Around The League Thread | Let the Games Begin

[Caspian]

I went to hockeydb and saw the picture and knew right away it was true. Wider jaw than his dad but same hair and eyes. Jason Blake really stood out when he played.

He needs to wear the giant visor like pops to complete the iconic look

 

[ManVanFan]

Please Canucks management, keep drafting and developing defencemen otherwise this.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1850900871992799727

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

Jake McCabe is a really good defenseman and I'd rather have that contract than, eg, the Tyler Myers one.

 

[bandwagonesque]

Jake McCabe is a really good defenseman and I'd rather have that contract than, eg, the Tyler Myers one.

Yeah, I expected a bigger discount on Myers and could have taken or left him at the contract he actually got in the end.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Jake McCabe is a really good defenseman and I'd rather have that contract than, eg, the Tyler Myers one.

Their top 4 may be average but they are only making less than 20 mil combined and locked up for the duration of this cores contention window.

That said, they may need another top 4 guy. If I'm Toronto, I would look at LA and maybe pursue Doughty if the Kings season goes south.

 

[StreetHawk]

They are a bit away. Give the little Pig Farmer some credit. He's been there for three or four years. They have some great pieces. By 26/27 I'd be shocked if that team isn't a wagon.

Verbeek has been there since just before the 2022 TDL. But, Murray wasn't pulling a Holland and trying to make the PO in 2020-2022. He had added 2 first rounders to the pool, but both Tracey and Perreault are gone. Zegras is probably best moved to the wing or traded from how things sound there. Drysdale was traded for Gauthier. They've been worst and 3rd worst in the 2 full seasons under Verbeek.

I do think Ana needs to clear out anyone who doesn't want to finish their current contract as a Duck. Be it Gibson, Fowler, and/or Zegras. They have had plenty of draft capital since missing the PO. 4 extra firsts and a couple of extra seconds at least. Need to begin assembling the team. Cronin was Verbeek's hire and he needs to give him something to work with to get outside the bottom 5. Ducks were 17 points behind Montreal for 5th worst. That's quite the jump to go from 3rd worst to 5th worst.

 

[ManVanFan]

Jake McCabe is a really good defenseman and I'd rather have that contract than, eg, the Tyler Myers one.

I like McCabe too, I'm just not ready to pay him 4.5M until he's 36 years old.

Yeah, I expected a bigger discount on Myers and could have taken or left him at the contract he actually got in the end.

Yzerman set the bar, if you can play half decent as a 3rd pairing guy, you get 3M plus per year.

 

[timw33]

Jake McCabe is a really good defenseman and I'd rather have that contract than, eg, the Tyler Myers one.

A bunch of us (myself included) were stumping for McCabe back in 2021, but instead we uhhh went a different route acquiring OEL.

People were crapping on the McCabe to Toronto trade, which was insane when Toronto got 2.5 seasons of McCabe at an unbelievable bargain 2MM with retention.

We need to aggressively hunt out the next McCabe like opportunity.

 

[Vector]

A bunch of us (myself included) were stumping for McCabe back in 2021, but instead we uhhh went a different route acquiring OEL.

People were crapping on the McCabe to Toronto trade, which was insane when Toronto got 2.5 seasons of McCabe at an unbelievable bargain 2MM with retention.

We need to aggressively hunt out the next McCabe like opportunity.

The McCabe trade for Toronto was fantastic. I'm not super hot on this contract given his age and injury history. Maple Leafs can't seem to build a defence corps, so I get it.

 

[timw33]

The McCabe trade for Toronto was fantastic. I'm not super hot on this contract given his age and injury history. Maple Leafs can't seem to build a defence corps, so I get it.

Age/Injury history for all of them, but when you're talking about a Top 4 where the salary structure is 7.5, 4.5, 4.5, 3.5, you're in good shape and gives you flexibility to add, especially with cap rises.

 

[credulous]

Age/Injury history for all of them, but when you're talking about a Top 4 where the salary structure is 7.5, 4.5, 4.5, 3.5, you're in good shape and gives you flexibility to add, especially with cap rises.

their problem is really they don't have an all situations number one guy though. that structure looks a lot worse when you put a 9.5 at the head of it and bump everyone down a slot

 

[VanillaCoke]

Age/Injury history for all of them, but when you're talking about a Top 4 where the salary structure is 7.5, 4.5, 4.5, 3.5, you're in good shape and gives you flexibility to add, especially with cap rises.

On paper that all sounds good, especially if talking about Van, Ottawa, Cgy etc with solid defensemen.

While McCabe is a good player on a 'fair' deal, the rest of that Twenty million dollar defense core is made of old semi washed mids, with nothing but overpaid liljegren, hakanpaa, Benoit behind them.

Rielly
OEL
Tanev
McCabe

Would've been sweet D core in 2018, par for the course for bad Brad.

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

Jake McCabe is a really good defenseman and I'd rather have that contract than, eg, the Tyler Myers one.

I like McCabe too. That being said, that Leafs defence is old and all have term. For a couple years they should be fine in the regular season. Could be completely fatigued for the playoffs though which is not good for a team under pressure to get it done in the postseason

 

[andora]

Toronto is so f***ed

Unreal the direction tavares took them