Around the League Happenings thread (Updated: 2018)

[Tater]

Too many teams already. Start by eliminating the Yotes.

 

[anotheridiot]

I think the bigger deal with raising the cap is the teams that are fighting to keep the floor as low as it is.

If it was not an equal jump in both cap and floor, they would probably pass a bigger jump, but taking the floor to 60 is going to hurt the smaller teams. I am probably wrong, but I thought the floor was in the low 50's now.

 

[anotheridiot]

Hawgs survive game 5 with a goal that will be remembered as the bounce. Now only the 9th team who have ever gotten past a game 5 elimination game in the AHL. Glass with a big game, will need a bigger game in texas to get this to a game 7.

 

[Diehardfan]

Don't get me wrong, I'm pulling for Vegas to win this thing. But a key goal in this game that came from (not surprisingly) a former St. Louis Blues player, Reaves....involved a clear cross check where he mashed down a Washington player who while laid out in the crease, got in the way of his goalie allowing Reaves to easily score. It's the usual blind eye, so called "playoff officiating" which cheapens this league on a yearly basis. To my knowledge, the only pro sport that has two types of officiating in every season.

Sad.....

 

[anotheridiot]

Rockford loses in OT, season over. Now lets see how many of these guys have a future with the hawks.

 

[LordKOTL]

Too many teams already. Start by eliminating the Yotes.

NHLPA would never let that happen. If anything, I think the Yotes will move to the Central to balance the divisions, and then possibly move if there's a central city (KC, Houston, Milwaukee, etc.) that can host an NHL team. Possibly also a city in the Mountain time zone, if there is one not named Denver that could support a hockey team.

 

[Tater]

NHLPA would never let that happen. If anything, I think the Yotes will move to the Central to balance the divisions, and then possibly move if there's a central city (KC, Houston, Milwaukee, etc.) that can host an NHL team. Possibly also a city in the Mountain time zone, if there is one not named Denver that could support a hockey team.

I know, wishful thinking. They won't allow a team in Milwaukee either or anywhere within 90 or 100 miles of Chicago thanks to old man Wirtz.

 

[LordKOTL]

I know, wishful thinking. They won't allow a team in Milwaukee either or anywhere within 90 or 100 miles of Chicago thanks to old man Wirtz.

Good point...Even if there's good rivalry potential I can see soneone putting the Kybosh on Milwaukee

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[anotheridiot]

NHLPA would never let that happen. If anything, I think the Yotes will move to the Central to balance the divisions, and then possibly move if there's a central city (KC, Houston, Milwaukee, etc.) that can host an NHL team. Possibly also a city in the Mountain time zone, if there is one not named Denver that could support a hockey team.

you would think they would go back up to canada and do something and adjust from there.

 

[LordKOTL]

you would think they would go back up to canada and do something and adjust from there.

Well, it has to be a viable market that can hold an NHL team and be financially viable in the lean years...not a lot of those places exist in the Mountain Time Zone. Where else in Canada fits the bill that doesn't have a team? Saskatoon? Hell, outside of Phoenix and Denver, what US city is in Mountain time? Boise? The other option would be central and I listed those already.

I think the league stops at 32 teams, though. 8x4. If Seattle comes in, some Pacific team has to move east to the central. They aren't breaking up Calgary and Edmonton, so it's gonna be Phoenix...and that team needed to move a long time ago.

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[anotheridiot]

Well, it has to be a viable market that can hold an NHL team and be financially viable in the lean years...not a lot of those places exist in the Mountain Time Zone. Where else in Canada fits the bill that doesn't have a team? Saskatoon? Hell, outside of Phoenix and Denver, what US city is in Mountain time? Boise? The other option would be central and I listed those already.

I think the league stops at 32 teams, though. 8x4. If Seattle comes in, some Pacific team has to move east to the central. They aren't breaking up Calgary and Edmonton, so it's gonna be Phoenix...and that team needed to move a long time ago.

