Around The League 40: As we barrel towards 40 teams

[AhosDatsyukian]

Colorado has been shut out 3 of the last 4 games

and we thought our season was a disaster!

 

[WreckingCrew]

I honestly thought tonight would be the night, but the Sharks are…very bad. Like, you‘d assume at some point theyd get pissed off and find it in them to win one game. But lately, it’s been them rolling over and exposing their belly the minute the puck drops.

20GA in the last 2 games...but I mean who didn't expect this? After trading us Burns, giving Meier to NJD, then they trade Karlsson, Couture potentially out for a while, about all they have left are Hertl

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

20GA in the last 2 games...but I mean who didn't expect this? After trading us Burns, giving Meier to NJD, then they trade Karlsson, Couture potentially out for a while, about all they have left are Hertl

Yeah and it’s completely by design too. They’ve entered full tank/rebuild mode and want to finish last in the league.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Yeah and it’s completely by design too. They’ve entered full tank/rebuild mode and want to finish last in the league.

The GM may have designed it that way, but the players aren’t playing to lose. Or rather, they want to win every game. I imagine the coach also would like to win, because losing a bunch of blowout games doesn’t look great on his part either.

So to see the level of non-competition from the Sharks this year is very impressive.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

The GM may have designed it that way, but the players aren’t playing to lose. Or rather, they want to win every game. I imagine the coach also would like to win, because losing a bunch of blowout games doesn’t look great on his part either.

So to see the level of non-competition from the Sharks this year is very impressive.

of course, but sometimes no matter how hard the players are trying and how good the coach may be, teams can just have such a talent deficit that they don't stand a chance. yeah Sharks are pretty historically bad so far, but they also have pretty historically low level of talent on the roster. They've really gutted it of what little talent they did have the past few years without adding much.

 

[WreckingCrew]

The GM may have designed it that way, but the players aren’t playing to lose. Or rather, they want to win every game. I imagine the coach also would like to win, because losing a bunch of blowout games doesn’t look great on his part either.

So to see the level of non-competition from the Sharks this year is very impressive.

of course, but sometimes no matter how hard the players are trying and how good the coach may be, teams can just have such a talent deficit that they don't stand a chance. yeah Sharks are pretty historically bad so far, but they also have pretty historically low level of talent on the roster. They've really gutted it of what little talent they did have the past few years without adding much.

Literally half the team (or more) is AHL-level players and tweeners...try as hard as they want they're simply going to be totally outclassed most games

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I'm sure the Sharks players aren't trying to lose, but a DGAF mentality can build quickly though. You start losing and know your roster is sub-par and know you are going to be bad, it affects players. You aren't going to kill yourself to block a shot, you might give it 90% in a board battle, you might stop 1 stride short when back-checking, etc.. etc. It's not an indictment of the players, or coaches, it's human nature, especially for guys in their late 20s or early 30s.

It's easy for us to say "They are earning a salary, so suck it up", but being on a losing team with no chance for the playoffs from day 1 will wear them down.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Fun fact, despite their record and the back-to-back 10-spots, the Sharks goaltending tandem both have better SV% than both Oilers goalies.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Fun fact, despite their record and the back-to-back 10-spots, the Sharks goaltending tandem both have better SV% than both Oilers goalies.

And don't forget, better than Raanta and Kochetkov as well. And barely worse than Andersen.

 

[LakeLivin]

I'm sure the Sharks players aren't trying to lose, but a DGAF mentality can build quickly though. You start losing and know your roster is sub-par and know you are going to be bad, it affects players. You aren't going to kill yourself to block a shot, you might give it 90% in a board battle, you might stop 1 stride short when back-checking, etc.. etc. It's not an indictment of the players, or coaches, it's human nature, especially for guys in their late 20s or early 30s.

It's easy for us to say "They are earning a salary, so suck it up", but being on a losing team with no chance for the playoffs from day 1 will wear them down.

