NHL Expansion to Seattle 2014-15 ???

[dash]

Don't feel bad. I like Hamonic, but I don't view him as a #1 defenseman. I don't think Visnovsky is either. Nabby is 37 so it's not like he's a longterm answer in goal for the Isles. Fortunately for Garth there will be some good UFA goalies available next offseason. Miller, Hiller, Halak & Elliott just to name a few. Lundqvist will probably break the bank with a new deal from the Rangers at some point this offseason or during the season. I don't expect him to go anywhere.

I don't feel bad, I guess you could argue the re-build should have started a couple of years ago, but hey, at least Feaster and company seem to be moving in the right direction. The upcoming season will likely be a tough one and the Flames will likely be in the running for a top 3 pick (Ekblad or Reinhart would be just fine).

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

I would rather see the Panthers move to Seattle than add anymore teams.

 

[The Q stache]

You might have a number 1 center soon. Also I would like to see a team in Wisconsin, they follow college hockey up there so I think it could work.

 

[elocomotive]

I'm against expansion. I feel there are to many teams in the league as it is. Far to many teams around the league lack depth. Some don't even have a true #1 center, defenseman or goalie.

I can't disagree more. Since hockey is the ultimate team game, you see plenty of teams excel and play entertaining hockey. I think the talent is certainly out there to have a marketable product with many more teams than the league has now as long as the financials work.

That said - my opinion will change 180 degrees if this Seattle team wins a cup before the Caps do.

It still blows my mind that the Canes and Lightning have both already won a Cup.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I can't disagree more. Since hockey is the ultimate team game, you see plenty of teams excel and play entertaining hockey. I think the talent is certainly out there to have a marketable product with many more teams than the league has now as long as the financials work.

That said - my opinion will change 180 degrees if this Seattle team wins a cup before the Caps do.

It still blows my mind that the Canes and Lightning have both already won a Cup.

I'd be less bothered by the Canes than say the Ducks. The Canes afterall were a relocation rather than an expansion.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

I can't disagree more. Since hockey is the ultimate team game, you see plenty of teams excel and play entertaining hockey. I think the talent is certainly out there to have a marketable product with many more teams than the league has now as long as the financials work.

That said - my opinion will change 180 degrees if this Seattle team wins a cup before the Caps do.

It still blows my mind that the Canes and Lightning have both already won a Cup.

The talent isn't out their. That's the problem. There are to many teams that have zero depth. When Cam Ward went down for the year the Hurricanes went from 1st place to missing the playoffs & having the 5th pick in the draft. The lack of depth at the Center position is alarming. A lot of teams who do have a true #1 center don't have much depth beyond that. The league is watered down enough as it is with 30 teams. They don't need to add anymore.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

/Mitch Levy also was the one who said that when Glendale was deciding on whether to acept the new lease terms with the new onwership group in late June / Early July, Paul Allen swooped in undercover (visualize that) and put a last minute offer to the NHL to buy the Coyotes and move them to the Rose Garden in Portland for next season

in that "decision week" Portland was closer to having an NHL team than Seattle

Portland Trail Blazers chief confirms Paul Allen?s interest in NHL | ProHockeyTalk


/so there was no official offer for the coyotes but he was verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry interested

 

[juliansteed]

The talent isn't out their. That's the problem. There are to many teams that have zero depth. When Cam Ward went down for the year the Hurricanes went from 1st place to missing the playoffs & having the 5th pick in the draft. The lack of depth at the Center position is alarming. A lot of teams who do have a true #1 center don't have much depth beyond that. The league is watered down enough as it is with 30 teams. They don't need to add anymore.

But depth is all relative. It doesn't matter how many teams you have in the league, there will always be pretty much the same proportions of average players, above average players, and below average players.

The game with the least amount of "depth players" or least "watered down" game of the year is the All-Star Game. Would you rather watch that or a World Junior match-up between 2 of the top teams? I'd take the World Junior game any time even though very few, if any, of those players are currently good enough to make an NHL team as even a depth player.

That being said, if you put an NHL team in Seattle I imagine you'll start seeing a lot more players Seattle and other parts of the American North-West (not Kanye's kid) in the NHL in about 10-15 years.

 

[BlueWolfZero]

I'd rather see teams put in places that deserve them and are hockey areas. Seattle fits neither of these criteria

 

[juliansteed]

I'd rather see teams put in places that deserve them and are hockey areas. Seattle fits neither of these criteria

Deserve's got nothing to do with it.


Seriously though even if it did matter, how does a city go about deserving an NHL team, especially if deserving one doesn't mean the same thing is being a hockey area?

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

But depth is all relative. It doesn't matter how many teams you have in the league, there will always be pretty much the same proportions of average players, above average players, and below average players.

The game with the least amount of "depth players" or least "watered down" game of the year is the All-Star Game. Would you rather watch that or a World Junior match-up between 2 of the top teams? I'd take the World Junior game any time even though very few, if any, of those players are currently good enough to make an NHL team as even a depth player.

That being said, if you put an NHL team in Seattle I imagine you'll start seeing a lot more players Seattle and other parts of the American North-West (not Kanye's kid) in the NHL in about 10-15 years.

I want to see a strong league with team after team having plenty of talent. I'd prefer every team in the league having as much talent as the Olympic rosters of Canada, Sweden, USA, Russia & Finland. I think there are to many teams in the NHL as it is. Adding another one will lower the level of play. They'll have an expansion draft & every team will lose players from their roster. Some teams will be hurt more than others. Some teams will try to save themselves some money & put a player or two who have big contracts, but not worth the money. One thing is certain every team will lose some depth & that hurts the league as a whole When a number of teams have a big question as to who their #2 Center is or their 3rd & 4th defenseman it's bad for the league.

 

[Desert Glory]

I would love to see a team in Seattle, one of the most amazing cities in the U.S.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Rose garden is no more

Can naming rights deal attract NHL to Portland? | CSN Northwest

 

[stealth]

gotta have it....

im glad Phoenix maintained the coyotes so that means Seattle must get a team.


Visualize Vancover/Seattle rivalry.....I want to see it

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

I would rather just move the Panthers to Seattle than add an expansion team.

 

[psaboy]

They can't keep a NBA why a NHL team. Seattle fails in all they do other than coffee and Cobain

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

They can't keep a NBA why a NHL team. Seattle fails in all they do other than coffee and Cobain

I think the problem with the Sonics was their arena. It was old and away from downtown. If they get a new team, chances are they'll have to get a new area first.

 

[stealth]

remeber

seattle has had minor league hockey for years so the fanbase is there

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I think the problem with the Sonics was their arena. It was old and away from downtown. If they get a new team, chances are they'll have to get a new area first.

Seattle centre right next to the space needle. Cant get more downtown than that

But yah its a shit arena

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Seattle centre right next to the space needle. Cant get more downtown than that

But yah its a shit arena

Things might have changed since I last went to Seattle, but I found the Space Needle area to be sort of desolate compared to the rest of downtown, but the bigger problem was probably that it was old more so than its location.