Monday's notes: NHL Board of Governors meeting to address realignment
by Dirk Hoag on Dec 5, 2011 7:52 AM EST
in Nashville Predators News
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PrintAll eyes will on Pebble Beach, California today, as the NHL Board of Governors meets, with the question of realignment on the table once again. Our notes from around the league start off with the latest proposal on that front, and the reaction to it from the players' association...
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ALIGNMENT
this is, by far the best plan ive seen. while i guess we could hope we would be in one of the 7 team groups the facts are no matter how you split teams in this format there are going to be 2- 8’s and 2- 7’s. it would also keep us off the west coast for 2 rounds of the playoffs and i love the re-seed for the semis.
While I like the alignment..
I do not like the playoff format. The point was brought up in the article that under the proposed divisional format a 5th place team with more points than the 4th place team in another division gets screwed out of a playoff spot. I don’t like that idea. The alignment is good, but keep the top 8.
i'll be happy
as long as they go back to calling them the Smythe, Patrick, Norris, and Adams divisions.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
There’s been no word that I’ve seen yet, which may be a sign that there will be no hearing at all. I’ve put in a message in with the league office asking what the story is.
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of Hockey Gear HQ, a site devoted to helping you save on hockey equipment, accessories, and NHL apparel.
Doh!
Of course, now I see there is a hearing scheduled for this afternoon.
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of Hockey Gear HQ, a site devoted to helping you save on hockey equipment, accessories, and NHL apparel.
Got it...
OTF doesn’t like Pekka’s contract and enforcers.
But they do like a realignment idea that will never happen. Hate it when folks set themselves up for disappointment.
The league won’t put Winnipeg all by itself in an all American team based market. With Eastern Conference teams and the NHLPA against any big divisional re-shifting, the 4 division idea is DOA. Detroit will go east, Winnipeg west (likely the Northwest Division), which leaves Dallas, Minnesota and Colorado as the teams with an uncertain destination.
One question on our defense: Considering that most everyone was quite happy with our defense last season, and the loses on D being O’Brien and Franson, I’m curious if anyone rates either of them as being #3 or even #4 type Dmen?
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 5, 2011 11:32 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Defense
I don’t know that they are really a 3 or 4 but they are better than Klein or Hillen and more experienced than Blum/Laasko/Josi and I wish we had either one or both of them back. And while we’re at it they should have resigned Joel before the playoffs.
by Melissa Vanderpool Wallace on Dec 5, 2011 11:37 AM EST up reply actions
Is the problem really with the Dmen
Or is it that forwards are not playing responsibly in their own end?
Just a question. I have been traveling a lot and haven’t been able to tune into as many games as I would like.
The tendency to whining and complaining may be taken as the surest sign symptom of little souls and inferior intellects. ~ Lord Jeffrey
As my grandma would say It’s 6 of one half a dozen of the other.
Outside of Weber/Suter the D-men are not holding up their end of the bargain and 9 times out of 10 the forwards just look lost.
by Melissa Vanderpool Wallace on Dec 5, 2011 11:42 AM EST up reply actions
Why would you put Winnipeg with Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver? Simply because they’re Canadian? Travel would be an issue and then they’d have the same time zone issues that Dallas has or that Detroit is trying to avoid. They make sense with a Central Time Zone division.
It’s not “why would I put Winnipeg” with Calgary, etc., it’s that Winnipeg wants to be in an all Canadian division. TV ratings are a big factor in that, as well as avoiding the passport nightmare of being in an all American division.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 5, 2011 1:36 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Ever heard of the Norris Division? :)
I think the 4 division model will get more traction than shifting Detroit and Winni. 20 GM majority decides after all…
by Marcus Newman on Dec 5, 2011 2:24 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
I certainly have, but that was back when it was a 21 team league. Detroit will get it’s way in all of this, and it’s well known they want to shift over to the Eastern Conference. Getting 20 teams to agree to this four division realignment is as likely as us trading for a top 6 forward (I couldn’t help myself)! :D
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 5, 2011 2:35 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
The only reason I think you are wrong is because there are at least 14 teams that don’t want Detroit to move and put 5 of the original 6 in the same conference. What is their incentive to vote for that? If anything, the BJ’s may move…
by Marcus Newman on Dec 5, 2011 2:44 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Defensemen
I don’t think Franson was worth keeping. I think GMDP pulled the wool over Burke’s eyes with the Franson trade.