If anyone needs a concrete example just remember Ryan O'Reilly's time in Buffalo

 

[HisIceness]

I've been following the league since about 2002 and this Sharks team may not have the roster I've seen (Calgary the year after Ignila had a bad one but they actually performed well), but holy hell they are ass on the ice.

Thing is, they've been at the very least, an okay team, in the time frame. Wasn't that long ago they were in the WCF with Karlsson. But times change.

Looking like they're going to be really bad for a long time too. Might end up challenging Buffalo for the longest playoff drought ever.

 

[sabremike]

 

[Chrispy]

Yeah and it’s completely by design too. They’ve entered full tank/rebuild mode and want to finish last in the league.

They’ve gone full Bedard?

A year late??

 

[WreckingCrew]

View attachment 763494

It just keeps getting worse...that team was rewarded for this horrible behavior with Cups in 2010, 2013, 2015, and a potential generational player in Bedard in 2023. And the only real punishment was a $2 million slap on the wrist?

 

[sabremike]

It just keeps getting worse...that team was rewarded for this horrible behavior with Cups in 2010, 2013, 2015, and a potential generational player in Bedard in 2023. And the only real punishment was a $2 million slap on the wrist?

Don't worry: The league will punish them by stripping the Sens of another first.

 

[sabremike]

Holy hot Jesus the Sharks are dumpster juice.

Thank God we can’t be the team that gives them their first win.

What's the difference between the Sharks and a triangle?

A triangle has three points.

 

[Negan4Coach]

It just keeps getting worse...that team was rewarded for this horrible behavior with Cups in 2010, 2013, 2015, and a potential generational player in Bedard in 2023. And the only real punishment was a $2 million slap on the wrist?

I just don't get why they went to such lengths to cover up for a peon. I mean it's not like they were protecting a legendary head coach or something. The video guy? They should have burned him down and moved on smartly.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Looking at early season trends.

Colorado shutout 3 of the last 4
Anaheim has won 6 in a row and 4th in pacific
Pens are last in the metro
Vancouver looks good
Boston and Vegas looking like monsters
Carolina is 3rd worst in GAs
Edmonton is 2-7-1
Seattle looks more like what we expected last season
TML’s FA signings have been a bust
Rangers lead the metro

Don’t continue:
I don’t expect that we will be bottom 10 in GA by the seasons end. Maybe we end up top half.
Edmonton likely figures it out and still makes the playoffs
Vancouver has started strong before although Hughes looks like a man possessed.
Anaheim likely falls back to the bottom
Colorado may not get shutout three more times this season

Could continue
Rangers stay at the top. We have our top 2 O players playing hurt / recovering from a long term injury. NJ will struggle a little with Hughes out
Seattle. Francis didn’t improve the team (huge shock) and they aren’t unbelievably lucky this season
While the Pens may not be last, they could remain out of the playoff picture. State of Pennsylvania, Columbus, and Washington battling for the bottom 4 spots.
Metro may get 3 playoff spots this season

 

[Daeavorn]

So apparently the leafs signed Klingberg and he somehow got worse at defense.

 

[WreckingCrew]

So apparently the leafs signed Klingberg and he somehow got worse at defense.

How tf do you even get a 0% in defense? A goal scored every time you're on the ice?

 

[Daeavorn]

How tf do you even get a 0% in defense? A goal scored every time you're on the ice?

To me its extremely impressive and highlights his utter disdain for it.

 

[Wolfpuck]

To me its extremely impressive and highlights his utter disdain for it.

Klingberg totally rejects defense as a concept.

 

[SlavinAway]

I think they should rename the Department of "Player Safety" to the Department of Paradoxical Suspensions.

 

[Chrispy]

How tf do you even get a 0% in defense? A goal scored every time you're on the ice?

He shoots at his own net, and the other team STILL gains possession!

That's why I give him a -12% on defense.

 

[WreckingCrew]

I think they should rename the Department of "Player Safety" to the Department of Paradoxical Suspensions.

What'd they do now?