Does the NHL have a scoring problem? Some people certainly seem to think so – enough that the topic came up for discussion at the NHL GMs meetings in Toronto this week.

Apparently, scoring has taken a bit of a dip and goaltenders are to blame. See, they’re taller and wider than they once were; their equipment has gotten bigger and, my God, they’re improving over time. It’s practically soccer on ice out there. 

Ok, not really. But I’m sure some folks believe it’s heading that way.

Personally, I don’t believe that we’re ever going to be writing post-games at TLN for nil-nil matches. I like goals – the more the better, in my opinion – but I’m not convinced hockey has a problem yet. Watching goalies go save for save is a lot like watching a good pitching battle in baseball, and I find those perfectly entertaining. Maybe not every night, but we’re nowhere close to that. 

So what’s the issue here, and how do you handle it? Does the NHL need more scoring? Would you cut down on goalie equipment size? Increase the size of the net? Change certain rules to promote more scoring opportunities? How would you go about this?

Put ’em in the comments. Most thumbs up gets J.S. Giguere’s old, massive pads.