2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[Irony]

Predators resigned Weber for 7.5m. What do you make of this? Quite a lot for a defender. And Kings: have fun with resigning Doughty.

A 60 point D-man who is a great penalty killer and is going into his prime, is easily worth 7.5m.

[Zoma]

Canucks sign Owen Nolan and Todd Fedoruk to tryout contracts

[Rennadrel]

lol I thought Owen Nolan retired like 5 years ago

[conscript]

lol I thought Owen Nolan retired like 5 years ago

He was playing in the Swiss league last year after not landing on an NHL roster. Frankly I doubt he will land on the Canucks after the tryouts. They don't seem particularly weak anywhere that would justify signing Nolan.

---------- Post added 2011-08-07 at 12:56 PM ----------

A 60 point D-man who is a great penalty killer and is going into his prime, is easily worth 7.5m.

Oh ya he is certainly worth that amount, but we all know the Preds aren't going to pay that long term. If the team isn't in position to win the Cup this season, they are absolutely fucked. Rinne will walk to another team. Weber will demand a trade, which could happen this season at the deadline if things look bleak for the team. Suter is going to walk to a better money deal after this season. Unless attendance is closer to capacity this season, and that is actual people not claimed attendance, there is no way the owner will bust out the checkbook and give any of those guys market deals.

Then again, there might not even be a season after next year and if there is it will be under a new CBA which will change god knows what.

[AceofHarts]

conscript i hope they dont win it next year. i will gladly see the Red Wings pick up our next multi Norris trophy winner. oh and hello everyone. long time no see. =D

[Fuzzzie]

Oh shit son!

Marcelos11 is back!!!!

[Rennadrel]

conscript i hope they dont win it next year. i will gladly see the Red Wings pick up our next multi Norris trophy winner. oh and hello everyone. long time no see. =D

Since when did the Red Wings spend at market value on their players?

[AceofHarts]

Since when did the Red Wings spend at market value on their players?

and yet most of there players are strangely content. must be the fact that since 1990 we have won more Stanley Cups than....EVERYONE? and are a perenial contender. have you ever heard of the Detroit Discount?

[conscript]

Since when did the Red Wings spend at market value on their players?

Lidstrom is at market value and has been for years. Pre-salary cap the Red Wings were the definition of market value lol. Since then they have had Lidstrom, Dats, and Hank at market value. The main problem is that they rarely, like never, go after free agents. Since the salary cap, the only significant free agent signings for guys that weren't already Red Wings were Hossa, Bertuzzi, and Robert Lang (who played 6 games the year before the lockout for the Wings). They just almost never sign free agents because the farm system is fantastic. That could very well change this season. With Rafalski retiring, the Wings have an absolute boatload of money to throw around at the trade deadline. There was a whole lot of talk about them trading Hudler for Alex Semin a couple weeks ago. I wouldn't be surprised if they make a big play at the trade deadline. And then if Lidstrom does finally retire after this season, they will have an even larger boatload of money to throw at Weber if he is on the market or Doughty if his negotiations with LA go south. Shit Weber might be a Red Wing at this years trade deadline if Nashville is terrible.

[AceofHarts]

Lidstrom is at market value and has been for years. Pre-salary cap the Red Wings were the definition of market value lol. Since then they have had Lidstrom, Dats, and Hank at market value. The main problem is that they rarely, like never, go after free agents. Since the salary cap, the only significant free agent signings for guys that weren't already Red Wings were Hossa, Bertuzzi, and Robert Lang (who played 6 games the year before the lockout for the Wings). They just almost never sign free agents because the farm system is fantastic. That could very well change this season. With Rafalski retiring, the Wings have an absolute boatload of money to throw around at the trade deadline. There was a whole lot of talk about them trading Hudler for Alex Semin a couple weeks ago. I wouldn't be surprised if they make a big play at the trade deadline. And then if Lidstrom does finally retire after this season, they will have an even larger boatload of money to throw at Weber if he is on the market or Doughty if his negotiations with LA go south. Shit Weber might be a Red Wing at this years trade deadline if Nashville is terrible.

heres hoping nashville is terrible.

[Irony]

Unless Rinne has an awful season, the Preds will be in the playoff hunt.

[AceofHarts]

unless rinne has an awful season, the preds will be in the playoff hunt.

don't jinx it. We want them to fail hard!

[Rennadrel]

A lot of teams have gotten better over the summer, especially in the East. I think it's all going to come down to how many games the Predators can win in the West, because honestly there is some really heavy competition in the East now and lots of playoff contenders.

I am really looking forward to this coming season, the East has roughly 10 teams that are contenders for the playoffs just on paper alone, not to mention the teams who continually make the playoffs.

[AceofHarts]

A lot of teams have gotten better over the summer, especially in the East. I think it's all going to come down to how many games the Predators can win in the West, because honestly there is some really heavy competition in the East now and lots of playoff contenders.

I am really looking forward to this coming season, the East has roughly 10 teams that are contenders for the playoffs just on paper alone, not to mention the teams who continually make the playoffs.

so now it should finally be equal with the west? about damn time.

[conscript]

so now it should finally be equal with the west? about damn time.

Shit the East might actually be better than the West from top to bottom for what feels like the first time since the late 90s. THeir 1-3 is at least comparable if not potentially slightly better than the Wests (Pitt, Boston and Washington compared to Detroit, Vancouver, and San Jose). 4-10 the West is stronger by my estimation. 11-15 the East might be better though. I would take Florida over any of the bottom West teams at this point. Colorado, Columbus, and Edmonton are so fucking terrible the only comparable Eastern squad is Ottawa. Hell the Islanders are better than the bottom three in the West.

