7 more years!
- eichiefs9

That contract...

That contract...
- glove_was_stuck

It beats the hell out of the alternative. The cap hit is fine, the only questionable thing is the term.

So is scoring actually down or is it just spread out amongst more players?

Oh and all the Pittsburgh fans can (frank) off with the whining about interference.

There were players with wooden sticks who fired >100 mph shots before
and the goalies survived.
- StargateSG1

Hence why I said that some players in the past had hard shots.

The main point of my comment was that shot speed has increased on average - meaning goalies are typically experiencing faster shots from all angles.

The shots a goalie really needs to be concerned with are the ones when you aren't quite square. Shots like these happen more frequently as the speed of the passes and wrist shots increase with composite sticks. Pro style pads are meant to handle shots from straight on, but if you're going side to side trying to catch up to a one-timer and it hits you in an odd spot - that's the one that's likely going to hurt.

It beats the hell out of the alternative. The cap hit is fine, the only questionable thing is the term.
- eichiefs9

Bit of an overpayment. But that's about what the Bruins were expecting to have to pay him. Le sigh....

Bit of an overpayment. But that's about what the Bruins were expecting to have to pay him. Le sigh....
- glove_was_stuck

That contract looks like gold when you look at smith's new contract

That contract looks like gold when you look at smith's new contract
- dothedougie

I will give you a deal for his brother so Chara can laugh at him everyday

The 80's were full of clutching, grabbing, hooking etc. They had too back then because it was too bloody easy to score on those poor little goalies if players had time/space.

I prefer the game today a lot more.
- Tumbleweed

that was more in the 90s i think than the 80s

I will give you a deal for his brother so Chara can laugh at him everyday
- Feds91Stammer

I'd like to take both Smiths, put them on an iceberg and set them adrift.

I'd like to take both Smiths, put them on an iceberg and set them adrift.
- glove_was_stuck

Sounds like cap circumvention

Sounds like cap circumvention
- Feds91Stammer

I'm willing to take whatever penalty then.

Sounds like cap circumcision
- Feds91Stammer

fixed

maybe because it's a team game and not one player?
- 2Real

You've missed the point.

This. Go back to the wooden sticks and reduce the equipment size on the goalies. Also remove the Kevlar body armor from defensemen. If the league did this and actually called the obstruction penalties, we'd be right back at a good level of offense.
- Emperor Filonius

lol. The league will never force players to use wooden sticks. What an absurd suggestion on so many different levels.

that was more in the 90s i think than the 80s
- KOS

It became a problem in the 90's with the rise of bigger and better goaltenders

All the holding and crap was real bad in the 80's - but scoring was high because of swiss cheese goaltenders.

fixed
- eichiefs9

Start counting shoot out goals, or play with 2 pucks. Bettman will come up with something.

If you had every NHL team remodel their arena during 1 summer to remove the first few rows of seating and increase the rink size (it doesn't have to be international size), you open up more space for the skilled players and "unskilled" players have less opportunity for shots to be blocked. It will take minimal time, money and effort to remove a row or two of seats and push everything back a couple feet without losing too much in attendance, maybe a couple hundred seats at most. Ticket prices are going to rise anyway.

It will make for more open ice, like what they try to do with the 4v4 OT.

And if you are going to have a shootout, for the love of god, count the goals as a goal and not just the final one as the GWG. No one is going to score 91 goals and break or tie Gretzky's record with a SO goal. A player scores 10 at most per year. Boom, more goal scoring, more points, problem solved.

Start counting shoot out goals, or play with 2 pucks. Bettman will come up with something.
- A_SteamingLombardi

Beat me to it


But seriously.

Start counting shoot out goals, or play with 2 pucks. Bettman will come up with something.
- A_SteamingLombardi

How about a Goal is worth 3 points, a first assist is worth 2 points and 2nd assist worth 1 point.

Or how about awarding a point to the 3rd and 4th pass?

Or even a give and go play, the guy who scores should get an assist too...

Lets see other ridiculous suggestions!!

If you had every NHL team remodel their arena during 1 summer to remove the first few rows of seating and increase the rink size (it doesn't have to be international size), you open up more space for the skilled players and "unskilled" players have less opportunity for shots to be blocked. It will take minimal time, money and effort to remove a row or two of seats and push everything back a couple feet without losing too much in attendance, maybe a couple hundred seats at most. Ticket prices are going to rise anyway.

It will make for more open ice, like what they try to do with the 4v4 OT.

And if you are going to have a shootout, for the love of god, count the goals as a goal and not just the final one as the GWG. No one is going to score 91 goals and break or tie Gretzky's record with a SO goal. A player scores 10 at most per year. Boom, more goal scoring, more points, problem solved.
- DynamicThreads

Not something soulless billionaires like to do.

How about a Goal is worth 3 points, a first assist is worth 2 points and 2nd assist worth 1 point.

Or how about awarding a point to the 3rd and 4th pass?

Or even a give and go play, the guy who scores should get an assist too...

Lets see other ridiculous suggestions!!
- l3ig_l2ecl

You mean make it like Canada's other national sport?

One of the crazy thoughts that I potentially happening is make an Icing on the PK an Icing...

Results could be a few heart attacks, but sure would bring more goals..

Not something soulless billionaires like to do.
- A_SteamingLombardi

Yeah, but they could potentially make more money by turning it into a better spectator sport and upping the ticket prices to make up for the difference but what do I know. I can't afford to go to a game anyway so it doesn't matter to me.

One of the crazy thoughts that I potentially happening is make an Icing on the PK an Icing...

Results could be a few heart attacks, but sure would bring more goals..
- l3ig_l2ecl

Hybrid icing says no.

A team who commits a penalty is given to ability to ice the puck, since they are 1 man short.

How about make a player serve the entire infraction, regardless of goals scored? That seems like a better idea. And a SHG/PPG will be all the more exciting.