Duffer’s Dabbles: Could A Coyotes Move To Quebec Send Red Wings Back Out West?

In what seems like almost an annual event, there is speculation that the Arizona Coyotes franchise could once again be on the move. In essence, they’ve been evicted from Gila River Arena by the city of Gendale, which terminated the Coyotes’ lease. The team owes the city nearly $1.5 million.

Are they going to Kansas City? Is a rebirth of the Quebec Nordiques in the cards?

In reality, something will probably worked out. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has a history of moving whatever obstacles are in the way of the Coyotes’ continued life in the Arizona desert, so in all likelihood, they’ll find a way to smooth things over and keep the team in the Phoenix area. But let’s play Devil’s advocate for a moment. How could a Coyotes relocation impact the Red Wings?

Suppose they go to Quebec. The NHL already has 16 teams in the Eastern time zone. Some club would need to head to the Western Conference to balance the books and the budget.

Logically, that team would probably be the Red Wings. In 2013, the Wings were moved from the West to the East. Going back to the West would increase the team’s travel budget but considered the dearth of quality clubs on that side of the NHL, might improve their playoff chances during the current rebuild.

Defending Mr. Wilson

Washington: Bettman appeared on New York radio station WFAN on Thursday. Along with reassuring all that he wasn’t a bit concerned about the Coyotes season he also took time to defend the work George Parros and the Department of Player Safety during last season’s Tom Wilson fiasco between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers.

Ex-Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith of the Rangers, who challenged Wilson for his attacks on Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin, also appeared on Sirius-XM and discussed the Wilson epside very cryptically. “To be honest, once my career is over, there’ll be more info that will come to fruition about the whole incident,” Smith said. “All I can say at the moment is that I personally wish the league handled it a little bit differently. I think that we had to take care of our superstars 100 percent and then it wouldn’t have hit the fan like it did.”

Vancouver: Canada solve the USA and win the upcoming IIHF women’s world championship?

Chase Boston Reunion Unlikely

Boston: While the St. Louis Blues hold discussions with Zdeno Chara, there appears to be little chance of a Chara reunion with the Boston Bruins.

Detroit: Look Frans – no team. The Red Wings took advantage of the CBA-induced buyout opportunity offered by the Adam Erne arbitration case to shed themselves of the horrible free-agent contract the team’s previous regime tendered to forward Frans Nielsen.

Yahoo!: EA Sports says it was Auston Matthew’s charisma that made him the choice to be the cover boy for NHL 22. Is that what they’re calling mooning a female security guard through a car window these days?