[AceofHarts]

Shit the East might actually be better than the West from top to bottom for what feels like the first time since the late 90s. THeir 1-3 is at least comparable if not potentially slightly better than the Wests (Pitt, Boston and Washington compared to Detroit, Vancouver, and San Jose). 4-10 the West is stronger by my estimation. 11-15 the East might be better though. I would take Florida over any of the bottom West teams at this point. Colorado, Columbus, and Edmonton are so fucking terrible the only comparable Eastern squad is Ottawa. Hell the Islanders are better than the bottom three in the West.

i still want to shoot Bettman for going with this whole "were going to rearange to 4 divisions instead of moving Detriot to the East since Atlanta (which is further WEST than Detroit as is) will be going to winnipeg.

[Rennadrel]

Shit the East might actually be better than the West from top to bottom for what feels like the first time since the late 90s. THeir 1-3 is at least comparable if not potentially slightly better than the Wests (Pitt, Boston and Washington compared to Detroit, Vancouver, and San Jose). 4-10 the West is stronger by my estimation. 11-15 the East might be better though. I would take Florida over any of the bottom West teams at this point. Colorado, Columbus, and Edmonton are so fucking terrible the only comparable Eastern squad is Ottawa. Hell the Islanders are better than the bottom three in the West.

The only issue Edmonton has is the lack of a starting goalie. They are a good team on paper sans their lack of quality goalies, they'd be a contender in a heart beat if they had that area sorted out by now.

---------- Post added 2011-08-09 at 01:04 PM ----------

i still want to shoot Bettman for going with this whole "were going to rearange to 4 divisions instead of moving Detriot to the East since Atlanta (which is further WEST than Detroit as is) will be going to winnipeg.

Because the East really has a team far enough west to be classified as a western team... Winnipeg is really not that further west then Detroit is, not to mention we don't want you in our conference :P

[AceofHarts]

The only issue Edmonton has is the lack of a starting goalie. They are a good team on paper sans their lack of quality goalies, they'd be a contender in a heart beat if they had that area sorted out by now.

---------- Post added 2011-08-09 at 01:04 PM ----------



Because the East really has a team far enough west to be classified as a western team... Winnipeg is really not that further west then Detroit is, not to mention we don't want you in our conference :P

Atlanta is further west than Detroit or Columbus. and Winnipeg is definately west of Detroit as it is over the Dakota/Minnesota border. it is 1100 miles by car, roughly, too Winnipeg from Detroit. about 650 miles of that is going WEST.

[Rennadrel]

Whatever, I don't think it's that big a deal where a team is. Personally it's a lot more evened out then it was in say, 1991. Remember when the Leafs were in the West? Wasn't that long ago when you think about it. The last few times Toronto actually had a cup contending team was when they were in the West, got knocked out by Vancouver in 1991 and then again by the Kings in 1996 on a retarded penalty call by Kerry Fraiser. And yet through all the times they have made it into the post season since 1967, and more then a few conference finals appearances, people still say they haven't been good since 67 when funnily enough they have iced some good rosters in the last 25 years.

[conscript]

i still want to shoot Bettman for going with this whole "were going to rearange to 4 divisions instead of moving Detriot to the East since Atlanta (which is further WEST than Detroit as is) will be going to winnipeg.

The 4 divisions won't stop a team from moving East. The NHL is still going to be forced to move Detroit/Columbus/Nashville to the East or make the West 16 teams and the East 14 similar to baseballs set up (which is being eliminated soon most likely). Frankly it doesn't matter much who they discus moving until the Phoenix ownership is settled. Phoenix could very easily be heading to Seattle, Kansas City, Quebec, Hamilton, or god knows where next year. Realignment discussion is pointless until the Phoenix situation is settled. Columbus could be on the move soon which would make it incredibly pointless to move them to the East now unless they were expected to land in an Eastern time zone city. Florida could and should be moving in the next 5 years. The Islanders are almost assuredly leaving Long Island by 2015 be that to Brooklyn, Quebec, or somewhere else. Plus with a lockout almost assuredly taking place after this season, realignment talk is pretty much useless.

From everything I have read, Detroit is the most likely team on the move though in league discussions simply because they are the most stable franchise in the sport. You don't have to worry about the Red Wings attendance dropping off from a move to the East because of their long history against many of those teams. You don't have to worry about rebranding anything about the franchise with such a move. Columbus and Nashville are incredibly unstable. Nashville is just gaining traction in their market. A move that shakes up their start times, who they play against, etc. could be devastating. Plus with the team almost assuredly facing the potential loss of their three best players next season (Weber, Rinne and Suter) it is incredibly easy to see that team plummeting to the bottom of the standings and the attendance sheets. Columbus is essentially Florida North but without the one successful season. Attendance is bad. The team is bad because the owners don't spend money because they don't make money but fans don't come see them because they are bad. Losing Detroit is going to hurt Columbus either way. Afaik, every game Detroit has played in Columbus has been a sell out. Aside from those games, Columbus is full only a handful of other times per season. Playing saying Pittsburgh would be good for Columbus and in theory could replace Detroit for their arena fillers. With Columbus being so shaky and potentially moving (or facing contraction if you believe some of the talk about what the credit rating drop could mean for the failing franchises in the US) I find it hard to believe the NHL would waste their time shuffling the divisions if they are going to have to do it again in two seasons.

---------- Post added 2011-08-10 at 10:30 AM ----------

Because the East really has a team far enough west to be classified as a western team... Winnipeg is really not that further west then Detroit is, not to mention we don't want you in our conference :P

You might not, but you can bet your ass the lower half of the attended teams in the East do. The main reason teams in the West don't want Detroit to move is the attendance boost. That argument is a total joke as it is hilarious to think a team filling your stadium for 2 nights per year has that big of an impact, especially when only a handful of teams are truly hurting for attendance.