The Official 2012-13 NHL Offseason Thread

[Danny]

Dt I think they will be ok. A lot of more casual fans time out until football season is over anyway, so I don't think the negative impact will be near as much had they lost the whole season. Didn't seems to impact the MBA much last year (fan interest I mean, not quality which was impacted.

[DaddyTorgo]

Guess we'll see. Hopefully I'm wrong.

[BYU 14]

I am very happy to hear this as this is about the time I start watching regularly with Football winding down.

[Ryan S]

Originally Posted by Danny

Dt I think they will be ok. A lot of more casual fans time out until football season is over anyway, so I don't think the negative impact will be near as much had they lost the whole season. Didn't seems to impact the MBA much last year (fan interest I mean, not quality which was impacted.

I don't think the NHL will take a massive hit on TV figures for the reasons you mention above, but they are certainly going to lose money in gate receipts and season tickets.

[Pyser]

i love hockey but im not rushing back. fuck them. they arent getting a dime from me for a long time.

[claphamsa]

Originally Posted by Ryan S

I don't think the NHL will take a massive hit on TV figures for the reasons you mention above, but they are certainly going to lose money in gate receipts and season tickets.

they wont take a massive hit on TV since they have negligible TV exposure anyways...

[claphamsa]

so who gets amnestied? this has to happen fast......

Gomez, Redden are both obvious... does philly give up on Bryzgalov? do the CAPS dump Ovechkins awful contract?

[Fidatelo]

I wonder if the Jets dump Byfuglien's contract? Maybe it depends how heavy he got over the lockout. I can't see them ditching anyone else, the only obvious choices would be Antropov or Hainsey but they are both done after this season anyways.

[molson]

A 50-game NHL season that starts after new year's is better anyway. Do shortened seasons ever impact fan interest (as long as its only the first half that gets cut as opposed to the second)? It seems more like everybody is happy the sport is back, and by the time that wears off, it's time for the playoffs. That's what it was like with the NBA recently I think (whose biggest problem was more that they tried to cram too many games in)

[Suburban Rhythm]

Contract dumps are for the 13-14 season. In some cases, this is the best of both worlds.

A team like Pittsburgh...tons of young D, but outside of Simon Depres, doubtful any are ready to make the jump to the NHL.

So they ride out 50 for games of Paul Martin, and if they feel he just isn't fitting the system, dump him and clear $5M of space in July.

For the Pens, striking out this past July in free agency might be a blessing in disguise. They are $10M below for this year, $12M for the $64.3M cap in 13-14, with 14 players signed, including Crosby. Malkin, at best, gets the same deal ($8.7M, matching Crosby's) and Letang gets the other $3-4M (he's at $3.5M now).

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by molson

A 50-game NHL season that starts after new year's is better anyway. Do shortened seasons ever impact fan interest (as long as its only the first half that gets cut as opposed to the second)? It seems more like everybody is happy the sport is back, and by the time that wears off, it's time for the playoffs. That's what it was like with the NBA recently I think (whose biggest problem was more that they tried to cram too many games in)

DOLA

I honestly think it helps, because of 1) timing and 2) concentration of the schedule. October/November, teams sometimes play once a week (competing with the NFL). It's alot easier to get into a 3 games a week schedule.

[kcchief19]

If you need any evidence that the NHL needs to swallow its pride and offer its programming for free to ESPN to get on the air, consider this.

The lockout ending is the fourth headline on ESPN.com right now behind the NFL wildcard preview, Bruce Arians hospitalization and the Cleveland Browns coaching search now that Chip Kelly has turned them down. It's the No. 1 headline with photo on NBCSports.com.

The problem is no one goes to NBCSports.com and no one watches their sport channel. Yet ESPN shoves the NBA down our throat because it's a business partner and treats the NHL like it's high school football.

[claphamsa]

what free agents are there out there?

will center ice be prorated? im so excited.... but not enough to watch the caps play. ever.

[kcchief19]

Has anyone heard what the schedule may look like? I saw on one team blog that the current NHL schedule has about 40 games from Jan. 15 to April 13. Squeezing in ten more games seems risky, it would mean 50 games in 89 days. I know most players have been playing, but it seems like you'd get a lot of tired, bad hockey and injuries. It reads as though pushing the regular season to end of April may be a possible.

