I've always hated the idea of 1 city with 2 teams. I'm not saying it doesn't work, I just don't like it.

I know money runs sports, but I wish they would spread things out a bit and give a team to a city that would truly LOVE the team.
- PhillySportsGuy

Yea why not just have the team in Hamilton or somewhere else in Ontario.

I'm not as worried about the forward prospects.

1. They have several young forwards in the NHL already
2. Forwards develop quicker than defenseman, so taking one in the draft next year will make things fine.
3. The Flyers have always shown an ability to draft good forwards in the first round.
4. They have several quality forwards already. The prospects they have will provide good depth and won't be expected to come in and put up points right away.
- PhillySportsGuy

Agreed. And forwards are generally cheaper to trade for, if it came to that, when compared to similarly skilled defensemen. Just look at all the Couts+, Schenn+ trade scenarios that have been floating around this board for months.

How many cups did they buy between 1968 and 2004?
- BulliesPhan87

Haha you know what I mean though. No cap takes away the emphasis on home growing players. It just creates permanent losers and permanent winners. Good teams are only good because of their money. It's part of my problem with European Soccer leagues. It creates teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid that each have 1 of the top 2 players in the world, and the rest of their top 10 are made of the best players in the world. It makes it so if someone emerges as a great player somewhere in the world (Neymar in Brazil, Modric in England, Ronaldo in England, etc), and the teams of these players think they've found something really special to help them compete, they are forced to either sell the player to Barcelona or Real Madrid, or watch the player leave for nothing when his contract expires to go play for a massive salary in one of these places. It's why the other teams in La Liga might as well not even exist, because Barcelona and Real Madrid just dominate the league year in and year out. I don't want any part of that in the NHL.

[quote=Just5]

I doubt we see him on the ice with the team. I don't think it would be wise to take a chance of a puck hitting him in the head or someone running into him.

I could see him working with Morin individually and off the ice.

He seems like he'd be a good teacher. Very calm with patience.

Yea why not just have the team in Hamilton or somewhere else in Ontario.
- LordStanley88

I would think because if they add another team on top of a Quebec team, the balance between conferences would be thrown really far off. It'd be like 18 teams in the east and 14 in the west.

i want it to go away and never come back and let teams fold if they can't sustain themselves on their own.
- wtfd103074

Well that's not going to happen, so we're back to the original question.

[quote=Just5]
Is he even allowed to skate yet?

Well that's not going to happen, so we're back to the original question.
- MJL

i know but a guy can wish right?

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Tuesday Quick Hits
- bmeltzer

Well the press conference be televised locally?
I'll be routing for the Big E but I didn't realize he was up against Ro.d Brind'amour and Rob Blake. I would think Rob Blake would be chosen before all else and then Brind'amour. Then again, has Eric Lindros been retired longer and on the ballot longer.
Fred Shero not getting in the Hall of Fame is criminal.

I've always hated the idea of 1 city with 2 teams. I'm not saying it doesn't work, I just don't like it.

I know money runs sports, but I wish they would spread things out a bit and give a team to a city that would truly LOVE the team.
- PhillySportsGuy

How about a team from a nearby city like Chester, the Delco Gun Shot Wounds?

Well the press conference be televised locally?
I'll be routing for the Big E but I didn't realize he was up against Ro.d Brind'amour and Rob Blake. I would think Rob Blake would be chosen before all else and then Brind'amour. Then again, has Eric Lindros been retired longer and on the balid longer.
- dingo8urbaby

I love Brindy, but I don't he's HHOF worthy. Retired jersey in Carolina worthy as the captain of their first-ever Cup, yes, but not IIHF worthy. Rob Blake and Eric Lindros should get in long before him.

Well that's not going to happen, so we're back to the original question.
- MJL

I think most fans wouldn't mind seeing the little sisters of the poor helped out if there actually seemed to be interest in that franchise. People get annoyed at seeing Phoenix keep their team simply because they have a large city. I can guarantee that every one of us knows more about the Coyotes than most sports fans in Phoenix. Same with the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars.

At this point, I'm fairly certain expansion and relocation are going to happen in the next couple years, and the NHL in 6 years' time will have 32 teams, four or five of which don't exist in that form today. Phoenix will almost certainly move when the out clause is exercised, and one or both of New Jersey or Miami is going to have to move, I suspect. The trick is adding the two obvious Eastern Conference teams without needing to move Detroit or Columbus back over, so here's my best guess as to the NHL of 2020.

Pacific: VAN/SEA (expansion)/POR(from PHX)/ANA/SJ/LA/CGY/EDM
Midwest: CHI/COL/DAL/MIN/NSH/STL/WPG/ one of KC/HOU/MIL (from NJ or FLA)

Northeast: BOS/BUF/DET/MTL/OTT/TOR/QUE (from FLA or NJ)/one of HAM/MRK/TOB (expansion)
Southeast: CAR/CBJ/NYI/NYR/PHI/PIT/WAS/TB

I love Brindy, but I don't he's HHOF worthy. Retired jersey in Carolina worthy as the captain of their first-ever Cup, yes, but not IIHF worthy. Rob Blake and Eric Lindros should get in long before him.
- jmatchett383

I would disagree there. Look at his numbers. His longevity, and productivity. Captained a Stanley Cup team. 2 time Selke winner. Brind'Amour should be a first ballot lock.

