2025-2026 NHL Offseason

MayDay10 · May 2019

the points system is maddeningly awful.

But, I would still award a point for an OTL, along with 2 for an OTW. 3 for regulation win, and 0 for regulation loss.

mrussel1 · May 2019

I didn't really like the 3 on 3. Seems too open. Anyone know if it produced more scoring than 4x4?

I don't know how prohibiting 2 line pass was good. The number of breakaways has to be higher now, especially those at end of a penalty kill.

Meltdown99 · May 2019

mrussel1 said:

I didn't really like the 3 on 3. Seems too open. Anyone know if it produced more scoring than 4x4?

I don't know how prohibiting 2 line pass was good. The number of breakaways has to be higher now, especially those at end of a penalty kill.

The shootout sucks...they need to eliminate it...leave those gimmicky things in Europe...the 3 on 3 would produce a winner in most cases in 10 minutes...

I do not know about the 2 line pass... I'm sure someone has stats on if it's improved the game.

Scotty Bowman Gives His Answers to Readers’ Questions
https://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/scotty-bowman-answers-your-questions-2/

Q: Mr. Bowman: Do you feel the overall play league-wide this past season has reverted back to the neutral-zone trap of the late ’90s and early ’00s? It seems as if the ice has shrunk again and players are having a difficult time finding open space to make plays. — William Makin

SB: Because the center line has been removed, teams decided not to worry as much about the attacking zone or the neutral zone to defend. They’ve chosen to protect the scoring area in front of their own goal and bring their wingers down in that area with their defensemen — that’s why scoring is difficult. The scoring area is being protected now more than it ever has. In the choice scoring area, you’ll find too many players from both teams. There’s no room or time to score.

I consider Bowman the greatest mind in hockey currently, quite possibly the 2nd greatest behind Sam Pollack...

Easy to see why Montreal was so damn good in the '70s...they employed the 2 greatest hockey minds at the same time...

MayDay10 · May 2019

Hopefully they ban 2-line passes again. Would be great to provide more opportunities for Coaches Challenges

mrussel1 · May 2019

MayDay10 said:

Hopefully they ban 2-line passes again. Would be great to provide more opportunities for Coaches Challenges

This sounds suspiciously like sarcasm.

Meltdown99 · May 2019

pjhawks said:

Meltdown99 said:

pjhawks said:

the NHL game is better today that it has been in a long long time. do you guys not remember the awful 90s where it was impossible to score because of the defenses and allowing interference on every play? Offenses are fine in today's NHL. Just becomes harder to score in the playoffs because all 5 defenders will try to block every shot in the zone. that's the biggest issue in playoff hockey. getting shots through to the net.

I'm not sure NBA will every truly take over either. there are just not enough teams that win on a year to year basis.something like the number 1 seeds have won over 70% of the NBA titles. and the 1 and 2 seeds something like 85%. I think only 2 teams ever outside a 3 seed have won an NBA title. the chalk plays in the NBA and it's pretty boring unless you are one of those teams.

The '90s were awful. I believe that is when the left wing lock and neutral zone trap systems were introduced. I quit watching hockey in the '90s...I think the game is faster than ever, allowing for the small forwards to excel.

Yup and as a Flyers fan I am still bitter about it. If Lindros played under today's rules he'd be even more unstoppable than Ovechkin.

The Lindros situation was mismanagement of his career by a meddling father. He put way to much pressure on the kid, he was dubbed the next one (Gretzky's heir apparent as the face of the NHL)...that's a lot to live up to. I wonder if he just went to Quebec if that would have been better for him in the long run.

I believe both he and his brothers are still experiencing symptoms from their concussions...

Bobby Orr discussing Carl Lindros...

Bobby Orr reveals some of his secrets in book
https://montrealgazette.com/sports/bobby-orr-reveals-some-of-his-secrets-in-book

There’s a great chapter in the book, Lessons From My Parents, in which Orr writes about the parents of a 14-year-old budding hockey star visiting his parents in Parry Sound looking for advice, asking Doug what he had done to get Bobby to the top.

“My father’s response was short and sweet: Nothing,” Orr writes about what his dad told Carl Lindros.