However, I think the scouts and GMDP were a little quick in letting SOB go. I understand the line of thinking that the young defensemen were creating a glut and something had to be done. SOB one more year to add some experience and grit. (I’m not a fan of McGrattan, and SOB could’ve easily done McGrattan’s job.)
The Young defensemen will look like rookies one night and vets the next. The Preds needed a vet to play defense at times and haven’t had them. Right now, please dear God, don’t pair Klein and Blum together. They’re fine apart, but together they’re downright awful.
are you kidding?
I don’t think Franson was worth keeping. I think GMDP pulled the wool over Burke’s eyes with the Franson trade.
There was no wool pulled there. Hockey Night in Canada consistently brought up Franson’s name as an emerging offensive defenseman in the league. He was the shot man on our 2nd unit, had a quick wrister, and played solid D. His issue was he was slow, so when he did pinch and get beat, there was no catching the forward. And most people expected him to play a lot more physical because of his size. He ended up being more of a finesse guy.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
No I'm not.
Franson played protected minutes against the WORST lines on the other teams. He was slow and the only attribute he had was a good shot. How many minutes has he gotten in Toronto? Their fans are calling him garbage now. He played well when he didn’t play up against good players. Makes someone look good.
Franson was very good at moving the puck up ice and rarely had to scramble in our end. The guys we have getting “discounted” minutes behind the veterans this year sure don’t look as good to me as he did.
by Marcus Newman on Dec 5, 2011 2:38 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
i do.
i thought they were an awesome pair. i lament trading away Franson and letting Obie walk weekly… usually after a loss.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
So the point of my question was..........
Considering that our D was sound last season with Franson & O’Brien in that top 6 and those two basically comprising our 3rd defensive pairing, the argument that what we’re lacking is a 2nd pairing Dman doesn’t really make sense. Unless some think that Klein & Blum have regressed that badly (and some may think that), then it appears what we lack on D is an O’Brien type, not another Grebeshkov.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 5, 2011 2:42 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
then it appears what we lack on D is an O’Brien type
DIng! Ding! Ding!
It looks to me that Cube is not playing at the level he was last year. Also, I see Hillen spend almost every shift scrambling. He is a huge downgrade from Franson or SOB. …and with Blum and Josi, they need time to work with each other. The line combinations on defense make me want to pull my hair out.
Bottom line for me, our next acquisition/move needs to be an upgrade to Hillen/Cube.
by Marcus Newman on Dec 5, 2011 3:01 PM EST up reply actions
I watched the Colorado/Detroit game yesterday. Obrien seemed to be playing at a very high level. I’d consider him a 2nd pair guy. I think Franson, had he played this year in our system, would have been considered a 2nd pair guy as well. I think we cut the cord 1 year too soon on those guys. Boullion’s skills are deteriorating with age, and Klein should go back to his hovel.
So to answer your question, I think we’d have had our 2nd defensive pair had we not let those two go. The rookies would have gotten their shot to play with the injuries we’ve had on D. We’d probably have sent Blum back to Milwaukee and either played Josi or Laakso.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
…or you could believe that Blum wasn’t all that in the first place, and fortunate puck luck masked the underlying ability of some of the young guys last season (look for the high PDO numbers).
What this team needs desperately is a couple guys who can get the flow of play moving in the right direction, preferably both a 2nd-pair D and a solid forward. The loss of Ward (and Goc to a lesser extent) has exposed the D to a lot more work.
