Official 2016/2017 NHL thread

VinnieFI'm predicting Edmonton might do well if they make the right trades for defence.

erikKHahahahaha. This prediction never gets old

DeebieSkeebiescant wait for some hackey in the Little Caesars Pizzarena in 2017. LGRW.

russsavokskisIs that actually the name of the arena??? Hahahaha that's awesome if it is

DaphGO PENS! Sean's all butthurt on fb calling me bandwagon, but i'm pretty sure i've posted the same damn go pens shit in every nhl thread here since I've been a member.

DeebieSkeebiesWho wants Datsyuck? he's either gonna play in the KHL or sign some sort of 1/2-year deal elsewhere.

JayRichGo Pens! Back to back

DaphYEAAAA!!!!! We have such a solid team now, so many incredible players. If we can keep playing like we did this year, we have a very good chance.

JayRichI think they're only going to get better for the next few years. The young guns like Sheary are stepping up and contributing. It's nice to see Sid and Geno surrounded by help. That's what the difference was this year. They're usually expected to do everything themselves. Jim Rutherford made all the right moves acquiring the players he did. Hagelin for Perron and Daley for Scuderi was a steal.

VinnieFif by better you mean worse, then sure.

They're currently way over the cap space and up and coming player who know they can make money definitely aren't going to stick around.

Then all the 3-5 million dollar players like Hagelin and Kunitz and Hornqvist are definitely not all going to be around very long. Going to have to clean up space soon. Either that or get rid of a big name like Malkin or Kessel. Kessel is a good bet.

VinnieFAre you fucking kidding me. Apparently Las Vegas has just officially been picked for the next expansion. Fucking Las Vegas beats out Quebec, a city with a FAR larger fan base and brand new arena. Not to mention any other city that would be a way better choice, like Portland or Hamilton or Seattle.

Just angers me that they choose yet another soon to be failed southern franchise over the most blaringly obvious choice. I get that Bettman hates Canada, but what a fucking turd.

LessLegsI thought Seattle was the next city in line to get an expansion?

This is fucked? Why on earth would Las Vegas get an NHL team?

Las Vegas is Sin City, it's an entertainment tourist hub. The city itself has no pride or culture other than gambling, drinking, and debauchery.

No fucking professional league can operate in Las Vegas, there are no home-town fans. The place has zero sense of community and would not support a team. People come in and out of the place, and its nothing more than a port city for alcoholics and overweight people.

VinnieFAnd that's the end of that rather uninteresting season. On to the fall where things will be great. I'm predicting Edmonton might do well if they make the right trades for defence. Toronto might also surprise.

Discuss.


Go Sens.

erikKHahahahaha. This prediction never gets old

VinnieFAre you fucking kidding me. Apparently Las Vegas has just officially been picked for the next expansion. Fucking Las Vegas beats out Quebec, a city with a FAR larger fan base and brand new arena. Not to mention any other city that would be a way better choice, like Portland or Hamilton or Seattle.

Just angers me that they choose yet another soon to be failed southern franchise over the most blaringly obvious choice. I get that Bettman hates Canada, but what a fucking turd.

LessLegsI thought Seattle was the next city in line to get an expansion?

This is fucked? Why on earth would Las Vegas get an NHL team?

Las Vegas is Sin City, it's an entertainment tourist hub. The city itself has no pride or culture other than gambling, drinking, and debauchery.

No fucking professional league can operate in Las Vegas, there are no home-town fans. The place has zero sense of community and would not support a team. People come in and out of the place, and its nothing more than a port city for alcoholics and overweight people.

DeebieSkeebiesBecause money. Bettman needs to make a couple more million to go along with his gazillions hes got stashed away.

Can't wait for sponsor logos on the jerseys, too. What a time to be alive, boys.

J.D.You... you do understand that Gary Bettman does not OWN the National Hockey League?

He's a salaried employee. He makes the same amount of money whether there's a team in Los Angeles or Quebec or no expansion team at all.

VinnieFif by better you mean worse, then sure.

They're currently way over the cap space and up and coming player who know they can make money definitely aren't going to stick around.

Then all the 3-5 million dollar players like Hagelin and Kunitz and Hornqvist are definitely not all going to be around very long. Going to have to clean up space soon. Either that or get rid of a big name like Malkin or Kessel. Kessel is a good bet.

