Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

[IlliniM1ke]

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

Notes coming out of today: -Vegas won't take part in expansion draft, but also won't get expansion money (so 30 teams get over 21.5M each) -Same protection rules as the Vegas draft -NHL executive board has recommended Seattle for expansion. Official vote coming in December (all but likely passes) With Vegas not in the draft, I wonder if that opens up a loophole such as teams trading with Vegas. Send a guy they want to protect but can't, and just throw in some late pick and/or cash to Vegas to hang on to that guy for a week.

I don't think the NHL was happy that Brooks Orpik got traded to Colorado then got bought out and returned to the Capitals, I can't imagine they would like that hey hold this guy for me while I take part in this draft.

I'm guessing they'll announce something preventing that, but if not you're right why not give a draft pick to stash someone for a week.

[pietasterp]

Who moves to the West-Central division if/when Seattle comes into the league?

[TracerBullet]

Quote: Originally Posted by pietasterp

Who moves to the West-Central division if/when Seattle comes into the league?

My guess is Arizona, though that puts a team with a weird time zone in that division unlike Calgary or Edmonton.

[kehlis]

Quote: Originally Posted by TracerBullet

My guess is Arizona, though that puts a team with a weird time zone in that division unlike Calgary or Edmonton.

I agree it will be them one way or the other but unless I"m mistaken, once the clock falls back they will be in the same time zone as Colorado since they don't adjust time in Phoenix.

[TracerBullet]

Quote: Originally Posted by kehlis

I agree it will be them one way or the other but unless I"m mistaken, once the clock falls back they will be in the same time zone as Colorado since they don't adjust time in Phoenix.

Yeah, they're gonna be in that time zone for a majority of the season. Just switches back to Pacific in March.

[Majingir]

Good news: NHL already knows what is happening realignment wise with Seattle entering.
Bad news: Sounds like it's just Arizona switching divisions.

So much potential for drastic division realignment and playoff format, instead we just get mini tweak to worst division and playoff structure of the major leagues.

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

Good news: NHL already knows what is happening realignment wise with Seattle entering. Bad news: Sounds like it's just Arizona switching divisions. So much potential for drastic division realignment and playoff format, instead we just get mini tweak to worst division and playoff structure of the major leagues.

The worst, most nonsensical playoff format in North American sports is the NBA by far.

1. Although there are still 3 divisions per conference, divisions mean absolutely nothing. Teams are seeded within the conference by overall record. The only time it comes into play is if a division winner and non-division winner finish with the same record (the division winner wins the tiebreaker). In theory, a team could win its division and miss the playoffs!

Teams play teams within their own division 4 times (16 games), teams from other divisions within their conference 3 or 4 times (6 teams x4, 4 teams x3 for 36 games), teams from the other conference twice (30 games). It's a 99% conference format in which divisions remain for inexplicable reasons.

2. There has been a gross power imbalance between the two conferences for 20 years (the only league that's worse is the CFL, and at least they have the freaking crossover).

3. 1st-round playoff games often feature grotesque mismatches, made worse by the an unnecessary switch from best-of-5 to best-of-7 (which was announced midway through the 2002/03 season).

4. There's often an interminable 2 or 3 days off between games in a playoff series for TV purposes, which might make sense if the NBA employed a 1-vs-16 format.

I'm hoping against hope that the LeBron Lakers finish 9th in the West with a better record than 2 or 3 Eastern teams: that's the only thing that might lead to reform.

[Majingir]

NBA's issue is with conference imbalance. Division winner means nothing, but in NHL, winning division helps for just 1 round.

In NBA's format, you're still projected to be getting the top 4 teams per conference in the 2nd round.

In NHL, you basically have a top 3 team in the conference guaranteed to be eliminated round 1. And 2 of top 3 seeds guaranteed to be eliminated in first 2 rounds. That's what happened last year. Leafs finished 3 seed, their reward... Road team VS 2 seed in 1st round. Tampa finished 1 seed, their reward... Playing a top 3 seed in 2nd round.