Cap Space Blues and a Gambler’s Paradise | Dude, Where’s My Towel (feat. Cap Space Wins Cups Podcast)

Just came back from camping in a swamp, and I’m feeling nice and refreshed for the restart of hockey. This week’s episode of Power Of The Towel had a different feel to it, with a roundtable discussion with the Cap Space Wins Cups guys.

Lack of Cap Space Can Prevent Cups

Hey, who better to discuss the impending salary cap situation with the Canucks than with people whose podcast has “cap space” in the name.

My take has always been you can trade bad contracts, you just have to give up assets. Think back to last year, when the Leafs had to give up a first-round pick to get out of Patrick Marleau.

That was under “normal” circumstances, where management teams around the league had a certainty that the cap was going up by at least something. Now with a flat cap for the foreseeable future, cap space is as valuable as gold.

The price to get out of contracts will be sky-high. If a team offered to take Loui Eriksson’s contract off your hands for Nils Hoglander, would you do it?

From Crushing Cactus to Crushing Celebrities

Everyone online lost their shit again over Jake Virtanen last week.

Jake was caught on camera attending Celebrities night club with a few of his boys, or as he apparently likes to call them the “worst crew ever.”

Was it a good thing that Jake went to a nightclub? No, probably not. It doesn’t inspire much public confidence that NHL players will respect bubble protocols when you see one of them partying in an indoor nightclub. Not to mention Jake’s a player who has had conditioning issues in the past.

But was it really that bad? Celebrities were following proper social distancing protocols, it’s like going to White Spot at this point. It wasn’t even Jake Virtanen who posted the videos, it was one of the guys in the “worst crew ever” which meant someone who followed him on Instagram messaged someone who messaged someone else who recorded the video (I’m totally speculating as to how the video got widely circulated FYI).

Also: NHL players make a lot of money and like to party! I can’t believe this is breaking news in 2020. It’s likely not the smart thing to do if you want a long career but hey, that’s his call.

It’s neither good nor bad. It’s just hilarious. Jake is just that lovable meathead that us Canucks fans need to appreciate.

Do you want to redeem yourself to the people who didn’t like this stunt, Jake? Put those #worstcrewever hats up for sale with all proceeds going to COVID-19 relief. You’re welcome for the free PR advice.

Gambling Paradise

The potential daily schedule of the NHL’s return to play tournament is coming together, and it looks like a gambler’s paradise?

12 hours of hockey every day? Plus basketball and soccer? My brain is running wild thinking of all the wild parlays I can put together very shortly.

Guess my next CERB cheque is going straight into my Pinnacle account (Daddy Trudeau if you’re reading this, it was a joke).