Machine of Loving Grace Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Like be realistic. Say the NHL cut 4 teams. Of course some teams would get better top six players, and some third lines would look better for a year or two, but eventually the rest would have to goto Europe because fourth lines will still be grind lines. Coaches are not gonna change how they coach. Eventually things would work itself out and the same level of compete we have now would be there with 26 teams. When there were six teams in the league, you still had grinders, and a lot of talented guys got left off the original six due to cost and age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 And a lot of good players in the AHL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 There has never been more talent relative to number of teams than there is right now. In fact part of the reason the goal scoring is down is that all the third and fourth liners are such good skaters and even if you get caught with a fourth line on a shift against the top line, its not an automatic scoring chance. The fourth line can skate, and play defensive positions well enough to keep that line at bay long enough and then get a line change on many occassions. In the 80s you got a first line against a fourth line and they were gonna get a prime scoring chance. (one of the reasons, not the only reason). There are so many more hockey players in the US than ever before. More europeans in the league than ever before (And from more countries). The talent is so much better than 21 teams and 80% canadians like the 80s... or the 70s when the NHL had 16 teams and the WHL had a bunch and it was 85% canadian. That is a very interesting thought. I certainly agree that I've never seen so many fourth-liners who can skate and play hockey than the league has right now, and this does suggest there's sufficient talent to support expansion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoRP Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 As the years go by, the better the athlete, no more smoking and drinking in the locker room etc., it's little wonder there is more talent these days, the young players know, or are guided as to how to be a pro athlete, and they work toward that payday. The training and work they put in is ten fold the prior generations of pro athletes, so it makes sense the talent pool is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meller93 Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 As the years go by, the better the athlete, no more smoking and drinking in the locker room etc., it's little wonder there is more talent these days, the young players know, or are guided as to how to be a pro athlete, and they work toward that payday. The training and work they put in is ten fold the prior generations of pro athletes, so it makes sense the talent pool is better. It's pretty much evolution at work. Survival of the fittest! You don't work your ass off, you don't eat well, you just don't make it. And hockey is so much bigger than it was 20 years ago. Hell, even pre lockout. I've noticed a massive media shift in the last few years alone. High quality productions like 24 CH for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 As the years go by, the better the athlete, no more smoking and drinking in the locker room etc., it's little wonder there is more talent these days, the young players know, or are guided as to how to be a pro athlete, and they work toward that payday. The training and work they put in is ten fold the prior generations of pro athletes, so it makes sense the talent pool is better. I hadn't thought of that factor (I was mostly just thinking how the NHL has players from a bigger geographic pool) but that is also a great point. As you say, the idea that the league is watered down isn't really true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 How are partial NTCs going to work for the expansion draft? Will these players have to be protected the same as players with full NTC/NMCs? Will the player be able to place the new expansion team on their no trade list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlbalr Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 How are partial NTCs going to work for the expansion draft? Will these players have to be protected the same as players with full NTC/NMCs? Will the player be able to place the new expansion team on their no trade list? I believe anyone with NTC's are fair game to be unprotected as being picked in the draft is not technically a trade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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