League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) - 2022-23 season, Vol. 4, Off-season Edition

[twabby]

I think Laviolette on the Rangers would actually be a decent fit. I think he still has it from a tactical POV and the Rangers are a win-now team with loads of veteran talent and established (if underwhelming) young players. I don't think he'd have the same problem there that he had in DC, namely trusting "his guys" over younger players who are outperforming them.

 

[Misery74]

Friedman on the 32T podcast thinks Lavi's got a decent shot at either the CBJ or NYR job.

Please, let him go to the Rangers.

CBJ seems like a really bad fit.

 

[Langway]

Lavi could improve NYR's defense and possession. Guys like Miller & Schneider would stand to improve under him. But I don't tend to think he'd be the one to solve some of their forward issues, from Lafreniere & Kakko to Panarin & Zibanejad. They probably do need to pivot more to leaning on strengths from the net out as realistically their most viable path to success. But it could come at the expense of 5v5 offense. They're a younger, faster group. Maybe with more structure and a mentality shift it rebalances them effectively. Lavi does tend to get immediate results. Outside of Q it's likely the best fit for them, at least next season.

Toronto would perhaps be the other fit for Lavi if they make a change. More competitive teams make a lot more sense as fits to be sure.

 

[Calicaps]

The dumbest thing about the Coyotes situation is that they added 2 other teams in the Western Conference before sorting this out. So now you finally have divisions out West that make sense again and have to move a team probably to the East but almost certainly out of the Pacific. Quebec and maybe Hamilton are the only two markets I know of that are clamoring for a team.

Side note: moving the Red Wings out of the West was stupid. I know the franchise wanted back in the East (original 6 and TV demand and all) but their modern rivals were Colorado and Chicago. And now they have none and are kind of vestigial in their division.

 

[twabby]

The dumbest thing about the Coyotes situation is that they added 2 other teams in the Western Conference before sorting this out. So now you finally have divisions out West that make sense again and have to move a team probably to the East but almost certainly out of the Pacific. Quebec and maybe Hamilton are the only two markets I know of that are clamoring for a team.

Side note: moving the Red Wings out of the West was stupid. I know the franchise wanted back in the East (original 6 and TV demand and all) but their modern rivals were Colorado and Chicago. And now they have none and are kind of vestigial in their division.

Salt Lake City is apparently a contender to land the Coyotes which would leave the divisions in tact. The Utah Jazz owner recently expressed interest in a hockey team.

 

[Calicaps]

Salt Lake City is apparently a contender to land the Coyotes which would leave the divisions in tact. The Utah Jazz owner recently expressed interest in a hockey team.

missed that. thanks.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Salt Lake City is apparently a contender to land the Coyotes which would leave the divisions in tact. The Utah Jazz owner recently expressed interest in a hockey team.

That would be great!

 

[um]

Please welcome your Quebec Nordiques!

I know it’ll never happen, but i’d love it if they brought back the Canadian division with the Nordiques being the 8th team.

The divisional games were great that year. The current Atlantic division is quite silly.

 

[Jags]

Side note: moving the Red Wings out of the West was stupid. I know the franchise wanted back in the East (original 6 and TV demand and all) but their modern rivals were Colorado and Chicago. And now they have none and are kind of vestigial in their division.

Those rivalries will develop when the team starts competing again. A few tough playoff series will fix it.

It's a bummer that those rivalries are kinda gone now, but Detroit made no sense in the West. Wildly impractical for viewership to have so many super-late starts all season, and it really showed in their ratings when the team started to falter.

 

[usiel]

I recall that that Wings specifically wanted to be back in the East after the West stint so don't see them shifting.

I remember the 'Nords big time from my first try couple of years after starting watching NHL hockey and see and up and coming you team right on the cusp of success then move to Colorado. Had to suck for the Quebec fans. Would love to see the NHL go back there.

For me pass on the Mormon state. I get Houston has the money and demographic growth to support a team but again Texas, eww (also most of my relatives are either from TX or OK). Can't imagine Portland being viable. And big no trying Atlanta again.

 

[Corby78]

Utah I think would be a good fit, I bet they would support the team. I wouldn’t be scared to put a team in the East and send Detroit back the central. I always felt they fit there better with Chicago/St.Louis/Minnesota/Dallas

 

[YippieKaey]

I would love to see the Nordiques return, or any canadian town really. Would be nice to have more canadian teams.

 

[HTFN]

I recall that that Wings specifically wanted to be back in the East after the West stint so don't see them shifting.

