Around Hockey XXV (All Non-Jackets Hockey Talk Here)

[Jovavic]

I believe the year the Rangers went to the Finals it was Lundqvist who carried that team kicking and screaming almost to a SC win.

I get that 11.5 is a big cap hit but when that player is the literal difference between you making the playoffs or not (like Bob was for us), you gotta pay or roll with a different goalie and hope for the best.

 

[Doggy]

I get that 11.5 is a big cap hit but when that player is the literal difference between you making the playoffs or not (like Bob was for us), you gotta pay or roll with a different goalie and hope for the best.

They are gonna pay him...of that there is no doubt.

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

So Laine has started his first Montreal regular season game. Looked super good on the powerplay, lots of nice passing by Laine and Hutson and others, didn't score but was good. He centered a great pass that Suzuki missed, and gave a super nice backhand saucer pass back to the blue line (super risky but right on tape). He then made a tremendous play on the boards and freed up Guhle on a breakaway but Sorokin came up big. (Edit: That might've been Anderson, my player numbers are pretty small on this stream lol. Anyhow Laine has played well.)

But I think Montreal fans are in for a rude awakening at some point...

man Laine is one hell of a puck carrier

We know better... (It was the same old, he almost lost the puck at the blue line dangling a guy but regained possession to keep the play going.)

Still, I hope the best for him and Montreal too now I guess. Laine looks full of energy and the skill is still there. Hopefully he stays healthy and gets some things going.

Edit: And after a defensive fumble that caused a NYI player face-to-face with Montembeault, Laine scores on a wrister on the PP. Sorokin didn't know what hit top shelf. It's a storybook start for Laine in the Bell centre like the broadcast guys said, let's see how long it lasts and how long he stays healthy.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[ViD]

That was a laser

 

[Doggy]

OK, Sabres leading Avs 4-0 twelve minutes into the first period, Avs switch to new backup goalie Scott Wedgewood, and Avs win in regulation 5-4. I have a buddy who is a Sabres fan. I really really feel for him! That's a bad loss.

 

[VT]

So Laine has started his first Montreal regular season game. Looked super good on the powerplay, lots of nice passing by Laine and Hutson and others, didn't score but was good. He centered a great pass that Suzuki missed, and gave a super nice backhand saucer pass back to the blue line (super risky but right on tape). He then made a tremendous play on the boards and freed up Guhle on a breakaway but Sorokin came up big. (Edit: That might've been Anderson, my player numbers are pretty small on this stream lol. Anyhow Laine has played well.)

But I think Montreal fans are in for a rude awakening at some point...


We know better... (It was the same old, he almost lost the puck at the blue line dangling a guy but regained possession to keep the play going.)

Still, I hope the best for him and Montreal too now I guess. Laine looks full of energy and the skill is still there. Hopefully he stays healthy and gets some things going.

Edit: And after a defensive fumble that caused a NYI player face-to-face with Montembeault, Laine scores on a wrister on the PP. Sorokin didn't know what hit top shelf. It's a storybook start for Laine in the Bell centre like the broadcast guys said, let's see how long it lasts and how long he stays healthy.

I read how hell was in his head after his father died (btw, it was because of him that relationships deteriorated and he ended to play hockey). That explains to me why he wanted to leave Columbus. Some mentally unstable people might actually commit suicide.

Fortunately, this was not his case + has a good psychotherapist.

Patrik Laine syöksyi pimeyteen isänsä kuoltua â nyt hän haluaa puhua elämänsä parhaasta päätöksestä

Patrik Laine sanoo, ettei tiedä, olisiko päässyt asiasta koskaan yli, jos tuorein vamma olisi sattunut puolitoista vuotta sitten.

yle.fi

I think it was a reason why Waddell did so bad trade for us. He wanted to help him.

 

[Jovavic]

Waddell took that trade because Montreal took on the contract with no retention, that's it. Taking a depressed person and putting him in a top 3 city in fan pressure is not doing him a favor.

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

^^ I thought so too originally, but Laine might be a bit special in that he somehow 'enjoys' that pressure. He's been a special kid his whole life, maybe he gets something out of it that normal people or normal players don't. I still expect some snarky comments and frustrated plays when things don't go his way, but I'm not sure if that's linked to his general mental health. He's just that kind of a player who will show his feelings in certain situations, and outside of that he might be doing well in life otherwise.

I will more or less believe that Laine was ok going to Montreal, or even preferred it, so it worked out for both. I don't think Waddell was doing anybody any (major) favors but I do think he was looking for a deal where everybody just gets a fresh start (and no retention). I thought at the time that his value might go up if he played for the CBJ to start the season, but I'm not sure if we would've seen this player who looked very energetic and engaged last night. So maybe Waddell figured that it's better to just take a small loss and not try to maximize the value at the risk of prolonging the situation and making everybody unhappy. And given how well we have played this season, it seems like the right call now, even if in a vacuum Laine's value could've been higher.

Looks like a win-win so far.

 

[majormajor]

^^ I thought so too originally, but Laine might be a bit special in that he somehow 'enjoys' that pressure.

I don't think there's anything special about it. Many many players would love to play in Montreal. Especially the guys with big egos!

 

[NotCommitted]

Time will tell, interesting to see how it plays out for Laine in Montreal. At this point who knows. But if he had been struggling with depression and side-effects through basically most of his CBJ tenure and is in a better place now I wouldn't be surprised if he really flourishes. I also wouldn't be surprised of the opposite to be honest.

Montreal seems a good spot for him though, he has always seemed to like the spotlight of big games and the reception he's got has been pretty overwhelmingly positive. Of course they can also turn on him really fast but if he's able to play his best hockey for them the crowd there is going to love him and probably be positively surprised. His best seasons in CBJ really fly under the radar it seems and most people don't realize he can be a really good player even without shooting like a superstar (which he honestly never truly did for CBJ apart from glimpses here and there). He's still in his prime years so if he's really enjoying life and hockey again, he could still put it together and become a better hockey player than we've seen so far. If you combine 21-22/22-23 Laine with goalscorer beast of his early Winnipeg years you'd have a legit super star forward.

 

[Doggy]

Should the 4 Nations Tournament have been expanded to include Russia? I personally don't believe the Russian team should be represented at internationally sanctioned tournaments. But hear me out...

• This is not an internationally sanctioned event.
• This is strictly an NHL event. There is not a single player from outside the NHL considered for these teams and...
• If the NHL allows Russian players to play in the NHL shouldn't they be allowed to participate in an NHL event? Seems a little hypocritical to not include them.
• I know another argument is that many NHL players representing many other countries (Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Belorussian, Germany, etc) are unable to play but that is because it was deemed there was not enough talent in any of those other countries to compete in a best on best. Though I would argue Czechia and Germany could perhaps hold their own or at least be given a chance. But...
• We all know there is way more than enough elite Russian NHL talent to be a major factor

Russian roster could choose from Vasilevsky, Shesterkin, Sorokin, Kochetkov, Ovechkin, Kucherov, Marchenko, Kaprizov, Panarin, Barbashev, Malkin, Svechnikov, Michkov, Sergachev, Gavrikov, Orlov, Provorov, etc.

Discuss...