Around the league part 2

[kilowatt]

Making Brock Faber's case for Calder: NHL players and coaches on why he could edge Connor Bedard

Bedard may be a phenomenon, but around the league, many are struck with how Faber has led the Wild: "He's a stud."

theathletic.com

“He’s a stud,” Boston Bruins No. 1 defenseman Charlie McAvoy said.

“Unreal,” said the Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, a favorite to win this season’s Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.

“He’s got that it factor,” Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette said.

“He’ll be a big-time defenseman for a long time,” Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

“A hell of a player,” Bedard said.

hehe uh oh

 

[YP44]

Nashville wins again.

17 straight without a regulation loss.

Preds have to be the biggest surprise of the season.

Preds/Flyers than Canucks for me.

 

[YP44]

If the Canadian hockey media starts to hone in on this and if it could please put it under the microscope over the next few weeks leading up to the playoffs, we do want the Oilers for round 1.

I'll say this much about the Oilers for round 1, it's likely the only potential match-up where the Kings have the edge in goaltending, OR should I say, have the edge in something

Kane has been pissed at his usage all season. He has worn out his welcome in Edmonton IMO

Hasn't Skinner been solid for them after the first half of the season?

he's been really good in 2024

 

[BigKing]

Making Brock Faber's case for Calder: NHL players and coaches on why he could edge Connor Bedard

Bedard may be a phenomenon, but around the league, many are struck with how Faber has led the Wild: "He's a stud."

theathletic.com

“He’s a stud,” Boston Bruins No. 1 defenseman Charlie McAvoy said.

“Unreal,” said the Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, a favorite to win this season’s Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.

“He’s got that it factor,” Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette said.

“He’ll be a big-time defenseman for a long time,” Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

“A hell of a player,” Bedard said.

hehe uh oh

Good times.

 

[FrozenKing18]

Let's hear what the league thinks of Fiala

 

[GameNight]

Hasn't Skinner been solid for them after the first half of the season?

I like our guys more. The numbers back that up. We put them under the microscope but they've been pretty stable. When I think of Skinner, I don't think stable. I think of Oiler offense saving them or stealing a game, not Skinner.

To be fair, I've seen Rittich melt down and lose it a few times when he was a Flame. Talbot can stink now & then too, but if he can get in the zone, he's the best of the 3. The Kings have a bit of a fail-safe with Talbot and Rittich. Don't think the same can be said with Edmonton, if Skinner caves in, they're probably F

 

[SmytheKing]

Making Brock Faber's case for Calder: NHL players and coaches on why he could edge Connor Bedard

Bedard may be a phenomenon, but around the league, many are struck with how Faber has led the Wild: "He's a stud."

theathletic.com

“He’s a stud,” Boston Bruins No. 1 defenseman Charlie McAvoy said.

“Unreal,” said the Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, a favorite to win this season’s Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.

“He’s got that it factor,” Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette said.

“He’ll be a big-time defenseman for a long time,” Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

“A hell of a player,” Bedard said.

hehe uh oh

It's too bad he was never gonna sign with the Kings............

 

[Herby]

Making Brock Faber's case for Calder: NHL players and coaches on why he could edge Connor Bedard

Bedard may be a phenomenon, but around the league, many are struck with how Faber has led the Wild: "He's a stud."

theathletic.com

“He’s a stud,” Boston Bruins No. 1 defenseman Charlie McAvoy said.

“Unreal,” said the Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, a favorite to win this season’s Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.

“He’s got that it factor,” Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette said.

“He’ll be a big-time defenseman for a long time,” Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

“A hell of a player,” Bedard said.

hehe uh oh

Not surprising that people around the game speak so highly of him.

As far as how fans view him, I think this was another Adam Fox situation, where people just had a hard time accepting how amazing because he wasn't a 1st round pick. He was every bit as good as all of those 1st round defenseman around the same age (Power, L Hughes, Clarke, Sanderson, Drysdale)

 

[jtalton]

Not surprising that people around the game speak so highly of him.

