The VHL has a Low Earner Problem

[nurx 914]

Over the last few seasons we have seen an influx of players reaching the VHL who don't seem to be wanted by any team. Players who are earning welfare and PF and occasionally pressers. Players who like the league and stay here for a reason. Do these players not deserve somewhere to play?

 

I have recently seen 3 different players struggle to even find a place to play because they don't earn a significant amount of TPE. In my eyes, these players would make great depth pieces in a league that didn't have so many players fighting to play.  After a very short look through the portal I found 12 players who are between 400 and 555 TPE and earning less than 8 TPE per week. This means they are earning TPE at an exceptionally slow rate and likely will never see the heights of 1000 TPE or anywhere near that level. However, these players are being tossed around for next to nothing and for some just to get them off of their roster. Why? Because in the current VHL if you do not have promise to be a monster in the latter years of your career you won't be wanted. Teams would rather have a younger player with 500 TPE who is earning more than a person with 500 TPE who is earning welfare + PF. Now I don't think that is the the problem, GMs should be allowed to do what they believe is best for their teams and, for these teams, it is best for them to invest in their future. I do however have a problem with the players who are being kicked around like trash on the street. These are real people who came into our league to experience what we came here to experience. There are former commies of leagues who are earning welfare and likely in their future they will not be wanted. Is that right to you? 

Therefore I believe a solution is needed. I see two possible solutions and both would require a drastic change to how the league works currently.

1. Expansion:

With around 15 welfare active players in the league two expansion teams would create 12 new forward positions immediately. Now not every welfare earner is a forward, but I would rather a rebuilding team not have a full roster than a player not being offered contracts during FA. This would also create 2-4 new goalie positions for the players who have created goalie to fight over. A very competitive position will suddenly be just a little less competitive.

2. Raise Salary Cap and Implement a roster Minimum

I also could understand raising the salary cap to something similar to 49 million and implementing a 14 player minimum playing in the VHL. This would raise the salary cap by 7 million why forcing people to pick up two to four more players depending on if they have four defenseman and if they have a backup goalie. This could also lead to some creative salary cap work by VHL GMs where they have options to play with the salary cap. Right now the meta of six forwards and four defensemen can prove to be part of the problem of not having room for more members in the league.

These are just a few ideas I have had. I have also hear expanding the E soft cap up to 500 which would in theory reduce the spots because if a team has a young player at 420 TPE who is earning quickly they will only surpass the welfare earner near or around playoffs if at all which in theory would have GMs choosing to sign a welfare player to a one season contract rather than bring their future star up right away. I do however believe that this could cause some problems in the VHLE which could likely be solved some by bringing up M cap back up to 250.

[hedgehog337 3,483]

I mean sure rebuilding teams can bring em in and give like 10 min per game. Still better than being unsigned I guess. 

 

and no expansion isnt really an option unless the recruitment goes bonkers. btw we can make a temporarily solution. Just like in M, if a low tpe player goes IA for a month he can be cut off without a cap penalty. 

[nurx 914]

53 minutes ago, hedgehog337 said:

I mean sure rebuilding teams can bring em in and give like 10 min per game. Still better than being unsigned I guess. 

 

and no expansion isnt really an option unless the recruitment goes bonkers. btw we can make a temporarily solution. Just like in M, if a low tpe player goes IA for a month he can be cut off without a cap penalty. 

expansion is a stretch yeah I could see one team work, but unfortunately how the league is setup you cant expand with just one team.

I do however like the idea of IA players, but I what happens if an IA player comes back and no team has room?

[Robert Thump 4]

5 hours ago, nurx said:

Over the last few seasons we have seen an influx of players reaching the VHL who don't seem to be wanted by any team. Players who are earning welfare and PF and occasionally pressers. Players who like the league and stay here for a reason. Do these players not deserve somewhere to play?

 

I have recently seen 3 different players struggle to even find a place to play because they don't earn a significant amount of TPE. In my eyes, these players would make great depth pieces in a league that didn't have so many players fighting to play.  After a very short look through the portal I found 12 players who are between 400 and 555 TPE and earning less than 8 TPE per week. This means they are earning TPE at an exceptionally slow rate and likely will never see the heights of 1000 TPE or anywhere near that level. However, these players are being tossed around for next to nothing and for some just to get them off of their roster. Why? Because in the current VHL if you do not have promise to be a monster in the latter years of your career you won't be wanted. Teams would rather have a younger player with 500 TPE who is earning more than a person with 500 TPE who is earning welfare + PF. Now I don't think that is the the problem, GMs should be allowed to do what they believe is best for their teams and, for these teams, it is best for them to invest in their future. I do however have a problem with the players who are being kicked around like trash on the street. These are real people who came into our league to experience what we came here to experience. There are former commies of leagues who are earning welfare and likely in their future they will not be wanted. Is that right to you? 

Therefore I believe a solution is needed. I see two possible solutions and both would require a drastic change to how the league works currently.

1. Expansion:

With around 15 welfare active players in the league two expansion teams would create 12 new forward positions immediately. Now not every welfare earner is a forward, but I would rather a rebuilding team not have a full roster than a player not being offered contracts during FA. This would also create 2-4 new goalie positions for the players who have created goalie to fight over. A very competitive position will suddenly be just a little less competitive.

2. Raise Salary Cap and Implement a roster Minimum

I also could understand raising the salary cap to something similar to 49 million and implementing a 14 player minimum playing in the VHL. This would raise the salary cap by 7 million why forcing people to pick up two to four more players depending on if they have four defenseman and if they have a backup goalie. This could also lead to some creative salary cap work by VHL GMs where they have options to play with the salary cap. Right now the meta of six forwards and four defensemen can prove to be part of the problem of not having room for more members in the league.

These are just a few ideas I have had. I have also hear expanding the E soft cap up to 500 which would in theory reduce the spots because if a team has a young player at 420 TPE who is earning quickly they will only surpass the welfare earner near or around playoffs if at all which in theory would have GMs choosing to sign a welfare player to a one season contract rather than bring their future star up right away. I do however believe that this could cause some problems in the VHLE which could likely be solved some by bringing up M cap back up to 250.

I’m all for it and seems like a well thought idea however is there the right ppl in the league to expand and grow properly without the concern of the team (and or HC) going silent and them not succeeding due to not having the right personnel  

[Beketov 9,103]

Expansion is not on the table as far as I’m concerned. I would argue even 16 teams is barely sustainable as is. This isn’t the covid era that needed expansion every 2 seasons; recruitment has slowed (logically, we knew it would) and some teams are already barely icing a full team as is.

 

Cap discussion is cap discussion. We’ll look at it but it’s tough because GM’s will always want more, why wouldn’t they? They put a strong team together and they want to keep it that way but teams age and age is expensive. It’s not the league’s job to make sure your dynasty is safe. Hell one of the last times I saw this argument half the teams making it and spent around 1/4 of their cap on bonuses. I’m probably remembering the exact figures wrong but you get my point; let alone the fact that rebuilding teams remain empty with loads of cap space (or they fill up on bonuses and then complain themselves).

 

So yeah, we’ll look at it. I expect I’ll have my annual chat with @Spartan about how the league cap looks (As I have with the financiers that came before him) but expansion is not the solution. Contraction is hell, I’ve been there and don’t intend to be there again, so expansion isn’t gonna be on the table until it’s clear that it can be stable.

[hedgehog337 3,483]

12 hours ago, nurx said:

I do however like the idea of IA players, but I what happens if an IA player comes back and no team has room?

 

player can be brought and team takes no cap hit. Unless the rosters are full, but thats a diff topic. 

[Victor 11,022]

#ExpandTheE