I would have thought that if the NHL contemplated lowering the purchase price they would have done so by now, and finalized a deal with Reinsdorf or Jamison that transferred the current lease and let them sort things out with Glendale, and offered an opportunity to relocate if things don't work out.
But perhaps that is more complicated than it seems. The prospect of relocation if things stay sour in Glendale assumes that there is a lucrative destination for relocation. QC is the most obvious, but would Peladeau et al. allow Reinsdorf or Jamison to waltz into Quebec with an NHL team in tow? I doubt it. S. Ontario? I doubt that the NHL are ready to make a commitment to anyone with regard to that maneuver, and they would want a lot of coin to do so. So, perhaps Reinsdorf and Jamison are thinking that there isn't a clearly viable option for relocation that would recoup substantial losses should they continue to occur over the next several years. Clearly, paying even just $100 million up front, and then losing a bunch of money over the next few years might not be worth it if the end game is relocation to a place like Kansas City, which doesn't offer the same promise of riches as a market like QC or S. Ont.
So maybe this boils down to whether Glendale can find a way to subsidize losses. If not, then consider this question. Does it seem like a good investment to pay as little as $100 million to purchase the Coyotes if you have to cover most of the losses for several years, with the only respite being a relocation to KC or some other second tier market if things don't work out?