As far as how fans view him, I think this was another Adam Fox situation, where people just had a hard time accepting how amazing because he wasn't a 1st round pick. He was every bit as good as all of those 1st round defenseman around the same age (Power, L Hughes, Clarke, Sanderson, Drysdale)

Seems like our dumb management felt that way too, good thing they got rid of him /s

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Not surprising that people around the game speak so highly of him.

As far as how fans view him, I think this was another Adam Fox situation, where people just had a hard time accepting how amazing because he wasn't a 1st round pick. He was every bit as good as all of those 1st round defenseman around the same age (Power, L Hughes, Clarke, Sanderson, Drysdale)

It's funny because reading his draft profile reads almost exactly like Sanderson's...I remember a few of us being like 'ok so what's the catch?' even the Kings moved up for him so they knew, and what a pick, just another example of why I feel the drafting is very very good but the deployment/development needs a new career.

I guess the biggest 'knock' on him was ultimate offensive upside--but who cares, and it's developing nicely anyway--and the age-old prototypical size for his role. But Fox is a great comp in that regard too.

 

[mysterman2]

Followed Faber in NCAA and WJC and knew he was going to be a stud....that said cant really argue the trade when Fiala has led been a team points leader each season. Also knowing Blake never traded a RHD for an equal caliber LHD makes one think by Blake standards did well not to get fleeced outright. Count yer blessing folks...

 

[57special]

No one could have predicted Faber's play this year. It's bizarre that in his first year in the NHL, he will have 15-20 more points than he had in any single NCAA season. I watched him quite a bit when he was on the Gophers, and I didn't see this coming. I have seen too many college studs go to the AHL and struggle for a while, nvm, the NHL. The last D I saw come into the league and be this effective, or almost this effective, was Brodin, and he had the benefit of playing beside a prime Suter, not Jake Middleton. Faber is truly a freak

The only thing that makes the pill a bit less bitter is that Fiala has been as advertised. He is a #1W by any measure, who can break down a defense all by himself. I think you can probably see by now that even though he is not tall, he is sturdy as hell, and doesn't get fazed by a heavy game. I loved him on the Wild, as his presence gave us two dangerous lines. He isn't as good as Kaprizov, but he's not that far behind, and has a similar skillset.

In hindsight, you probably would've preferred that the trade was something like Clarke for Fiala straight up, but no one was thinking along those lines at the time the trade was made.

 

[Bandit]

No one could have predicted Faber's play this year.

I'd prove you wrong but the trade threads for Fiala all seem to have disappeared, both from the Kings board and the main board.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

No one could have predicted Faber's play this year. It's bizarre that in his first year in the NHL, he will have 15-20 more points than he had in any single NCAA season. I watched him quite a bit when he was on the Gophers, and I didn't see this coming. I have seen too many college studs go to the AHL and struggle for a while, nvm, the NHL. The last D I saw come into the league and be this effective, or almost this effective, was Brodin, and he had the benefit of playing beside a prime Suter, not Jake Middleton. Faber is truly a freak

The only thing that makes the pill a bit less bitter is that Fiala has been as advertised. He is a #1W by any measure, who can break down a defense all by himself. I think you can probably see by now that even though he is not tall, he is sturdy as hell, and doesn't get fazed by a heavy game. I loved him on the Wild, as his presence gave us two dangerous lines. He isn't as good as Kaprizov, but he's not that far behind, and has a similar skillset.

In hindsight, you probably would've preferred that the trade was something like Clarke for Fiala straight up, but no one was thinking along those lines at the time the trade was made.

If we get THIS Fiala, I think it's fair. He was dog shit, points aside, for a lot of the year--and it seems apparent that a lot of it was due to the knee injury. He's back to throwing monster reverse hits and being unstoppable on the puck where for a while he was soft, turning the puck over a lot, making high risk low reward low effort plays. Now he's backchecking like I've never seen.

