https://theathletic.com/78419/2017/07/25/han-how-the-blackhawks-can-unlock-connor-murphys-offensive-potential/

Decent analytics based article on Connor Murphy's potential as a Hawk.
- JRoenick97

The question remains when he takes off up ice, what happens, how it is "received" and how much poise he adds in his game, in the defensive zone....

Here's a new topic.....

the much overhyped Michael Phelps vs a Shark swimming race, no I didnt' watch it, out drew any game of the NHL Stanley Cup Final........

This is why you have to question the sanity of Bettman, as well as ANY team that buys in to what he and Daly try to sell on the HRR revenues and future cap number.

When your supposed "big" sport gets out drawn by a guy racing a CGI shark in a stunt what does that say?

How does anyone truly think this cap is magically going to sky rocket up and up any time soon? What network is going to pay top dollars for a product that is truly a NICHE sport and doesn't constitute a huge price tag (NBA, MLB)? Nobody, because they won't get their money back from ad dollars spent.

Once again, when the next labor stoppage happens, and it will, bet donuts to dolalrs that the cap gets reset in a downward figure with some BS grandfathered clause to help high spending teams burry contracts, etc.

I love hockey, but if I am a NHL owner I would be very worried on where the future of my game is going and who is leading and making those decisions..........

Perhaps. But Q is also paid to win games....if the kids really drop the ball then he'll have no choice but to ice them. That said, I look at the Penguins as a team to emulate...their defense is not that good, not a damn bit better than the Hawks, yet they've won 2 Cups with a lot of average players at D. They show if your offense really pressures the hell out of the other team's defense by always having the puck, your defense can be hidden a bit. Hopefully the Hawks forwards really break out this year....still don't like our center depth, but we have some interesting wings.
- kwolf68

Indeed, but he won lotsa games last year Wolfy. He needs to win games in April/May/June. Train, develop (coach) and rate (don't whip the core/Sharp in January) his horse to come down the stretch (April) in full stride.

What matters is identifying who can help in May and coach the mistakes out of those players in season. He did well developing a ton of young players last year, IMO his best in season coaching as Hawk boss, he just didn't have a horse under him come playoff time.

Here's a new topic.....

the much overhyped Michael Phelps vs a Shark swimming race, no I didnt' watch it, out drew any game of the NHL Stanley Cup Final........

This is why you have to question the sanity of Bettman, as well as ANY team that buys in to what he and Daly try to sell on the HRR revenues and future cap number.

When your supposed "big" sport gets out drawn by a guy racing a CGI shark in a stunt what does that say?

How does anyone truly think this cap is magically going to sky rocket up and up any time soon? What network is going to pay top dollars for a product that is truly a NICHE sport and doesn't constitute a huge price tag (NBA, MLB)? Nobody, because they won't get their money back from ad dollars spent.

Once again, when the next labor stoppage happens, and it will, bet donuts to dolalrs that the cap gets reset in a downward figure with some BS grandfathered clause to help high spending teams burry contracts, etc.

I love hockey, but if I am a NHL owner I would be very worried on where the future of my game is going and who is leading and making those decisions..........
- SteveRain

That stupid (frank)ing show was advertised and hyped like crazy. The NHL is not at all. It's barely advertised, ever. Bold strategy.

Here's a new topic.....

the much overhyped Michael Phelps vs a Shark swimming race, no I didnt' watch it, out drew any game of the NHL Stanley Cup Final........

This is why you have to question the sanity of Bettman, as well as ANY team that buys in to what he and Daly try to sell on the HRR revenues and future cap number.

When your supposed "big" sport gets out drawn by a guy racing a CGI shark in a stunt what does that say?

How does anyone truly think this cap is magically going to sky rocket up and up any time soon? What network is going to pay top dollars for a product that is truly a NICHE sport and doesn't constitute a huge price tag (NBA, MLB)? Nobody, because they won't get their money back from ad dollars spent.

Once again, when the next labor stoppage happens, and it will, bet donuts to dolalrs that the cap gets reset in a downward figure with some BS grandfathered clause to help high spending teams burry contracts, etc.

I love hockey, but if I am a NHL owner I would be very worried on where the future of my game is going and who is leading and making those decisions..........
- SteveRain

Geraldo going into Uncle Al's vault drew more than a SCF game.

Geraldo going into Uncle Al's vault drew more than a SCF game.
- riozzo

America loves terrible reality TV garbage.

Keith had a knee surgery, not sure when it was, late last summer, there was concern whether he'd be ready to start the season. In that connective tissue takes up to two years to properly heal, it is likely that he was not 100% most or all of last year. A conclusion safely drawn from facts.

