NHL Expansion to Las Vegas

[knowitall]

Does hockey really need a 31st team

[peytonsaturday]

yes.  They actually should have brought in 2 teams.  East has 16 teams, where as the West only has 14.  My opinion is that they should have had 2 teams in the West (LV and Seattle) or 1 in each (LV and Quebec City) and moved Detroit back to the West. Simple math will tell you that Western Conference teams have a higher percentage of making the playoffs than Eastern Conference teams.  

[konjo78]

Seattle would be a solid place for a pick. Town is pretty into sports scene. Wants a 4th team, sounders are extremely popular, and would fit into NHL pretty well

[peytonsaturday]

Seattle would be a solid place for a pick. Town is pretty into sports scene. Wants a 4th team, sounders are extremely popular, and would fit into NHL pretty well

4th team?  All I got is 2 with the Seahawks and Mainers.  

[12HankQB]

Seattle would be a solid place for a pick. Town is pretty into sports scene. Wants a 4th team, sounders are extremely popular, and would fit into NHL pretty well

Plus you're right next to Canada. The rivalry with the Nucks would happen for sure.
Peyton: Seahawks, Mariners, and Supersonics.

[Crimson's Ghost]

Seattle deserves a 3rd sports team, kind of a shame how the Sonics left town as they did. 

konjo is counting the Sounders of MLS as a third team, and while Seattle and Portland and a few other cities support their teams well, the MLS isn't a major entity. 

[knowitall]

Is there enough NHL caliber talent to field 32 teams?  There probably isn't enough for 16.

[konjo78]

I count the sounders as a 3rd team because the support they give to the team there is probably greater than i see in most NHL franchises and MLB. MLS isnt big i agree but if they get that support level in seattle NHL would do well

[peytonsaturday]

Oh, it was soccer so I didn't even think of it. Hate that sport with a passion. But that's a topic for another thread.

[abpk2903]

Is there enough NHL caliber talent to field 32 teams?  There probably isn't enough for 16.

Actually, yes there is. There are a ton of NHL caliber players in the AHL. The great thing about hockey is that if you can skate, you can play well into your late 30s. That elevates the talent pool. 
Look at some of the defensemen that were healthy scratches this season. The NHL could probably support 36-38 without a noticeable deficiency in talent.