2025-2026 NHL Offseason

Jason P

Seattle isn't dumb enough to use taxpayer money to build a private company a stadium and the Canadian dollar is too weak. Too bad that Bill Gates doesn't seam to be a sports fan.

MayDay10

I don't hate the expansion, really. They need to even out the conferences. Huge disadvantage being in the East. I dont like how the schedule looks though. You compete with teams for a playoff spot, but only face them 4 times. Thats too little vs teams you are fighting with. Big important games are fun. Not Buffalo vs. Anaheim 2X

I don't buy the watered down talent theory. There are 10 more teams than there were in 1980. There are millions more participants all over the world. With sports science and nutritional knowledge too, players are overall bigger, faster, and better conditioned than ever.

That is actually the problem IMO. Perfection of coaching and the exceeding efficiency of all the players. The speed, size, and positioning have outgrown the playing field and the rules.
Goalies are virtually meaningless now, they are human spreadsheets, taught positioning and how to make themselves take up the most space possible to decrease the odds of a goal.


Moving to Vegas and being the first is huge for the NHL. I think it is also important for them to beat the NBA back to Seattle but the arena situation is still up in the air. Quebec sounds good too but the Canadian dollar dipping hurts. They couldnt afford/justify $500 Million in USD to do it. Quebecor is doing and saying all the perfect things to remain in the NHL's good graces. Going to probably wait out some of the unknowns: Carolina, Arizona, and Florida.

Mignelli14

MayDay10 said:

I don't hate the expansion, really. They need to even out the conferences. Huge disadvantage being in the East. I dont like how the schedule looks though. You compete with teams for a playoff spot, but only face them 4 times. Thats too little vs teams you are fighting with. Big important games are fun. Not Buffalo vs. Anaheim 2X

I don't buy the watered down talent theory. There are 10 more teams than there were in 1980. There are millions more participants all over the world. With sports science and nutritional knowledge too, players are overall bigger, faster, and better conditioned than ever.

That is actually the problem IMO. Perfection of coaching and the exceeding efficiency of all the players. The speed, size, and positioning have outgrown the playing field and the rules.
Goalies are virtually meaningless now, they are human spreadsheets, taught positioning and how to make themselves take up the most space possible to decrease the odds of a goal.


Moving to Vegas and being the first is huge for the NHL. I think it is also important for them to beat the NBA back to Seattle but the arena situation is still up in the air. Quebec sounds good too but the Canadian dollar dipping hurts. They couldnt afford/justify $500 Million in USD to do it. Quebecor is doing and saying all the perfect things to remain in the NHL's good graces. Going to probably wait out some of the unknowns: Carolina, Arizona, and Florida.

You are correct, but what I mean is that with the more teams the more spots there are for fringe-roster players. If there were less spots in the league then the less talented players wouldn't be getting NHL roster spots.
Your point about goaltenders is interesting too. I also think the evolution of their padding is an important factor. How good do you really have to be when a lot of shots will just hit you? Look at Corey Crawford for example. I'm not saying he's bad, he's dynamite, but a lot of pucks just hit him, I wouldn't say he's the most athletic or tactical/technical goalie around

MayDay10

Ryan Miller is the biggest example of that. I wouldn't even consider him a good athlete. He is just well studied.
Very good at playing position, being bigger, and cutting odds.... the minute you need him to come up big or make a comeback athletic save though he cant do it. Also the worst puckhandler I have ever seen

MayDay10

MayDay10

or for your liking

MayDay10

I get protection and all... but there are so many excesses in padding and material that it takes up space that doesnt need to be taken up. Vanbiesbrouck grew wings in Florida

Mignelli14

Beez! Yeah I don't think goalies should be any more than like 1.4x the size of a skater. They're like double now it's insane

PJ_Soul

MayDay10 said:

I don't hate the expansion, really. They need to even out the conferences. Huge disadvantage being in the East. I dont like how the schedule looks though. You compete with teams for a playoff spot, but only face them 4 times. Thats too little vs teams you are fighting with. Big important games are fun. Not Buffalo vs. Anaheim 2X

I don't buy the watered down talent theory. There are 10 more teams than there were in 1980. There are millions more participants all over the world. With sports science and nutritional knowledge too, players are overall bigger, faster, and better conditioned than ever.

That is actually the problem IMO. Perfection of coaching and the exceeding efficiency of all the players. The speed, size, and positioning have outgrown the playing field and the rules.
Goalies are virtually meaningless now, they are human spreadsheets, taught positioning and how to make themselves take up the most space possible to decrease the odds of a goal.


Moving to Vegas and being the first is huge for the NHL. I think it is also important for them to beat the NBA back to Seattle but the arena situation is still up in the air. Quebec sounds good too but the Canadian dollar dipping hurts. They couldnt afford/justify $500 Million in USD to do it. Quebecor is doing and saying all the perfect things to remain in the NHL's good graces. Going to probably wait out some of the unknowns: Carolina, Arizona, and Florida.

I don't hate this expansion at all. I definitely never thought that LV should specifically not get a team. It's just that a place like Quebec has a MUCH more interested fan base. But yeah, as long as the Canadian dollar keeps acting like the Canadian dollar, Canada will not see another team. In fact, I'm shocked that Winnipeg got its team back... again, that should have been Quebec. Nothing against Winnipeg. It's just that Quebec is a why better market.
I also don't buy the watered down talent pool theory. There still aren't that many players in the NHL, and they have a whole world to choose from. The pool isn't even close to drained. Team and NHL management on the other hand.... that is pretty much fucked.

