enjoy chaos like that.

Part of me wanted to see a team that talented just never win, because I enjoy chaos like that.

I'm glad Tampa won. They've been good and so close for a few years now, and they are going to be in cap hell going forward, so this run while not their last, was probably their best chance with this crew.

It's so freaking hard to win the cup, even if you have everything lined up.

I was all ready to say that they weren't in bad shape because their core players were all locked up.

Point, Palat signed until 2021-22 with Point still being a RFA
Killorn until 2022-23
Stamkos, Johnson until 2023-24
Hedman until 2024-25
McDonaugh until 2025-26
Kucherov until 2026-27

Then I looked at their cap situation. Yikes.

At the moment, $5.333m in cap space for the 2020-21 team. Cirelli, Sergachev, and Cernak are all RFAs. Shattenkirk and Bogo's places on defense will need to be filled. Sergachev's raise alone should eat up most of that 5.3m.

They're still in good shape for the short term. Shattenkirk is trash, so losing him isn't going to cause a huge ripple.

If they can somehow find a new home for Tyler Johnson, I imagine they'll be fine...but that's gonna be a tough one...

Killorn and Palat have value for their playoff performances...but can Tampa afford to lose strong playoff performers...?

Regarding the bubble, I wonder how much everything affected the players and teams. Washington was accused of basically coasting and not caring, and you could argue that the Pens looked similarly disinterested. All I read before the bubble was that this would be the most difficult Cup to win. I don't agree with that sentiment.

The first week or so, was probably pretty sick...like when you went on vacation with your college friends for the first time after graduation...but you know you probably couldn't do another week...

So, I imagine it just became groundhog day and borderline claustrophobic (not literally, but just for your senses)...the same few places to eat, the same few people around you, the same entertainment afforded you...it went 65 days for Tampa and Dallas...and I say that as someone who doesn't really have a strong tie to family and doesn't have any kids...so, some of these stupider guys have a wife and kids, so I imagine that's even more taxing...

From a mental perspective, it was probably as tough of a grind as you're going to find...from a physical perspective, I think without all the travel, I think that's a little easier on the boys...little easier to sleep, less wear and tear from the travel, etc.

As someone that deployed to Iraq/Afghan for up to a year at a time I have no respect for multi-millionare manchildren complaining about being homesick for 1-4 months. Get bent, losers.

I heard it a lot more with baseball than hockey, though. Rask aside.

Tuukka wasn't homesick though. His daughter (i think) had a medical emergency and he felt he needed to be there.

I can't really fault him for that.

Meh, I mean, everything is relative...these are millionaire manchildren, to be sure...but they're used to playing under a certain set of circumstances and that was radically changed...in the same way that you have been deployed to Iraq for a year, there are people that have to live there all the time - you got to go home...so they're typing on their message board how easy it is for you...

If we're measuring dicks here, obviously someone deployed to the Middle East for a year at a time trumps 50 NHL players stuffed into a plush 5-star hotel in non-military-strategic-location, Canada...I don't mean that to come off as combative or dismissive as the tone (that I can't seem to shake with re-wording while keeping the "measuring dicks" line) dictates...but there's a certain relativity to it, especially with regard to the prompt: Was this the toughest Stanley Cup Playoffs vs Was this the toughest thing humans have endured...

I wrote a second post about finding the players that immediately opted out to be commendable for actually being honest with themselves about their capabilities and making an adult decision; but I deleted it because this conversation doesn't have a pretty end either way.

As a society we hold athletes up as dedicated, relentless, selfless heroes. But when a bit of (uniformly applied) hardship popped up, all of the MLB and others across the sports world turtled up as giant pusscakes. You trained your whole life to do one thing, and you're in your productive prime. Sack up, son. Are you dedicated to greatness or not?

That goes back more to my position that athletes are not role models by default, though. I'm likely co-opting the conversation.

That's fair...

I mean, let's be honest, baseball players are pussies, otherwise they wouldn't be playing baseball.

Anyone that starts a Reddit post with “XXXX fan here...” should be forcibly sterilized

They can join the "Great series! You guys are gonna be scary next year!" posts and burn in Hell.

God bless you both. This is one of my top sports peeves.

Shattenkirk is trash, so losing him isn't going to cause a huge ripple.

But they still have to fill his spot. Even if they use a prospect or a retread making league minimum, that's still 750k. Not as big of a deal if they had 10m in cap space, but with 5.33m and RFAs to sign and UFA spots to fill, they can only do so much.

I'm interested in seeing how Tyler Johnson not wanting to waive his NTC plays out. His NTC turns into a 20 team trade list next season, so Tampa's hands are kinda tied with him.