As for Toews, I was told by a team source he suffered a back injury in the WCH (also late summer) and did not begin feeling "himself" again until midseason (when he seemed to have some more "Toews of old" jump). You may write that off as conjecture. I trust the source.

Having dealt with a bad back for a couple of decades, and this is mostly conjecture, I can see how it might seriously affect his play. A lot of people talked about him falling down a lot in the corners/in traffic. Well, if you have a neuromuscular injury to your core, that would be an expected result.
- John Jaeckel

JJ you mention a back problem you have. Next time that occurs go bowling and let me know how that worked out for you. ......... Toews was seen bowling last year.

That stupid (frank)ing show was advertised and hyped like crazy. The NHL is not at all. It's barely advertised, ever. Bold strategy.
- JRoenick97

its a niche sport. Period.

It's too expensive to play in the US and other sports, like lacrosse (which wasn't main stream when I was younger) is eating into it.

IF I were a GM I'd spend higher amounts on AAV and give 3-4 year deals MAX.....if that.

Bettman is going to kill this sport. The game is getting back to old, low, boring ways which doesn't do much for the casual fan. You have limited star power and ask a casual fan who won the hart (mvp) last year and pitch a tent.....because you will be waiting awhile.

America loves terrible reality TV garbage.
- JRoenick97

Thought we weren't supposed to talk politics here?

Geraldo going into Uncle Al's vault drew more than a SCF game.
- riozzo

I don't see an easy fix and Donald Fehr and the league better get on it......NBC has to be counting down the days until that TV deal expires, and then where is the NHL going?

ESPN is preparing itself for the trend of alla carte cable packages, and cutting staff left and right........

The league has been dependent upon the NHLPA to raise the cap lately, and at some point the players won't be as accommodating.

I won't be shocked to see McDonough as next commissioner.

I don't see an easy fix and Donald Fehr and the league better get on it......NBC has to be counting down the days until that TV deal expires, and then where is the NHL going?

ESPN is preparing itself for the trend of alla carte cable packages, and cutting staff left and right........

The league has been dependent upon the NHLPA to raise the cap lately, and at some point the players won't be as accommodating.
- SteveRain

Highest rates summer show = Big Brother Cast cost <1.0M total

This guy disagrees with you.

https://theathletic.com/6...ype-p-k-subban-is-better/

I should note, I have no opinion on the matter. I haven't really looked in to it.
- JRoenick97

It's all good JR. No one has to agree with my opinion. For contract value and what he provides on both sheets of the ice, I can't see how anyone can be better. Aside from DK of course. Guys like Vlasic, Josi, Hammer, TJ Brodie are all top 3 defensemen who get overshadowed

I won't be shocked to see McDonough as next commissioner.
- SteveRain

Sure, but when? Bettman is not likely to give up the reins anytime soon.

Here's a new topic.....

the much overhyped Michael Phelps vs a Shark swimming race, no I didnt' watch it, out drew any game of the NHL Stanley Cup Final........

This is why you have to question the sanity of Bettman, as well as ANY team that buys in to what he and Daly try to sell on the HRR revenues and future cap number.

When your supposed "big" sport gets out drawn by a guy racing a CGI shark in a stunt what does that say?

How does anyone truly think this cap is magically going to sky rocket up and up any time soon? What network is going to pay top dollars for a product that is truly a NICHE sport and doesn't constitute a huge price tag (NBA, MLB)? Nobody, because they won't get their money back from ad dollars spent.

Once again, when the next labor stoppage happens, and it will, bet donuts to dolalrs that the cap gets reset in a downward figure with some BS grandfathered clause to help high spending teams burry contracts, etc.

I love hockey, but if I am a NHL owner I would be very worried on where the future of my game is going and who is leading and making those decisions..........
- SteveRain

Players with any personality are immediately ostracized and if you look at the abuse that players like Kane, Crosby, McDavid take outside the rules of the game that slow them down and cause them to miss games due to injury they do it to themselves.

Go back to enforcing the rules regarding clutching and grabbing and let the superstars be superstars and have personality. Game gets faster, you get some action off the ice other than the normal hockey platitudes in interviews and all of a sudden the sport is growing.

The NHL would just have to give up on the fans that get hard on it being a "mans game" and "the will to win" and the old time hockey crowd that won't be able to sustain the game in 5-10 years anyway.

The NHL needs new fans who want to watch a fast exciting game with entertaining personalities.

Sure, but when? Bettman is not likely to give up the reins anytime soon.
- hpk90

nope he needs to add another strike or lockout to his legacy..coming attractions in 2019

The question remains when he takes off up ice, what happens, how it is "received" and how much poise he adds in his game, in the defensive zone....
- wiz1901

Wiz, curious as to your thoughts on the young d-men playing at NHL level this season: Murphy, Forsling, and Rutta?