AuschieNot really sure where this is coming from. They could be way over cap if they resign Lovejoy, Schultz, and Cullen but likely Lovejoy will head to another team for some big bucks and idk about the other two. Do the Pens really need to resign any of those guys? Maybe Schultz considering Pouliot is a nightmare. But that is possible with some movement. The pens are currently 1.2 mil under the cap. Kunitz will likely be gone after next year and they could likely move him to gain some cap space, he's getting old and slowing down. Plus the young bucks like Sheary, Rust, Kuhnhackl, Wilson, and Sundqvist will all be around for another couple of years for mad cheap.

Also Malkin will not be traded. He has a no movement clause and seems to really like Pittsburgh so I doubt we will see him elsewhere anytime soon. Where else is he going to get the chance to shit on Ovechkin every season? He loves beating the piss out of his fellow comrade.

Trading Fluery could greatly help in the future, however this season proved that having two or even three solid goalies is necessary.

Bennett really needs to be let go. His injuries have plagued his career.

And Jayrich keep in mind the pens cap hit on Kessels salary is partially taken by Toronto still. He may make upwards of 10 mil but only about 7 goes towards the pens cap.

What I'm really getting at is the pens likely will not lose much this year. The following year will be a different story.

AuschieNot really sure where this is coming from. They could be way over cap if they resign Lovejoy, Schultz, and Cullen but likely Lovejoy will head to another team for some big bucks and idk about the other two. Do the Pens really need to resign any of those guys? Maybe Schultz considering Pouliot is a nightmare. But that is possible with some movement. The pens are currently 1.2 mil under the cap. Kunitz will likely be gone after next year and they could likely move him to gain some cap space, he's getting old and slowing down. Plus the young bucks like Sheary, Rust, Kuhnhackl, Wilson, and Sundqvist will all be around for another couple of years for mad cheap.

Trading Fluery could greatly help in the future, however this season proved that having two or even three solid goalies is necessary.

Bennett really needs to be let go. His injuries have plagued his career.

And Jayrich keep in mind the pens cap hit on Kessels salary is partially taken by Toronto still. He may make upwards of 10 mil but only about 7 goes towards the pens cap.

What I'm really getting at is the pens likely will not lose much this year. The following year will be a different story.

VinnieFYea I don't expect them to clean house this summer, but they certainly are going to have to free up salary soon. It would not surprise me in the slightest if Kessel is moved this summer if the right deal is offered.

But the point was I think they've peaked and it's only downhill from here.

VinnieFSubban for Weber. What what what. I'd say Montreal got a good trade if they don't have to take on Webers.
entire salary

Also Larsson for Hall.

AuschieSubban has to be thanking the gods for that trade. I don't know what the salary deals are with that trade but I'd say Nashville acquired a more dangerous player.

The Hall for Larsson trade makes no sense to me. Maybe the Oilers thought their offense was too dangerous and just need to upgrade their defense? They are going to miss Hall. I mean with their logic the Pens could have traded Schultz back to the Oilers for Hall.

Interesting stuff either way I just believe this proves why Edmonton is always at the bottom of the league and the Canadiens can't put together a solid cup run (last season was simply because of Price's injury).

WildBANimalAs for the Las Vegas team...

They should just name it the Nordiques... so when they realize what a stupid idea it was to put a team in vegas was, they can finally just move the team to a deserving market and not have to change the name or do anything.

People don't even go to vegas to BET on hockey much less watch it. Fucking nonsense.

PeppermillRenoQuebec City couldn't even sell out a Beiber show at that new arena and it was on a Saturday. Very small market and just not as loyal as Winnipeg lots of Habs fans in Quebec and the Nordiques have been gone over 20 years.

PeppermillRenoHockey fans are from the places that people like to travel to. Division rivals closeby just as much as Toronto or Edmonton fans.


YOu got any clue how expensive the Toronto@Vegas game every year will be if its on a weekend? Probably 300+ for the cheapest ticket.


If the team wins before the novelty wears off local support will be pretty good.



Quebec City couldn't even sell out a Beiber show at that new arena and it was on a Saturday. Very small market and just not as loyal as Winnipeg lots of Habs fans in Quebec and the Nordiques have been gone over 20 years.