Around the NHL: HOCKEY’S BACK BABY

[Old Navy Goat]

I can see them moving to 36 teams. You have the Jazz owner wanting to bring a team to Salt Lake, the situation in Atlanta, Houston with it's long history of minor hockey and market size makes too much sense. Then you just need a hockey crazed rabid market for the 4th such as I don't know, Quebec

 

[MarkusKetterer]

I can see them moving to 36 teams. You have the Jazz owner wanting to bring a team to Salt Lake, the situation in Atlanta, Houston with it's long history of minor hockey and market size makes too much sense. Then you just need a hockey crazed rabid market for the 4th such as I don't know, Quebec

I can see the league going to 36. Two teams added in each conference. I just see a second Ohio team added though, either Cleveland or Cincinnati. Basically look at the other three major leagues, and a team will go there.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

I can see the league going to 36. Two teams added in each conference. I just see a second Ohio team added though, either Cleveland or Cincinnati. Basically look at the other three major leagues, and a team will go there.

Houston has all the major sports as does Cleveland. Cincy doesn't have the NBA

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

If they insist on expanding, and again, I hate the idea, 36 teams makes way more sense than 1-3 more. They could have balanced divisions of either 4 with 9 teams or 6 with 6 teams.

Houston and Atlanta would be prime targets, being the only top-10 US metro areas with no team.

SLC seems eager, but it's the 46th largest metro and has the disadvantage of an NBA team competing for fans and corporate support. Portland is a bigger market, but the Blazers are the only pro team in town and are stitched deep into the local culture. Very stiff competition. And Nike seems to have no interest in the sport.

Austin is the type of market the NHL covets. Young, affluent, growing, tech based, no NBA team. All the things that attracted it to San Jose. No NHL rink though.

KC might be the best fit in the west. State of the art arena, with no tenant. No NBA team, and a built-in rivalry with the Blues. Hmmm, maybe with the Sabres too! (Maybe too early. Sorry, guys.)

San Diego, anyone? Huge market, no NBA, history of good minor league support. Don't think the arena is NHL quality though.

In the east, the hockey fan in me says get QC back in the league. If there's one place that deserves a team, that's it.

Sentimental favorite - Hartford Whalers II. Return a team that should never have left, and put a smile on the face of @sabremike .

 

[Dingo44]

 

[slip]

I can see them moving to 36 teams. You have the Jazz owner wanting to bring a team to Salt Lake, the situation in Atlanta, Houston with it's long history of minor hockey and market size makes too much sense. Then you just need a hockey crazed rabid market for the 4th such as I don't know, Quebec

Great 4 more teams who will win a cup before we do.

 

[Dubi Doo]

https://x.com/DarrenDreger/status/1753450558231339052?s=20

Monahan to the Jets for a 1st and a conditional pick

Didn't Montreal get a high pick to take on his contract or am I misremembering? Either way, turning him into a 1st round pick worked out well for them.

 

[Dingo44]

https://x.com/DarrenDreger/status/1753450558231339052?s=20

Monahan to the Jets for a 1st and a conditional pick

Didn't Montreal get a high pick to take on his contract or am I misremembering? Either way, turning him into a 1st round pick worked out well for them.

 

[Kevbeau]

https://x.com/DarrenDreger/status/1753450558231339052?s=20

Monahan to the Jets for a 1st and a conditional pick

Didn't Montreal get a high pick to take on his contract or am I misremembering? Either way, turning him into a 1st round pick worked out well for them.

Think the Habs got a first from the flames to take him (conditions?) if so they turned him into 2 first rounders. Well done.

 

[Chainshot]

https://x.com/DarrenDreger/status/1753450558231339052?s=20

Monahan to the Jets for a 1st and a conditional pick

Didn't Montreal get a high pick to take on his contract or am I misremembering? Either way, turning him into a 1st round pick worked out well for them.

They did - he was broken when they got him. Feels like a house flipping situation - someone comes in, spruces it up a bit and then turns a profit on the move.

 

[Ace]

Another coaching change that isn’t here



Sometimes you just gotta laugh

 

[Chainshot]

McLellan out in LA:



Thirteen? That's wild.

 

[Ace]

13 coaches fired since the end of last season. Trades have been trickling in for a while. The NHL seems like a happening place. I’d love to be a part of it someday.