“I can’t remember my father ever trying to give me any instruction about how to play the game of hockey,” Orr adds. “His advice was to ‘Go out, have some fun, and let’s see what happens’.”

Orr adds that too many parents today are trying to live their lives through their child’s success and wonders why anyone would want to turn their kid’s childhood “into preparation for a job.” He believes there’s something “very wrong” about kids playing hockey 12 months a year, adding it can create “hockey fatigue.” Orr played a lot of baseball as a youngster in the summer and believes that playing different sports turns kids into “athletes” and not just hockey players, which will give them an advantage in the long haul.

The greatest defensemen ever had no parental interference...and was told to just have fun and we will see. Carl Lindros was so overbearing he felt the need to seek out the advice of Orr's parents...

mpedone · May 2019

Meltdown99 said:

Well, the 4 teams left...only Boston and Carolina have won the cup...but the 4 teams left do not have a history of winning championships...

How long has Boston been in the league, 90 years and six championships...Never understood how in the original 6 eras how Montreal, Toronto and Detroit dominated while Boston, Chicago and Rangers did hardly anything...and Chicago and the Rangers are back to sucking.

I'm no hockey historian, but I think it had to do with where the talent came from and the rules (or lack thereof) concerning locking up said talent. Most came from Canada, which favored Montreal and Toronto, and to some extent Detroit. Chicago, New York, and Boston had to fight for US-born talent and leftover Canadians, or had to rely on trades to acquire established talen. The Bruins landing Orr was a freak accident (the Leafs overlooked him), and even then they ran into Montreal's 70s juggernaut (aided by the lack of a salary cap). In the last 40 years or so, both Boston and Chicago have been plagued with horrible ownership/management.

pjhawks · May 2019

Meltdown99 said:

pjhawks said:

Meltdown99 said:

pjhawks said:

the NHL game is better today that it has been in a long long time. do you guys not remember the awful 90s where it was impossible to score because of the defenses and allowing interference on every play? Offenses are fine in today's NHL. Just becomes harder to score in the playoffs because all 5 defenders will try to block every shot in the zone. that's the biggest issue in playoff hockey. getting shots through to the net.

I'm not sure NBA will every truly take over either. there are just not enough teams that win on a year to year basis.something like the number 1 seeds have won over 70% of the NBA titles. and the 1 and 2 seeds something like 85%. I think only 2 teams ever outside a 3 seed have won an NBA title. the chalk plays in the NBA and it's pretty boring unless you are one of those teams.

The '90s were awful. I believe that is when the left wing lock and neutral zone trap systems were introduced. I quit watching hockey in the '90s...I think the game is faster than ever, allowing for the small forwards to excel.

Yup and as a Flyers fan I am still bitter about it. If Lindros played under today's rules he'd be even more unstoppable than Ovechkin.

The Lindros situation was mismanagement of his career by a meddling father. He put way to much pressure on the kid, he was dubbed the next one (Gretzky's heir apparent as the face of the NHL)...that's a lot to live up to. I wonder if he just went to Quebec if that would have been better for him in the long run.

I believe both he and his brothers are still experiencing symptoms from their concussions...

Bobby Orr discussing Carl Lindros...

Bobby Orr reveals some of his secrets in book
https://montrealgazette.com/sports/bobby-orr-reveals-some-of-his-secrets-in-book

There’s a great chapter in the book, Lessons From My Parents, in which Orr writes about the parents of a 14-year-old budding hockey star visiting his parents in Parry Sound looking for advice, asking Doug what he had done to get Bobby to the top.

“My father’s response was short and sweet: Nothing,” Orr writes about what his dad told Carl Lindros.

“I can’t remember my father ever trying to give me any instruction about how to play the game of hockey,” Orr adds. “His advice was to ‘Go out, have some fun, and let’s see what happens’.”

Orr adds that too many parents today are trying to live their lives through their child’s success and wonders why anyone would want to turn their kid’s childhood “into preparation for a job.” He believes there’s something “very wrong” about kids playing hockey 12 months a year, adding it can create “hockey fatigue.” Orr played a lot of baseball as a youngster in the summer and believes that playing different sports turns kids into “athletes” and not just hockey players, which will give them an advantage in the long haul.

