The point of hockey is to score more goals than the other team. That gets thrown when teams are more worried about preventing goals than scoring them. The fact that the Flyers were seen as the bad guys in the game in Tampa where they refused to skate right into the 0-4-1 revealed a lot about what's wrong with hockey's current state.
- Flyskippy

Know who likes expansion?

1.) Owners. They get more $$ in expansion fees, etc.

2.) NHLPA. Two words: More jobs.

It's inevitable.
- johndewar

Fans, who pay for all of this only to see the two aforementioned groups lock them out as they argue every decade or so, should find better things to do with their time. I hate that the best sport is run by the worst owners in sport.

Couldn't you argue that the point of hockey is to allow fewer goals than the other team?
- jmatchett383

Well, when neither team is really trying to score a goal, that is quite the conundrum, eh?

You'd think it wouldn't, the Flyers didn't take that long, but the league is different today. You can't just have a billionaire owner buy a competitive team now. You've got to go through a hit and miss process of building your franchise's 1st competitive era through drafting and youth. It takes a minimum 5 or 6 years. The fact that Columbus, Minnesota, and Winnipeg all seem to be coming around now suggests that it does take 12+ years in the modern era to create a competitive club. Granted, they've all had top talent that didn't pan out (Nash in Columbus, Kovalchuk in Atlanta, Gaborik in Minnesota), but they've all grown, gained value, and learned from their experiences with those guys.
- JAKEw1234

Nashville was just 1 year before Atl/Win and they've have a competitive team for years. They actually took the time to properly grow a fanbase (although there was a small one to start), hired smart hockey ops people, set a good business model, and followed it. If only 1/4 expansion teams can be competitive in their first dozen years, I'd rather there be no more expansion.

Well, when neither team is really trying to score a goal, that is quite the conundrum, eh?
- Flyskippy

If both teams are only worried about scoring goals and not preventing them it is the same conundrum.

Now that their breadwinner is no longer spending money on said team, eh?
- Flyskippy

I've reallocated all my money to supporting the Chestmont division of the ICSHL as well as the 16AA division of the DVHL.

I just paid $105 for summer scrimmages and $180 on hockey sticks just this week.

I bought a bottle of American Honey...

It's all gone... the money and the alcohol.

If both teams are only worried about scoring goals and not preventing them it is the same conundrum.
- jmatchett383

Yes, but it is far more entertaining when both teams are trying to score goals.

I mean, there's a really good reason (other than mutual hatred) why the Flyers and Pens have been such a good rivalry lately.

Yes, but it is far more entertaining when both teams are trying to score goals.

I mean, there's a really good reason (other than mutual hatred) why the Flyers and Pens have been such a good rivalry lately.
- johndewar

I can enjoy and appreciate good defensive hockey. I'd rather a game be 4-2 and well played than it be 342-341.

I can enjoy and appreciate good defensive hockey. I'd rather a game be 4-2 and well played than it be 342-341.
- jmatchett383

Actually, 6 goals per game would be a slight improvement over what we have right now.

http://www.quanthockey.com/TS/TS_GoalsPerGame.php

I won't read another blog until Bill tells me why Shawn Antoski is not on the list.

Nashville was just 1 year before Atl/Win and they've have a competitive team for years. They actually took the time to properly grow a fanbase (although there was a small one to start), hired smart hockey ops people, set a good business model, and followed it. If only 1/4 expansion teams can be competitive in their first dozen years, I'd rather there be no more expansion.
- jmatchett383

I mean, Minnesota is a good team, their area is a hockey culture, their attendance numbers trumped Nashville's last year. Maybe the league could take more steps in the next (inevitable) expansion to help those teams become more competitive more quickly. Maybe 1st negotiating dibs to UFAs for a year or two, or something along those lines.

I mean, Minnesota is a good team, their area is a hockey culture, their attendance numbers trumped Nashville's last year. Maybe the league could take more steps in the next (inevitable) expansion to help those teams become more competitive more quickly. Maybe 1st negotiating dibs to UFAs for a year or two, or something along those lines.
- JAKEw1234

So not only would teams have to offer their players to fill these teams, they'll also have to be put at a further disadvantage (whatever that competitive edge is) to them as well.

No thanks. Get rid of Florida and Tampa Bay, problem solved.

I won't read another blog until Bill tells me why Shawn Antoski is not on the list.
- KGBflyers10

We should have kept Beranek.

So not only would teams have to offer their players to fill these teams, they'll also have to be put at a further disadvantage (whatever that competitive edge is) to them as well.

No thanks. Get rid of Florida and Tampa Bay, problem solved.
- jmatchett383

Please, teams give their scraps for the draft. If anything an expansion draft would be a get out of jail free card to help us get out of a bad contract. And Tampa Bay had one of the top attendance rates in the league last year as well as being one of the best young teams in the league, as well as being a Cup winner. why would you want to get rid of them?

I can enjoy and appreciate good defensive hockey. I'd rather a game be 4-2 and well played than it be 342-341.
- jmatchett383

4-2 is a good hockey game. The other score is an exaggeration that never happens.

We should have kept Beranek.
- mayorofangrytown

Clucking Farke!!

Cleravalling Sarke!

The "more talent" is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you've got guys like Datsyuk and Benn who might not have made it if there were only 24 teams. At the same time, it allows (actually, it FORCES) less-skilled players to be utilized by all teams since the talent pool is diluted.

