The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by bhurst99

Is it possible the Vancouver Canucks are the best Canadian team this season?

This start is far too good to be true, but...

[bhurst99]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

This start is far too good to be true, but...

Enjoy the ride while it lasts.

I mean being the best team in Canada means you're the only team to have won more than 50 per cent of the games you've played.

On a more serious note, I'm paying close attention to what the NBA is doing this season with their mid-season tournament. I like the idea. There's so many teams that they need to take the European soccer route and have a chance to fight for more than one trophy. (Frankly, I also don't think winning the President's Trophy gets enough respect).

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by bhurst99

On a more serious note, I'm paying close attention to what the NBA is doing this season with their mid-season tournament. I like the idea. There's so many teams that they need to take the European soccer route and have a chance to fight for more than one trophy. (Frankly, I also don't think winning the President's Trophy gets enough respect).

Please no. Both the NBA's mid-season tournament and 7-10 seed play-in reek of flopsweat. The NHL's regular season doesn't really need fixing.

One of the few things I will give Bettman credit for is resisting the urge to expand the postseason: remarkably, the number of NHL playoff teams has remained static at 16 since Gretzky's rookie season, and thank goodness.

As far as an NHL mid-season tournament goes, I already have one in mind: I call it "the Olympics".

[DrJones]

As for the President's Trophy, you can have it. All it confers is a big fat target on your back.

If the NHL really wanted to make it meaningful, I'd suggest giving the President's Trophy winners 5 home games in every playoff series (2-2-3). If not, I'm fine with scrapping it altogether.

[Majingir]

Players don't even care about the president trophy or trophy for winning their conference in the conference finals, I doubt they'll ever care about some in season tournament.

The only tournament the league should ever do is an international one.

We need the world cup of hockey to return, but I'm not sure how you really even do it where guys care about playing in it in September before their season begins. It's such a shame that this era will barely have any sort of best on best with the talent they have.

We might not get an Olympic or World Cup with Crosby and McDavid together!

[Majingir]

Oilers have 18 shots on the Canucks...in 10 minutes of action!

Auston Matthews now has more goals than the entire Sharks team combined.

[bhurst99]

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

Players don't even care about the president trophy or trophy for winning their conference in the conference finals, I doubt they'll ever care about some in season tournament. The only tournament the league should ever do is an international one. We need the world cup of hockey to return, but I'm not sure how you really even do it where guys care about playing in it in September before their season begins. It's such a shame that this era will barely have any sort of best on best with the talent they have. We might not get an Olympic or World Cup with Crosby and McDavid together!

They really ruined the World Cup with the stupid format last time with Team Europe and the Team North America under 24 team. Not to mention the September calendar is such a heavy sports one. I can't blame owners if they look at the Edwin Diaz injury in the World Baseball Classic and think "No thanks".

Hopefully, we can get NHLers back in the Olympics.

I don't really care that the players may not have interest in a mid-season tournament. I think the fans would have a lot of interest in a mid-season tournament something like pitting all the Canadian teams against each other for a Canadian winner. (and all the US teams against each other in the US. I admit less interest in that).

I just think with so many teams and future expansion, teams need more than just one thing to complete for like European soccer. We're just 11 games into the season and the season is pretty much already a wash for Calgary Flames (San Jose isn't even trying). Just my opinion.

[Majingir]

I wonder if a July tournament would even be worth it for guys either.

You have time off after your season is done, and time after this tournament is done before training camps start. If someone does get injured, they have a few months before the season starts.

But how many guys would want to sacrifice their July vacation for that?

Maybe guys who participate in the world cup get a few weeks exemption from training camps?