I remember the 'Nords big time from my first try couple of years after starting watching NHL hockey and see and up and coming you team right on the cusp of success then move to Colorado. Had to suck for the Quebec fans. Would love to see the NHL go back there.

For me pass on the Mormon state. I get Houston has the money and demographic growth to support a team but again Texas, eww (also most of my relatives are either from TX or OK). Can't imagine Portland being viable. And big no trying Atlanta again.

hey

take it back so I can have a half chance at seeing Ovechkin live before I die.

but also the Portland Metro area adds up to a pretty decent audience and public transit is leaps and bounds better than a lot of places in the country, they pull for Blazers/Timbers games from the suburbs with ease, have traditionally done pretty well with the Winterhawks too, and have the same sort of claim to ancient US hockey history as Seattle.

I'm not saying they're location #1 but Portland is genuinely craving something else to do. I do think the smart move is to continue the MLB to PDX thing just since it's not a sport whose season directly conflicts with Blazer interest, but what the market lacks in sheer numbers it makes up for in a sort of territorial tenacity. What's ours gets more love than it probably deserves out of the gates, being squeezed between Seattle and the California markets, and Portland fans tend to love latching on to those rivalries as a matter of course

It's not the best move on paper but honestly I could see the city really latching on, especially in the wake of Seattle being a thing. A little brother complex goes a long way for us.

 

[shtorm2005]

I would love to see the Nordiques return, or any canadian town really. Would be nice to have more canadian teams.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I would love to see the Nordiques return, or any canadian town really. Would be nice to have more canadian teams.

Would there be a more drastic change in climate and culture than going from Arizona to Quebec City? It’s like two different worlds.

 

[kicksavedave]

If LA can have two football teams, then Toronto can have two NHL teams. Move the Coyotes to Toronto, watch them win a Cup before the Leafs do, and sit back and enjoy the HFBoards thermo-nuclear detonation.

 

[um]

If LA can have two football teams, then Toronto can have two NHL teams. Move the Coyotes to Toronto, watch them win a Cup before the Leafs do, and sit back and enjoy the HFBoards thermo-nuclear detonation.

Agreed. It would instantly be a top 10 most valuable franchise, maybe even top 5.

 

[Hivemind]

Houston makes the most sense.

 

[StrikingDistance]

I like the SLC spot. Lot's of potential fans, and a good grass roots hockey area. A lot of people in the area play on beer/non-alcoholic beer teams and it's just north of Arizona which might keep some AZ fans.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

If LA can have two football teams, then Toronto can have two NHL teams. Move the Coyotes to Toronto, watch them win a Cup before the Leafs do, and sit back and enjoy the HFBoards thermo-nuclear detonation.

Toronto could totally support a second team…..put one in the East, one in the West and watch the ratings boom.

 

[HTFN]

I know it’ll never happen, but i’d love it if they brought back the Canadian division with the Nordiques being the 8th team.

The divisional games were great that year. The current Atlantic division is quite silly.

 

[YippieKaey]

Would there be a more drastic change in climate and culture than going from Arizona to Quebec City? It’s like two different worlds.

And one world cares about hockey

 

[usiel]

hey

take it back so I can have a half chance at seeing Ovechkin live before I die.

but also the Portland Metro area adds up to a pretty decent audience and public transit is leaps and bounds better than a lot of places in the country, they pull for Blazers/Timbers games from the suburbs with ease, have traditionally done pretty well with the Winterhawks too, and have the same sort of claim to ancient US hockey history as Seattle.

I'm not saying they're location #1 but Portland is genuinely craving something else to do. I do think the smart move is to continue the MLB to PDX thing just since it's not a sport whose season directly conflicts with Blazer interest, but what the market lacks in sheer numbers it makes up for in a sort of territorial tenacity. What's ours gets more love than it probably deserves out of the gates, being squeezed between Seattle and the California markets, and Portland fans tend to love latching on to those rivalries as a matter of course

It's not the best move on paper but honestly I could see the city really latching on, especially in the wake of Seattle being a thing. A little brother complex goes a long way for us.

Nothing against Portland itself I actually like that city.

 

[HTFN]

Nothing against Portland itself I actually like that city.

I'm just letting our little brother complex shine, it's a scrappy little market but I can't deny that it's maybe 4th on my personal logical list at best.

 

[PlushMinus]

Salt Lake City is apparently a contender to land the Coyotes which would leave the divisions in tact. The Utah Jazz owner recently expressed interest in a hockey team.

I've heard Houston and Kansas City mentioned

I have also heard that Quebec is highly unlikely as the NHL isn't interested in expansion there.