2022-2023 Around The League

[redacted]

I've never met Yakupov, but I've heard good things from many people. One thing I've heard is he could never tone back his showboating and always trying the impossible even in practice. On that quote, we also have to consider the source as we all know Dubi is one of the most grounded and likable characters to pass through the NHL over the past 15 years.

I think the situation in Columbus is less about Jarmo and more about that organization. Not every club has the luxury of being able to attract talent, have a right owner willing to deal with attendance issues, and time. Columbus is a small market team that needs to try to stay competitive to keep the fans engaged and coming to games. They've been through the doldrums of mid 14k attendance and how badly that hurt the finances of the organization. Going back there is a first class ticket to being a league minimum team who goes back to being a league feeder.

We are already seeing that drop in attendance for them, if it continues and gets into the 14s... you'll see them starting to sell off players to save money. The ownership just isn't going to go down the path of losing that much. It isn't like Stan here who doesn't really care.

I really think they should have pushed their chips in the middle during the 17-18 season. Used the 2 year Panarin window and just go all in for both years instead of one. I think that was the biggest mistake.

 

[Pokecheque]

Haha as someone who’s met Nail, this doesn’t shock me. However it’s just baffling how many people this guy pissed off.

Yak always made time for the fans in Edmonton in person. He was good people that way.

He just had no clue how to play in the NHL or get along with teammates.

I always got the impression that Nail was just a big doofus. A lovable doofus but a doofus nonetheless. I never actually heard anyone had a bad thing to say about him (about his play sure...his hockey IQ, yep...but not HIM) before today.

AJ (I think)described a scene in practice around 2018 or so when things were suuuuuper awkward between Duchene and the Avs, he kinda just skulked around by himself in practice and Yak just skated right up to him and started talking away like nothing was wrong. No surprise those two had some chemistry early on.

I'm pretty sure Brian Burke cited Yak as one of the worst draft interviews he ever had. Conversely, he said Landeskog had one of the best.

It's a shame. When he was in Edmonton that one-timer of his was just deadly. He was booming that thing like I had never seen before. I feel like it lost some juice later on, but Bednar at least took advantage of the one thing Yak did right by lining him up for a faceoff with like two seconds left in the period and he managed to wing one in before time ran out.

Doesn't seem like he's a bad guy or anything, just kinda dumb I guess. Whatever, I literally haven't heard a thing about him since he went back.

 

[Metallo]

A lot of people thought Flames were a better team after all the moves they made getting Huberdeau and Weegar, but in fact they are worse because they don't have the best line in NHL anymore like they had last year. That line pretty much carried the Flames all year. Also I think Weegar is overrated

I, for one, was saying that it's not automatic that the new players were going to fit perfectly in their new environnent and that the team is going to be better. CGY underwent major change over the summer.

 

[redacted]

Major shakeups usually require time to gel (why we rarely see midseason trades mesh all that well and why deadline deal for top of the lineup players rarely work well). Calgary is getting through the teething pains right now. My caution is that a lot of their best players are on the cusp of regression from their prime or right at the edge of the cliff... those moments can happen pretty swiftly. I would say at best, they have this year and next year left... with only this year being a strong possibility.

Also, they are a Sutter team... his teams usually don't do all that well in the regular season, but crank up down the stretch and in the playoffs. As long as they make it, they'll be dangerous. They'd be more dangerous if they got rid of Markstrom though.

 

[Metallo]

That takes the insane levels down like 2%.

I just researched the story because I wasn't aware of it and fact checked it because I felt it was relevant. I don't know why you are upset.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Major shakeups usually require time to gel (why we rarely see midseason trades mesh all that well and why deadline deal for top of the lineup players rarely work well). Calgary is getting through the teething pains right now. My caution is that a lot of their best players are on the cusp of regression from their prime or right at the edge of the cliff... those moments can happen pretty swiftly. I would say at best, they have this year and next year left... with only this year being a strong possibility.

Also, they are a Sutter team... his teams usually don't do all that well in the regular season, but crank up down the stretch and in the playoffs. As long as they make it, they'll be dangerous. They'd be more dangerous if they got rid of Markstrom though.

