Toronto Maple Leafs

[lenaitch]

There may be something to that. The 7 Canadian NHL teams are more or less guaranteed cash cows for the league. Even without winning recent championships, the teams are generally seen as consistently profitable. And hence are not a priority for the head honchos of the league overall. Whereas newer teams like Las Vegas Golden Knights were seemingly treated as a pet project where they need to be successful right away to carve out a winning fan culture. Along the lines of a Tampa Bay Lightning where they've excelled despite being in a place that traditionally isn't a hockey hub, apart from snow birds from Canada and northern US. If the Golden Knights slump right away then they'd risk being mired in mediocrity or worse in irrelevance like the Coyotes, and the Atlanta Thrashers before they moved to Winnipeg.

Yet the Board has been consistently reluctant to award another Canadian franchise. The league's broadcast revenue prefers American eyeballs watching American teams.

 

[Towered]

Yet the Board has been consistently reluctant to award another Canadian franchise. The league's broadcast revenue prefers American eyeballs watching American teams.

Quebec City even built a new arena in anticipation of getting a team again...and nothing.

 

[Jonny5]

There may be something to that. The 7 Canadian NHL teams are more or less guaranteed cash cows for the league. Even without winning recent championships, the teams are generally seen as consistently profitable. And hence are not a priority for the head honchos of the league overall. Whereas newer teams like Las Vegas Golden Knights were seemingly treated as a pet project where they need to be successful right away to carve out a winning fan culture. Along the lines of a Tampa Bay Lightning where they've excelled despite being in a place that traditionally isn't a hockey hub, apart from snow birds from Canada and northern US. If the Golden Knights slump right away then they'd risk being mired in mediocrity or worse in irrelevance like the Coyotes, and the Atlanta Thrashers before they moved to Winnipeg.

I wouldn't say all seven are cash cows. The Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets appear to be just floating at break even.

Winnipeg has been restricted by its small arena with a capacity of only about 16,000. Even in very successful years they have trouble making much money given the high fixed costs, plus they have not had much success of late to the point there were questions swirling again this season about the viability of staying there, especially given Phoenix so suddenly moving to Salt Lake City and many rumours of other billionaire owners out there expressing interest in getting a team.
Ottawa has had financial problems almost its whole existence, though some through incompetence and mismanagement by the team's last owner.

 

[christiesplits]

Well, expect to see a lot of changes this off-season. Keefe, Marner and Tavares are probably all gone.

 

[Richard White]

Well, expect to see a lot of changes this off-season. Keefe, Marner and Tavares are probably all gone.

Don't be surprised if Shanahan also goes.

 

[taal]

Don't be surprised if Shanahan also goes.

He better !

I suspect:
- Shanahan
- Keefe
- Most on expiring contracts (e.g. bertuzzi, Brodie, liljegren,
- I hope we sign Domi if he takes 3.2 or less
- I suspect Marner is gone but that'll be a tricky trade
- Tavares is hard to say - to get rid of him they'll need to retain - and he may be willing to sign a cheap contract next year - maybe they keep him and depending on how the leafs do maybe trade him late in the season

I think they need a few D, and a 2nd line F that can bring a lot of offence

 

[Jonny5]

Apparently at a press conference this morning John Tavares will announce he is stepping aside as captain and passing it to Auston Matthews.

EDIT: It's tomorrow, not today.

 

[Richard White]

Apparently at a press conference this morning John Tavares will announce he is stepping aside as captain and passing it to Auston Matthews.

As much as I like John Tavares this is the beginning of the end for him.

This September will bring him to his 15th season in the NHL after being drafted in 2009.

Nobody is going to sign him to an extension for more than the league minimum in 2025 and likely not for more than one or two years.

He knows his time is up and this is a torch passing moment.

If I was a betting man, I'd say he retires during or at the end of next season.

 

[christiesplits]

Apparently at a press conference this morning John Tavares will announce he is stepping aside as captain and passing it to Auston Matthews.

Natural choice for the new captain. Good on JT for being a good sport. The Leafs are clearly Auston's team.