2025-2026 NHL Offseason

Jumb0

a5pj said:

Yeah, hoping for some trades.
I didn't see Carolina on the list so far. Bean seems like the safe choice (and Francis originally drafted him), unless they are making a deal for Hamilton, which will be a big deal!

They took Morgan Geekie from CAR

Jumb0

I think Detroit is all were waiting on

Meltdown99

Carey Price came up with the idea of leaving himself exposed so Montreal could protect Jake Allen…Carey Price is the ultimate team guy..Now maybe some douchebag players will see why Montreal fans are so passionate…most of us were fine if we lost Price, but are happy he is staying…and even happier that he was a big part of the process…

Meltdown99

Seattle should be able to compete next year…the Pacific Division is not that strong…

a5pj

Jumb0 said:

a5pj said:

Yeah, hoping for some trades.
I didn't see Carolina on the list so far. Bean seems like the safe choice (and Francis originally drafted him), unless they are making a deal for Hamilton, which will be a big deal!

They took Morgan Geekie from CAR

Really? Wow, sucks to lose him, but thought Bean was a lock. I expect him to put up 20 if he gets the minutes, very high ceiling on him.

Jumb0

Meltdown99 said:

Seattle should be able to compete next year…the Pacific Division is not that strong…

The division isn't great but I'm wondering where Seattle's scoring is going to come from. I know we still have free agency to go, but based on the roster right now I'm not seeing top end scoring. 

F Me In The Brain

Jumb0 said:

Meltdown99 said:

Seattle should be able to compete next year…the Pacific Division is not that strong…

The division isn't great but I'm wondering where Seattle's scoring is going to come from. I know we still have free agency to go, but based on the roster right now I'm not seeing top end scoring. 

Agree 100%

Meltdown99

Any side deals will be announced after 1 on Thursday…lol.  What a disaster the nhl made of the expansion draft show.  10 hours between when Seattle’s list is submitted to when the show ran and the side deals are not announced.  Yup Seattle you paid 650 million to join a league that you may never make money and will rely on the nhl welfare system of revenue sharing…and ESPN is like “now we remember why we dropped the nhl years ago.”

Good job Bettman.  Bettman couldn’t organize a 1 car funeral.

im just waiting for the dumpster fire the Arizona whatever they are to be given up on and for someone from Quebec to get in there buy that team and move them to Quebec City to a real hockey market…

pjhawks

Meltdown99 said:

Any side deals will be announced after 1 on Thursday…lol.  What a disaster the nhl made of the expansion draft show.  10 hours between when Seattle’s list is submitted to when the show ran and the side deals are not announced.  Yup Seattle you paid 650 million to join a league that you may never make money and will rely on the nhl welfare system of revenue sharing…and ESPN is like “now we remember why we dropped the nhl years ago.”

Good job Bettman.  Bettman couldn’t organize a 1 car funeral.

im just waiting for the dumpster fire the Arizona whatever they are to be given up on and for someone from Quebec to get in there buy that team and move them to Quebec City to a real hockey market…

The show was so lame but I blame that on ESPN. That was terrible.  I do not have a good feeling with ESPN having the tv package in the US now.   

mrussel1

pjhawks said:

Meltdown99 said:

Any side deals will be announced after 1 on Thursday…lol.  What a disaster the nhl made of the expansion draft show.  10 hours between when Seattle’s list is submitted to when the show ran and the side deals are not announced.  Yup Seattle you paid 650 million to join a league that you may never make money and will rely on the nhl welfare system of revenue sharing…and ESPN is like “now we remember why we dropped the nhl years ago.”

Good job Bettman.  Bettman couldn’t organize a 1 car funeral.

im just waiting for the dumpster fire the Arizona whatever they are to be given up on and for someone from Quebec to get in there buy that team and move them to Quebec City to a real hockey market…

The show was so lame but I blame that on ESPN. That was terrible.  I do not have a good feeling with ESPN having the tv package in the US now.   

I don't either.  I feel like NBC had a nice groove going there.  I really liked Patrick Sharp in particular.  Babcock was WAY too Canadian (no offense, but his accent is thick!) KT was fine, but as a whole team I thought NBC did a nice job.  I guess one good outcome is ESPN giving hockey much more focus on their digital platforms.  It's been buried for a decade. 

MayDay10

I loathed NBC.  Sorry.  poor effort.  I dont need to see Keith Jones standing in the same place for 14 years talking about how team A needs to play better and get their noses dirty to win the game (or whatever other lazy and obvious analyses he brings).  It all just seemed very stale, Jones being my #1 culprit.  Olczyk is another example.

F Me In The Brain

ESPN will bring more eyeballs and they will promote on their channels.  This is good for hockey.

I do think ESPN sucks, but this is important for the NHL if they want to actually be relevant in the US.

mrussel1

Do we get Gary Thorne back?  I'm sure he's a billionaire after calling Orioles games for the last few years.  I always thought he did a good job.  Although apparently I'm not as cynical as y'all. 

