Around the League - 2023 Offseason Edition

[Balthazar]

No, he could have said, "No comment", or just refused to answer when asked about it, but generally, when a reporter asks a question, people tend to answer.

But generally you don't go out of your way to say that you're "not a friend" of the country where you've been working for 15 years, where you have several thousands of fans and made more than 125M dollars.

Meh, not the dumbest thing I've heard an athlete say.

If we discard the religious stuff that one is pretty pretty close to the top for me.

 

[BaconNater]

There better be entertaining drama out of Toronto and Edmonton this summer.. their losses were great yes but I don't feel fully satisfied with the meltdowns yet

 

[Balthazar]

There better be entertaining drama out of Toronto and Edmonton this summer.. their losses were great yes but I don't feel fully satisfied with the meltdowns yet

Leafs are f***ed.

They have no GM under contract at the moment and they gotta make a move real soon on Matthews and Nylander. Both are UFA's at the end of next season and have a NMC kicking in on July 1st (yikes).

Basically they have 1.5 month to sign a GM and trade Matthews/Nylander (is that even possible to do?). Else they have to either re-up them, trade them exclusively where the players want to go or risk losing them for nothing.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Leafs are f***ed.

They have no GM under contract at the moment and they gotta make a move real soon on Matthews and Nylander. Both are UFA's at the end of next season and have a NMC kicking in on July 1st (yikes).

Basically they have 1.5 month to sign a GM and trade Matthews/Nylander (is that even possible to do?). Else they have to either re-up them, trade them exclusively where the players want to go or risk losing them for nothing.

Looking forward to those Matthews and McDavid contracts. Go for the max boys, begging you..

 

[Balthazar]

Looking forward to those Matthews and McDavid contracts. Go for the max boys, begging you..

It's not even just money now though. After those playoffs do the Leafs want to commit long term to Matthews and does he even want to stay in Toronto?

There's a lot of stuff going on at the same time.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

It's not even just money now though. After those playoffs do the Leafs want to commit long term to Matthews and does he even want to stay in Toronto?

There's a lot of stuff going on at the same time.

No way they will let him go and they shouldn't. Losing great players almost never turns out well. How do you replace them? Yeah, you don't.

Only way they will let him go is, if he asks for 16million or something stupid.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Dumbest, no, surely not, but every time someone says meh about this thing they're from North America. That's not a criticism, but something to think about.

We're used to it

 

[CobraAcesS]

And he's a NHL player, not a foreign dignitary. I could care less what he thinks.

I generally can care less what 99% of famous people say if it involves political or social issues.

As others have said, it's not their area of expertise even if they are used to having generally more influence, and gladly give you their stupid sometimes.

A huge percentage of Americans have their head in the sand in general, rich, famous, or dirt poor.

That's life

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[Balthazar]

Chiarelli

 

[Ceremony]

Here's the thing though, Edmonton lost.

This, the non-playoff Around the League thread, is the place to discuss the Edmonton Oilers.

 

[Grigowski]

Chiarelli

Please let it be Pete....Crosby will ask for a trade to Col and his buddy Mac immediately..

One man can dream....

 

[Avs91]

Please let it be Pete....Crosby will ask for a trade to Col and his buddy Mac immediately..

One man can dream....

For NewJost and the 27th OA? Or is that too much? better make it a 2nd... oh wait, we don't have one. Think he'll take a couple late rounders in 2024 & 2025?

 

[Pokecheque]

Chiarelli

Chiarelli will almost assuredly be a "candidate" for every GM opening there is for the foreseeable future because his Harvard buddies Bettman and Daly always demand he get a look. Doesn't mean they have to be serious about hiring him but they're going to interview him if for no other reason than to stay on the good side of the league brass.

Bergevin getting a look, that's gotta be his boy Mario talkin' him up.

 

[dahrougem2]

I am not convinced Chiarelli will ever get another GM job. He was gifted a Bruins team, mangled the Seguin trade, then utterly destroyed the Oilers when he took over with bad trade/signing after another.

 

[Balthazar]

I am not convinced Chiarelli will ever get another GM job. He was gifted a Bruins team, mangled the Seguin trade, then utterly destroyed the Oilers when he took over with bad trade/signing after another.

The Koskinen contract out of nowhere when he already had a foot out the door should prevent him to get another job. That looked like straight out sabotage.

 

[Pokecheque]

I am not convinced Chiarelli will ever get another GM job. He was gifted a Bruins team, mangled the Seguin trade, then utterly destroyed the Oilers when he took over with bad trade/signing after another.

His name's on the Cup, that and his VERY high connections convince me he'll get another shot someday. I would not bet anything valuable on it but I think it'll happen eventually. All it'll take is a flaky enough (newish) owner who thinks Gary and Billy actually know what they're talking about.

The one thing he gets credit for is using his Sens connections to lure Zdeno Chara over to Boston. No one, including him, could have known just how great that was going to be for the Bruins, and how disastrous it would be for Ottawa. I'd argue that was the single greatest free agency signing in North American sports history.

 

[Pokecheque]

The Koskinen contract out of nowhere when he already had a foot out the door should prevent him to get another job. That looked like straight out sabotage.

I think that was more ownership and Bob Nicholson (who was probably just as destructive as Chiarelli in his position) panicking than it was Chiarelli. I very much doubt Chiarelli is smart enough to have known that hot streak wouldn't last. We know for sure Nicholson and the rest of the Oilers personnel involved with that decision weren't.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[The Abusement Park]

Well. Arizona may now finally be dead in the water. Move them to Houston or SLC and lets actually run that org like a legit sports franchise.

 

[Balthazar]

That might be it for the Yotes in AZ. Finally.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[The Kingslayer]

I feel for the fans that love that team. They been put through the ringer.

 

[Balthazar]

 

[Bill Peckerskull]