I agree with cuts if cuts must be--I still say relocation is better, just look at how the Thrashers-turned-Jets 2.0 has been both a financial and fan base plus for the league--but to 20 teams?

That's absurd.

My Ducks and the Blues (been in the league since the 1960s, they deserve to stay), Sharks (perennial contenders and holding the Northern California/Nothwest area) and Devils (multi-Cup winners with a proud legacy built up now) are all worth keeping.

Nix the Coyotes, Blue Jackets, and Panthers, or move them to Quebec/Seattle/etc.

The Lightning I'm on the fence about--in the case of the former, they have won a Cup and are a playoff team, so perhaps without the Panthers soaking up fans and seats they'll be fine as the sole Florida team.

The Predators have been getting better, but I wouldn't shed any tears if they were cut.

The Hurricanes...eh, keep or relocate them, I'm fine either way.

The Islanders--THEY can stay, they have a great history, they just have a terrible team right now and a dump of an arena, New York-based teams WILL make money, they just have to be good, give the Isles time to be good and they'll be fine, it's not like Phoenix where that team will NEVER succeed because it was a relocation mistake Day 1.

So.

The Coyotes, Panthers, Hurricanes, Predators--I can see cutting/moving them.
The Ducks, Blues, Sharks and Devils--they deserve better, they should stay.
The Lightning and Hurricanes--I can go either way.

Sorry but Columbus (Franklin County to be more precise) just bought Nationwide Arena (thanks to casino money). If they move now they'll have to pay the city and county $40 million. I don't see that happening.

The NHL still exists?

I hope the NHL does Start cutting teams. It'll make the remaining teams better. With an influx in the available player pool.And serve to drive salaries down to a more reasonable level.

And I'll get to watch more games with teams I care about. Plus the league will stop bleeding money. Its a win win win.

Except for the people loosing their teams.

Cutting down to 20 teams might be too much, but I think that they do need to cut teams. Cutting to 26 teams or even 24 would be probably the best and, it would improve the overall level of talent.

Putin33 is right, no real way the Blue Jackets will leave because they now have a sweetheart deal going forward on the arena here, but have an immense penalty to pay if they leave

I'm all for shoving Gary Bettman into a gas chamber.

Columbus can be a hockey town though. This isn't really in question.

The NHL is so poorly run, the union is so poorly run. Its just an utter shitshow. This is a potentially very lucrative industry. if they scale it back there will be less money but significantly fewer mouths to feed. plus the mouths would be able to feed theemselves for the most part.

Whatever you say Obi, this league doesn't have the fan base to support 30 teams. Just because a team performs well doesn't mean leaving them as-they-are is a good idea. Neither does history really matter. It all about current sustainability.