Around the League - 2024-2025 Part II

[TheGreenTBer]

He's not coming here regardless so my vote is for whatever embarrasses the Leafs org more, since that is what they deserve.

Therefore, I will plug my nose and root for the Oilers.

 

[Nineteen67]

After what they did to Stolarz, I could never cheer for Florida.

Not really cheering for Edmonton either, it’s more of a Canada vs USA vibe this year.

I’m sure they would have loved to re-sign him but with his injury history it wasn’t worth the money he desired. Not that he would have been playing in the playoffs but his injuries did show up again this year, so it looks they made the right decision.

 

[TIGERCOOL]

In trying to figure out who to root for in the Finals, I keep coming back to really the only question that matters - is McDavid more likely to sign here if he wins the Oilers the cup, or if he doesn't?

I can't come up with an answer, but I'm leaning towards the former. If he gets Oil that cup I think he'll absolve himself of any guilt in signing with another team. If he doesn't, I think he'll feel obligated to keep trying there.

if he really wants to be here he could use either outcome as an excuse. The shitty part of my brain wants him to fail to win a cup in Edmonton. Oilers fans are some of the most vocal leaf haters. They failed their way through like 5 top picks before being gifted a generational player, then have the gall to act superior. as much as I hate Florida, watching them get humbled by an Atlantic team again might be worth it.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

It's an easy decision for me. Edmonton all the way. f***ing despise the Panthers. Maurice, Tkachuk, Marchand, Bennett. Don't want them to enjoy another Cup.

 

[Metroid]

The only thing stopping me from cheering for the Oilers is one friend of mine who's more of an acquaintance now jumped ship from hardcore leaf fan to Oilers fan once they started drafting first overall players/McDavid. Have another buddy in Edmonton who is chill and awesome and want the Oilers to win for him tho lol

 

[Maple Leaf]

What the hell did we do ?
We also got lucky with Auston and Marner

We but we got the two playoff no shows

 

[LeafalCrusader]

It's an easy decision for me. Edmonton all the way. f***ing despise the Panthers. Maurice, Tkachuk, Marchand, Bennett. Don't want them to enjoy another Cup.

Biggest group of f***ers in the league.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

The only thing stopping me from cheering for the Oilers is one friend of mine who's more of an acquaintance now jumped ship from hardcore leaf fan to Oilers fan once they started drafting first overall players/McDavid. Have another buddy in Edmonton who is chill and awesome and want the Oilers to win for him tho lol

If he jumped ship he was never a hardcore fan in the first place.

 

[Metroid]

If he jumped ship he was never a hardcore fan in the first place.

Ya I called him out on being a poser. He will jump ship back to being a leafs fan eventually. He's just that kinda guy

 

[Superstar]

Not signing Perry still bugs me.

He's too masculine for Dubas.

 

[Stephen]

You think that's bad. Imagine being in Smyth division during the 80s with Oilers being your daddy every year

If we knew how good we had during that North Division. We should have won it all that year or at least gone to the finals
That's what happens when you don't capitalize on opportunities, you start to get less and less of them

We are literally the 80s Jets for every team coming out of the Atlantic. There’s no difference.

 

[Menzinger]

Hate the Oilers but it's good for the game that players like McDavid and Leon win a cup while in their primes.. they've more then earned it. Just a shame that legacy media folks will heap undeserved praise on their various management groups.

Really speaks to McDvaids skill that he's dragged Skinner to a potential cup lol

The tire fire going to turn into a dumpster fire...

I have no love for the Sabres but they deserve better.

 

[ruaware41]

Not douchey at all. When you’re playing a game making millions and your garbage…. You deserve to be called out

I would think the coach is making a truck full as well. Called out by maybe fans. Not the people you share a locker room with when it's already over for the year

 

[ruaware41]

speed is such a factor in the playoffs. when the checking tightens up to such an insane degree you can't rely on great positioning anymore, you need to create separation on your own. That's why Willy is our best playoff forward. That's why third and fourth line plugs with jump suddenly become gamebreakers (Kapanen). That's why guys like Phil Kessel can lead a Penguins team with Crosby and Malkin on the roster in playoff scoring.