 

[Kevbeau]

Another coaching change that isn’t here



Sometimes you just gotta laugh

Indictment on Adams or the turnover in the League? 60/40 split?

 

[Dingo44]

Think the Habs got a first from the flames to take him (conditions?) if so they turned him into 2 first rounders. Well done.

Reading the Habs board they're disappointed they didn't get McGroarty/Barlow/Lambert. That was never going to happen. Using nothing but cap space to get over two firsts is pretty great.

 

[Chainshot]

Indictment on Adams or the turnover in the League? 60/40 split?

Granato and staff are now 6 or 7 weeks past due for being sacked. Matt Ellis in particular is probably 8 months since they should've parted ways.

 

[sabremike]

Indictment on Adams or the turnover in the League? 60/40 split?

If everyone in the league is doing something and the biggest toilet of an organization in hockey history goes "nope" the answer is pretty obvious.

 

[Gras]

Indictment on Adams or the turnover in the League? 60/40 split?

Should be obvious by who posted it.

 

[Kevbeau]

If everyone in the league is doing something and the biggest toilet of an organization in hockey history goes "nope" the answer is pretty obvious.

Oh I’m in agreement. It just surprised me that Granato ranks so high considering his tenure (while overdue) doesn’t feel all that long. League wide my question is it lack of larger picture patience or a willingness to shake the can and see where the dice fall.

 

[Ace]

Oh I’m in agreement. It just surprised me that Granato ranks so high considering his tenure (while overdue) doesn’t feel all that long. League wide my question is it lack of larger picture patience or a willingness to shake the can and see where the dice fall.

On a fundamental level I think it’s honestly that other organizations operate differently. Owners demand results and it rolls downhill. GMs need to deliver results so coaches become quickly replaceable. Even proven, successful, great coaches.

Then you have Pegula and Adams and an inability to move on from a coach who is none of those things. Tells you everything you need to know about why their offseasons are so uneventful, coaches don’t get fired and nothing ever changes.

We can’t even get rid of Matt Ellis.

There is an argument to be had that teams are too impatient. Any argument that this one isn’t too patient (which is the kind way of saying there is no organizational standard) is long gone. it isn’t a case of one way is right or wrong. The league way may not be right…but the Pegula way is provably infinitely worse.

 

[Chainshot]

Oh I’m in agreement. It just surprised me that Granato ranks so high considering his tenure (while overdue) doesn’t feel all that long. League wide my question is it lack of larger picture patience or a willingness to shake the can and see where the dice fall.

Some of it is certainly the point that a GM can't change all the players. Some teams will sack a guy to take the fall for a playoff failure - think of Gallant with the Rangers (and before that with Vegas) or Cassidy with the Bruins. Some will sack a guy for missing the playoffs - thinking DeBoer from Vegas. And many will look at how a team is underperforming and pull the plug then like McLellan today, DJ Smith, Berube, Evanson, Woodcroft and Lambert. Six this season and we may yet see another if Lindy can't get his Devils righted.

Hell, of the tenured guys, it may be a spring of change since Ruff might not make it out of this year, Keefe has had more heat in Toronto than usual, Brind'Amour has had reporting that he might not be around in Carolina if they don't progress, and Pens fans have wanted Sullivan's head on a pike for about 6 years.

 

[Ehran]

I'm trying to find a definitive link, but it sounds like all the approvals are complete for the NHL players to be in the 2026 & 2030 Olympics.

I approve if true.

 

[Chainshot]

The hits keep coming for the Sens development folks -

Avslöjar: Finländsk back klar för Malmö i SHL 24/25

Malmös sportchef Björn Liljander bygger för säsongen 24/25. Enligt uppgifter till Expressen så är han överens med finländske backen, Lassi Thomson, som för närvarande spelar i Ottawas organisation. 23-årige Thomson var lagkapten i det finska JVM-laget 2020.

www.expressen.se

They've had some serious whiffs and this would be another.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Think the Habs got a first from the flames to take him (conditions?) if so they turned him into 2 first rounders. Well done.

They didn’t turn Monaham into two 1st rounders, they turned nothing into two 1sts, which is even more impressive.

 

[Dingo44]

I'm trying to find a definitive link, but it sounds like all the approvals are complete for the NHL players to be in the 2026 & 2030 Olympics.

I approve if true.

This is awesome.