SI Report: NHL expansion to Las Vegas is 'a done deal'

[mikey287]

under a cap i doubt most teams use all 23 spots as it is.

The game would suffer greatly removing a 4th line and 3rd pairing, it would slow down to conserve energy. There is pplenty of talent to go around. I'd prefer that even elite teams have a few garbage players making the minium as regular skaters.

- They do.
- It would not.
- When you need to conserve energy, what part of your game is probably impacted? Your play with the puck or backchecking to catch the guy a zone and a half down the rink?
- There clearly isn't. At least, the type of technical talent that people want to see. There are plenty of warm bodies. But look at how many older players are able to hang around because there is no better talent to replace them, look at how many relative schlubs and schmucks can net top-six roles for years on end despite being only marginally or "mediumly" talented: Steve Rucchin, P.A. Parenteau, Pascal Dupuis, Jonathan Cheechoo, Dan Cleary/Todd Bertuzzi/Justin Abdelkader triumvirate, Matt Moulson, Petr Prucha, Tyler Bozak, Michal Handzus...

I respect the complementary goal scorer and all that...and some of these guys have adapted their games to be good at that (Moulson in particular), but these are guys playing with stars: Kariya/Selanne, Tavares/Duchene, Crosby, Thornton, Datsyuk, Tavares, Jagr, Kessel, Kane...

Go ahead read those names and then add 90 more names into the scrap heap...who are they? You think all those AHL scorers are just waiting to explode in the NHL? Fat chance. Justin Dowling and Mike Hedden and those guys aren't gonna be able to hack it in the NHL...I watched them all season and playoffs long...

- You sound like a fan of the 1996 Florida Panthers.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Breakfasts come and go, Rene, but Hartford, "the Whale," they only beat Vancouver once, maybe twice in a lifetime.

As much as I enjoy Mallrats and this quote, Hartford beat Vancouver more than twice in a lifetime.

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[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

Breakfasts come and go, Rene, but Hartford, "the Whale," they only beat Vancouver once, maybe twice in a lifetime.

As much as I enjoy Mallrats and this quote, Hartford beat Vancouver more than twice in a lifetime.

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[shmenguin]

Adding even one team without reducing roster size...coooool. We need more franchises that no one cares about with no hope of competing.

[no name]

I don't know if there is another big name out there like McDavid for the 2015 draft but it would make sense to expand this coming year and get him on one of those teams to grow that fan base. Plus it would lol at Buffalo.

This is why there will not be an expansion team in the league until 2016. The bottem 10 teams who have a chance at getting McDavid do not want any competition for him. You might see a relocation like FLA to Quebec. If FLA can not rework their lease they might lose. But the owners in line for getting McDavid I don't think will vote in favor of expansion.

Also there will only be 2 expansion teams and I personally don't see Las Vegas getting a team. Seattle Portland or KC. Quebec will have to get a team relocating in the east, since expansion will get all the divisions with 8 teams. Once that happens I think they will go with the 4 conference set up.

[Pavel Bure]

I really hate this idea. Talent is already pretty thin IMO. Pumping in even one more team will only thin it further. I guess being a niche sport the bottom line is really all that matters.

[no name]

I really hate this idea. Talent is already pretty thin IMO. Pumping in even one more team will only thin it further. I guess being a niche sport the bottom line is really all that matters.

I don't think it will really effect the game that much. The league just has to protect against the clutch and grabbing comming back into the game. The last expansion those teams learned they could compete witht he teams in the league playing that style. Then the coaches with good teams realized they could be even better playing that same way. Now if you keep calling the game the same way the skill on each team will come together.

A friend suggested if they do have a expansion draft they might give teams another buyout to help fill out their rosters. I wonder if those teams will have to be cap complient their first year?

[MRandall25]

It definitely will affect the game in a negative way.

Just for fun, here's a mock expansion draft if only 2 teams were added to the league: http://beta.sportingnews.com/article/46 ... CzTOMik2nR" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The talent level will most definitely drop in the NHL. Teams are going to be replacing the guys they lost with players who probably shouldn't be leaving the AHL, and the guys that they did end up losing in the expansion draft are going to be 3rd and 4th liners forced to play on the 1st and 2nd lines for their new team. The new expansion teams would be lucky to even be competing for a playoff spot.

And clutch and grab is an inevitability because that'll be the only way the AHL scrubs could keep up with actual NHLers.

[columbia]

On the bright side, the Pens could make Scuderi available for the draft.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

Too bad they're not contracting to 12 teams. We already know how that plays out.



Spoiler alert: Iceland wins.

