Ryan Callahan to go on LTIR

[chuckcouples]

But that doesn't mean that every time a player goes on LTIR due to a medical condition, it needs to be considered suspicious. Jumping to that conclusion is pure cynicism, not logic or critical thinking.

To prove this point please make two lists. One list should have all of the names of people who suffered a "career ending injury" and their team was disappointed and one list should have a list of all the names of players who suffered a "career ending injury" and who's team rejoiced that they could use LTIR (or trade the cap hit with no salary for assets). Once you are done that, you should have a much better idea of how convenient these "career ending injuries" are.

[4T2]

To prove this point please make two lists. One list should have all of the names of people who suffered a "career ending injury" and their team was disappointed and one list should have a list of all the names of players who suffered a "career ending injury" and who's team rejoiced that they could use LTIR (or trade the cap hit with no salary for assets). Once you are done that, you should have a much better idea of how convenient these "career ending injuries" are.

If you want to make a list to prove your own point, feel free to go right ahead.

Guys like Marc Savard, Nathan Horton and Johan Franzen immediately come to mind as players whose careers were cut short due to injury. You can't tell me that Boston, Columbus or Detroit wouldn't have loved for those guys to play out their contracts.

The issue is that contracts look worse for players like Callahan because they have been playing with nagging injuries. Even Clarkson and Lupul could have been productive NHL players had their careers not been derailed by injury (although it's unlikely they would have lived up to the overpayments the Leafs gave them but that's another issue)

Of course there are players who fall into the category that you are talking about especially those like Hossa who signed contracts that would be considered cap circumvention now.

Regardless, I'm sure Tampa is happy to be rid of a cumbersome contract, I'm not arguing that point. I'm just saying that it doesn't speak to anything nefarious going on. It's a sad story that a man at 34 is forced to end his career due to injury. Would you completely give up your dream if you were still physically capable of performing it? I know I wouldn't

[rataylor22]

See the thing with degenerative conditions is they would get worse over time. So if they were announced at discovery instead of at the time of retirement, which always conveniently coincides with massive benefit to the team, then they would be believable. But they’re not announced at discovery. Players are told to no longer play as soon as that option is the most desirable option from a financial perspective, and then the condition is announced.

[4T2]

See the thing with degenerative conditions is they would get worse over time. So if they were announced at discovery instead of at the time of retirement, which always conveniently coincides with massive benefit to the team, then they would be believable. But they’re not announced at discovery. Players are told to no longer play as soon as that option is the most desirable option from a financial perspective, and then the condition is announced.

Hmmm... couldn't be for any other reason like a high profile athlete not wanting the entire world to know that they have a condition that is going to end their career early? Nope... must be totally for the benefit of the team.

For the record I'm pretty sure Tampa would have benefited from this a lot more had Callahan hung it up in 15-16.