During our expansion and protection discussions, we briefly touched on where the league would actually put two extra teams once they had them - not just the cities, but the divisions and conferences.  For fun, Dom and I kicked around an idea that we've apparently worked on separately for years - four 8-team divisions.

Because the southern and western teams are much more sparse it becomes a challenge to get together groups of eight without putting them at a severe disadvantage compared to the northeastern teams. For example, it doesn’t work to just re-assemble the classic 80’s divisions and add the extra teams. (Pity, that.) Who gets nudged to a less-convenient location?

The SBNation major-domo, Travis Hughes, is pleased to announce that the NHL is faux-spanding to Winnipeg and Quebec City, with the not-actual-return of the Jets and Nordiques to imaginary professional ice hockey.

Dotting I's: Doug Weight officially re-signed

Mock NHL Expansion: Where to?

WebBard's recent Mount Puckmore/Suckmore post anticipated me a little bit.

Back on the old blog, I would run occasional Isles and hockey posts.  This one, originally from February of this year, fits perfectly with what the Bard has in mind - so I would like to offer it as a compilation of the possible candidates for our own Mount Suckmore.  Warning:  it's a little long.  I can't help it, there's been a lot to cry about over the years.

NHL TV Schedule

Dom's post about the potential new deals for KO and Bailey this morning spurred me into some mildly serious consideration of the CBA and it's upcoming expiration. In the interest of full disclosure, I myself am not a lawyer and had not read the NHL CBA prior to the date of this FanPosting.

In this FanPost, I'm only going to be examining certain aspects of the current CBA and labor situation so that we might discuss the potential changes or additions in the next CBA and how it will affect the continued development of our Islanders into a dominating force in the East. With that said, let us continue on to the facts and questions!

Editor's Note: Front-paging a couple of FanPosts today that are good discussion-stirrers: This one from KC on your ideal all-decade lineup, and MTBVibe's post exploring how the next CBA might affect the way the Islanders approach locking up their young core and chasing other free agents. On that note, for previous all-decade scuttlebutt, see previous LHH posts (and polls!) on the decade's best goalies, the defensemen, and the enforcers.

I saw this somewhere else but thought it would be pretty cool to do over here now that hockey news isn't so alive:

I know it was just yesterday that I ventured you might be tired of salary talk.