Thoughts on Salary Cap & Parity

According to Bob Duff of the Windsor Star, via the Times Colonist, the NHL has entered a period of parity. I politely disagree with both his assertion of parity, and with his suggested cause of that parity. Make the jump, and let's discuss.

My second argument with the article is the source of this so called parity. Parity does exist in the middle of the pack. When you take the mediocre teams as a group, sure, they could all beat each other. However, the standings show parity because of the charity point for overtime and shootout losses. Having games that are worth two points, and some worth three, make the standings more congested than they really should be. This is a debate that has been rehashed enough, and we won't get into that at this point.

Just know that the parity caused by the three point games is a false one.

Moving back to the article, Duff points out that seven different teams have won the Cup since 2000.

Let's look at those teams one by one. The Penguins are a result of excellent draft position, free agent acquisitions, and trades at the right time. The Devils have been a powerhouse for years, with tons of young talent, and draft like clairvoyants.

Detroit is still a solid team, only in the position they are in because of the reasons described above. Colorado has experienced a surge this season unlike anyone could imagine and have fallen on some hard times at the wrong time of the year. They are an aberration.  Anaheim caused their own issues by riding aging vets into the ground and paying them ridiculous amounts of money while doing so.

As for seven teams winning the Cup since 2000, big deal. It has always been difficult to repeat as champs in the NHL. Keep in mind the cap was not around until after the 2004-05 lockout, and there have been no back to back champs in the NHL since the mid 90's.The cap did not make it difficult to repeat, the talent level in the NHL did. The grueling length and physical play of the Stanley Cup playoffs did.

Agreed, but what does this have to do with the cap? This is the exact reason why the worst team in most leagues get the first pick. It has been the system for decades.

Sorry, Mr. Duff. I respectfully disagree with the entire article. It is rare that I cannot even say "I see where you are coming from," but that is where I'm at with this. This article ignores far too many factors and simplifies the league far too much. The salary cap is working, I'll give him that. It may even lead to parity. However, it is going to take a few more years before that happens.

Right now, a team's payroll does not seem to translate directly into on ice productivity. Check back in a couple years, Mr. Duff, maybe your point will be valid then.

-Buddha