Hypothetical Trade Part III: Leafs Salary Cap for Blue Jays Luxury Tax?

[WordsOfWisdom]

Toronto sports fans have it rough. But it's almost comical how various contributing factors help to ensure that it stays that way. Case in point:

 

The Toronto Maple Leafs are the richest team in the NHL. Their net income (revenue - expenses) is the highest of all 30 teams. This isn't a one year thing, it's an all-the-time kind of thing. But the NHL created a system that hurts the Leafs more than any other franchise because the Leafs can't use any of their financial might to build a powerful team -- the kind of strategy that occurs in almost every other pro sports league.

 

Now consider the case of the Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays play in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox, two of baseball's biggest spenders and most successful franchises. The Jays don't have the financial clout to spend like either of those two teams do, and given baseball's current payroll system, that means they don't stack up to their competition. The results are obvious: The Yankees made the playoffs for ~15 consecutive years while the Jays have never been close.

 

 

THE TRADE

 

Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Major League Baseball's luxury tax system.

 

Toronto Blue Jays acquire National Hockey League's salary cap & floor system with revenue sharing.

 

 

[WordsOfWisdom]

Okay, I know this thread died a death but I think it's an interesting talking point! (Surprise surprise.) 

 

- Will the NHL continue to stick with a salary cap system?

- Is the league better with or without a salary cap?

 

Under the old system, the Leafs would be able to go out and acquire free agents this off-season to patch the holes in this lineup. Instead, they're faced with the prospect of a five year rebuild -- on top of the decade of failure they've already had.

 

Not to be all "center of the hockey universe" like, but this can't happen in hockey's richest market anymore. The fans won't put up with it. I think we've reached the breaking point here in Toronto. (With pro sports in general.)  For the amount of money being spent on hockey by fans in southern Ontario and the ROI (Return On Investment) "entertainment value" they get, it's not sustainable. Toronto fans deserve better. Toronto fans deserve a system that works for them. The salary cap does not work for Toronto fans. We don't have to win all of the time, but we do need to win some of the time.

 

How much do Toronto fans need to care about the state of the game in Florida or Phoenix or wherever? I care about the state of the game here. If other teams can't afford to have a payroll as high as the Leafs, that's too bad for them. If your fans don't pay high ticket prices, they don't get to have the best players. Period.  I'm tired of supporting deadbeat franchises with my revenue sharing dollars. That money should be going into the Leafs.

 

I'm tired of the salary cap. I'd rather see the salary cap gone before the shootout.

 

The Leafs should be the Yankees of hockey. The shackles need to come off, and this team needs to be able to buy it's way to victory. It's just the right thing to do.

 

[end rant]