Could the Stanley Cup Finals be close to the Fourth of July? Yikes!

[Wolfpack]

Last thing I heard was 48 or 50 games, all in-conference. Split for 48 would be 7x division and then 2x everyone else in conference. Not sure how 50 would work. Taking the 48 at face value, if you play every other day on average, that's 96 days. Maybe stretch it to an even 100 days to get a little more rest in. With a Jan 19 start, the end of the season would be about May 1. Every other day for a playoff game on average and the worst case (4 rounds with at least one seven-game series a round) is 56 days, so yes, it's possible the last game of the SCF would be the last week of June. I don't think it can stretch into July because that's when the new business year should start (unless they include some kind of exception in the CBA that redefines the calendar for this year based on the shortened season).

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by claphamsa

what free agents are there out there?

will center ice be prorated? im so excited.... but not enough to watch the caps play. ever.

Holding out hope that, as a "Thanks fans!", Center Ice is free for the regular season.

Originally Posted by kcchief19

Has anyone heard what the schedule may look like? I saw on one team blog that the current NHL schedule has about 40 games from Jan. 15 to April 13. Squeezing in ten more games seems risky, it would mean 50 games in 89 days. I know most players have been playing, but it seems like you'd get a lot of tired, bad hockey and injuries. It reads as though pushing the regular season to end of April may be a possible.

Could the Stanley Cup Finals be close to the Fourth of July? Yikes!

1995, I believe the final game of SCF was 6/30...and that was with a Devils sweep.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

If you need any evidence that the NHL needs to swallow its pride and offer its programming for free to ESPN to get on the air, consider this.

The lockout ending is the fourth headline on ESPN.com right now behind the NFL wildcard preview, Bruce Arians hospitalization and the Cleveland Browns coaching search now that Chip Kelly has turned them down. It's the No. 1 headline with photo on NBCSports.com.

The problem is no one goes to NBCSports.com and no one watches their sport channel. Yet ESPN shoves the NBA down our throat because it's a business partner and treats the NHL like it's high school football.

It's "fun": it's like watching Microsoft leverage their monopoly in the 90s. "We totally aren't using our monopoly in one sphere (news) to give preferential treatment to our own products and favored partners".

Then again, it's the opposite end of the pendulum from the late 90s and NHL on ESPN where you have Sportscenter announcers who were visibly disinterested with hockey highlights having to do them because they were being pushed hard with the product being on ESPN.

SI

[Fidatelo]

If true, 50 games in 90 days, all in conference, will be absolutely brutal for the Jets. They weren't contenders this year anyways, but that travel would be hard for the best teams to overcome. Screw the NHLPA for killing the realignment proposal last year.

[EagleFan]

Absolutely love the abbreviated season. Every games means so much more. It's like three months of playoff hockey before the playoffs even start.

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

If true, 50 games in 90 days, all in conference, will be absolutely brutal for the Jets. They weren't contenders this year anyways, but that travel would be hard for the best teams to overcome. Screw the NHLPA for killing the realignment proposal last year.

Here's hoping they'll get reasonable homestands and travel routes.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Absolutely love the abbreviated season. Every games means so much more. It's like three months of playoff hockey before the playoffs even start.

I like the idea of a 50 game season, I just wish it was spread out more. I think 4 games a weak is going to be brutal for the players, and even as a fan is a bit much, I think.

[tyketime]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Took too long to get a deal - think a lot of fans may just not care, going to take them years to get any goodwill back...so many players locked into overseas contracts for the year...going to be an ugly season if it's really starting in like a week...there's an opt-out after 8 years in the new CBA (which you just KNOW one side will take)

I'm in this boat. Self-inflicted insanity should NOT be rewarded. But more than the fans, they need to figure out a way to win back the sponsors.

[tyketime]

Originally Posted by claphamsa

so who gets amnestied? this has to happen fast......

Gomez, Redden are both obvious... does philly give up on Bryzgalov? do the CAPS dump Ovechkins awful contract?

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Absolutely love the abbreviated season. Every games means so much more. It's like three months of playoff hockey before the playoffs even start.

