NHL: 24 team playoffs soon. Devil's season is over

[mfitz804]

17 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Exactly.  It really makes no sense from either side’s standpoint to restart things the more one thinks about it.  It’s not going to put more money in anyone’s pocket to do it, and it’ll just be gimicky.

As much as they complain, the players have a pretty good thing going.  Despite the SCF finals getting lower ratings than an episode of This Is Us, the average hockey player probably makes more money than the average NFLer, and if you took QBs out of the equation a player like Travis Zajac probably will make more money than 90 percent of NFL players over the course of a career.  
 

At the same time, most of the owners are hoping to make a killing by virtue of buying low and hoping that things like a decent TV contract and perhaps gambling related revenue will help them sell high.

With that being the state of the world, I don’t see what trying to play in August will accomplish, unless they feel the novelty will bring in a lot more fans on the long run, which I kind of doubt.

Comparing NFL and NHL salaries is apples to oranges. Average NHL salary is 3 times the average NFL salary, but NFL teams are also paying what, 3 times the amount of people?

Plus, I bet the average NFL career is far shorter than the average NHL career. Probably by a lot. 

 

 

[Daniel]

11 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

Comparing NFL and NHL salaries is apples to oranges. Average NHL salary is 3 times the average NFL salary, but NFL teams are also paying what, 3 times the amount of people?

Plus, I bet the average NFL career is far shorter than the average NHL career. Probably by a lot. 

 

 

I get that there are very obvious reasons why NFL players make less than NHLers.  It doesnt change the fact that hockey players have a very good thing going relative to the popularity of the sport and that starting things up in the summer probably won’t change the situation.

Unless there’s some ironclad marketing analysis that says the league will gain millions of more permanent fans from some kind of summer playoff series, the focus should really be shoring  up the base, which I don’t get the sense is clamoring for it.  Like the NFL I’d focus on making the draft more of an event for real hockey fans and perhaps other people with more of a casual interest who are starved for some kind of sports programming.  And, maybe a few of the latter get interested enough in the players that are drafted that they tune in more.  
 

Don’t try and pretend you’re something you’re not.

[Nicomo]

3 hours ago, mfitz804 said:

Plus, I bet the average NFL career is far shorter than the average NHL career. Probably by a lot. 

The average NFL career is only 3 years. NHL is 5. 

[mfitz804]

9 hours ago, Nicomo said:

The average NFL career is only 3 years. NHL is 5. 

Hmm, I would have thought more. 

[MadDog2020]

 

[Satans Hockey]

10 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

 

This is so stupid but then again this league has also done numerous stupid things so I won't even be surprised if this happens.

"Daly makes many of the arguments proponents have already discussed, including the success of the NFL draft and fans’ hunger for sports content." 

The draft will and should absolutely be a digital draft. The vast majority of the general public doesn't give a sh!t about watching the nhl draft. It's not some ratings draw and Daly is clueless if he thinks this would get even half of what the NFL draft draws. People would rather watch paint dry than watch the NHL draft. 

We also can get screwed royally here... 

"To make it as fair as possible, the league has suggested:

• For conditional trades, the league would propose solutions. The teams would have seven days to either reform the deal on terms acceptable to both, or accept the NHL’s idea.

• Using each team’s points percentage to determine the Order of Selection. (That’s under the current playoff format, so 16 teams would be out of the lottery and 15 would be in.)

• Changing the lottery format this season only — picking just one winner, and limiting any move-up to a maximum of four spots.

I can see that being hotly contested. The NHL suggested this idea because of complaints the lottery winner could also win the Stanley Cup. While the league considers that a total longshot, it is prepared to concede the point and prevent the occurrence.

One of Sportsnet’s smarter Insiders, Chris Johnston, detailed potential outcomes. Detroit would pick no lower than second. Ottawa (with San Jose’s top selection), could do no worse than three and four. New Jersey, Buffalo, Montreal and Chicago couldn’t jump above two, three, four and five, respectively."

