Around the League - PLAYOFFS!?

[VanW27]

You mean a modern day Andreychuk?

Ish, I believe Dave was more of a net front guy though.

More like purposefully shooting the puck wide at the logo/skates/shin pads of the guy standing back post. Tough job, getting hit with shots, taking cross checks and having to win puck battles in the crease. But with goalies being so good and coming out to shut down shots from any angle its a great way to get the puck around and behind the goalie. At minimum it creates huge chaos.

 

[Menzinger]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795514167132356729

 

[Fogelhund]

""

 

[Menzinger]

Serious question, is Hyman the human backboard a strategy other teams will start to employ regularly?

I mean it makes sense and clearly works. Hyman isn't even trying to make a play most of time, just be a target for the puck to hit and then it either goes straight in or you need to win a battle to shovel it into the open net.

It's been used before - see David Clarkson for a couple seasons with the Devils (which then caused Nonis to give him one of the worst contracts in NHL history while also NOT using him on the pp lol).

The issue is for it to really work you also need some star talent with the hands and vision to use them as a backboard

 

[Arzak]

NHL Trade Rumors: Former NHLer deems $68-million Leon Draisaitl a fit for Boston Bruins

That would be interesting... Draisaitl is spending his offseasons in Prague, training with Pasta.

 

[Kurtz]

Ish, I believe Dave was more of a net front guy though.

More like purposefully shooting the puck wide at the logo/skates/shin pads of the guy standing back post. Tough job, getting hit with shots, taking cross checks and having to win puck battles in the crease. But with goalies being so good and coming out to shut down shots from any angle its a great way to get the puck around and behind the goalie. At minimum it creates huge chaos.

 

[barilko05]

This is fair to some degree, but the bottom line is that 1) each member of the core is still here many years later despite the repeated failures; and 2) the primary architect of that vision/plan is also still here. Neither is acceptable. An organization either has Cup ambitions above all other factors (including keeping the status quo), or they don't. Shit or get off the pot. It's been too long.

It's time for Marner and Tavares to go. It's time for change, one way or the other.

Agreed. It's obvious that's this core group is deeply flawed and a change needs to be made. It's started with management (and Shanny will be gone after this year, mark my words). The on-ice group needs a shakeup, and with those two big contracts ending, the time is now.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Agreed. It's obvious that's this core group is deeply flawed and a change needs to be made. It's started with management (and Shanny will be gone after this year, mark my words). The on-ice group needs a shakeup, and with those two big contracts ending, the time is now.

You were right in your earlier post when you said you don't give up on a young, productive core after 1, 2 or maybe even 3 playoff disappointments. That's being too impatient.

But Auston Matthews debuted in October of 2016. We have never won more than 5 playoff games in any single year since that time. That's not even a third of the way to 16. We have never been even close, and these 4 guys are very significant reasons why.

Time to do something new.

 

[Fogelhund]

NHL Trade Rumors: Former NHLer deems $68-million Leon Draisaitl a fit for Boston Bruins

That would be interesting... Draisaitl is spending his offseasons in Prague, training with Pasta.

It would likely have to be as a UFA, at the conclusion of NEXT season, as it doesn't seem likely that Edmonton would want to trade him, and Boston just doesn't have the assets necessary to make such a trade now anyway.

Boston could trade Ullmark, which would be attractive to Edmonton, No prospects of note, no draft picks.

Ullmark, Geekie, 2025 1st? Seems a bit short... but what else is there in the cupboard?

 

[ULF_55]

As a fan of the team I am not worried about Mitch's ability to handle his own personal stuff. All of them, Mitch included, are VERRRRRRRRY concerned about their personal situation and brand; to a fault, in fact.

I care about the team, the organization, the sweater. None of these individual players have yet earned the right to mean anything more than that.

That has no bearing on the players' actions.

They don't care what you worry about, they are going to take care of themselves and to live in reality one must recognize that.

 

[Superstar]

Culture change is a big one IMO. Dubas' formula didn't work. Look at who's left in the playoffs. Dallas is a machine, built the right way, as is Florida. The Leafs have a ways to go before joining their level.

I'm curious why Keefe didn't play Matt Murray over Samsonov...both were Dubas' acquisitions in filling around the margins...might have helped!

