Workrate Decodes the CBA: Injured Players and Roster Moves

[The rules of building and maintaining an NHL roster are complex and often difficult to pinpoint. Many of them are detailed in the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, a 517-page pile of legalese that details everything from the requirement that veterans don’t have to have a hotel roommate on road trips (Article 16.9) to ensuring that every player has the option of receiving his paycheck via direct deposit (Article 31.6(c)). Since I’m a sick bastard, I printed the entire thing out and I’ve read way too much of it in an effort to better understand the finer nuances of running a professional hockey team and the decisions and considerations that need to be made during the course of a season. Basically, I’m not a lawyer, but I play one for Section 328. If you’ve got any questions you’d like to see addressed in a future edition of “Workrate Decodes The CBA”, let me know in the comments or find me on Twitter at @MrWorkrate]

The recent Connor McDavid injury made many hockey fans and writers collectively lose their ship (ship? I guess we’re a family blog.) and make great exaggerations as to what the Oilers needed to do, with the term “Long Term Injured Reserve” being thrown around. Hell, SB Nation’s NHL Twitter account announced that McDavid was officially on LTIR despite no announcement being made by the team or that it was only 30 minutes after the end of the game McDavid got injured in. Relax everybody – you can’t catch broken collarbone*.

[*or whatever actually happened to him – cripes, I can’t pretend to be a lawyer AND a doctor at the same time.]

VICTORY! #Oilers beat Philly 4-2! #PHIvsEDM pic.twitter.com/kisxMS5N78

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 4, 2015

The Oilers have officially placed Connor McDavid on long-term injured reserve. https://t.co/6YZr0Ialom pic.twitter.com/xG2tHWEPO1 — SB Nation NHL (@SBNationNHL) November 4, 2015

So on today’s Workrate Decodes the CBA, we’re going to look at the rules regarding injuries, rosters, and how NHL GMs have to navigate them.

Replacing the Wiz – What Veterans Are Left?

47 seconds. That’s it. Forty-seven seconds is all Carolina Hurricanes fans got to see of James Wisniewski during regular season hockey. And, barring a playoff run or a Wolverine-like ACL regeneration

[pause for comment about the likelihood of each]

That’s all we’ll see of Wiz this season, which sucks for him and us. Wisniewski looked to be one of the more positive characters in the locker room, and looked towards his Carolina tenure as an opportunity to bounce back from a difficult season. For us as fans, we looked to Wiz as solidifying our top four on the blueline, allowing Noah Hanifin to ease into his first NHL season, and helping to jumpstart a Canes scoring attack that redefines the word “attack” at times.

But we move on, as we have to, because crying isn’t going to bring him back, even if our tears did smell like dog food.

Canes vs. Preds 10/8 Game Recap

After a long (see: starting in April) offseason, the Carolina Hurricanes were back on the ice in a game that actually counts in the standings. The stink of last season has been mostly shed, and it feels great to be genuinely excited to watch some Canes hockey once again. Now, let’s get a damn win in October this year!

Oh. Shit. Under a minute into the game, Jordan Staal was booked for high-sticking Ryan Ellis, giving Nashville an early power play opportunity. Wouldn’t you know it, they cashed in on the man advantage thanks to a deflected shot that beat Cam Ward through the five-hole. That, unfortunately was not the worst thing about the first 5 minutes of the game. 

Handicapping the 2015-16 Canes: The Defensemen

(Ed. Note: This article was written prior to Friday’s roster cuts. So, you know, take that for what it’s worth.)

It’s said that defense wins championships and yeah, sure, why not. The Carolina Hurricanes blue line in the last few years has been a gumbo of occasional deliciousness mixed in with mystery meat, rocks, radioactive waste, and a shoe a sad hobo left behind because even he has standards. However, there’s some light on the horizon if you pay attention to major hockey sportswriters (which of course you would because what would us southern rubes know about stick and puck?), because according to them, the Hurricanes have – through a combination of the draft and trades – accumulated an impressive collection of young defensemen. While it might look good on paper, some of these players are a few years away, and I’m pretty sure games are going to have to be played every season. So, let’s take a look at how the Carolina Hurricanes blue line might look when the season opens in October.

THE GOLDEN GOOSE

1. Justin Faulk

MURICA

All due respect to the Staals, but Justin Faulk is the cornerstone of the franchise right now. Signed through the 2019-20 season on what looks to be a steal of a contract, Faulk was already an Olympian and an All Star by the age of 22. He nearly led the team in scoring this past season, which is equal parts awesome for Faulk and sad for the rest of the team. You knew he’d be here – he deserves his own tier right now.

Cheaters Never Win Podcast- Canes Development Camp Edition

We can’t help ourselves… we’re still basking in the glow of drafting Noah Hanifin and we’re not afraid to admit it. In this week’s episode, we talk 2015 draft, trades, and the start of Canes Development camp. Harrison Mooney of Pass It to Bulis fame joins us to talk the addition of Eddie Lack and Matt Pfeffer of the CBJ Artillery joins us to talk a little James Wisniewski. We close with an amazing beer from Burial, and maybe we touch on a certain bought out winger too. Thanks as always for listening.

iTunes Link

Stitcher Link

A Draft, Some Trades, and A Buyout Walk Into A Bar…

Hurricanes General Manager Ron Francis has been developing a reputation as a GM who doesn’t make his intentions well known to those outside the organization, instead “playing his cards close to his vest”. This is the polar opposite of what his predecessor has done in recent seasons, and it left a bit of mystery going into this past weekend with the draft, leading up to the start of free agency. Let’s take a look at what’s gone down the last week.