The greatest defensemen ever had no parental interference...and was told to just have fun and we will see. Carl Lindros was so overbearing he felt the need to seek out the advice of Orr's parents...

Lindros is a hall of famer so it's not like his dad hurt him that much. and the only reason it hurt him in Philly is because Bob Clarke was a shitty and miserable prick as a GM. Concussions obviously derailed him. Of course the Scott Stevens hit in the playoffs today would warrent about a 5 game suspension. different era. if he played today...even more dominant than he was.

what would be the reasoning behind putting the no 2 line pass rule back in? I thought it was a dumb rule back in the day and would be even dumber today.

Meltdown99 · May 2019

pjhawks said:

Meltdown99 said:

pjhawks said:

Meltdown99 said:

pjhawks said:

the NHL game is better today that it has been in a long long time. do you guys not remember the awful 90s where it was impossible to score because of the defenses and allowing interference on every play? Offenses are fine in today's NHL. Just becomes harder to score in the playoffs because all 5 defenders will try to block every shot in the zone. that's the biggest issue in playoff hockey. getting shots through to the net.

I'm not sure NBA will every truly take over either. there are just not enough teams that win on a year to year basis.something like the number 1 seeds have won over 70% of the NBA titles. and the 1 and 2 seeds something like 85%. I think only 2 teams ever outside a 3 seed have won an NBA title. the chalk plays in the NBA and it's pretty boring unless you are one of those teams.

The '90s were awful. I believe that is when the left wing lock and neutral zone trap systems were introduced. I quit watching hockey in the '90s...I think the game is faster than ever, allowing for the small forwards to excel.

Yup and as a Flyers fan I am still bitter about it. If Lindros played under today's rules he'd be even more unstoppable than Ovechkin.

The Lindros situation was mismanagement of his career by a meddling father. He put way to much pressure on the kid, he was dubbed the next one (Gretzky's heir apparent as the face of the NHL)...that's a lot to live up to. I wonder if he just went to Quebec if that would have been better for him in the long run.

I believe both he and his brothers are still experiencing symptoms from their concussions...

Bobby Orr discussing Carl Lindros...

Bobby Orr reveals some of his secrets in book
https://montrealgazette.com/sports/bobby-orr-reveals-some-of-his-secrets-in-book

There’s a great chapter in the book, Lessons From My Parents, in which Orr writes about the parents of a 14-year-old budding hockey star visiting his parents in Parry Sound looking for advice, asking Doug what he had done to get Bobby to the top.

“My father’s response was short and sweet: Nothing,” Orr writes about what his dad told Carl Lindros.

“I can’t remember my father ever trying to give me any instruction about how to play the game of hockey,” Orr adds. “His advice was to ‘Go out, have some fun, and let’s see what happens’.”

Orr adds that too many parents today are trying to live their lives through their child’s success and wonders why anyone would want to turn their kid’s childhood “into preparation for a job.” He believes there’s something “very wrong” about kids playing hockey 12 months a year, adding it can create “hockey fatigue.” Orr played a lot of baseball as a youngster in the summer and believes that playing different sports turns kids into “athletes” and not just hockey players, which will give them an advantage in the long haul.

The greatest defensemen ever had no parental interference...and was told to just have fun and we will see. Carl Lindros was so overbearing he felt the need to seek out the advice of Orr's parents...

Lindros is a hall of famer so it's not like his dad hurt him that much. and the only reason it hurt him in Philly is because Bob Clarke was a shitty and miserable prick as a GM. Concussions obviously derailed him. Of course the Scott Stevens hit in the playoffs today would warrent about a 5 game suspension. different era. if he played today...even more dominant than he was.

what would be the reasoning behind putting the no 2 line pass rule back in? I thought it was a dumb rule back in the day and would be even dumber today.

Being in the hockey of fame means very little...in Canada, it's been a long-running joke that all you need is a pulse to get into the HOF.