Edited May 2, 2020 by Satans Hockey

[aclc79]

It sounds thoroughly unworkable.  I am sure that the league will go for it full throttle.  Do we ever expect anything less from the geniuses in the league office? 😆

Edited May 2, 2020 by aclc79

[Daniel]

2 hours ago, Satans Hockey said:

This is so stupid but then again this league has also done numerous stupid things so I won't even be surprised if this happens.

"Daly makes many of the arguments proponents have already discussed, including the success of the NFL draft and fans’ hunger for sports content." 

The draft will and should absolutely be a digital draft. The vast majority of the general public doesn't give a sh!t about watching the nhl draft. It's not some ratings draw and Daly is clueless if he thinks this would get even half of what the NFL draft draws. People would rather watch paint dry than watch the NHL draft. 

We also can get screwed royally here... 

"To make it as fair as possible, the league has suggested:

• For conditional trades, the league would propose solutions. The teams would have seven days to either reform the deal on terms acceptable to both, or accept the NHL’s idea.

• Using each team’s points percentage to determine the Order of Selection. (That’s under the current playoff format, so 16 teams would be out of the lottery and 15 would be in.)

• Changing the lottery format this season only — picking just one winner, and limiting any move-up to a maximum of four spots.

I can see that being hotly contested. The NHL suggested this idea because of complaints the lottery winner could also win the Stanley Cup. While the league considers that a total longshot, it is prepared to concede the point and prevent the occurrence.

One of Sportsnet’s smarter Insiders, Chris Johnston, detailed potential outcomes. Detroit would pick no lower than second. Ottawa (with San Jose’s top selection), could do no worse than three and four. New Jersey, Buffalo, Montreal and Chicago couldn’t jump above two, three, four and five, respectively."

I think this is more or less fine, except just keep the draft in late June instead of at the beginning of the month.  It may not be a ratings bonanza, but it at least can’t do anything but help the sport since nothing else is on.  

I’d also think that teams that are on the playoff bubble so far as conditional picks are concerned will want to give them up this year since there’s been less of an opportunity to do full scouting.

Bottom line is that no one has any idea when the season will start up again if at all and under what circumstances.  In the meantime there’s a event the league can hold while pretty much nothing else entertainment wise is going on.  

[Satans Hockey]

16 minutes ago, Daniel said:

In the meantime there’s a event the league can hold while pretty much nothing else entertainment wise is going on.  

The ratings for the draft normally hit between 300-400k, they still probably wouldn't crack a million unless it was on NBC and people forget to change the channel lol

[Daniel]

14 minutes ago, Satans Hockey said:

The ratings for the draft normally hit between 300-400k, they still probably wouldn't crack a million unless it was on NBC and people forget to change the channel lol

If it’s an extra hundred thousand viewers, it’s something, and I’m one who is skeptical of almost all NHL attempts to compete with the NBA ratings and popularity-wise.  
 

But beyond whether it increases interest in the sport, I want to have something to watch sooner rather than later and would much rather not delay it in the hopes of there maybe being some bastardized playoff series being played in empty arenas.

[SterioDesign]

also there's 2 events... there's the draft lottery and there's the draft so..

[MadDog2020]

 

[jagknife]

14 hours ago, MadDog2020 said:

 

I read on twitter last night the league is expected to announce a draft plan today or tomorrow. I’ll try to dig up the tweet when I get to work.

[Daniel]

21 minutes ago, jagknife said:

I read on twitter last night the league is expected to announce a draft plan today or tomorrow. I’ll try to dig up the tweet when I get to work.

 

One of the guys that runs eliteprospects.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Daniel

[NJDfan1711]

Gonna be weird to have a draft before the season is finished (or even resumed), but it's good that they're keeping things in motion and as planned as best as possible, which will hopefully mean an easier time getting the season next year started on time, or close to it.

[Satans Hockey]

This league is so fvcking stupid. 

[Satans Hockey]

A new older game tonight on MSG+

9:30pm & 2am - Minnesota North Stars at Devils from 2/28/88

[Jimmy Leeds]

https://www.tsn.ca/talent/how-revised-nhl-draft-odds-would-impact-lottery-teams-1.1472507

[Satans Hockey]

1 minute ago, Jimmy Leeds said:

https://www.tsn.ca/talent/how-revised-nhl-draft-odds-would-impact-lottery-teams-1.1472507

And this shows how out of touch the NHL really is if they think they will even hit a million let alone half this amount...

