The NHL - In 20 years

King Karl

five-year run of unparalleled suffering
Mar 18, 2014
1,128
1,404
Halifax, NS
While studying yesterday, I tried to imagine what the NHL is going to look like in 20 years (Because who really studies when they're studying). I'm not talking in a business sense, or expansion-wise, I'm actually curious what hockey will look like. What kind of style will be played? Physical, high-scoring, DPE-esque? Also, what do you think equipment will look like? Just food for thought really.
 

Acquizitor*

Guest
While studying yesterday, I tried to imagine what the NHL is going to look like in 20 years (Because who really studies when they're studying). I'm not talking in a business sense, or expansion-wise, I'm actually curious what hockey will look like. What kind of style will be played? Physical, high-scoring, DPE-esque? Also, what do you think equipment will look like? Just food for thought really.

I think much more commercial than now, there are many things left out there which can be used to extract profits from.

I only hope that the game stays more or less legitimate and that the NHL will not walk the FIFA path where games can easily be bought for the right amount.
 

GAT0R

Registered User
Jul 16, 2014
603
0
It will be pretty much the same as it is now except for:

-3 point games
-no more shootout - this was a gimmick for the league to gain popularity... it should be gone
-no more fighting

the game is pretty much close to perfect right now.
 

Buck Aki Berg

Done with this place
Sep 17, 2008
17,325
8
Ottawa, ON
20 years down the line, you have to wonder who the successor to Bettman will be, and how his agenda will deviate from what Bettman's been chasing for the last 20+ years.

Does the next guy have the same commitment to growing the game and cultivating new markets, or does he want to stick to the proven cash cows? Will he Be progressive in tinkering with the game, or more conservative (or even regressive)? Will he focus on player safety, or cow down to the cries of 'wussification' that emerge every time a suspension is handed out for concussing headshot that would have been legal fifteen years ago?
 
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Canovin

1% is the new 11.5%
Oct 27, 2010
17,384
8,101
780
McDavid is inducted into the Hall of Fame with Gretzky total points + 1.
 

Eagles MA

Registered User
Sep 9, 2011
58
0
2034

The rink and the players are covered in ads, fighting and hitting are banned, and there's a heated debate about 'dangerous slapshots causing unnecessary injuries'.
 

HanSolo

DJ Crazy Times
Apr 7, 2008
96,449
30,711
Las Vegas
In 20 years stats junkies will be able to watch real time advanced stats get updated by the second on their screen instead of the game.
 

startainfection*

Guest
36 teams and i have absolutely no problem with it with how ridiculously fast the population grows, if there isn't an expansion there will be a dead puck era for real
 

EmeticDonut

Registered User
Oct 7, 2006
4,442
216
There will be a huge debate if athletes with augmented limbs, far superior to natural limbs, should be allowed to participate in the NHL.
 

DL44

Status quo
Sep 26, 2006
17,894
3,801
Location: Location:
There will be an Advanced Stats effect.

Players will be flinging the puck in the direction of the net every chance they get once they manage a successful zone entry in order to decreasing their PDO as to not appear unsustainably lucky and increase their corsi for their next contract.

In 20 yrs, Corsi will become the primary factor in determining contract value for forwards. and Fenwick will be the determining factor for Dmen.

There will be trophies handed to honor the league leaders in said categories. I think we can guess who those trophies will be named after.
 

DL44

Status quo
Sep 26, 2006
17,894
3,801
Location: Location:
Contracts will have moved to percentages of the cap, instead of a fixed salary.

That could actually make sense...

It makes great sense!

CBA - New Contract Structures - A Radical Idea
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1220141&highlight=

What if all contracts were signed as percentages of the cap?

So players salaries would go up and down (basically up) yr to yr with the cap.
It would be a completely different way of talking and discussing player worth...


So with respect to the cap... We would be referencing Player worth/value as a fractions of the cap...
basically shifting focus off of dollars amounts and focusing on values relative to team's cap.


A few examples to show what i'm talking about:
Present cap: $70 mil.

Some cap hits this season and % of total cap:
Ovechkin, 9.5mil - 13.6%
Crosby, 8.7mil - 12.4%
Stamkos, 7.5mil - 10.7%
......... 7mil - 10% (Rinne, Spezza, Iginla, Doughty, Thornton, Chara)
Karlsson, 6.5mil - 9.3%
Quick, 5.8mil - 8.3%
......... 5.6mil - 8%
Schneider, 4mil - 5.7%
......... 3.5mil - 5.0%
......... 1.0mil - 1.4%
Make min wage 1% of the cap? (700K this yr)

Typical 23 man roster:
Average salary on a mid-cap team (62mil): 2.7% (1.89mil)


So looking at % (rough estimates):
Min wage guys: 1%
4th line guys: 1-2%
3rd line, bottom pair, backup goalies: 2-4%
2nd line, 2nd pair, promising young #1's: 3-7%
Top line, top pairing, est #1 goalies: 6 and up
the elite franchise players would be around the 10% level..

So players sign deals on percentages.. Schneider signs a 3 yr 5.7% deal

Instead of management working salaries into a cap, they'll be working the players % into their cap matrix..
A cap floor team will be looking to add up to (54mil): 77% (or just the cap floor as 75% of the cap)


Pros - players will always be paid market value.. market inflation always accounted for.
Players will never be considered overpaid again. They may be considered overvalued if a team places too great a % on a player...

Cons - teams never having a player's contract value drop against the cap as they presently do.


It would change the language we use... the canucks have 10% in cap space.. Do you think they could get Suter for 10? Is he really worth 10 in this league for the next decade?

It would definitely change everything that goes into the structuring of present contracts and planning of future rosters.. or how players compare to each other on other teams.. arbitration... etc etc..

Too radical to grasp?
Too weird?
 

Dirty but Good

but mostly dirty
Jan 26, 2013
1,627
0
Milwaukee, WI
I think a multi-continent NHL is very possible. Teams in Helsinki and Stockholm, maybe Moscow if NHL can take over KHL territory.

And Quebec City still won't have a team
 

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