Not saying Lindros didn't deserve to be in...but he did not benefit from his father's meddling. And he is not even in the same league as Ovi. Ovi is likely to challenge Gretzky's goal record...Lindros would never even get close, even healthy...

pjhawks · May 2019

Meltdown99 said:

pjhawks said:

Meltdown99 said:

pjhawks said:

Meltdown99 said:

pjhawks said:

the NHL game is better today that it has been in a long long time. do you guys not remember the awful 90s where it was impossible to score because of the defenses and allowing interference on every play? Offenses are fine in today's NHL. Just becomes harder to score in the playoffs because all 5 defenders will try to block every shot in the zone. that's the biggest issue in playoff hockey. getting shots through to the net.

I'm not sure NBA will every truly take over either. there are just not enough teams that win on a year to year basis.something like the number 1 seeds have won over 70% of the NBA titles. and the 1 and 2 seeds something like 85%. I think only 2 teams ever outside a 3 seed have won an NBA title. the chalk plays in the NBA and it's pretty boring unless you are one of those teams.

The '90s were awful. I believe that is when the left wing lock and neutral zone trap systems were introduced. I quit watching hockey in the '90s...I think the game is faster than ever, allowing for the small forwards to excel.

Yup and as a Flyers fan I am still bitter about it. If Lindros played under today's rules he'd be even more unstoppable than Ovechkin.

The Lindros situation was mismanagement of his career by a meddling father. He put way to much pressure on the kid, he was dubbed the next one (Gretzky's heir apparent as the face of the NHL)...that's a lot to live up to. I wonder if he just went to Quebec if that would have been better for him in the long run.

I believe both he and his brothers are still experiencing symptoms from their concussions...

Bobby Orr discussing Carl Lindros...

Bobby Orr reveals some of his secrets in book
https://montrealgazette.com/sports/bobby-orr-reveals-some-of-his-secrets-in-book

There’s a great chapter in the book, Lessons From My Parents, in which Orr writes about the parents of a 14-year-old budding hockey star visiting his parents in Parry Sound looking for advice, asking Doug what he had done to get Bobby to the top.

“My father’s response was short and sweet: Nothing,” Orr writes about what his dad told Carl Lindros.

“I can’t remember my father ever trying to give me any instruction about how to play the game of hockey,” Orr adds. “His advice was to ‘Go out, have some fun, and let’s see what happens’.”

Orr adds that too many parents today are trying to live their lives through their child’s success and wonders why anyone would want to turn their kid’s childhood “into preparation for a job.” He believes there’s something “very wrong” about kids playing hockey 12 months a year, adding it can create “hockey fatigue.” Orr played a lot of baseball as a youngster in the summer and believes that playing different sports turns kids into “athletes” and not just hockey players, which will give them an advantage in the long haul.

The greatest defensemen ever had no parental interference...and was told to just have fun and we will see. Carl Lindros was so overbearing he felt the need to seek out the advice of Orr's parents...

Lindros is a hall of famer so it's not like his dad hurt him that much. and the only reason it hurt him in Philly is because Bob Clarke was a shitty and miserable prick as a GM. Concussions obviously derailed him. Of course the Scott Stevens hit in the playoffs today would warrent about a 5 game suspension. different era. if he played today...even more dominant than he was.

what would be the reasoning behind putting the no 2 line pass rule back in? I thought it was a dumb rule back in the day and would be even dumber today.

Being in the hockey of fame means very little...in Canada, it's been a long-running joke that all you need is a pulse to get into the HOF.

Not saying Lindros didn't deserve to be in...but he did not benefit from his father's meddling. And he is not even in the same league as Ovi. Ovi is likely to challenge Gretzky's goal record...Lindros would never even get close, even healthy...

disagree

ledvedderman · May 2019

If my Blues could quit turning the puck over, yeah, that'd be awesome...

Wobbie · May 2019

seems like a bunch of teams no one cares about.....bruins “move the needle” but they’re a bunch of assholes. SJ, the same.

give me the blues.

ledvedderman · May 2019

Wobbie said:

seems like a bunch of teams no one cares about.....bruins “move the needle” but they’re a bunch of assholes. SJ, the same.

give me the blues

Meltdown99 · May 2019

Good game tonight. This could be a long series.

