NHL to discuss expansion

[BlakChamber 8]

NFL????

The NFL has the most parity, but I wouldn't say that every team is competitive. I also think that given the shorter NFL season its a lot easier to give the illusion that everyone's on an equal playing field. One team can get a few upsets and find themselves in a playoff hunt. If the NFL played a longer schedule, you'd probably see more talented teams pull away.

[eva unit zero 271]

So basically, you're making my point. We need to limit the amount of foreign players on NHL teams. This way, we don't have overpaid Russians on the fourth line taking up homegrown talent's ice time and giving fans fewer players to be attached to.

How many 'overpaid Russians' do you see on any team's fourth line? Russians are easily the LEAST likely to be overpaid fourth liners, as a marginal Russian player could earn much more money in Russia. If anything, there are a lot of Russian players who could play in the NHL but don't because teams generally opt for Canadian fourth liners of equal or lesser ability. The European talent is generally more top heavy; if a European player isn't going to be a significant contributor, he often doesn't end up playing in the NHL much or at all. Think about the number of European stars at forward, defense, and goal. There are more European starting goalies than Canadian. There are almost as many European top-six forwards as Canadian. There are probably just as many European top-four defensemen as Canadian. There are about 400 forwards in the NHL. Mikael Samuelsson's 34 points was 180th in scoring among forwards last season, so we'll use that number as the 'break' point for top six forwards because the primary job of a top-six forward is scoring. North America produced 113 top-six forwards, and the remaining 68 were European. To break the 'top 12' mark, we'll use games played. 360th in GP is Eric Boulton with 45, so 45 games or more would make a player a top-twelve forward by that measure. Boulton is 249th among North Americans, and 111 Europeans reached the 45 game mark. Meaning there are 136 North Americans in the bottom six, and only 44 Europeans. Not to mention, having a limit on the number of foreign players would drastically diminish the quality of hockey; Ten teams worth of Canadians would be relegated to the AHL, as there are only six Canadian teams. There's only 5 teams worth of Americans, so how do we fill 24 teams

[drwscc 212]

Really? You wouldn't be shocked if the Texans went to the Superbowl this year?? How about the Raiders? Them winning the Superbowl wouldn't surprise you? Arizona Cardinals? The list goes on.

[Opie 308]

Do your research son, Houston is 2-0, scoring 54 and allowing only 24, tampa is 2-0 and yet the Saints a pick by many experts" for the superbowl is 0-2!!

But thanks for helping my point!!!

Edited September 19, 2007 by Opie

[drwscc 212]

What about the Raiders or the Cardinals? 0-2 and 1-1 respectively. About what you'd expect. How about the yearly "Chiefs suckstravaganza," that's still going on. In *ANY* league, you're going to have your perrenial bottom feeders, and perrenial winners. Everything else is up for grabs.

[BlakChamber 8]

Do your research son, Houston is 2-0, scoring 54 and allowing only 24, tampa is 2-0 and yet the Saints a pick by many experts" for the superbowl is 0-2!!

But thanks for helping my point!!!

He didn't prove your point at all, son.

[Opie 308]

What about the Raiders or the Cardinals? 0-2 and 1-1 respectively. About what you'd expect. How about the yearly "Chiefs suckstravaganza," that's still going on. In *ANY* league, you're going to have your perrenial bottom feeders, and perrenial winners. Everything else is up for grabs.

Raiders are one or two players away from being good, Cardinals would not surprise me to make it to the playoffs. After all my original statement was that Chi would not play more than 82 games.

In the NFL you can find quality starting players off of the free agent list or Waivers whenever you want. Cases in point:

Atlanta just signed Leftwich, everyone thought they were a playoff caliber team with Vick, Leftwich has better passing numbers throughout his career than Vick ever dreamed of, and with the threat of a passing game Dunn now becomes dangerous.

New England the past three to four years has had to make due with players off of the free agent list to complete their roster in very important positions.

Houston replaced their starting Quarterback with another teams back up and they are better. The cheifs were almost in the playoffs last year and they lost their starting QB, how is that yearly suckstravnganza?

Yes the Colts and Pats have been winners for years, but who else has been in the mix year after year. Philly is up and down, Dallas up and down.

In football people end up talking about surprises in reference to teams who do not make it to the post season.

At the end of the year I agree you will have a team that sucks and a team that is nearly unstoppable, but before the season starts there isn't a team that would surprise you.

However in the NHL before the season starts you can eliminate 4-5 teams easily based on talent level.

Oakland is an issue like Boston is an issue, horrible ownership, if Al Davis was more concerned with winning he could put a winner out whenever he wanted.

No one made Davis get rid of Moss, he could have signed or traded for Matt Schaub like Houston did. The point is that the talent is there, there are people not playing that could walk into the game and be a difference maker easily on any team.

The Talent pool for Football is 10 times the size of hockey!

How many NHL teams if they lost their starting Goalie could find a replacement or have a replacement on hand.

Considering some teams are using a glorified back up as their starter I would say not too many.

[Skiing - Puck 0]

The smartest choice I can see as far as citys to put a team are Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Fort Worth or Huston, London, ON, and Quebec City. The key thing to gain popularity is to bring back a more physical game because in all honesty violence sells, look at the rise of MMA and also lower ticket prices across the board, so that more people can afford to go on a regular basis.

Edited September 21, 2007 by Skiing - Puck

[Opie 308]

The smartest choice I can see as far as citys to put a team are Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Fort Worth or Huston, London, ON, and Quebec City. The key thing to gane popularity is to bring back a more physical game because in all honesty violence sells, look at the rise of MMA and also lower ticket prices across the board, so that more people can afford to go on a regular basis.

Very true!!! Violence sells like a mo-fo

Edited September 19, 2007 by Opie

[Guest jaytan]

I've always thought they should develop an NHL-themed video game (in the Mortal Kombat or Streetfighter style) with all the best fighters in it. Speaking of violence.

And there are plenty of marginal European players floating around the NHL. Several of them actually play for Detroit. Casual fans can't really feel the same connection to guys like Datsyuk and Zetterberg that they could with Yzerman or Shanahan. Lidstrom is popular, but he's been with the team forever. Datsyuk hardly speaks English, so it's hard to market him.

And when did we start talking about football?

[eva unit zero 271]

I've always thought they should develop an NHL-themed video game (in the Mortal Kombat or Streetfighter style) with all the best fighters in it. Speaking of violence.

And there are plenty of marginal European players floating around the NHL. Several of them actually play for Detroit. Casual fans can't really feel the same connection to guys like Datsyuk and Zetterberg that they could with Yzerman or Shanahan. Lidstrom is popular, but he's been with the team forever. Datsyuk hardly speaks English, so it's hard to market him.

And when did we start talking about football?

Based on the scenario I laid out, European Wings who fell into the 'bottom six' group of forwards: Franzen, Hudler, Filppula, Kopecky. A defensive forward who was only four points shy of the point cutoff for top-six status, and two rookies who should be top-six scoring forwards by this season or next at the latest, and Kopecky, a rookie who missed most of the year injured. The only 'marginal' European we have is Lilja.