I'm never a fan of giving up a top-pairing dman for a winger of just about any caliber, so I'll always be colored by that, though.

I'd prove you wrong but the trade threads for Fiala all seem to have disappeared, both from the Kings board and the main board.

I think what he's saying, and I agree, is that no one was saying "1RD, rookie of the year". But a LOT of people were really high on his exponential growth at all levels, especially after the olympics, dude is just a sponge for improvement.

 

[bland]

Yeah, I mean, its not like the Kings traded Faber and a first for Gustav Nyquist or Brandon Hagel or something.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

It's too bad he was never gonna sign with the Kings............

Is that a known fact that Faber only wanted to play for the Wild? Did he tell teams that pre-draft? Then why did the Wild draft Khusnutdinov and O'Rourke (LOL) ahead of the hometown stud?

 

[SmytheKing]

Is that a known fact that Faber only wanted to play for the Wild? Did he tell teams that pre-draft? Then why did the Wild draft Khusnutdinov and O'Rourke (LOL) ahead of the hometown stud?

No it's just a running joke that some people around here use to justify the trade to convince themselves that it was a good one (even though many realize it wasn't the RIGHT one).

 

[Fripp]

Let's hear what the league thinks of Fiala

"His pedo-stache really works!"
"Great sense of humor - when is hitting someone in the balls not funny?"
"Could be a part-time model. Dude is chiseled."
"The creativity is amazing, but when you really need a turnover high in the offensive zone to catch your dmen flatfooted, you can count on Kev to bring it every night."

 

[Herby]

The NCAA decided to host a regional in a 2500 seat community center rink outside of St. Louis and then proceeds to put North Dakota and their obsessed fanbase along with Michigan and Michigan St. in the bracket. I have never gone on stubhub and literally never seen a single ticket available for re-sale on the site. There were a few for $1400 available last night, but they are gone now. Even when I waited last minute to get Taylor Swift tickets for my daughter, there were always some available.

The most incompetent organization ever.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

The NCAA decided to host a regional in a 2500 seat community center rink outside of St. Louis and then proceeds to put North Dakota and their obsessed fanbase along with Michigan and Michigan St. in the bracket. I have never gone on stubhub and literally never seen a single ticket available for re-sale on the site. There were a few for $1400 available last night, but they are gone now. Even when I waited last minute to get Taylor Swift tickets for my daughter, there were always some available.

The most incompetent organization ever.

The real question is......did you get the Swift tickets?

 

[Herby]

The real question is......did you get the Swift tickets?

Yes, and paid through the nose for them. But no, did not attend. I honestly wouldn't have minded going, but 3 tickets would have been even more insane. So I went to the casino outside Chicago while my daughter and GF went.

Those tickets were less than some fan (presumably a North Dakota one) paid to attend two NCAA regional semi-final games (one they don't care about). Those people are crazy about hockey though.

 

[kilowatt]

Yes, and paid through the nose for them. But no, did not attend. I honestly wouldn't have minded going, but 3 tickets would have been even more insane. So I went to the casino outside Chicago while my daughter and GF went.

Those tickets were less than some fan (presumably a North Dakota one) paid to attend two NCAA regional semi-final games (one they don't care about). Those people are crazy about hockey though.

You should've gone. The concert ruled. It was a spectacle. I get the hype now.

 

[chris kontos]

We traded faber and a first for einstein

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Yes, and paid through the nose for them. But no, did not attend. I honestly wouldn't have minded going, but 3 tickets would have been even more insane. So I went to the casino outside Chicago while my daughter and GF went.

Those tickets were less than some fan (presumably a North Dakota one) paid to attend two NCAA regional semi-final games (one they don't care about). Those people are crazy about hockey though.

True...tickets up here are sitting around 4500-5500 per ticket.....absolutely nuts, told my kid if she can pay for them, she can go....lol

 

[AbsentMojo]

We traded faber and a first for einstein

Appropriate for a black hole team