GDT: 2020 Stanley Cup Playoff talk

[HisIceness]

Now that the NHL officially pulled it off, screw all the people that were so certain it couldn't be done. Great job NHL, even if it wasn't perfect. Congrats to the Lightning. Well deserved.

I was one of those people.

I'm glad they did though, I would have understood if they chose not too but seeing 2020 Season Not Finished engraved on the Cup wouldn't have been a good look.

 

[A Star is Burns]

I was one of those people.

I'm glad they did though, I would have understood if they chose not too but seeing 2020 Season Not Finished engraved on the Cup wouldn't have been a good look.

I never got the know it all vibe from your objections and being certain things would be shut down in a week. So I wasn't really thinking of someone like you. I thought they had a chance to pull it off, but I knew I didn't really know anything.

 

[HisIceness]

I never got the know it all vibe from your objections and being certain things would be shut down in a week. So I wasn't really thinking of someone like you.

For me I thought a huge lawsuit was waiting to happen because someone would contract Covid and spread it like wildfire. But the NHL did a solid job with the testing and the players did a good job staying in the bubble.

 

[Brock Anton]

I forgot that McElhinney is on the Bolts. Cool to see him win the Cup.

 

[CanesUltimate11]

Anyone else sad they didn't pipe in some boos for Gary Bettman?

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

No thanks from me to piping in boos for Bettman. The winking to the camera about the boos over the last few years kinda sucks and hasn't been funny since the first time he did it.

The king move would've been to come riding in on a chariot to triumphant horns and piping in the loudest cheers anyone has ever heard.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Now that the NHL officially pulled it off, screw all the people that were so certain it couldn't be done. Great job NHL, even if it wasn't perfect. Congrats to the Lightning. Well deserved.

I was against it too. Living in Toronto and seeing how bad our numbers were and how poorly we were managing the situation it just didn’t seem like a smart choice and with Baseball being a complete clown show with things it seemed like an outbreak would be inevitable but I will admit they did an excellent job all things considered

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I realize I'm stating the obvious, but for all the booing and hate Bettman gets, (and I think it's mainly because he's pushed "mass appeal" for the NHL which meant expanding into non-traditional markets vs. just putting more teams in the north),
1) the average value of an NHL team went from $148M in 2000 to $667M in 2019.
2) NHL revenue jumped to over $5B in 18/19 (up from ~$500-$700M when he took over).

Improving the value of the brand is pretty much his #1 job and it's hard to argue with the results.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

So how long before those 20 players realize that 3-6 will have to moved to make room for next season’s team.

I wonder if instead of 3-6 players, they push Stamkos into waiving his NMC now that he has a cup (technically).

Maybe Yzerman can convince him to come play in Detroit which would significantly jump start their rebuild and he could get Stamkos without giving up a fortune given TBL's cap problems. NYR (unfortuately) would be another potential spot where "maybe" he'd waive to go to and has the cap space to take him on.

I'd hate for the Rangers to have Panarin, Stamkos, Zib, Kakko, Buchnevich, and Laf along with Sheshterkin in goal.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

I wonder if instead of 3-6 players, they push Stamkos into waiving his NMC now that he has a cup (technically).

Maybe Yzerman can convince him to come play in Detroit which would significantly jump start their rebuild and he could get Stamkos without giving up a fortune given TBL's cap problems. NYR (unfortuately) would be another potential spot where "maybe" he'd waive to go to and has the cap space to take him on.

I'd hate for the Rangers to have Panarin, Stamkos, Zib, Kakko, Buchnevich, and Laf along with Sheshterkin in goal.

Anything is possible. I dont see it though.

 

[A Star is Burns]

I realize I'm stating the obvious, but for all the booing and hate Bettman gets, (and I think it's mainly because he's pushed "mass appeal" for the NHL which meant expanding into non-traditional markets vs. just putting more teams in the north),
1) the average value of an NHL team went from $148M in 2000 to $667M in 2019.
2) NHL revenue jumped to over $5B in 18/19 (up from ~$500-$700M when he took over).

Improving the value of the brand is pretty much his #1 job and it's hard to argue with the results.

I like Bettman. He gets far too much blame for having to be the face of the hard liners in bad times and not enough credit for some of the good things he's been around for (though I think that has changed some over the years).

 

[GoldiFox]

Tampa handed out NTC like JR on adderall to get guys to take less money and now after winning a Cup I doubt they will have anyone willing to waive their contracted protection.

They will get out of it though. Tampa can just threaten to waive a guy like Tyler Johnson and essentially force him to give up his trade protections rather than being randomly shipped off to the lowest waiver priority.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Tampa handed out NTC like JR on adderall to get guys to take less money and now after winning a Cup I doubt they will have anyone willing to waive their contracted protection.

They will get out of it though. Tampa can just threaten to waive a guy like Tyler Johnson and essentially force him to give up his trade protections rather than being randomly shipped off to the lowest waiver priority.

I've been saying the waiver thing for a while. And there is the added benefit to the threat that Detroit has the #1 waiver priority and happens to know all these guys intimately and need talent.

 

[GoldiFox]

I've been saying the waiver thing for a while. And there is the added benefit to the threat that Detroit has the #1 waiver priority and happens to know all these guys intimately and need talent.

I just hope that Cirelli and Sergachev both sign offer sheets to at least make it hurt for Tampa. Cirelli should have multiple $6.5 million offers.

Having both sign $3-4 million bridge deals like Tampa always seems to pull off would be annoying. But such is life in tax free Tampa on one of the best teams in the league.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I just hope that Cirelli and Sergachev both sign offer sheets to at least make it hurt for Tampa. Cirelli should have multiple $6.5 million offers.

Having both sign $3-4 million bridge deals like Tampa always seems to pull off would be annoying. But such is life in tax free Tampa on one of the best teams in the league.

I suspect we'll be disappointed when they both sign bridge deals.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Anyone else sad they didn't pipe in some boos for Gary Bettman?

Yes.

 

[hblueridgegal]

Not exactly One Shining Moment but fitting for the circumstances

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Tampa handed out NTC like JR on adderall to get guys to take less money and now after winning a Cup I doubt they will have anyone willing to waive their contracted protection.

They will get out of it though. Tampa can just threaten to waive a guy like Tyler Johnson and essentially force him to give up his trade protections rather than being randomly shipped off to the lowest waiver priority.

TJ is from Spokane, WA. WIth him having his cup and also getting paid a good salary I could see him being OK with 'going home' in the expansion draft.

 

[HisIceness]

So congrats to @geehaad for correctly picking the winner.

 

[geehaad]

Frankly, more shocking than me correctly predicting *anything* regarding the NHL is the fact that I was the only one of us to make that prediction.

But thanks for the shout-out at my SWAG.