I think most fans wouldn't mind seeing the little sisters of the poor helped out if there actually seemed to be interest in that franchise. People get annoyed at seeing Phoenix keep their team simply because they have a large city. I can guarantee that every one of us knows more about the Coyotes than most sports fans in Phoenix. Same with the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars.
- PhillySportsGuy

Nashville would surprise you. They've had non-NHL teams before, and the people I talked to there follow them very closely.
Also, keep in mind that a large portion of Flyers fans in this city listen to and worship WIP.

Don't really follow the Hockey Hall of Fame proceedings closely... Are Lindros' prospects of getting in good?

I think most fans wouldn't mind seeing the little sisters of the poor helped out if there actually seemed to be interest in that franchise. People get annoyed at seeing Phoenix keep their team simply because they have a large city. I can guarantee that every one of us knows more about the Coyotes than most sports fans in Phoenix. Same with the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars.
- PhillySportsGuy

There are reasons why the NHL keeps the team in Phoenix that we're not aware of. I understand the frustration. But contraction is not the solution.

I would disagree there. Look at his numbers. His longevity, and productivity. Captained a Stanley Cup team. 2 time Selke winner. Brind'Amour should be a first ballot lock.
- MJL

So he's a poor man's Guy Carbonneau (minus the captaincy) with more Cups and fewer goals?

I love Brindy, but I don't he's HHOF worthy. Retired jersey in Carolina worthy as the captain of their first-ever Cup, yes, but not IIHF worthy. Rob Blake and Eric Lindros should get in long before him.
- jmatchett383

Rod Brind'amour has 1184 points on his career. 1400 plus games played and just shy of 500 goals. He absolutely deserves to get in. On top of all of that he Captained a team to a Cup and has won the Selke. There shouldn't be a question here.

At this point, I'm fairly certain expansion and relocation are going to happen in the next couple years, and the NHL in 6 years' time will have 32 teams, four or five of which don't exist in that form today. Phoenix will almost certainly move when the out clause is exercised, and one or both of New Jersey or Miami is going to have to move, I suspect. The trick is adding the two obvious Eastern Conference teams without needing to move Detroit or Columbus back over, so here's my best guess as to the NHL of 2020.

Pacific: VAN/SEA (expansion)/POR(from PHX)/ANA/SJ/LA/CGY/EDM
Midwest: CHI/COL/DAL/MIN/NSH/STL/WPG/ one of KC/HOU/MIL (from NJ or FLA)

Northeast: BOS/BUF/DET/MTL/OTT/TOR/QUE (from FLA or NJ)/one of HAM/MRK/TOB (expansion)
Southeast: CAR/CBJ/NYI/NYR/PHI/PIT/WAS/TB
- dilbert719

I think NJ has more than enough fan base to support their team, I just think it's managed poorly. I don't see them relocating.

Lack of sleep seems to be making someone a bit irritable...
- tangent_man

Indeed... Sorry if I offended anyone.

I would disagree there. Look at his numbers. His longevity, and productivity. Captained a Stanley Cup team. 2 time Selke winner. Brind'Amour should be a first ballot lock.
- MJL

Crap! You beat me!!

Nashville would surprise you. They've had non-NHL teams before, and the people I talked to there follow them very closely.
Also, keep in mind that a large portion of Flyers fans in this city listen to and worship WIP.
- jmatchett383

I realize that every city has fair weather fans, so I won't knock a team for having empty seats during down years. Only about 5-10 teams can sellout during a bad season.

The thing that bothers me is that teams like Nashville, Phoenix, Tampa, Florida all have trouble selling out playoff games. That just should not happen.

I would disagree there. Look at his numbers. His longevity, and productivity. Captained a Stanley Cup team. 2 time Selke winner. Brind'Amour should be a first ballot lock.
- MJL

Given that the HHoF only allows in four players a year, and only if all four get on 75% or more of the ballots, and Brind'Amour's up against Chelios, Niedermayer, Shanahan, Lindros, Blake, Mogilny, Roenick, Tkachuk, Andreychuk, Cabonneau, Fleury, Guerin, Housley, Joseph, Kariya, LeClair, Lowe, Makarov, Roberts, and probably many more that I've missed (yes, I know that a lot of those names are lesser lights than Brindy, but most of them may take a vote here and there that'll make 75% harder to reach), I don't think we can say "first ballot lock." In a weak year, Brindy might slip through, but with Chelios, Niedermayer, and Shanahan all near-locks to begin with, he's got a lot of competition for a single slot.

I've read some of your offerings here, and if my posts can lean your thoughts toward contraceptives, it's been a productive day.
- tangent_man