Johnny Oduya has inked a one-year, $1 million contract with the Ottawa Senators.

The Senators announced that the deal has games played, time-on-ice and playoff bonuses that could earn Oduya another $1,250,000. Oduya skated in 52 games with Dallas and Chicago last season, while chipping in two goals and nine points. He will turn 36 before the start of the 2017-18 campaign and doesn't bring much to the table in terms of fantasy value. Still, Oduya can block shots and log around 20 minutes per game if called upon.

Here's a new topic.....

the much overhyped Michael Phelps vs a Shark swimming race, no I didnt' watch it, out drew any game of the NHL Stanley Cup Final........

This is why you have to question the sanity of Bettman, as well as ANY team that buys in to what he and Daly try to sell on the HRR revenues and future cap number.

When your supposed "big" sport gets out drawn by a guy racing a CGI shark in a stunt what does that say?

How does anyone truly think this cap is magically going to sky rocket up and up any time soon? What network is going to pay top dollars for a product that is truly a NICHE sport and doesn't constitute a huge price tag (NBA, MLB)? Nobody, because they won't get their money back from ad dollars spent.

Once again, when the next labor stoppage happens, and it will, bet donuts to dolalrs that the cap gets reset in a downward figure with some BS grandfathered clause to help high spending teams burry contracts, etc.

I love hockey, but if I am a NHL owner I would be very worried on where the future of my game is going and who is leading and making those decisions..........
- SteveRain

Apparently, MLS has turned down a 10-year $4 billion offer from MP & Silva apparently because the international media rights distribution company wanted the league to join world soccer in instituting a promotion and relegation scheme with (I guess) the NASL.

Not sure what that has to do with the hockey league, but just an interesting aside....Without that offer, MLS TV ratings are way down and apparently Fox, Univision and ESPN are very concerned.

It is very possible the the new media climate will not generate the ever-increasing rights fees that leagues have enjoyed in the past - and that (as you say) NHL owners should be very worried.

its a niche sport. Period.

It's too expensive to play in the US and other sports, like lacrosse (which wasn't main stream when I was younger) is eating into it.

IF I were a GM I'd spend higher amounts on AAV and give 3-4 year deals MAX.....if that.

Bettman is going to kill this sport. The game is getting back to old, low, boring ways which doesn't do much for the casual fan. You have limited star power and ask a casual fan who won the hart (mvp) last year and pitch a tent.....because you will be waiting awhile.
- SteveRain

Bettman won't kill the sport - the owners whom he works for will - nothing will happen until they understand the situation and demand changes.

When the owners realize that the game isn't growing, HRR isn't growing, the fan base isn't growing - and they understand that it is because the free-flowing game is being held up by clutching, grabbing, holding, and other forms of mugging - they will tell Bettman to have the officials call the games properly.

I knew nothing about this shark race until about midnight last night when a friend mentioned it.

So...whatever I did prior to hype, was much different than the rest of you.

Somehow your lifestyle (and believe me I am NOT taking a swipe at any of you) intersected with the promotion, so that would, to me, be the main factor it did well.

As far as hockey, being a lower level sport in terms of viewership...I remember with the Peter Puck era of national broadcasts the NBA and NHL has basically the SAME level of interest and at the point was when televising and marketing would have one of them take a quantitative jump in ratings and interest.
and despite the racial undertone I am about to spew, one sport was played in school yards around the country and at the higher levels had high numbers of non-white professionals AND it had no bearing on the viewership, the team loyalities, etc.

The other at that point had almost exclusive white most Canadian players and despite the grace and beauty in the play, a thuggish undertone because of the bully era.

My own opinion is if they had just worked at honeycomb views on replays of all the different angles and had the ability to display great camera work and angles, maybe the possible new audience would have learned to track the puck, learn to see the set-ups.

I just personally think the puck is small and the tyro viewers can't see it like a football in the air or a 3 point BB arc.

There are so many exciting established NHL stars and so many really fine new ones on the horizon, you can't say the game is slow or boring or without personality, I just don't see the was you can say they haven't tried selling the players as part of the game.

I just don't know

Wiz, curious as to your thoughts on the young d-men playing at NHL level this season: Murphy, Forsling, and Rutta?
- Assman22

At some point, they MUST let youngsters play from that position and newbies.

Murphy is established, but they don't have all these kids in Rockford playing defense to not be groomed or found to be flops.

They have to be allowed to play...

I knew nothing about this shark race until about midnight last night when a friend mentioned it.

So...whatever I did prior to hype, was much different than the rest of you.

