2022/2023 NHL/Wild Offseason-Season-Postseason Thread

We all know the NHL wants one of its original 6 teams back in the positive spotlight, the Hawks pingpong ball will magically pop up no matter how bad they finish…

tswoboda wrote:

Ya’ll are forgetting about that team in the desert who’s also in the Central.

I just looked. Current odds has both the Yotes and Hawks at +5000 to win the Stanley Cup, tied for dead last. LOL pick your poison

Well, last nights game gave a glimpse of what the future could look like with Rossi…I really think he settles into the 2C/3C role with Boldy and whomever after the first 5-10 games into the season…I don’t think Deano will mess with the 1st line (and he shouldn’t) but it might light a small fire under Hartman knowing there are others who could potentially slot into his 1C spot if he doesn’t produce (I don’t think that threat ever existed last year)

Goligoski looked really out of touch, but that could just be some rust from not playing much preseason, it will definately be something to watch though…Backup goalie looked solid, but the competition wasn’t very good…Sounds like the full team will play Saturday (hopefully Brodin is fine)

I expect Goligoski to have a monster season based solely off the fact he’s not wearing #47 anymore.

That pass through the slot last night though 😬

tswoboda wrote:

That pass through the slot last night though 😬

Eek is right. Dumba seems to do this alot too and there was one of the rookies last night that did it too. I think it was Sustr. Not a rookie I suppose, but still not a good move at all.

tswoboda wrote:

Ya’ll are forgetting about that team in the desert who’s also in the Central. Their only household names are Keller, who snapped his femur a few months ago, and Chychrun, who just demanded a trade ASAP. Gonna be a hell of a race to the bottom for Bedard this year.

I wonder what the NHL’s plan is for the Desert Dumpsterfire? How long are they going to let an NHL team play in a college arena with only vague “plans” for a real arena? Add to the fact that AZ can’t even come close to filling that small area with their low season ticket and single sales averages.

The last I read, the Coyotes ownership is proposing a nearly $2 BILLION dollar spend on a new arena and practice facility along with a so-called entertainment district, all in Tempe. Now the punch line is that they were saying that they plan to finance this massive spend privately. No public money or bonds.

So after they ran out on their unpaid bills at Gila River arena, now the Coyotes ownership thinks they can secure $2 billion in private investments to build an arena for a terrible team that has never made money?

With the team being this bad and in such dire financial straits, could the league just pull the plug completely? Rather than moving a terrible team so that it becomes somebody else’s terrible team, would the league not be better off just shutting down the Coyotes and then add another expansion franchise to make the “new” team better and more financially successful right off the bat?

I can’t believe the league has allowed this to go on as long as it has.

Zero chance they fold the team. Relocate if they can’t get a stadium built but zero chance they fold.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Relocate

Where do you think they would relocate to?

Quebec Nordiques, part 2? Could Milwaukee field a team? They have used the Bucks arena for hockey before.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
Relocate

Where do you think they would relocate to?

Quebec Nordiques, part 2? Could Milwaukee field a team? They have used the Bucks arena for hockey before.

What about Salt Lake City? 1.2mil people in Salt Lake Meto area, winter destination. Seems like it could be a good fit.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
Relocate

Where do you think they would relocate to?

Quebec Nordiques, part 2? Could Milwaukee field a team? They have used the Bucks arena for hockey before.

I honestly don’t think they will relocate.

The AZ market is too large to abandon, so the NHL will exhaust all options before moving… they just need to put a better product on the ice and the fans will show up. It all starts with finding a legit ownership group, kinda hard to beleive they can’t find one with the limited open ownership opportunities there are in the main 6 pro sports leagues… It’s pretty much a no brainer market to be in, just sit back and watch your franchise value rise…

The Coyotes are being setup as a ripe for purchase franchise right now, basically an expansion franchise minus the exhorbanant join the league fee and a boatload of high picks the next 2-3 years…

I dont think the AZ market is that large for hockey, if it is they certainly dont show it with filling the arena. I guess you could argue that put a quality product on the ice and theyd show, but look at Florida. They had better attendance this year with a good team, but its been terrible for years and most times visiting teams have more fans than home fans. I think AZ will be relocated and it would be Houston if anywhere. It would make sense in a lot of ways because they would still be in the Central.