All major sports except football should have seasons cut 40-50%.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

10 years is a big + to me. By the time of the next lockout, we'll all be senile enough to have forgotten this one.

Well, it's really eight years. But your point is well taken.

[henry296]

50 games would likely be 5 in your division = 20 plus 3 each other divisions in conference. I prefer that because so much of making playoffs is based on conference positin and a 7/2 split could impact teams if one division is much stronger than others.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

Well, it's really eight years. But your point is well taken.

Well it was 8 years since the last lockout and we all remember that one.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

If true, 50 games in 90 days, all in conference, will be absolutely brutal for the Jets. They weren't contenders this year anyways, but that travel would be hard for the best teams to overcome. Screw the NHLPA for killing the realignment proposal last year.

Wow, I didn't realize that was so awful. 2 Florida teams and Washington/Carolina.

[Logan]

Might want to pay attention to the @DownGoesBrown Twitter feed...the Leafs have fired Brian Burke.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Logan

Might want to pay attention to the @DownGoesBrown Twitter feed...the Leafs have fired Brian Burke.

Woah!

[Fidatelo]

Wow, what??

[Chief Rum]

Did Burke accept his firing?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Wow, what??

Yuppers!

[Suburban Rhythm]

I hope he's on TSN with Duthie full time. That's quality TV there.

[bhlloy]

Any idea what the hell the Hurricanes are doing? Anthony Stewart and two draft picks for a guy who played five minutes a game last year?

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Any idea what the hell the Hurricanes are doing? Anthony Stewart and two draft picks for a guy who played five minutes a game last year?

Along with trading Boucher for what appears to be peanuts at a glance...

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by britrock88

Along with trading Boucher for what appears to be peanuts at a glance...

This part makes sense. Philly will have Boucher, Leighton and Bryzgalov. When they eventually buyout, or amnesty (in the offseason) Bryz, they'll have the same goalie tandem they got to the finals with in 2010.

Why pay Bryz near $6m when you can pay that pair $2m combined to be just as bad?

[britrock88]

Nevermind the sweetheart deal we gave Philly on Leighton, who then showed some promise for a while...

[Wolfpack]

As I'm given to understand, these were pretty much salary clearing moves, mostly the Boucher dump to Philly, which became easier to commit to once Dan Ellis was signed up as Ward's backup. As for the Stewart/Westgarth trade, Stewart never seemed to excel while he was here. He'd have good moments and an occasional flash of great play, but he was pretty much stuck on the fourth line. Westgarth I think has a couple of things to his advantage. The Canes as currently constituted don't have a lot of combative types on the roster aside from Gleason and he's had to tamp down his heat since he's having to play top line minutes in a lot of games and it does no good for him to be in the box. Westgarth is supposed to be someone who can mix things up if other teams get a bit edgy with Skinner or other forwards. The other benefit is that he's got Raleigh connections with his wife, who's the daughter of Bill Cowher, so he was here during the offseason and lockout working out with Hurricanes players anyway. He should have an easier time fitting in as a result.

[bhlloy]

There are at least 20 guys currently FA who are combative types and probably have averaged more NHL minutes over their careers than Westgarth has. On top of that, yes Stewart hasn't been great in Carolina but he's still relatively young, talented and has good size, he also led the team in +/- last year. Stewart on his own has far more value than Westgarth, throwing the picks in is just crazy.

I have no issue with the Boucher deal. He's a third NHL goalie at best, but I don't see any way to justify the other one.

[Wolfpack]

Meh, I could see this as like so many Jim Rutherford trades where he brings someone back to Raleigh because he felt the player would fit again. The twist to the story is that Westgarth never played for Carolina previously, just makes his offseason home here and works out with the players. I don't know enough about Westgarth to know whether this is a good, bad, or indifferent move overall. I'd guess that it's also a decent indicator that someone from the Checkers has the door opened for him to step through and make the team (Zac Dalpe or Zach Boychuk, most likely) full time.

[Logan]

Devils and Travis Zajac agreed to an 8 year, $46 million extension. A little steep it seems.

[bhlloy]

Ryan Getzlaf hasn't stopped smiling all day after seeing that contract