You can also see the space that speed makes for teammates to succeed. Leon Draisaitl, the best goal scorer in the league this year, can disappear on the ice because the defence are completely frazzled by McDavid's speed. It wears teams down like Florida's forecheck. By the end of the series Dallas defenders were spinning on the spot. They looked shell shocked.

I've been praying we would add some speed to this lineup for ages. Probably the slowest team in the league, especially down the middle.

Matthews, Tavares, Domi, Laughton/Kampf.

Damn, never thought of that before. McDavid can't sign fast enough

 

[Nineteen67]

Matthews, Tavares, Domi, Laughton/Kampf.

Damn, never thought of that before. McDavid can't sign fast enough

The lack of speed has only been mentioned daily for the past 5 years

 

[Jmo89]

I think Edmonton wins this time. They finally have enough depth. Skinner just needs to be decent.

 

[Stephen]

I think Edmonton wins this time. They finally have enough depth. Skinner just needs to be decent.

Oilers are going to need everything to beat Florida.

 

[ruaware41]

The lack of speed has only been mentioned daily for the past 5 years

I mean at centre specifically and comparing it with the rest of the league. Looks atrocious especially when Matthews is hobbling/carrying an injury

 

[Nineteen67]

I mean at centre specifically and comparing it with the rest of the league. Looks atrocious especially when Matthews is hobbling/carrying an injury

It’s been that way for a while. It was especially noticeable in the Tampa series that they won.

 

[TheShape]

It's an easy decision for me. Edmonton all the way. f***ing despise the Panthers. Maurice, Tkachuk, Marchand, Bennett. Don't want them to enjoy another Cup.

Pick poison. Stan Bowman piggybacking his way to another cup would be insufferable too.

 

[TheShape]

In trying to figure out who to root for in the Finals, I keep coming back to really the only question that matters - is McDavid more likely to sign here if he wins the Oilers the cup, or if he doesn't?

I can't come up with an answer, but I'm leaning towards the former. If he gets Oil that cup I think he'll absolve himself of any guilt in signing with another team. If he doesn't, I think he'll feel obligated to keep trying there.

A year ago I would say there was a solid chance McDavid comes here, but unfortunately we seem to be trending the wrong way now, Leafs would really have to show something next season for McDavid to spend his remaining prime here. He'll 100% keep chasing it in EDM if they don't win, discussion maybe changes a bit if Connor wins a cup or two by the time his contract expires.

He'll be a Leaf someday, knowing our luck it'll be when he's 37.

 

[IPS]

In trying to figure out who to root for in the Finals, I keep coming back to really the only question that matters - is McDavid more likely to sign here if he wins the Oilers the cup, or if he doesn't?

I can't come up with an answer, but I'm leaning towards the former. If he gets Oil that cup I think he'll absolve himself of any guilt in signing with another team. If he doesn't, I think he'll feel obligated to keep trying there.

No offense to Matthews and Nylander but playing with Draisaitl seems to be a way better deal.

 

[fahad203]

Hard not to root for the Oilers with all the GTA lads in that team
Brown, Hyman, McDavid, Jeff Skinner

Would like to see Jeff Skinner hoist the cup in his first playoff run. That would be something

 

[fahad203]

No offense to Matthews and Nylander but playing with Draisaitl seems to be a way better deal.

McDavid isn't coming to Toronto. He will eventually come, when he's 38 like Spezza

Drai and Connor hangout during the summer, they got cottaging together. He has a good life there.
Edmonton isn't the same city from the 80s where you had nothing to do. Most people now prefer places like Edmonton where it's still quieter, more relaxed that Toronto's bs traffic

Lifestyle matters

 

[ToneDog]

Game #1 of SCF is next Wednesday. It is the last day of May already and the NHL is waiting 5 days to start the SCF. Do these guys not get it? Not many fans do care for the SCF as it is, waiting almost a week to kick off the SCF and more fans will check out.