2025 NHL Draft: Lose a ton for Porter Martone

[coooldude]

They could still bottom out. They're easily the most fraudulent "good" team in the league.

To this point, they're only #16 in the MoneyPuck power rankings.

 

[Juxtaposer]

To this point, they're only #16 in the MoneyPuck power rankings.

Vegas' underlying numbers aren't great, but they also are 4th in points percentage for the whole NHL and are a virtual lock for the playoffs and for their pick to be in the 20's. A lot of people around here were fantasizing about Vegas being bottom-5 in the NHL, which is obviously not happening.

 

[hohosaregood]

A lot of why people thought Vegas could be bad is coming to fruition in that their possession metrics have fallen off from losing a bunch of good puck retrieval guys. They're also staying afloat for the reasons people thought they could with the rock solid defense and the high end talent at the top. That PP is absurd when Stone is in the lineup. So partial win for the Vegas haters.

Another thing that helps Vegas is that the Pacific is absolute dog poop.

 

[coooldude]

Vegas' underlying numbers aren't great, but they also are 4th in points percentage for the whole NHL and are a virtual lock for the playoffs and for their pick to be in the 20's. A lot of people around here were fantasizing about Vegas being bottom-5 in the NHL, which is obviously not happening.

I was fantasizing about them finishing with pick 12-20, and giving us a chance to draft someone like Mrtka or Trethewey or Jackson Smith or Blake Fiddler in addition to whoever we get at the top. Instead, it looks like Jackson Smith is top 7, and the rest of those names are soft 1st or 2nd+ rounders, and as you well know 2025 is thin, so with this knowledge, it was worth the trade for Askarov even if you didn't know that he also looks great in the AHL.

Since he also looks great in the AHL, I will say that the trade now looks very good.

 

[jMoneyBrah]

A lot of why people thought Vegas could be bad is coming to fruition in that their possession metrics have fallen off from losing a bunch of good puck retrieval guys. They're also staying afloat for the reasons people thought they could with the rock solid defense and the high end talent at the top. That PP is absurd when Stone is in the lineup. So partial win for the Vegas haters.

Another thing that helps Vegas is that the Pacific is absolute dog poop.

I think there’s a pretty big difference between “the Sharks are holding Vegas’ pick, so let me hope and enumerate the ways Vegas’ season could go poorly to the benefit of the Sharks” and “Vegas is going to suck next year”.

There’s still plenty of time for things to go awry for Vegas. Stone’s wear and tear catches up to him, Eichel’s neck explodes, and Hertl’s knees melt and all the sudden Vegas is in a real tough spot.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I was fantasizing about them finishing with pick 12-20, and giving us a chance to draft someone like Mrtka or Trethewey or Jackson Smith or Blake Fiddler in addition to whoever we get at the top. Instead, it looks like Jackson Smith is top 7, and the rest of those names are soft 1st or 2nd+ rounders, and as you well know 2025 is thin, so with this knowledge, it was worth the trade for Askarov even if you didn't know that he also looks great in the AHL.

Since he also looks great in the AHL, I will say that the trade now looks very good.

Totally, not saying everyone was but there absolutely existed a contingent who was convinced we were trading away a lottery pick.

 

[TheBeard]

I think there’s a pretty big difference between “the Sharks are holding Vegas’ pick, so let me hope and enumerate the ways Vegas’ season could go poorly to the benefit of the Sharks” and “Vegas is going to suck next year”.

There’s still plenty of time for things to go awry for Vegas. Stone’s wear and tear catches up to him, Eichel’s neck explodes, and Hertl’s knees melt and all the sudden Vegas is in a real tough spot.

I mean while we're at it Robin Lehner can come back and kidnap all the goaltenders in the system, but the reality is it's not happening.

 

[hohosaregood]

I was fantasizing about them finishing with pick 12-20, and giving us a chance to draft someone like Mrtka or Trethewey or Jackson Smith or Blake Fiddler in addition to whoever we get at the top. Instead, it looks like Jackson Smith is top 7, and the rest of those names are soft 1st or 2nd+ rounders, and as you well know 2025 is thin, so with this knowledge, it was worth the trade for Askarov even if you didn't know that he also looks great in the AHL.

Since he also looks great in the AHL, I will say that the trade now looks very good.

My original hope was for Martone at 2-3 with our pick and use the Vegas pick on Ravensbergen if it was in the 20s and Tretheway/Hensler if it was 10-20. And then outside longshot hope for a Vegas lottery win. That would've filled out a lot of holes for the org depth but I'll take Askarov over Ravensburgen ez.

 

[jMoneyBrah]

I mean while we're at it Robin Lehner can come back and kidnap all the goaltenders in the system, but the reality is it's not happening.

Reality is an infinite series of interacting probability clouds colliding in sequence. Can we say with certainty only one outcome will come to pass?

 

[TheBeard]

Reality is an infinite series of interacting probability clouds colliding in sequence. Can we say with certainty only one outcome will come to pass?

Nope, but some are more probable than others. As much as I hate Vegas, I'd be shocked if they didn't finish 1st or 2nd in the pacific.