HesCalledDyer

Jason P said:

Seattle isn't dumb enough to use taxpayer money to build a private company a stadium and the Canadian dollar is too weak. Too bad that Bill Gates doesn't seam to be a sports fan.

But Paul Allen is.

Mignelli14

PJ_Soul said:

I also don't buy the watered down talent pool theory. There still aren't that many players in the NHL, and they have a whole world to choose from. The pool isn't even close to drained. Team and NHL management on the other hand.... that is pretty much fucked.

All I mean is that with each team there are going to be more everyday players. You can go to the extremes for an example - if there were 2 teams in the NHL they'd both be full of all stars. But now you add say 20 roster spots in the league, sure there might be a couple good players occupying some of those spots, but then you're basically filling the rest with the 18 best AHL players let's say. It's the same way in every sport. Not really a theory. There is no denying though that even the everyday players of today are much better than those of the past. So much faster, stronger, usually smarter too. Maybe it's not watered down as opposed to rosters in the past, but relative to today it is for sure.

Dr. Delight

Goalie pads size definitely have to be decreased.
Also this league doesnt need a team in Arizona and two teams in Florida. Move them around to new, sturdier markets. Especially Arizona. That situation is embarrassing.

PJ_Soul

Don't you guys think, though, that if the goalie pads got smaller again, goals would be getting scored way more often? Scored would starting being 8 - 10 instead of 2 - 3. Now I don't even know if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. I'm just saying that goalie size seems to have increased right along with increased scoring ability.

Jason P

HesCalledDyer said:

Jason P said:

Seattle isn't dumb enough to use taxpayer money to build a private company a stadium and the Canadian dollar is too weak. Too bad that Bill Gates doesn't seam to be a sports fan.

But Paul Allen is.

He owns the Trailblazers so that takes him out of the equation. No way they build one just for hockey.

PJ_Soul

Well, whoever is stupid or not, I think it's pretty nuts to me that there isn't a single NHL team in the entire Pacific Northwest.

Dr. Delight

PJ_Soul said:

Don't you guys think, though, that if the goalie pads got smaller again, goals would be getting scored way more often? Scored would starting being 8 - 10 instead of 2 - 3. Now I don't even know if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. I'm just saying that goalie size seems to have increased right along with increased scoring ability.

Goalies today are much bigger size wise without pads compared to the guys who played 20 years ago. Even with the smaller pads they will still be taking up a large portion of the net. Time to separate the guys who are actually skilled from those who are just naturally large in stature.
A lot of these kids are 6'3 + in height, and when in the crouching position, take up a lot of net.

MayDay10

I dont think it would blow up that much.

Basically they are at 5.42 goals per game which is extremely low. Between 7 and 8 would be the sweet spot.

There are multiple cuplrits and the sport is going to have to change drastically. I would like for them to make a couple minor changes first, like goalie equipment and possible opening the net size a few inches.


A big problem is defenders collapsing around the goaltender which takes chances away by taking scoring positions away, and clogging the shooting lanes. Pucks get through and the goalie is big and trained to be in the right spot. It seems that 30% of goals are some kind of bounce. IMO the extreme solutions are going to have to do something like a "key" that defenders cant occupy much or a limit on defenders in the zone or something like that.

Also, trash coaches challenges for offsides.

They can do an 'artificial' fix like increase powerplay opportunities or force players to serve the full 2:00 even if a goal is scored, but I dont like that

PJ_Soul

Dr. Delight said:

PJ_Soul said:

Don't you guys think, though, that if the goalie pads got smaller again, goals would be getting scored way more often? Scored would starting being 8 - 10 instead of 2 - 3. Now I don't even know if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. I'm just saying that goalie size seems to have increased right along with increased scoring ability.

Goalies today are much bigger size wise without pads compared to the guys who played 20 years ago. Even with the smaller pads they will still be taking up a large portion of the net. Time to separate the guys who are actually skilled from those who are just naturally large in stature.
A lot of these kids are 6'3 + in height, and when in the crouching position, take up a lot of net.

True, but that is right along side the bigger faster offense... if the rest of the team is getting bigger, faster, stronger, it really only makes sense that the goalie also gets bigger, faster, stronger..... I know the massive pads add even more to that, but you get my drift. I would definitely like to see them try it though, just to see the real impact smaller goalies would have with the teams of today. Perhaps 8-10 scores would make the game better, I don't know.

MayDay10

the players have grown and gotten more efficient, but coaching and defenders/taking up space is the name of the game... Not getting to the net, open space, etc. Watch a clip from the 70s and 80s and its shocking how much room there is. So you have all this congestion... and also the goalie are trained for space/positioning.

HesCalledDyer

Jason P said:

HesCalledDyer said:

Jason P said:

Seattle isn't dumb enough to use taxpayer money to build a private company a stadium and the Canadian dollar is too weak. Too bad that Bill Gates doesn't seam to be a sports fan.

But Paul Allen is.

He owns the Trailblazers so that takes him out of the equation. No way they build one just for hockey.

Yeah that's true.