from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

BILL DALY ON THE DOLLAR, TANKING AND MORE

On the falling Canadian dollar: “The Canadian clubs have all prepared themselves for this … eventuality,” he said. “I’m not saying it isn’t a hardship. It is a hardship. But, it’s not as if the sky is falling.”

Our take: Canadian teams will survive, but they make up nearly half of the Top 15 revenue teams in the league. Fifteen to 20 per cent off of their bottom lines will have a tangible effect on the cap, and league revenues overall.

On Tanking: “I certainly agree that there has been a higher focus than I have ever seen it. Having said that, I don’t think it’s an overriding concern for the league. I don’t think any of the teams are actively tanking, and we have new rules. The odds of the lowest finishers have been reduced dramatically to win a top pick, and beginning next year you could finish last and still pick fourth. We’ve taken steps to address the perception.”

Our take: Depleted rosters in Arizona, where its top centre is Mark Arcobello, and Toronto suggest tanking on an organizational level. But Buffalo’s win over Boston, Edmonton’s 47-shot night versus Columbus, and the Jackets’ win at Vancouver Thursday reaffirm that the players and coaches are never part of any tanking process.

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