Expansion seems like a money grab for the NHL. The NFL, NBA, and MLB hasn't added a new franchise in years.
1. Talent pool is already watered down enough.
2. Problems with the draft. Last expansion draft several teams took huge hits because the rules have not been evenly divided. Teams that took the biggest blow like Minnesota and Florida should not have to sustain the same impact again. The rules themselves are too favorable to Seattle. Allowing second year players to be exempt saved several young teams but hurt many others who were in transition. Also I don't like this circumvention by allowing teams to trade picks rather than have Seattle select a certain player.
3. If the NHL has to expand why is Canada being overlooked?
I wish Seattle the best of luck and I hope they succeed. Owners have a lot of money and a new arena.
Congrats guys.
Expansion is definitely a money grab. To address the last point, the owners and the arena together are going to have something like 1.4B dollars invested in this whole idea. Think about that. That's a HUGE pile of money. Just huge.....
1- Talent pool is better than ever. I have learned a lot reading the various threads on this site, not only BOH, but elsewhere also. It seems to me that goaltending is better than 15 years ago. League-wide, skating is better. etc.... The thing that is not better is that the athletes are so good that there isn't much room on the ice for stickhandlers. But, one extra team isn't going to affect that.
2- I agree on the draft. The rules favored Vegas, and they took advantage big time. However, I think that the rules were under negotiation before the team was awarded. Foley wasn't going to pay 500M for a perpetual bottom dweller. And NHLSeattle isn't going to either. The right rules would put the new team at about 16-18 in the league, imo.
3- Canada is being overlooked for the simple reason that the only thing Quebec, for example, has to offer the existing owners is the expansion fee. There is some doubt right now as to whether there is even anyone there who can afford to put up the fee. And even if they could, it would be a one time gain for each of the existing owners of about 15-20M. What they really want is to be relevant all over North America, and on prime time TV all season long, with a big media contract. That's the wave of the future, or the hope of the future. Personally, I think it's a mirage. But, my opinion doesn't matter. What the owners want is a big US TV contract. Quebec does nothing for that. And, there isn't anywhere else in Canada besides that, because Hamilton and/or Southern Ontario won't happen due to arena costs and dealing with the Leafs/Sabres and if they get too far to the southwest, the Wings for indemnity fees.
