2022-2023 Around The League
- Thread starter Bill Peckerskull
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- Apr 25, 2006
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2025? 1.5 year of preparation wasn't long enough? Jesus Christ.
First the Olympics, now this.
I just want to see Mack, McDavid and Makar in their prime on the same team. Is that too much to ask?
Bottom 6 winger. Would you still want him if he wasn't named Rudolfs?
- Jan 18, 2016
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Well considering Helm is on LTIR and Bowers just got hurt. We could use a legit bottom 6 winger.
dahrougem2
Registered User
TruePowerSlave
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- Jun 27, 2015
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It's ridiculous how there hasn’t been a best on best tournament since 2014. Many will go trough their entire prime without the option to play at such an event.
- Jul 27, 2021
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I'm guessing it's due to the war of aggression that Russia is currently conducting. Hard to have a legit best on best tourney without them.
dahrougem2
Registered User
Just do what the Olympics did and don't call them "Russia" lol.
I don't know. Seems rather stupid to include politics in this if that really is the issue. It's not like this is an IIHF event. World Cup of Hockey is an NHL event. If they wouldn't allow "Russia" in the tournament, why are Russians playing in the NHL right now?
I'm well aware he's a bottom sixer. He's a very good defensive forward, which, surprisingly, the Avs really don't have in the mix at the moment. A lot of high-energy guys who can produce offense, but nearly all of them to a tee are bad defensively.
Obviously I am not counting guys like Lehkonen as a purely defensive forward.
The Avs went hard after defensive forwards right around 2017 when they were the most porous team in the entire league, that's when they snagged Nieto on waivers. Now they've swung too far the other way and there's too many Cogliano/LOC types, and it shows when they have long stretches in games when they don't control the puck at all. They need guys like Balcers so that the 3rd/4th lines can be trusted again.
- Jul 27, 2021
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They were banned from World Cup qualifying playoffs by FIFA earlier this year, and also as far as hockey goes, you might have countries like Czechia refuse to participate if Russia is included. Like it or not, there is a political element here.
I don't think it's a political situation that the NHL wants to wade into, especially since there are still issues with reliably getting Russian draftees over to play in the NHL.
dahrougem2
Registered User
Again, though, it's a stupid issue. You're punishing people that have nothing to do with what's going on between Russia/Ukraine.
Just call them something else and move on with it. It's hockey, not war.
UncleRisto
Not Great, Bob!
I shall disagree.
And to bring something else to the discussion, I was for letting Russian NHLers travel to Europe on club teams, but "ROC" should not be allowed to participate as a loophole. Be it as it may that it punishes the people, it is supposed to. Are we sanctioning or not?
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TruePowerSlave
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- Jun 27, 2015
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While I agree, sports has always been used as a political platform. That won't change anytime soon.
dahrougem2
Registered User
Why should the NHL feel the need to dive into the political sphere? It's an NHL event. If you won't allow Russians to participate in the World Cup of Hockey, ban them all from the NHL right now. Or just do the sensical thing and let them play.
avalanche_country
Registered User
Wild are banged up and Jost getting scratched. I didn’t expect him to turn it around there but didn’t know he was going from 1st line vs Avs to the doghouse.
Jost trade tree dead btw
Jost trade tree dead btw
dahrougem2
Registered User
If Jost wants to continue his NHL career he's probably going to need several years of playing on bottom feeders that lack forwards where he'll get some ice time.Wild are banged up and Jost getting scratched. I didn’t expect him to turn it around there but didn’t know he was going from 1st line vs Avs to the doghouse.
Jost trade tree dead btw
Otherwise, off to Europe he goes.
UncleRisto
Not Great, Bob!
The NHL dives into the political sphere by having the athletes represent nations.
Saying they aren't representing a nation doesn't make them not do that if they are in fact doing that.
dahrougem2
Registered User
The NHL didn't really care about it last time by having a "Team Europe". There are easily ways to skirt around the idea of nation representation.
Bednar IMO got the very most that anyone will likely ever get from Jost. The Wylde and Evason likely don't have the patience that the Avs did, and it's likely Josty is playing with ZERO confidence right now.
I imagine he'll bounce around the league for a bit as a tweener, but I can't see him taking up a regular spot and excelling at it. It's a shame because none of it is on him--his skating just isn't nearly good enough and it's ruined everything else about his game.
Personally I think Bednar also got the very most out of Zadorov (no, not Sutter, Bednar) that anyone else will get either.
I imagine he'll bounce around the league for a bit as a tweener, but I can't see him taking up a regular spot and excelling at it. It's a shame because none of it is on him--his skating just isn't nearly good enough and it's ruined everything else about his game.
Personally I think Bednar also got the very most out of Zadorov (no, not Sutter, Bednar) that anyone else will get either.
UncleRisto
Not Great, Bob!
Sure, but I don't agree that they should. And that definitely goes for Team Europe as well. Anyway.
Metallo
NWOBHM forever \m/
It's a true waste of an opportunity to showcase the game on the international stage. Just a total lack of vision by the NHL.
Meh...maybe I'm just being lame but I don't get all that excited about a World Cup of Hockey. I've no desire to watch players from my team risk injury in an exhibition tournament for the honor of holding up a trophy that looks like a candle that got left out in the sun.
Metallo
NWOBHM forever \m/
Yeah I'm not super excited by that gimmicky cash grab and it's a lot less prestigious than the Olympics but it something to see the best-on-best.
I kinda liked the whole "Team Europe" and "Team Kid" thing they did the last time but other than that, bah, this can wait until the Olympics, and even then, I'd rather just watch the NHL. Watching Team Canada wear Hockey Canada logos en route to an easy victory is not something I wish to see, even though more than a few players on that team will be among my favorites. Sorry.
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