lets see..
they received the 49th pick+Boynton+Ballard for JOkinen
while SOME people will say that Olli is a superstar….lets face facts the team now has 2 quality defenders that can play PP/PK and even strength + a quality 2nd round pick. Jokinen is the cheapest cap hit amongst non rookie #1 power Centers, but the Panthers have S.Matthias who should be a pretty solid power Center/Winger(from the nothing bertuzzi trade, via the Luongo deal)
and they also have the former 4th overall pick in B.Allen playing #2 minutes opposide J Bouwmmester …so that Luongo trade isn’t that terrible, oh and Luongo also missed the Playoffs last year…something tells me that if Matthias, HOrton, and Vokoun play healthy the full season the Cats will make the post season in 09—as for the the Cats making bad trades…how about scooping up a 1st rounder in dumping an injury prone P.Bure in 2001.
As for J.Bouwmeester..he’s got the right to make it to UFA and join the team of his choosing…wouldn’t it be funny if Lidstrom retires next summer and Jbo joins the Red wings while replacing the cap hit of Lidstrom….

I know the upside of cost certainty in an inflationary market but have never heard a quantitative interpretation of the inflexibility cost of typing up future dollars in case the player is injured or doesn’t produce.

If anyone does - please post it here and on the Wolves blog since McHale has (and is having) the same problem.

What’s the attraction with these longer term contracts that are given to role players with limited upside?

And, sometimes, it may be a Sunday afternoon game.

That is only one more game than LA, or the other West Coast teams?

Initially, there is no question that starting from point A in both cities the answer is Winnipeg out performs them.

But, there is a limit to Winnipeg. The limit is probably the exactly the same as whatever the initial season ticket base is.

We all see the world change everyday, Two years ago, travelling in Canada was a bargain, US money would go far, and it has been that way since the 1970’s. Now, it hovers about par.

But, who is to say it will stay the way it is now? Lots of factors that we do not know or take into consideration affect that.

And, that is only one factor to determine the long term success of a franchise.

The metropolitan area of south Florida is ten times the population of Winnipeg.

If I owned the Florida NHL franchise, I would find the smartest marketing people I could, and then start a program of packaging tickets with about any goods or services I could find.

Maybe six packs of tickets, four packs of tickets.

Whatever it takes.

I would not expect my efforts would equal the passion of the Canadian market. But, I think with redoubled efforts you could fill the seats and find advertisers.

Then, maybe the franchise is no longer a loser.

Biggest untapped markets in the US:
10 - Houston
14 - Seattle
19 - Orlando
20 - Sacramento
23 - Portland
27 - San Diego
29 - Hartford

Houston is big enough, but I don’t think that there’s the support for a team there (AiH, confirm/deny?). Seattle wouldn’t work because Vancouver would oppose it. Orland is similar, but with Tampa. Sacramento might work, IF there’s support. Portland only works if Paul Allen is willing to lose money hand over fist. San Diego is similar to Houston. Hartford is a failed experiment.

The only two in Cananada that might approach those are Quebec City and Winnipeg. Hamilton is considered part of the Toronto broadcast area, so I’m sure they’ll throw a hell of a fit in opposition (joined by Buffalo and Detroit, I’m sure.)

In the long run, I think the best course of action is contraction.