Meltdown99 · May 2019

Wobbie said:

seems like a bunch of teams no one cares about.....bruins “move the needle” but they’re a bunch of assholes. SJ, the same.

give me the blues.

The league would love LA v NY in the finals...lol.

Get_Right · May 2019

Wobbie said:

seems like a bunch of teams no one cares about.....bruins “move the needle” but they’re a bunch of assholes. SJ, the same.

give me the blues.

If you live in the northeast you probably care about Bruins Canes. Especially as a whalers season ticket holder

Meltdown99 · May 2019

Get_Right said:

Wobbie said:

seems like a bunch of teams no one cares about.....bruins “move the needle” but they’re a bunch of assholes. SJ, the same.

give me the blues.

If you live in the northeast you probably care about Bruins Canes. Especially as a whalers season ticket holder

In the end, most fans are casual fans anyways. Once their team is eliminated, they do not follow along closely. Only hardcore fans like myself continue to watch, even though my team fail to qualify. And the NHL in the US is to fast a game for most Americans to follow...lol...remember the fox tracker on the puck...lol

Get_Right · May 2019

Meltdown99 said:

Get_Right said:

Wobbie said:

seems like a bunch of teams no one cares about.....bruins “move the needle” but they’re a bunch of assholes. SJ, the same.

give me the blues.

If you live in the northeast you probably care about Bruins Canes. Especially as a whalers season ticket holder

In the end, most fans are casual fans anyways. Once their team is eliminated, they do not follow along closely. Only hardcore fans like myself continue to watch, even though my team fail to qualify. And the NHL in the US is to fast a game for most Americans to follow...lol...remember the fox tracker on the puck...lol

Actually, I think the semis (maybe even the quarters) are when the casual US fans start to watch, no matter which teams are in. Hardcore fans watch all year long in the US. IMHO hockey is not popular in the US due to the lack of scoring, speed has nothing to do with it.

Meltdown99 · May 2019

Get_Right said:

Meltdown99 said:

Get_Right said:

Wobbie said:

seems like a bunch of teams no one cares about.....bruins “move the needle” but they’re a bunch of assholes. SJ, the same.

give me the blues.

If you live in the northeast you probably care about Bruins Canes. Especially as a whalers season ticket holder

In the end, most fans are casual fans anyways. Once their team is eliminated, they do not follow along closely. Only hardcore fans like myself continue to watch, even though my team fail to qualify. And the NHL in the US is to fast a game for most Americans to follow...lol...remember the fox tracker on the puck...lol

Actually, I think the semis (maybe even the quarters) are when the casual US fans start to watch, no matter which teams are in. Hardcore fans watch all year long in the US. IMHO hockey is not popular in the US due to the lack of scoring, speed has nothing to do with it.

Hockey has never been that popular in the US. In the high flying 80's, it was not popular...

Scoring has nothing to do with popularity...soccer is the most popular game on the planet...not much scoring there.

Get_Right · May 2019

Meltdown99 said:

Get_Right said:

Meltdown99 said:

Get_Right said:

Wobbie said:

seems like a bunch of teams no one cares about.....bruins “move the needle” but they’re a bunch of assholes. SJ, the same.

give me the blues.

If you live in the northeast you probably care about Bruins Canes. Especially as a whalers season ticket holder

In the end, most fans are casual fans anyways. Once their team is eliminated, they do not follow along closely. Only hardcore fans like myself continue to watch, even though my team fail to qualify. And the NHL in the US is to fast a game for most Americans to follow...lol...remember the fox tracker on the puck...lol

Actually, I think the semis (maybe even the quarters) are when the casual US fans start to watch, no matter which teams are in. Hardcore fans watch all year long in the US. IMHO hockey is not popular in the US due to the lack of scoring, speed has nothing to do with it.

Hockey has never been that popular in the US. In the high flying 80's, it was not popular...

Scoring has nothing to do with popularity...soccer is the most popular game on the planet...not much scoring there.

Soccer is less popular than hockey in the US, although that is slowly changing. Scoring has everything to do with popularity in the US. Most popular sport in the US is our version of football and there are 6 or 3 points for a single score. This is a hockey thread so stick to hockey.

2025-2026 NHL Offseason

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