How quickly the triumphant signings of summer turn to ash in the mouth. It's like GRRM is writing the 2022-23 NHL Season and is setting everyone up for a fall.

 

[redacted]

How quickly the triumphant signings of summer turn to ash in the mouth. It's like GRRM is writing the 2022-23 NHL Season and is setting everyone up for a fall.

I've been saying that before they signed the extensions and that it was a last ditch to win with that core. And frankly I don't blame them at all for making those moves... gotta shoot your shot while you have it. They'll be rebuilding in ~4 years anyway, so who cares?

 

[The Merchant]

Lauren Gardner is on vacation.

That is all.

 

[Pokecheque]

A lot of people thought Flames were a better team after all the moves they made getting Huberdeau and Weegar, but in fact they are worse because they don't have the best line in NHL anymore like they had last year. That line pretty much carried the Flames all year. Also I think Weegar is overrated

Weegar is still a legit top pairing defender with good puck skills who is damn near elite at preventing zone entries. It's when he gets in the defensive zone that things get just a tad dicey as he's not the greatest at protecting the puck. That portion of his game has been exposed BIG time in the playoffs. Time will tell if he can clean that up, but at least during the regular season he's very good.

His 2020-21 season was absolutely insane.

 

[Pokecheque]

I'll add this--I think Brad Treliving is bold and has made some really eye-opening moves, but I'm not at all convinced he's a good GM. He basically struck out with every one of his coaching hires until turning to Sutter out of desperation (and likely under the orders of ownership). He deserves credit for losing Johnny Hockey and Keith's kid and landing Huberdeau and Kadri, but he also deserves a ton of blame for overpaying for a middle-tier goalie like Markstrom at a time when his market value couldn't be higher.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I was wondering when he was going to figure out, he grabbed my "special" water bottle. That suckers straight vodka.

 

[Balthazar]

 

[sethro109]

I wonder if players would be willing to wear kevlar sleeves on their wrists? That would definitely effect how they shoot. Most of them don't even like wearing face shields. Something tells me it'll be a while before it's implemented.... If at all.

 

[redacted]

NHLPA will fight this tooth and nail.

 

[Balthazar]

NHLPA will fight this tooth and nail.

That shit must be extremely uncomfortable ortherwise it doesn't make any sense not to wear it.

 

[Balthazar]

I wonder how the Pens feel about re-upping Malkin and Letang now. Their contracts are just starting and that window is as shut as it gets.

 

[Metallo]

I wonder how the Pens feel about re-upping Malkin and Letang now. Their contracts are just starting and that window is as shut as it gets.

I laughed so hard when I heard an early season ESPN (or TNT) panel discussing the possibility of the Pens having another cup run in them.

 

[Pokecheque]

 

[The Merchant]

The league is more fun with him in it

 

[Pokecheque]

The league is more fun with him in it

Agreed. I'll admit I got tired of the crankiness a couple years back but I think for the most part that was just burnout in Lumbus (Jarmo and Foligno really should've just let him walk like he wanted). He's a fun character and if he's destined to be this quick fix guy who bounces around the league, so be it.

 

[redacted]

That shit must be extremely uncomfortable ortherwise it doesn't make any sense not to wear it.

Doesn’t make sense to not wear a visor or a helmet… both were fought

If you’ve worn the sleeves, they do feel restricting. I wouldn’t want to wear them.

 

[Pokecheque]

The NHLPA never has and never will have their priorities in order.

 

[redacted]

The NHLPA never has and never will have their priorities in order.

That’s completely accurate.

 

[Balthazar]

The NHLPA never has and never will have their priorities in order.

Well they act like any other union: Say no to everything then negotiate.

 

[Pokecheque]

Well they act like any other union: Say no to everything then negotiate.

They got their asses taken to the cleaners with the last two CBAs, they fight tooth and nail for any player who gets suspended while doing nothing to address the concerns of the players on the receiving end of those hits, and they did absolutely nothing when one of their own members was being sexually abused.

For a "union" they sure do capitulate in the very situations where they should stand firm.