[Pavel Bure]

It definitely will affect the game in a negative way.

Just for fun, here's a mock expansion draft if only 2 teams were added to the league: http://beta.sportingnews.com/article/46 ... CzTOMik2nR" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The talent level will most definitely drop in the NHL. Teams are going to be replacing the guys they lost with players who probably shouldn't be leaving the AHL, and the guys that they did end up losing in the expansion draft are going to be 3rd and 4th liners forced to play on the 1st and 2nd lines for their new team. The new expansion teams would be lucky to even be competing for a playoff spot.

And clutch and grab is an inevitability because that'll be the only way the AHL scrubs could keep up with actual NHLers.

Those are sad teams. Wow.

[JS©]

They are, but I'm sure both of those teams can pick up a high contract or two via trade or by a team leaving a player unprotected.

[Beveridge]

Expansion draft is just more "buyouts" for the Flyers to use.

[Idoit40fans]

That expansion draft also ignores free agency.

[MRandall25]

Of course it does. It's a mock expansion draft. But do you really think a free agent pick up will make a difference on one of those teams?

[Digitalgypsy66]

"I look forward to being a leader on the first NHL team in Las Vegas," said two-time Stanley Cup winner Rob Scuderi. "Craig Adams and I will bring leadership and a winning mindset to the Vegas Wranglers."

[no name]

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/half ... ake-sense/

This article suggest its a done deal that the NHL expands to 34 teams by the 17-18 season??
Las Vegas - Seattle - Toronto - Quebec???

I can see expand by 2 and relocate 2. Actually adding 2 would be a bad idea. But adding 4 teams would be the worst thing for the league. I hope this is a totally false.

[Idoit40fans]

That article cites that Quebec City has about 530,000 NHL fans. I think they might be buying in a bit too much to the idea that all canadians like hockey. Their total population in the metro area(not the city itself) is less than 800,000

[Pavel Bure]

That expansion draft also ignores free agency.

So they throw max money at a couple free agents and cripple the teams anyway.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/half ... ake-sense/

This article suggest its a done deal that the NHL expands to 34 teams by the 17-18 season??
Las Vegas - Seattle - Toronto - Seattle???

I can see expand by 2 and relocate 2. Actually adding 2 would be a bad idea. But adding 4 teams would be the worst thing for the league. I hope this is a totally false.

Adding four teams literally doesn't make sense. You'd end up with unbalanced divisions and conferences while 32 is perfect (4 divisions with 8 each) so I agree that adding two and relocating two is the best thing for expansion. But I think at least one of Detroit or the BJs are gonna have to move back to the west if QC and Toronto get teams (unless were relocating two east teams [which is unlikely if Phoenix, er, Arizona gets moved]).

[no name]

I would think the league would seriously want to relocate 2 of the biggest money losers in the league so your league is healthier. If FLA can't survive under the new CBA then its time to throw in the towel.

That article cites that Quebec City has about 530,000 NHL fans. I think they might be buying in a bit too much to the idea that all canadians like hockey. Their total population in the metro area(not the city itself) is less than 800,000

Winnipeg mirrors Quebec and their situation pretty close. Winnipeg has shown a profit the first 2 years so I don't doubt Quebec would be a financially stable team.

Toronto would be a slam dunk getting a relocated franchise. That city is huge and even if a 1/4 of the leafs fans followed the other team they would have no problem surviving there.

Seems Totonto and Quebec would be smarter to move teams there to keep the divisions even.

[Gaucho]

I was always a little skeptical about that dilution of talent talk. 30 years ago there was barely a European in the NHL and only about 10 percent Americans. The influx of players from overseas and the huge strides the US hockey program made certainly meant that the league could safely expand without going from supposedly All-Star studded dream teams to glorified AHL teams.

That said, adding four teams in one go now is definitely not a good idea.

[Troy Loney]

I would think Portland would be more attractive than Las Vegas.

[no name]

I would think Portland would be more attractive than Las Vegas.

I agree, put a team in Portland and keep Vegas as an option if the Coyotes need to relocate in a few years.



I was going to post new divisions by relocating 2 and adding 2 teams. But the Cental divisions always ends up with 7. Odd geography if you want to Keep Colombus and Detroit in the East. Unless you put the 2nd toronto team in the Central division but that goes against the time zone division concept.

[DelPen]

Seattle, Quebec, KC and Toronto if another team is shaky most likely. Vegas makes no sense.

Assuming FL moves, don't care where. probably better to technically move them to West and then each conference would get one expansion. If TB remains solvent bump Columbus to the new Northeast and TB to the now Atlantic.