It’s not the market, it’s the ownership. I don’t understand how Houston would be a better market than Phoenix other than it has a couple million more people, but that’s the market you always seen thrown around. Phoenix is a major tourism hub, has an established and rapidly growing youth hockey presence, and even has a D1 hockey team. Houston has none of that. I get that the Coyotes organization is a joke but the finger should be pointed right at the current owners, not the market.

Fair enough about the owners. Build a competitive product and people will come. They would definitely move the team to Houston though, the Houston Aeros did quite well there before they moved to Iowa. They would certainly move them there before somewhere like Salt Lake IMO. I doubt they would ever move a team to Quebec City, it just messes with the Divisions too much.

Ek reduced his career scoring radius even more on that goal…

There must be no coach’s challenge in preseason?

I think Kirill is going to challenge McDavid/Draisiatl for the league lead in points this year and for years to come… the supporting cast around Kirill is getting better and better…

If this team can ever find a RH shooter look out!

JoeMX1825 wrote:

We all know the NHL wants one of its original 6 teams back in the positive spotlight, the Hawks pingpong ball will magically pop up no matter how bad they finish…

Chicago looks to be a lock for last place. Read last week they are leaving their top 3 prospects in the minors and college. So they don’t ruin their confidence on a horrible team. Their intentions couldn’t be any more blatant. On another note. Glad to see Canada teams freeing some of the #1 draft pick talent that was rotting on the vine up there.

KK and Zuccy are so dang fun to watch. Those two know where each other are all the time. Let’s hope they both stay healthy but I think with boldy, steel and jost they could perhaps fill in if injuries come.

CaptainMusky wrote:

KK and Zuccy are so dang fun to watch. Those two know where each other are all the time. Let’s hope they both stay healthy but I think with boldy, steel and jost they could perhaps fill in if injuries come.

imo, Steel ONLY stays on that line if he absolutely catches fire to start the season, otherwise they’ll slot Rossi in after a few weeks. He’s exceeded their expectations (I believe he led the league in preseason scoring in 6 games played?) and is ready to take over a top 6 slot, they are just being careful not to publicly hype him (I mean seriously GMBG said he hadn’t yet made the team when interviewed the other night’s game), they’ll just give him some regular season games to get fully acclimated…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

There must be no coach’s challenge in preseason?

No. Otherwise that last Dallas goal gets taken back as well.

Wild looking good and I can’t remember a time when so many hopefuls played so well throughout the preseason. Also really pleased to see that Jost looks good.

Fluery looked good. I guess Gustafson is still a ? to me. Can he hold his own as a legit #2 to go out and win games?

See you at the season opener.

Addison and Rossi make the team which really isn’t a surprise but happy for both of them. Let’s go!

CaptainMusky wrote:

Addison and Rossi make the team which really isn’t a surprise but happy for both of them. Let’s go!

Addison getting out of #59 pretty much guarantees a massive breakout season. It’s science. I’m curious to see how they use him when everyone’s healthy – Addison/Merril was an excellent pair in sheltered minutes last year.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Addison and Rossi make the team which really isn’t a surprise but happy for both of them. Let’s go!

The video of GMBG telling them is pretty good, I believe him when he said he didn’t know Addison’s number…

That was awesome Joe seeing that video and I agree.

Ian Cole has been suspended by Tampa Bay over some social media post that he sexually assaulted a minor. From what I’ve read it seems fabricated but you never know.

KP wrote:

Ian Cole has been suspended by Tampa Bay over some social media post that he sexually assaulted a minor. From what I’ve read it seems fabricated but you never know.

I dont think so from what I have seen. Apparently a former teammate of his mentioned details that only Ian would know. So, that’s pretty appalling that others knew, she being a minor and all and did nothing!

KP wrote:

Ian Cole has been suspended by Tampa Bay over some social media post that he sexually assaulted a minor. From what I’ve read it seems fabricated but you never know.

The fact they suspended him almost immediately tells me it’s likely not fake. Same dude had an affair with the Canes TV personality last year.

tswoboda wrote:

The fact they suspended him almost immediately tells me it’s likely not fake. Same dude had an affair with the Canes TV personality last year.

Man, he’s first class trash for sure. What a dbag. I hadnt heard about that one.

Guess I’m wrong about that and didnt know he had an affair as well.