Around the NHL (Part XIII): RIP Bob Suter

[Nothingman*]

I like the road better than the home.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I've always liked the Blues uniforms. One of the very few things I've ever liked about them

 

[ChiGuySez]

I like the Blues and Wings logo. Must wash my mouth out now.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

Expansion? Expansion!

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Expansion to Vegas a "done deal".


Yeah...I'll believe that when I see it.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

http://www.theprovince.com/touch/story.html?id=10150984

As I said over on the BoH..... if any place has the promotional knack to sell an unusual product, it is Vegas. Hope that and the obvious hope that Vegas emulates Oklahoma City's welcome of the Thunder as the first major pro game in town to finally arrive helps them overcome the many, many issues (including, but not limited to, smallish population, high number of competing entertainment options, large proportion of the population that works nights, and questionable recovery from the Great Recession).

But, if true, want to know the best possible way to temper almost assured public ridicule/anger at moving into such an unorthodox market? Simultaneously expand into Quebec City.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Vegas would be the premier road trip for fans everywhere.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Vegas would be the premier road trip for fans everywhere.

It'd also be the premier road trip for players everywhere.

@strombone1

Gonna be unreal when Las Vegas goes undefeated at home every year........ #nhl #expansion

https://twitter.com/strombone1/status/504433135036407808

Luuuuuuu's gonna get his drink on the night before.

 

[Ace Rothstein]

I don't see a few thousand visiting fans being able to sustain a franchise. As fun as Vegas is to visit, I don't think this is going to work out well for the NHL.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I don't see a few thousand visiting fans being able to sustain a franchise. As fun as Vegas is to visit, I don't think this is going to work out well for the NHL.

Yeah, I think that's everybody's concern. Only way it works is if the locals are just so desperate for any major league team that they welcome the first one that shows up as if they were conquering heroes.

That would be a fun vacation, though.... catch a week of Cactus League ball in Arizona, then a Blackhawks game in Glendale, then drive on up to another Blackhawks game in Vegas, casino it up afterwards, then fly on back to Chicago broke as the day I was born.

 

[ChiGuySez]

So how many players can the Hawks protect if expansion happens?

 

[x Tame Impala]

Seems risky. Although I know i'll thoroughly enjoy the non stop whining from Canadian fans who yet again, have not gotten another Canadian team to root for.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

I don't see a few thousand visiting fans being able to sustain a franchise. As fun as Vegas is to visit, I don't think this is going to work out well for the NHL.

Well Vegas has history of minor league hockey so right off bat you will have a small diehard potential fanbase

And a metro population of 2M just means that a Pred like fanbase + tourists (Surely casino's will comp people) should be decent situation if it happens

 

[No Fun Shogun]

So how many players can the Hawks protect if expansion happens?

In the last expansion draft, teams were allowed to protect either....

one goaltender, five defensemen, and nine forwards
or
two goaltenders, three defensemen, and seven forwards

So... probably something similar to that? Maybe an extra position or two given the extra number of teams in the league?

I'm also interested in the salary floor potential for an expansion team. Expecting a new team to reach the floor with leftovers from other teams, a couple draft picks, and random free agent signings seems pretty hard to do in their first year or two, especially if it's two expansion teams competing for these players in the same year.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Crawford

Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson, Leddy, Rundblad

Toews, Kane, Sharp, Hossa, Sadd, Bickell, Shaw, Morin, Smith

Our cap problems would be non-existant as Versteeg, Oduya, and Rozsvial are all picked up. Teravainen (and other prospects) are all protected right?

 

[ChiGuySez]

Draft picks is also what Im wondering about. Dont want to see out top 5 picks exposed, at least Teravainen, Schmaltz and Johns. I dont think recent draft picks like Schmaltz and possibly Hartman would be but cant say about Johns, Dahlbeck and Clendening who are on the cusp of making the roster.

Expansion could solve many roster, cap issues.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Crawford

Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson, Leddy, Rundblad

Toews, Kane, Sharp, Hossa, Sadd, Bickell, Shaw, Morin, Smith

Our cap problems would be non-existant as Versteeg, Oduya, and Rozsvial are all picked up. Teravainen (and other prospects) are all protected right?

Doubt Rundblad is in NHL let alone Hawks lineup by the time this expansion happens (If it does happen)

Also correct me if I am wrong but I thought last round of expansion teams had to leave some prospect unprotected

Been so long though I cant remember

 

[ChiGuySez]

2000 NHL Expansion Draft

The 2000 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 23, 2000, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's two expansion teams for the 2000–01 season, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild.

Rules
26 of the 28 teams existing in the league at the time of the draft were each allowed to protect either one goaltender, five defensemen, and nine forwards or two goaltenders, three defensemen, and seven forwards. The Atlanta Thrashers and Nashville Predators had their entire rosters protected, as they were the two newest franchises in the league, only being in existence for one and two years respectively.

For teams protecting only one goaltender, there was no experience requirement for those left unprotected. For teams protecting two goaltenders, each goaltender left unprotected must have appeared in either 10 NHL games in the 1999–2000 season or 25 games in the 1998–99 season and 1999–2000 seasons combined. A goaltender had to be in net for at least 31 minutes in each game for the game to be counted against these totals.

At least one defenceman left unprotected by each team had to have appeared in at least 40 games in the 1999–2000 season or 70 games in the 1998–99 season and 1999–2000 seasons combined. At least two forwards left unprotected by each team had to have met the same requirements.

52 players were chosen in the draft, two from each participating franchise. Only one goaltender or one defenseman could be selected from each franchise. Both the Blue Jackets and the Wild were to use their first 24 selections on three goaltenders, eight defensemen, and thirteen forwards. The final two picks for each team could be any position.

wikipedia

Based on the last expansion, looks like prospects are safe.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Maybe a four team expansion in 2017?

http://www.si.com/nhl/2014/08/26/report-toronto-seattle-quebec-city-join-vegas-2017-nhl-expansion

Now that I don't buy...

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

32 = Fine number

34 = Mess

I don't buy 4 team expansion

 

[IU Hawks fan]

8-8-9-9 divisions are no more a mess than 7-7-8-8. This isn't the NFL.

That said, dear God no!!

 

[MurrayBannerman]

Just move someone to QC.

 

[ChiGuySez]

32 = Fine number

34 = Mess

I don't buy 4 team expansion

I dont buy it either. League needs 2 more teams in the West. Dont think Las Vegas will make it if its chosen.

edit: LMAO... make Detroit come back to the West.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Just move someone to QC.

My honest expectation for what the NHL will look like in 5-10 years?

Double expansion to Las Vegas and Quebec City gets announced. After this, but before they start playing, Arizona and Florida relocate to Seattle and Portland (just don't have faith in the new ownerships' long term commitment to their areas).

Atlantic
Boston
Buffalo
Detroit
Montreal
Ottawa
Quebec
Tampa Bay
Toronto

Metro (Just renamed this to American or Middle please)
Carolina
Columbus
New Jersey
New York
New York
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Washington

Central
Calgary
Chicago
Dallas
Edmonton
Minnesota
Nashville
St. Louis
Winnipeg

Pacific
Anaheim
Colorado
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Portland
San Jose
Seattle
Vancouver

Maybe swap Columbus with Tampa Bay.

Alberta teams to the Central and Colorado to the Pacific for time zone reasons. Any other option would split up the Alberta teams or create a three-time zone division, both of which seem like no-goes to me.

 

[Bubba88]

not sure if this will work... but Vegas and Seattle and you have 4 divsions with the same number of teams