 

[Arzak]

It would likely have to be as a UFA, at the conclusion of NEXT season, as it doesn't seem likely that Edmonton would want to trade him, and Boston just doesn't have the assets necessary to make such a trade now anyway.

Boston could trade Ullmark, which would be attractive to Edmonton, No prospects of note, no draft picks.

Ullmark, Geekie, 2025 1st? Seems a bit short... but what else is there in the cupboard?

On one hand, I agree, on the other, he has limited NTC , Vezina winner Ullmark might be better than nothing a year later (if we speculate he considers Boston, Pasta likely knows it and Bruins ergo unlikely to pay too much for an extra year ).

Bruins Seek Top Center, Linked to Leon Draisaitl & Elias Lindholm

“a source who knows Draisaitl” telling the outlet that “Draisaitl works out with Bruins superstar winger David Pastrnak in Prague each offseason, and the two have become ‘friends.’”

If they pull it off, they'll continue to be pain for years.

 

[thewave]

""

Another club that understands President and GM should be one position. Good on them for not being stupid like MLSE

 

[ToneDog]

Another club that understands President and GM should be one position. Good on them for not being stupid like MLSE

Don Waddel has the credentials to do both. Shanny has neither and 10 years of playoff failure proves it. I mean when your biggest accomplishment is to purposely lose games to get Matthews, it pretty much tells you all you need to know.

 

[Menzinger]

NHL Trade Rumors: Former NHLer deems $68-million Leon Draisaitl a fit for Boston Bruins

That would be interesting... Draisaitl is spending his offseasons in Prague, training with Pasta.

Going to be pretty brutal for Edmonton if both LD and McDvaid leave in free agency eventually

 

[PromisedLand]

I was quite concerned Rielly would use that as a comparable when he was re-signing.

When he came in at 7.5 I was relieved.

I'm hoping Morgan is 100% healthy this upcoming season. He looked quite slow this year.

I have a different theory:

Marner got married and was basically in honeymoon phase all summer didn't put in the work
Rielly was travelling with his fiancé all summer so probably also didn't put in the work so looked slow as cap entire season; even his decision making was really slow

 

[PromisedLand]

With what the Panthers have accomplished since they hired Maurice is amazing he turned this team around a new culture.
Do you think this would have happened with
Huberdeau or did they need Tkachuk.
The reason iam saying this points to our situation creating a new culture.
Can Berube gave the same effect ?

there were reports that huberdeau was just fine chillaxing and didn't care; he cared more about going to strip clubs than hockey. Florida management had enough and decided they needed a chance and KABOOM!

 

[PromisedLand]

""

if he is president and GM I guess Ken Holland ain't going anywhere......

 

[TheGreenTBer]

That has no bearing on the players' actions.

They don't care what you worry about, they are going to take care of themselves and to live in reality one must recognize that.

Uh, obviously? I am well aware of all of this. While I might not post like it, I am old and have a family of my own.

I don't necessarily care about these guys as people, just as they don't care about people like me (and understandably so). They are a product in my life; they aren't family, peers, co-workers, friends, they are none of that. I do care, no matter how much I sometimes try to deny it and/or convince myself otherwise, I DO care about the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team. Not necessarily the names on the sweaters. Of course they are real people with real feelings and real emotions, but I don't usually cheer for players (there are exceptions), I cheer for the sweater. Players come and go. They're going to look out for themselves and understandably so, but I don't care about their happiness or bank account in the slightest. I care about their performance and how much cap space they consume.

 

[Nineteen67]

Is he supposed to be funny?

 

[PromisedLand]

NHL Trade Rumors: Former NHLer deems $68-million Leon Draisaitl a fit for Boston Bruins

That would be interesting... Draisaitl is spending his offseasons in Prague, training with Pasta.

Apparently hockey is huge in Czech Republic. I had no clue and Pasta is a rockstar

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795145946176618707

 

[3blizzard4]

Going to be pretty brutal for Edmonton if both LD and McDvaid leave in free agency eventually

They cannot afford both of them. I mean they can but that contract will paralyze their team.
That Nurse contact already has some major idiot out.

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

Apparently hockey is huge in Czech Republic. I had no clue and Pasta is a rockstar

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795145946176618707

Imagine celebrating this hard for a third-rate tournament played by secondary and tertiary players when the real superstars still compete for the authentic prize. International hockey is garbage anyways.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Kakko is 100% getting traded.