Somehow your lifestyle (and believe me I am NOT taking a swipe at any of you) intersected with the promotion, so that would, to me, be the main factor it did well.

As far as hockey, being a lower level sport in terms of viewership...I remember with the Peter Puck era of national broadcasts the NBA and NHL has basically the SAME level of interest and at the point was when televising and marketing would have one of them take a quantitative jump in ratings and interest.
and despite the racial undertone I am about to spew, one sport was played in school yards around the country and at the higher levels had high numbers of non-white professionals AND it had no bearing on the viewership, the team loyalities, etc.

The other at that point had almost exclusive white most Canadian players and despite the grace and beauty in the play, a thuggish undertone because of the bully era.

My own opinion is if they had just worked at honeycomb views on replays of all the different angles and had the ability to display great camera work and angles, maybe the possible new audience would have learned to track the puck, learn to see the set-ups.

I just personally think the puck is small and the tyro viewers can't see it like a football in the air or a 3 point BB arc.

There are so many exciting established NHL stars and so many really fine new ones on the horizon, you can't say the game is slow or boring or without personality, I just don't see the was you can say they haven't tried selling the players as part of the game.

I just don't know
- wiz1901

And in an increasingly diverse North American continent (including the US, Canada, and Mexico), hockey has remained a mainly White sport not only in the league but in the fan base.

The owners must figure out how to tap into the "minority" market not only to put more "color" into the league, but to have more Blacks, Hispanics, Asians spend money on the sport - like they do for basketball and football.

Here's a new topic.....

the much overhyped Michael Phelps vs a Shark swimming race, no I didnt' watch it, out drew any game of the NHL Stanley Cup Final........

This is why you have to question the sanity of Bettman, as well as ANY team that buys in to what he and Daly try to sell on the HRR revenues and future cap number.

When your supposed "big" sport gets out drawn by a guy racing a CGI shark in a stunt what does that say?

How does anyone truly think this cap is magically going to sky rocket up and up any time soon? What network is going to pay top dollars for a product that is truly a NICHE sport and doesn't constitute a huge price tag (NBA, MLB)? Nobody, because they won't get their money back from ad dollars spent.

Once again, when the next labor stoppage happens, and it will, bet donuts to dolalrs that the cap gets reset in a downward figure with some BS grandfathered clause to help high spending teams burry contracts, etc.

I love hockey, but if I am a NHL owner I would be very worried on where the future of my game is going and who is leading and making those decisions..........
- SteveRain

That's not true though, is it?

Phelps vs Shark drew 4.78 million viewers
http://tvbythenumbers.zap...ble-ratings-july-23-2017/

The last two Hawks series both had over 8 million viewers in one of their games, plus averaged 5.5 and 5.7 million for the series.

http://nbcsportsgrouppres...d-most-watched-on-record/
https://sportstvratings.c...-6-overnight-rating/2787/

There are several playoff games a year that get around $4.5+ million viewers. Even the most boring final ever (2012 Kings v Devils) had their game 6 reach 4.9 million.

https://en.wikipedia.org/...NHL_on_NBC#2014-15_season

Here's a new topic.....

the much overhyped Michael Phelps vs a Shark swimming race, no I didnt' watch it, out drew any game of the NHL Stanley Cup Final........

This is why you have to question the sanity of Bettman, as well as ANY team that buys in to what he and Daly try to sell on the HRR revenues and future cap number.

When your supposed "big" sport gets out drawn by a guy racing a CGI shark in a stunt what does that say?

How does anyone truly think this cap is magically going to sky rocket up and up any time soon? What network is going to pay top dollars for a product that is truly a NICHE sport and doesn't constitute a huge price tag (NBA, MLB)? Nobody, because they won't get their money back from ad dollars spent.

Once again, when the next labor stoppage happens, and it will, bet donuts to dolalrs that the cap gets reset in a downward figure with some BS grandfathered clause to help high spending teams burry contracts, etc.

I love hockey, but if I am a NHL owner I would be very worried on where the future of my game is going and who is leading and making those decisions..........
- SteveRain

I would not fret too much. The total league revenue is probably upwards of $4 billion. The cap is $75 mil. With 31 teams the cumulative cap is $2.35 bil. The NHL will see small income growth through inflation, additional revenue streams (China could be big), and continued slow growth in the USA. A small increase in the value of the C$ would be big too. Adding $1 mil to the cap per team is only an increase of $1.33%. A slow steady climb is not a bad thing. A lockout while they renegotiate the CBA would be a step back.

I am not saying that Bettman is a marketing genius, but NHL revenues have nearly doubled in the last 10 years.

The "shark" event was a one time stunt as a prelude to shark week which draws huge tv ratings every year. I would consider an outlier more than anything else.