2022-2023 Around The League

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So Toronto said 🖕 to the league travel policy over the break, and the league fined them $100k

Someone online noted that because of these ridiculous travel restrictions no one could even get on a plane until super-late, every single road team but one whose trip was longer than 75 minutes lost. The Leafs are likely completely and totally okay with paying that fine.

Like, don't schedule games the day right after the Christmas holiday if that's the rule. This. along with back-to-backs that require travel, should be eradicated wholesale.
 
To an extent, we might need to rethink what is an average save percentage is. But his (relative) struggles probably mean they just make a move at the deadline. Somebody like Varly.

Hahahahahaha Vegas is turning into Philly 2.0. Except worse.
 
I think the physicality adjustment for Euros is growing rather than getting smaller. Seems like most of the bigger, ‘physical’ European players are simply not used to getting hit anymore. German league seems to be the exception.

There isn't much out there though. Talbot/Allen/Reimer might be it and hoooo boy if you wanna go to war with those guys be my guest, anyone.
I think somebody is gonna shake lose there.
 
Tampa is dabbling in playing Perbix and Serg as a pairing both on their off hands. Each time they do, it creates a ton of chances for them.
 
Gonna be tough when New Jersey regresses to the mean and misses the playoffs.
They’ll be fine… Vanacek needs to play better. That’s their main problem right now. They’ve been controlling games, only to have the net let them down. They aren’t the best team in the NHL like their run, but they are very good.
 
They’ll be fine… Vanacek needs to play better. That’s their main problem right now. They’ve been controlling games, only to have the net let them down. They aren’t the best team in the NHL like their run, but they are very good.
I should've added a " :sarcasm: ". I think a Boston/NJD series would be awesome hockey. I'm excited to see Hughes play playoff hockey.
 
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I should've added a " :sarcasm: ". I think a Boston/NJD series would be awesome hockey. I'm excited to see Hughes play playoff hockey.
I should have known. People have been on that during a losing streak and that’s all that’s been happening. Goaltending letting them down.

The games have been so damn entertaining. Contrasting styles and ages… but playing such great hockey. It’ll either be late or early, but really want to see these teams grind out a series.
 
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I don't think Lafreniere ends up a bust, but he's not going to be the guy he was hyped. People gave way too much credit to his skill level and didn't look enough at his early physical development being a key reason he was so good in juniors. If he ends up in Chicago as a part of the Kane deal, I think he rounds out into a solid 1st liner in a Landy sort of mold.

Now Kakko scares me a bit more on the bust train. I say this while acknowledging he's been very good in December, so a corner might be getting turned. That's a guy who seemingly has zero idea what to do when he can't over power players. In the NHL he's a below average skater with pretty average strength... he can't physically dominate anymore and without that, he doesn't have the IQ or skill to be a high impact guy. Add to that his shot has messy releases that goalies can easily read. I simply don't see the high end upside right now. Maybe in time you get a good 2nd liner who might get you 60 points with 30 goals... you might only get a solid 15-20g 3rd liner though and as a #2 pick, to me, if he doesn't hit that 2nd line level... that's a bust.
 
I don't think Lafreniere ends up a bust, but he's not going to be the guy he was hyped. People gave way too much credit to his skill level and didn't look enough at his early physical development being a key reason he was so good in juniors. If he ends up in Chicago as a part of the Kane deal, I think he rounds out into a solid 1st liner in a Landy sort of mold.

Now Kakko scares me a bit more on the bust train. I say this while acknowledging he's been very good in December, so a corner might be getting turned. That's a guy who seemingly has zero idea what to do when he can't over power players. In the NHL he's a below average skater with pretty average strength... he can't physically dominate anymore and without that, he doesn't have the IQ or skill to be a high impact guy. Add to that his shot has messy releases that goalies can easily read. I simply don't see the high end upside right now. Maybe in time you get a good 2nd liner who might get you 60 points with 30 goals... you might only get a solid 15-20g 3rd liner though and as a #2 pick, to me, if he doesn't hit that 2nd line level... that's a bust.
Now you are just baiting your friend Bleedwell (sp?). :sarcasm:
 
I don't think Lafreniere ends up a bust, but he's not going to be the guy he was hyped. People gave way too much credit to his skill level and didn't look enough at his early physical development being a key reason he was so good in juniors. If he ends up in Chicago as a part of the Kane deal, I think he rounds out into a solid 1st liner in a Landy sort of mold.

Now Kakko scares me a bit more on the bust train. I say this while acknowledging he's been very good in December, so a corner might be getting turned. That's a guy who seemingly has zero idea what to do when he can't over power players. In the NHL he's a below average skater with pretty average strength... he can't physically dominate anymore and without that, he doesn't have the IQ or skill to be a high impact guy. Add to that his shot has messy releases that goalies can easily read. I simply don't see the high end upside right now. Maybe in time you get a good 2nd liner who might get you 60 points with 30 goals... you might only get a solid 15-20g 3rd liner though and as a #2 pick, to me, if he doesn't hit that 2nd line level... that's a bust.

Crazy that they had a 1st overall, 2nd overall, and 11th overall pick and didn't get a single franchise cornerstone out of any of that. That's way, way, WAY worse than what the Bruins did in 2015.

They managed to pad this until now by getting another franchise goalie developed (which they deserve all due credit for) and lucking out with two franchise-level players who simply wanted to go there via free agency, but this merely leaves them as a "good" team. Unless Shesterkin can go into God mode, they'll never win a Cup with this core.
 
Speaking of the 2019 draft...

Obviously too early to tell but I'll laugh heartily if Cam York becomes a better NHL defenseman than Victor Soderstrom. Another galaxy-brain move by Chayka where he swapped picks with Philly to move up in 2019 to take that guy and Philly used the original AZ pick to take York.
 
Crazy that they had a 1st overall, 2nd overall, and 11th overall pick and didn't get a single franchise cornerstone out of any of that. That's way, way, WAY worse than what the Bruins did in 2015.

They managed to pad this until now by getting another franchise goalie developed (which they deserve all due credit for) and lucking out with two franchise-level players who simply wanted to go there via free agency, but this merely leaves them as a "good" team. Unless Shesterkin can go into God mode, they'll never win a Cup with this core.

If you're talking Kravtsov #9. Weird things can always happen, but the big mistake the Rangers made and never corrected, is they didn't go after a franchise center with any of their top picks. Zibi took a step and is a fantastic player... but they has zero guys who could reach top line center after him. So if they don't make it with Zibi, they'll head to another rebuild. I'm not ready to count them out yet, but it is basically this or next year at most for them. The second Zibi regresses, their window ends.

I really wish teams would learn that centers matter. You build around centers and top defensemen... and you typically need a top end wing too. Seems like Rangers just wanted to pile on a ton of wings hoping it would work.

Clue: kitty league.
Oh I know... I'm just being a jokester.
 
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