Also, it should not take 12+ years to develop a competitive club.
- jmatchett383

Is the failure of those teams to become competitive, because they're expansion teams. Or is it because the management of those teams just haven't done a good job?

Please, teams give their scraps for the draft. If anything an expansion draft would be a get out of jail free card to help us get out of a bad contract. And Tampa Bay had one of the top attendance rates in the league last year as well as being one of the best young teams in the league, as well as being a Cup winner. why would you want to get rid of them?
- JAKEw1234

The TB and St Petes areas in general are a huge hot bed for transplant citizens. Point is, a lot of the people living in that area are not TB fans. Same reason the Rays struggle.

The TB and St Petes areas in general are a huge hot bed for transplant citizens. Point is, a lot of the people living in that area are not TB fans. Same reason the Rays struggle.
- jak521

The point is they sell lots of tickets and I don't believe they rely on revenue sharing.

The TB and St Petes areas in general are a huge hot bed for transplant citizens. Point is, a lot of the people living in that area are not TB fans. Same reason the Rays struggle.
- jak521

Yup. Not to mention Tropicana Field is about the worst pro sports venue imaginable. An absolute dump.

40:1 Cup odds for us? I wouldnt call us favorites or anything like that but I wouldnt have thought we were the same as Columbus, Carolina, Devils, Wild, Lightning and Jets. Let alone seeing the teams with better odds is somewhat mindboggling
- Trainfellow

The online sports betting site (bovada) has the Flyers at 28:1.

Not only has it been really boring since early July, the transactions have been odd. I've already voice that I worry that the NHL is becoming more of a league for young boys rather then the best of the best. Unsigned players such Simon Gagne, Brendan Morrow, Douglas Murray, Matthew Lombardi and David Steckel are all still very useful NHL players. I told before that it's a money thing and while I agree, it shouldn't be used as an excuse. NHL should be the best of the best. I'm all for two useless franchises folding if it means the cap is raised and both the east, west and all divisions are even. The odd part of the summer is certainly players like Ville Leino weren't bought out. Why not? Another odd part of this summer is players like Saku Koivu and Scott Gomez were still about to find homes somewhere in the NHL. If they can, anyone should be. If Tim Thomas can find a place to play before third and fourth liners in their late 20's, early 30's, my mind will be blown. The fact that some players were fighting over Jagr makes me scratch my head.

I'm also becoming a little worried that Meszaros may somehow become another Randy Jones situation but maybe worse. Since there is no more re-entry waivers, I do worry Meszaros will have to play during preseason, while Gagne will be here on a tryout. With all of this happening I worry Gustafsson will share a part time position with Meszaros and possibly having a lesser player to Gagne to play on the third on.

A lot to be excited about for the Flyers but we still need one situation to work itself out.

Not only has it been really boring since early July, the transactions have been odd. I've already voice that I worry that the NHL is becoming more of a league for young boys rather then the best of the best. Unsigned players such Simon Gagne, Brendan Morrow, Douglas Murray, Matthew Lombardi and David Steckel are all still very useful NHL players. I told before that it's a money thing and while I agree, it shouldn't be used as an excuse. NHL should be the best of the best. I'm all for two useless franchises folding if it means the cap is raised and both the east, west and all divisions are even. The odd part of the summer is certainly players like Ville Leino weren't bought out. Why not? Another odd part of this summer is players like Saku Koivu and Scott Gomez were still about to find homes somewhere in the NHL. If they can, anyone should be. If Tim Thomas can find a place to play before third and fourth liners in their late 20's, early 30's, my mind will be blown. The fact that some players were fighting over Jagr makes me scratch my head.

I'm also becoming a little worried that Meszaros may somehow become another Randy Jones situation but maybe worse. Since there is no more re-entry waivers, I do worry Meszaros will have to play during preseason, while Gagne will be here on a tryout. With all of this happening I worry Gustafsson will share a part time position with Meszaros and possibly having a lesser player to Gagne to play on the third on.

A lot to be excited about for the Flyers but we still need one situation to work itself out.
- dingo8urbaby

If 2 teams folded the cap would go down. If 2 teams expanded in the cap would go up. And I agree, there are a lot of real good bottom 6 players that remain unsigned. It's beyond me why teams with defective bottom 6s (Edmonton is one) don't jump on a lot of these guys.

The point of hockey is to score more goals than the other team. That gets thrown when teams are more worried about preventing goals than scoring them. The fact that the Flyers were seen as the bad guys in the game in Tampa where they refused to skate right into the 0-4-1 revealed a lot about what's wrong with hockey's current state.
- Flyskippy

With the lockout looming a year ago I understand why this wasn't more of a topic of discussion. It should be more of one now that the league has come up with an agreement. Tampa Bay looked like a bunch of Clowns by refusing to forcheck, which made the Flyers refuse to play. I thought it was a thing of beauty that Pronger was the guy hanging on to the puck most of that time. He's a player who doesn't mind being hated, even though I'm positive it was apart of Laviolette's game plan. The Flyers always find away to make history in a manner that ends up making Hockey better imo.

If 2 teams folded the cap would go down. If 2 teams expanded in the cap would go up. And I agree, there are a lot of real good bottom 6 players that remain unsigned. It's beyond me why teams with defective bottom 6s (Edmonton is one) don't jump on a lot of these guys.
- JAKEw1234

Really? The cap would go down? I.would think the Flyers would get a little space to play with if two teams folded to somehow take care of the players coming from the two folding teams.