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of Hockey Gear HQ, a site devoted to helping you save on hockey equipment, accessories, and NHL apparel.
What this team needs desperately is a couple guys who can get the flow of play moving in the right direction
I think you are right on the money. I think that’s why SOB worked so well. He rode guys off the puck and Franson/Blum moved the play up. OK, Dirk, make the call. Tell DP to hold off on ZP and get us a bruising defenseman.
by Marcus Newman on Dec 5, 2011 4:10 PM EST up reply actions
Get ZP and the D will get to breathe! ;)
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 5, 2011 5:36 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
The loss of Ward and Goc is, IMO, the biggest reason we’ve had the issues we’ve had with puck possession. Not that we were all that great even with them at puck possession, but it’s even worse now. Add in the loss of O’Brien and you’ve got our current situation.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 5, 2011 5:57 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
But they do like a realignment idea that will never happen. Hate it when folks set themselves up for disappointment.
The league won’t put Winnipeg all by itself in an all American team based market.
Whoops!
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of Hockey Gear HQ, a site devoted to helping you save on hockey equipment, accessories, and NHL apparel.
Why can't they come up with a very simple reallignment?
Nashville to Southeast, Winnipeg to Central
Seems pretty simple and clear with me. Any thoughts?
A Preds fan from Hamilton, Ontario!
It might end up being that simple but you have several teams, DAL, MIN, CBJ, and DET namely that all want changes to play more games in their own time zone. If the GM’s don’t see this an opportunity to address those issues (or can get enough of them on the same page), I think you are likely to see a 2 or 3 team swap…
by Marcus Newman on Dec 5, 2011 4:33 PM EST up reply actions
Because
Nashville is closer to every team in the central than ANY team in the Southeast. Columbus is closer to both Raleigh and Washington than Nashville is… by nearly 100 miles to Raleigh and 200 to Washington. Also, Nashville would be the only member of the Eastern Conference in Central time and Detroit and Columbus would still be in the Western Conference in Eastern time.
Distance:
Preds-Blues 310 miles
Preds-Jackets 383 miles
Preds-Hawks 471 miles
Preds-Wings 533 miles
Total Distance: 1697 miles
Preds-Canes 533 miles
Preds-Caps 665 miles
Preds-Bolts 703 miles
Preds-Panthers 891 miles
Total Distance 2792 miles
That’s 1000 miles further!
FYI
Jackets-Caps 415 miles
Jackets- Canes 476 miles
Total difference in distance over the Preds to all the SE teams? 259 miles. Columbus is much further east.
Realignment isn’t simple. Just because Tennessee is in the Southeast, doesn’t mean that the Preds are closer to the Southeast teams- they aren’t they’re much closer to the division they’re in currently.
Excuse me.
Messed up a figure. Columbus is only 241 miles further than Nashville to the other teams in the Southeast.
Very well put. With Atlanta now Winnipeg, any chance of us being put in the Southeast is gone.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 5, 2011 5:53 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I like the division that we’re in now. Why? If I had the money and wanted to, I could drive from Nashville to any of the other cities and leave the day of the game and still make it. Couldn’t do that for much of the SE.
The only real question is who will take the Wings spot in the Central, Minny or Dallas. I’m gonna say it’s Dallas.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 5, 2011 6:21 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I like this realignment plan. It keeps everyone in the division mostly in the same time zone and keeps alot of the rivalries together. Also, it will keep the NHL from having to do a whole lot if Phoenix ends up moving. If they stay out west they stay in the same division, but if they move east they can slide into one of the 2 divisions with 7 teams without any other teams having to swap.
I smell a 4 conference solution
in short order. Multiple unconfirmed reports coming in…
by Marcus Newman on Dec 5, 2011 9:25 PM EST via mobile reply actions
You have a good nose. :D
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 5, 2011 11:31 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
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