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the current expansion draft formula just about eliminates the lean years..............

To me the world of hockey is not right with the Red Wings not being in the central. But their constant whining about their left coast games starting at 10:00 their time won out. Odd thing is the games were reduced when they moved them to the east and became more central anyway. Maybe a few years of playoff drought might change their tune.

 

[LordKOTL]

the current expansion draft formula just about eliminates the lean years..............

To me the world of hockey is not right with the Red Wings not being in the central. But their constant whining about their left coast games starting at 10:00 their time won out. Odd thing is the games were reduced when they moved them to the east and became more central anyway. Maybe a few years of playoff drought might change their tune.

1st off, the Red Wings were on a decline for awhile and since the 2013 lockout the Central has been the de facto toughest division all years except 2017 (when the Metro took the title briefly). Detroit, had they stayed Central, might have had their playoff streak ended sooner. Yeah, losing them as a division rival sucks, but what can you do?

The lean years, however, isn't about the expansion format, it's about when a team cycles low--think about the 2000's for the 'hawks. All years except 2009 we sucked like a teenage prostitute in Kobe Bryant's hotel room. Vegas may have not gone through that *now*, but they will at some point. We're heading there again after our run. A place like Chicago will likley be okay. Ditto with even a small-market franchise like Winnipeg where they're nuts about hockey there. Look at Carolina and Phoenix to see what lean years can do.

 

[Raskolnikov]

I'm in agreement that the tight cap squeezed some extra juice toward vegas by limiting team flexibility in hiding those they wanted to keep in the couple years leading to the draft.

And a Fleury won't be available, even a Bishop as second choice would not have yielded the same performance and leadership that got them here.

Gallant won't be there to mastermind it and set a culture that sticks day 1. Its unlikely a team would buy in like that, circumstances would lead them to believe, a city that needs them to do well, and then a couple upper level talents like Neal and Fleury to carry the doubt and lean moments. When the story is told, the leadership of those two and stepping up in big moments all year has been unfathomable. This entire thing actually made me have to like James Real Deal Neal. Clutch...all year with a team leaning on him. Always had that goal when there might be doubt, kept this ship going. Exciting team but I don't think they can compete with the Caps.

They also did not walk through the western conference gauntlet of the last few years, lucking into Kings/Sharks/Jets.
That gauntlet is nothing compared to what many western conference teams have faced recently even including the Hawks. None of those teams would have eliminated the 15/16/17 Hawks. Sharks maybe outside chance. Jets had one scoring line. Kings are way down from what they were. I don't think Vegas is good enough to win a cup in any year out of the last 8 and they won't win this one even if Kunetsov misses the rest. The Caps are mature and hungrier then they are. They are a cool story.

You know the Avalanche had instant success for a few years too, the scary part is I don't think the true franchise take-off window is in the first year for expansions. They just got here early, and now they have a gazillion picks. The annoying part is in the next 2-3 years if they decide to compete for cups and go all-in with free agency and 20 draft picks, they could freeze the league for year or two if they build another scoring line.

 

[MassHavoc]

Let's just throw a second team in Chicago and really open this sucker up. Then finally sox and cubs fan only have to be friendly when the bears are playing.

 

[anotheridiot]

Nice to see Kempny about to win the cup. Maybe he will forget about the open 4x6 with his skates in the blue paint.

I could have gone on happy if Ovechkin never won a cup though, but they are the capitals and there is still a shot for them to choke.

 

[anotheridiot]

Apparently, Columbus wants to talk extension with Panarin and he is not interested, so they are putting him on the trade block to see what interest is.

for what its worth

https://www.hockeyinsiders.net/articles/report-blue-jackets-place-artemi-panarin-on-trade-/

fix the mistakes stanley, and keep him away from central teams

 

[zack54attack]

Bumping.

 

[Tater]

Wilson on the Crapitals was suspended for 20 games in case anyone missed it.

 

[Bigfoot]

Wonder what it would take to get Nylander