MayDay10

F Me In The Brain said:

ESPN will bring more eyeballs and they will promote on their channels.  This is good for hockey.

I do think ESPN sucks, but this is important for the NHL if they want to actually be relevant in the US.

ESPN isnt a great channel...

But IMO, they generally do live sports better than anybody to date.

pjhawks

F Me In The Brain said:

ESPN will bring more eyeballs and they will promote on their channels.  This is good for hockey.

I do think ESPN sucks, but this is important for the NHL if they want to actually be relevant in the US.

The NHL will never be their priority though. Unless they lose the NBA the NHL at best will be their 3rd winter sport behind the NBA and College Basketball.  I also think they are going to ship a lot of games to ESPN+ and make you pay for it.  And if it's anything like their baseball coverage every game on their main channel will be Boston, New York, LA, Chicago and Philly.

F Me In The Brain

pjhawks said:

F Me In The Brain said:

ESPN will bring more eyeballs and they will promote on their channels.  This is good for hockey.

I do think ESPN sucks, but this is important for the NHL if they want to actually be relevant in the US.

The NHL will never be their priority though. Unless they lose the NBA the NHL at best will be their 3rd winter sport behind the NBA and College Basketball.  I also think they are going to ship a lot of games to ESPN+ and make you pay for it.  And if it's anything like their baseball coverage every game on their main channel will be Boston, New York, LA, Chicago and Philly.

Tough to argue those points...but I still feel that compared to NBC and NBCSports or whatever crap was covering games the past few years the exposure will still be greater, nationally. 

(Not worried about existing fans -- we will watch however needed, when we can.  This is more about trying to get back up to the "Big 4" when it comes to sports in the US and not just being an afterthought outside of the core (small) diehard group of hockey fans here.)

mrussel1

I don't know that I agree.  One of the most important negotiating points would be availability.  I would be shocked if hockey was only available in a pay channel like ESPN plus.  

MayDay10

I really dont care what priority ESPN makes hockey tbh.  I cant say I have ever visited NBC Sports' website, nor have ever tuned into their channel other than a live NHL game.  It could have been their 1st, 3rd, 24th priority and I wouldn't notice.  I just think their live coverage was shit and annoying.... oh yay, here is Pierre Maguire telling me that this Wednesday in November Detroit vs Philadelphia game has a 'playoff' atmosphere and the players are 'chirping' between the benches.  Same lies told the last game and the game before that.

The NHL is and always will be second-rate to the other 3 major team sports in the US.  It isnt television coverage, how many people they can fool into watching an all star game, or any of that.  Most Americans cannot relate to the sport of hockey never having played.  They dont care.  To be honest, the sport and league have grown boring and the NHL keeps throwing road blocks up like 'coaches challenges' and an absolutely dumb points/standings system.  The NHL needs to cut all that out and stop trying so hard to be the NFL or NBA.  

I grew up always hating the NBA because it wasnt as 'tough' as hockey and I never played, couldnt relate, and come from a region where basketball is low on the totem pole.  To be honest though, I watch an NBA game and it is entertaining as hell.  It feels like it matters.  Stars look like stars.  The production on TV is good.  The NHL, watching teams slog toward a 3-2 overtime or shootout resolution feels meaningless.

Meltdown99

pjhawks said:

Meltdown99 said:

Any side deals will be announced after 1 on Thursday…lol.  What a disaster the nhl made of the expansion draft show.  10 hours between when Seattle’s list is submitted to when the show ran and the side deals are not announced.  Yup Seattle you paid 650 million to join a league that you may never make money and will rely on the nhl welfare system of revenue sharing…and ESPN is like “now we remember why we dropped the nhl years ago.”

Good job Bettman.  Bettman couldn’t organize a 1 car funeral.

im just waiting for the dumpster fire the Arizona whatever they are to be given up on and for someone from Quebec to get in there buy that team and move them to Quebec City to a real hockey market…

The show was so lame but I blame that on ESPN. That was terrible.  I do not have a good feeling with ESPN having the tv package in the US now.   

They could have done a live draft to avoid the leaks at least...I know very little about ESPN broadcasts.  I did not watch it here in Canada.

 The picks were leaked by noon...other than Detroit.

Meltdown99

The NHL will never be anything but 4th among the 4 major sports in the US.

You want some excitement...then instead of expansion, they need less franchise.  All the NHL did was add 20 million to the coffers of NHL teams and gave 30 or so AHLer jobs.  

There are not many countries that play hockey at an NHL-caliber level.  Canada, a small country still provides the most NHL players.

Personally, I think when Bettman became commissioner he over estimated how much talent was available in other countries...

And expansion is nothing but GREED.  

And I know Michelle Bergevin made a mockery out of the expansion process...and I'm so glad he did and apparently other teams are pissed, be pissed at Francis.  He could have called MB bluff and drafted Price.  That fucker got exactly what he deserved...trying to fleece Montreal out of 2 picks and their top prospect in order not to draft Allen.

I did a deep dive into Fleury, he may become a 6 pairing d man.  Have at him.