Bettman is never going to say something that undermines what an owner is trying to negotiate. If he does the tough guy act against a city, it's because that's what that owner wants him to say. If he softballs it and talks about how great a market is, that's what that owner wants him to say.
I don't think he ever hinted that the Thrashers could move until the day the move was announced.
I'm sure different things are being said behind the scenes to the Coyotes ownership. A couple of months ago, there were rumours of a possible sale and relocation to Houston that was quickly dismissed. I have no doubt those reports were absolutely true.
There is almost-certainly a drop-dead date for Tempe to make progress on the new building or they'll have to do something else. The question is when that date is. If it's going to cost $20-30 million just to build facilities at the university for the Coyotes' temporary use, they're not going to want to spend that money unless there's some level of certainty that a deal can get done and the new building built quickly.
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