That's exactly what's happening. The guy is already skating with 31 games left.

IK that's what really pissed me off. Obviously it isnt just a coincidence that he will be magicallly ready again as soon as the playoffs start. So TBL gonna have the best team + Kucherov

Tampa didn't make the rules. With Kane it was worse. The Hawks added at the deadline that year.

Without Vermette last year is cup 3

Very lame but it’s on the league for their being a loophole not Tampa.

Not at all a coincidence they tried to rehab before surgery

Ya I mean good on Tampa for exploiting it, im just saying it shouldnt be possible.

Ya I read that. I still think that if he is ready for the first playoff game that will not be a coincidence, they will have made the decision to sit him for the last few weeks as to not make any moves.(seriously what are the odds that his recovery perfectly coincides with the first or second playoff game?)

The rules do not allow circumvention. When players are medically fit to play they must be taken off LTIR. It's really the leagues decision, not the clubs.
Now I understand what you are implying, but it's how are Tampa really circumventing the rules?

pretty sure the team doctor has to decide that the player is actually injured. No matter what it's sketchy if the player comes back right when the playoffs start

Point started skating at this same point after having the same surgery at the start of the 19-20 season. He still missed 2 more months.

No Point and Gourde both have had this surgery the prior 2 off seasons tgey knew exactly how long recovery is which is why they rehabbed until the point where it wouldn't push into the post season.
This whole post sounds like someone who is jealous their teams management isn't good enough to put that much talent and be able basically to tell a top 5 forward in the league take the regular season off we'll see you in the playoffs and still be a top 5 team in the league without him
I mean TB did just win the Cup with Stamkos Playing a total of 2:47 in the playoffs

Team doctors have a say of course. But indepenent league doctors have a say also...especially when it comes to LTIR

Punish Tampa Bay for the league's poorly-written rules?

Punish Tampa for missing their best forward and still topping the league.

Without Johnson's broken wrist. Guy had the team on his back that post season. Hasn't been the same since that wrist injury.

True but i was pionting out how LTIR has screwed the lightning

Ben Bishop's torn groin probably didn't help either.

Yeah. Johnny's wrist went first. Bishop's groin went when once things were unravelling and he was trying to do too much. That crash tackle of Hedman still haunts me.

Yeah, it sucked. I was in 7th grade when we went on that run, and it was a huge part in making me (primarily) a hockey fan again.

Honestly man ya I'm jealous. Tampa bay is exploiting a loophole here, good for you guys. Not much can be done to counteract it this year so good on TBL, but can you not objectively look at it and agree it's sort of ridiculous that there is a team that will be competing for the Stanley cup that technically paid their players ten million over the cap? Would you not be sort of angry if the leafs put matthews on LTIR because of his wrist and added panarin (obviously hypothetical but money is similar), and then just added matthews back for the first game of the playoffs? That is essentially what Tampa has done.

I am not really mad at Tampa here. I am not happy that the rules allow for this to happen. If a player is on LTIR for the entire year and his salary relief is the only thing that kept a team under the cap, he should be ineligible to return.

Lol what you need to realize is that Tampa is not at a disadvantage here. You guys are still fielding a roster at this moment that is at the cap, so it's not a remarkable achievement to be first(it's still impressive).You don't have Kuch, but you resigned sergachev and cirelli , which would have been almost impossible if Kuch was playing(of course you could have made moves but the team would be weaker).

Imagine Matthews got injured, and instead we signed pietrangelo and another good depth forward for while hes out. It would be ridiculous for me to say"look at how good the buds are without their best player" because of the other additions.

Actually they had deals ready until Kucherov got hurt in November then they decided why not

Valid. But that would've been adding not resigning. Tampa is still at an advantage I'll admit. But adding two ufas if Matthews injured is quite different and a massive exaggeration. Not to mention incredibly problematic capwise
Recognize there will come a reckoning and Tampa will lose quality players this offseason. But for now one of the best players in the league is not playing and that isn't great.
I'd rather have Kucherov in the lineup. It's better for the league when star players play.
Side note. First in the league means nothing this season Presidents trophy should be split 4 ways.