"There is no doubt that the NHL was paying close attention to the NFL’s draft last week – a major success story that saw a whopping 15.6 million people tune in for just the first round." 

[Satans Hockey]

Devils just sent out an email about getting a credit or a refund for this current seasons remaining games so that pretty much confirms fans won't be in the building if they end up playing them. They wouldn't be offering refunds this early if they still planned to have fans in the buildings. 

There's a few incentives if you roll the money over for next season or you can just get a refund. 

Edited May 4, 2020 by Satans Hockey

[Daniel]

1 hour ago, Satans Hockey said:

And this shows how out of touch the NHL really is if they think they will even hit a million let alone half this amount...

"There is no doubt that the NHL was paying close attention to the NFL’s draft last week – a major success story that saw a whopping 15.6 million people tune in for just the first round." 

How many somewhat above casual hockey fans are there in the United States, probably about a million.  The fact that no other sporting events will be on leads me to believe that you can expect a viewership of at least that amount. 

I don't see any reason not to do it in early June at this point.  All the prospect tournaments between now and December are cancelled, and who knows when the various junior leagues or European leagues are going to resume, or when you could do the combine, which pretty much means nothing anyway.  The only thing that teams might benefit from would be more time to do medicals, but I don't think there's a first round pick with injury concerns like a Nolan Patrick or Galchenyuk. 

The league's in a tough position, but I think it's making the right decision here.  Don't drag this out only to cancel the season by August anyway.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

6 hours ago, Satans Hockey said:

A new older game tonight on MSG+

9:30pm & 2am - Minnesota North Stars at Devils from 2/28/88

Kinda sorta remember that one a little...very vaguely though.  All I'll say about it is that it was a very 80s game...lots of goals.  

One of the last games just before Sean Burke joined the Devils...god did they need him badly.  Sauve was decent for that era (and had a knack for coming up with big games as a backup), but Chevrier was pretty bad.  Burke took a little while to settle in, but over his last seven games heading into the playoffs, he was brilliant...put up a .930 save%.  Compared to Chevy and Sauve, Burke really did seem like a brick wall at the time.  

Edited May 4, 2020 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[DevsMan84]

2 hours ago, Satans Hockey said:

Devils just sent out an email about getting a credit or a refund for this current seasons remaining games so that pretty much confirms fans won't be in the building if they end up playing them. They wouldn't be offering refunds this early if they still planned to have fans in the buildings. 

There's a few incentives if you roll the money over for next season or you can just get a refund. 

I hope people are taking the refund route.  A lot of the incentives have the phrase "mutual agreed upon" in them (example are club seats to mutual agreed upon dates).  That leads the door open for shenanigans from the Devils when it comes time to claim those incentives.

[Satans Hockey]

27 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

I hope people are taking the refund route.  A lot of the incentives have the phrase "mutual agreed upon" in them (example are club seats to mutual agreed upon dates).  That leads the door open for shenanigans from the Devils when it comes time to claim those incentives.

If you renewed for next season and are on the payment plan there's really no reason to take a refund unless you need the money. I'm on the payment plan(it's interest free and there's no benefit to paying in full) so I would end up having to keep paying them every month anyway. The rollover of credit simply reduces the amount I pay each month now. 

I'm probably taking the food and beverage credit which is a really nice perk that they didn't have to offer. 

For games that are mutually agreed upon that simply because you're not getting to sit in the clubs for a rangers game or whatever else they deem as a top tier game. It's really not a big deal. 

Plus if games for next season are played without fans then they will end up giving refunds anyway. I'm really not even slightly concerned about getting screwed over like some people are. 

[Jerrydevil]

I'm watching '95 ECF, the pivotal Game 5. I had forgotten how great Ron Hextall played in this game before he gave up the softie to Claude Lemieux. This was a terrific hockey game, and Hextall giveth and taketh away.