Seattle Expansion Process begins

[Blackhawkswincup]

Figured this would be fine for own thread for a while and then it can be rolled up into Around the League later on

Big breaking news for NHL






Also Canes have signed purchase agreement that keeps them in Carolina and keeps Karmanos on as minority owner (48%) but allows new owner to buy his share of team in 3 years

Click to read more...

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

32 feels better than 31.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Off topic, but how is the expansion fee $150m more than LV?

 

[BK]

I wish that expansion fee would go towards HRR .

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Best result would be Seattle via expansion and Houston via relocating the Yotes

 

[Enyaw]

SEA to the West who moves to the Central ?

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

SEA to the West who moves to the Central ?

Hopefully the Yotes as Houston Aero's

 

[RayP]

Drives me nuts that ARZ, CAR, and FLA can't fill their building and the league is expanding. Yes I know it's not that simple, but still bugs the hell out of me.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Are there any realistic relocation possibilities in the next few years? ARZ gotta be one.

 

[Blackhawks]

Great looking forward to this, Please take Toews and make him the lazy “face” of that franchise because no one wants his face here

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Are there any realistic relocation possibilities in the next few years? ARZ gotta be one.

Calgary

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I can't imagine Calgary actually leaves.

 

[hawksfan50]

However....if the NHLPA opts out of tye current CBA after the 2018/19 season there would be a lock-out to start 2019/20 season and if it goes on like the last lockout we could see another aporox. half season played only for the remaining approx. 2nd half of that season ..the NHL will want CBA clarity before they award any new franchise. .So earliest seadon Seattle could start is for 2020//21 season ...But then there would be compliance buy-out allowed before the expansion draft undercarriage new CBA they agree to..So at least 2 compliance buy-out forcacre-set -set would be likely ...Maybe 3?Under this scenario..NO way Hawks want to be stuck with NMC'S still on Toews Keith and Seabrook contracts and this have to protect them from being available to be selected by Seattle ...Thus Hawks certainly will buy'out 2 of these 3 contracts or all 3 if 3 compliance buy'outs are permitted.

Of course expansion further waters down the product teams can ice as tge talent spreads ever thinner across more teams.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

If nobody moves, realignment is a tad tricky with only two real options:

1) Move the Yotes to the Central - seems simple enough, but that'd move them away from by far much closer geographic rivals in Southern California and Las Vegas (the latter being an obvious big deal that both teams would likely hope to establish) and it would create a three time zone division when the playoffs come around thanks to Phoenix not observing DST. An easy work around would be if the league scrapped the divisional playoffs and just brought back seeding the top eight teams per conference.

2) Move the Avs back to the Pacific and then move Calgary and Edmonton to the Central - a bit more clunky, but it keeps both Western divisions at strictly two time zones apiece. The Western Canadian trio would likely moan, but if the NHL could split up the Hawks and the Wings into different divisions I'm not seeing this as being a make or break point especially as it keeps the Alberta teams together.

Neither entirely ideal. Best would be if the Yotes moved to Houston (or Kansas City) making an obvious split between the Central and the Pacific, though obviously not for all 14 Yotes fans.

As for relocation candidates, Calgary still seems like a bunch of smoke with no fire to me. Carolina still seems like the most likely option, and the current split between the current owner and the prospective owner seems almost like a desperate move to delay the inevitable with the league's assured interest to not let any franchise sell for less than what Bill Foley just paid a team for. And with the asking price for a team increasing by $150 million in a few years, that'll likely raise the minimum floor that the league would accept a team to sell for, meaning potential profit for both owners if they want to sell out to a relocation buyer later down the road.

 

[Blue Liner]

Arizona doesn't even have a place to play next season as of today, correct? I'm pretty sure this is the final year of their lease in Glendale with nothing for next year as of right now. I've long been a supporter of their's out there but from a now-outsider's point of view it sure seems like the ship long has sailed there. I have to think they move at some point.

Next guesses are Carolina and who knows about Florida. That's just a shitty sports market in general. They had some steam down there a couple of years ago and completely blew it.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

I can't imagine Calgary actually leaves.

Why not?

Cleveland Browns and Brooklyn Dodgers moved. Raiders are leaving Cali

More established/stronger sport franchises have left better situations

Flames should have gotten new arena years ago

 

[Hawkaholic]

Watered down league gets more watered down. Should be contracting teamsthat can't get more than 10k fans out.

I understand trying to grow the game, but by adding another shitty team, they are just making the product worse IMO.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Calgary

LOL, Calgary is not a realistic option. They aren't moving before the Coyotes, Hurricanes, or about 5 or 6 other teams in the league.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Watered down league gets more watered down. Should be contracting teamsthat can't get more than 10k fans out.

I understand trying to grow the game, but by adding another ****ty team, they are just making the product worse IMO.

Watered down league? Adding another shitty team? Vegas looks mighty impressive

There is plenty of talent for 32 team league

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

LOL, Calgary is not a realistic option. They aren't moving before the Coyotes, Hurricanes, or about 5 or 6 other teams in the league.

Hurricanes have an arena as do many other potential "candidates"

Flames are very much in play if Calgary continues to dick around Flames owner and getting a stadium deal done

 

[Hawkaholic]

Watered down league? Adding another ****ty team? Vegas looks mighty impressive

There is plenty of talent for 32 team league

Yes, watered down. The league should realistically have 24 or 28 teams, not 32. Vegas doesn't look impressive, they are just playing well. Their team is filled with a bunch of 3rd liners and depth Dmen.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Hurricanes have an arena as do many other potential "candidates"

Flames are very much in play if Calgary continues to dick around Flames owner and getting a stadium deal done

They will get an arena done, silly to think otherwise. The Flames are going no where.

 

[Esq]

Good news is that we'll have even conferences.

Bad news is that Seattle is a crummy sports town.

 

[Blue Liner]

I think there is way too much talent in the world today for there to be only 24-28 teams, and that talent pool is continuing to grow. That said, capping growth at 32 teams is a must, for me. As we stand today, if you push it further you then are definitely watering things down. Reevaluate in another decade or so but 32 is a good cap to put it at. I get the contraction argument but that will never happen in modern sports. Too many cities still viable or at least seemingly viable to host clubs.

 

[Sarava]

Watered down league? Adding another ****ty team? Vegas looks mighty impressive

There is plenty of talent for 32 team league

Vegas isn't how you look at that. You look at the bottom half of every team's rosters in the league. I agree with Hawkaholic on this one. The league is already too watered down.