With next season an expansion year, will we have a 300-goal team?

c9777666

Registered User
Aug 31, 2016
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In previous NHL seasons with an expansion team, the #1 scoring team in terms of goals scored:

1998-99 (Nashville): Toronto Maple Leafs, 268 goals

1999-00 (Atlanta): Detroit Red Wings, 278 goals

2000-01 (Columbus-Minnesota): New Jersey Devils, 295 goals

For perspective, this year's #1 scoring team was Pittsburgh with 282

A far cry from 4 300+ goal teams in 1991-92 (San Jose), 3 300+ goal teams in 1993-94 (Florida/Anaheim) and of course 1992-93 famously had 15 such teams.

With the expansion draft, that'll weaken some teams and potentially goaltending.

In baseball, expansion years have led to big booms in offense (1961, 1977, 1998).

Do you see such a big boom next season?

Could the likes of Edmonton/Pittsburgh/Toronto light it up to an even higher level?

Does anyone come close to 300 goals, which has been only done 4 times in the 2000s (OTT/DET 2005-06, BUF 2006-07, WSH 2009-10)?

And how many 280-290+ goal teams may we have?

Could we see a surplus of 40-50 goal scorers and 100+ point skaters?

Heck, could a team have multiple 40 goal snipers? I remember it was a big freaking deal by today's standards when Dallas 2 years ago had three 30-goal men on one team. Pittsburgh only had 2 such guys this year and their 282 goals was 1 more than they had in 2000-01 (an expansion year BTW) with Lemieuc/Jagr and the KLS Line.
 

kodoshin

Registered User
Mar 26, 2007
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Whatever the team Vegas puts on the ice I'd expect it to be far more competitive than those brutal first year Sharks and Sens teams. So I'm not anticipating them being the factor that would push a team over the 300 mark.
 

mcnorth

Registered User
Jun 28, 2011
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Vegas is going to be able to ice a competitive team right from day one.

Other expansion franchises got royally hooped compared to the players Vegas is going to be able to choose from and the deals that are going to be offered not to pick some guys. They're going to be in a very good position at, at least, the next three drafts from some of those deals that are forthcoming, along with the boon that is the new draft lottery. Plus, probably the most attractive free agent destination for an expansion franchise maybe ever.
 

Luigi Lemieux

Registered User
Sep 26, 2003
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I think Pittsburgh would have scored 300+ if they were healthier. They lost Letang, Malkin and others for extended periods of time and ended up with 282. It's possible.
 

Mickey Marner

Registered User
Jul 9, 2014
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Dystopia
2-4 games against Vegas isn't much of an opportunity to run up the score. I bet Vegas doesn't lead the NHL in goals against either.
 

Quarter

The caravan moves on
Mar 3, 2011
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Ontario
OP is either overestimating how much the presence of a single expansion team will have on scoring, or completely underestimating how Vegas will perform (although I'm not saying they'll be world-beaters).

... or both, which is probably more likely than either of the above.
 

wedge

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Oct 4, 2004
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victoriaville
Maybe with two expansion teams. All teams would be. Issing depht, losing two players. Now, with only losing one player on their team, i don't think it'll do much difference
 

alko

Registered User
Oct 20, 2004
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Maybe with 2 - 3 new teams. BUt for now...? It is very improbable.

But, as always, some chance is still here. Pens without injuries can do it. But they could do it also in a normal season.
 

Quarter

The caravan moves on
Mar 3, 2011
10,097
282
Ontario
Maybe with two expansion teams. All teams would be. Issing depht, losing two players. Now, with only losing one player on their team, i don't think it'll do much difference
When the league expanded from 28 to 30 teams for the 00/01 season the highest scoring team was the New Jersey Devils with 295 goals. Detroit had scored 278 the year before.

So... it's possible.
 

Paperbagofglory

Registered User
Nov 15, 2010
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I am shocked the Devils actually were able to score goals in the early 2000's. They were so good defensively that nobody ever stops to look at the offense in those years.
 

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