Around The League Thread | Let the Games Begin

[mossey3535]

Now that McDavid is hurt, is Nurse off the team? LOL that would be hilarious, make it so.

 

[Brookbank]

I was glad that we passed on him. I wanted Zadarov back but Elias was always going to be a poor contract imo.

Then was it worth the rental cost for him then ? We paid Brzustewicz. But I guess it was worth it for the Kuz cap dump.

I just hope we don't get in the habit of doing this twice a year. Brzust could be the next Mccan,Forsling,Guenther. But hey, everyone wants another defensman. We are probably going to do it. Again.

Looking at the Oilers lineup right now is laughably bad. Like lottery level bad. I dunno I just don't see the hype with them.

Some of us could see it in the preseason.

 

[Brookbank]

Very True. It’s rare that Boston makes these kind of bad signings. Looks like management is getting desperate to try to open a window that has already closed. Hopefully we see a few more bad moves like this.

Because they are "such a good organization". Jim Benning and Peter Chiarelli left such solid foundation in place. Maybe its time to bring one or both of them back to right the ship.

 

[valkynax]

Call me crazy but I think Oilers might be alright. It's not the first time McDavid is out, and Draisaitl seems to take the helm without much issues.

 

[mriswith]

I don’t think we passed on him as much as he passed on us. Friedman reported our offer was 7x7. What a massive blunder that would have been.

And yet you had some very “smart” posters clamouring for his re-signing.

Never been happier to see Boston looking done, and saddled with some anchor contracts.

I'm ready to call it equal now after we saved them from OEL. Their turn to save us from the brutal contract we could see coming a mile away.

 

[Vector]

Didn't realize the Sharks beat the Kings yesterday. Yes. Good. Good.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Looking at the Oilers lineup right now is laughably bad. Like lottery level bad. I dunno I just don't see the hype with them.

Is that any way to talk about the ‘deepest forward group in the league’!

 

[StreetHawk]

Then was it worth the rental cost for him then ? We paid Brzustewicz. But I guess it was worth it for the Kuz cap dump.

I just hope we don't get in the habit of doing this twice a year. Brzust could be the next Mccan,Forsling,Guenther. But hey, everyone wants another defensman. We are probably going to do it. Again.


Some of us could see it in the preseason.

Issue for the Canucks is that they have holes and little on the way to help. Age of the roster, plus contracts. Brock is up in the summer. Quinn is up in 2027 as a UFA. Demko is up in 2026 and has an injury history.

Wait for Wallinder, D Petey, Lekky and then Miller is how old? 33/34?

Plus they moved assets to dump contracts.

Thus, my comment earlier that the window for the Canucks is going to be small, like the Gillis era Canucks from 2009-2013. Won't go crumbling down, but clearly won't have enough to contend. Too many holes left by prior regime.

 

[valkynax]

Didn't realize the Sharks beat the Kings yesterday. Yes. Good. Good.

Lol oh shit, SJS's first regulation win in the season.

And they did it without Celebrini~.

 

[StreetHawk]

Lol oh shit, SJS's first regulation win in the season.

And they did it without Celebrini~.

SJ was going to be bottom 3 bad. No 2 ways about it.
Ana, not surprised they are in around bottom 5 since they didn't make any significant acquisitions. Relying on the kids to be better, but let's be real, only a couple of the group will hit at most for this season.
Chicago, added a lot of vets on short term deals like Det a couple of years ago. Need to find out what the other under 25 kids can do besides Bedard/Vlasic.
Montreal, too young on Defence. That was a massive mistake to go in with Savard who missed 20 games in each of his 3 years in MTL, Matheson, and Guhle who missed 1/2 a season of his first 2 years. Lose one of them and it's 4 unproven kids in the lineup at once. Not ideal to develop the Dmen. Blown out twice at home in the past week by NYR and SEA going down 4-0 in the first 11 minutes.
Pitt, not too shocked that the end of the line is coming for them.

 

[valkynax]

SJ was going to be bottom 3 bad. No 2 ways about it.
Ana, not surprised they are in around bottom 5 since they didn't make any significant acquisitions. Relying on the kids to be better, but let's be real, only a couple of the group will hit at most for this season.
Chicago, added a lot of vets on short term deals like Det a couple of years ago. Need to find out what the other under 25 kids can do besides Bedard/Vlasic.
Montreal, too young on Defence. That was a massive mistake to go in with Savard who missed 20 games in each of his 3 years in MTL, Matheson, and Guhle who missed 1/2 a season of his first 2 years. Lose one of them and it's 4 unproven kids in the lineup at once. Not ideal to develop the Dmen. Blown out twice at home in the past week by NYR and SEA going down 4-0 in the first 11 minutes.
Pitt, not too shocked that the end of the line is coming for them.

Speaking of Hawks, I love how this youtuber has nonchalant nick names (and added quirks) for some teams, such as Chicago Bedards and Vegas LTIRs (also Sid the middle-age man).

And most hilarious is every time Leafs won a game he'll say "alright boys looks like the parade planning is back on". Conversely when Leafs lost a game he'll immediately say "so it's official, the parade planning is on hold."

 

[mriswith]

Issue for the Canucks is that they have holes and little on the way to help. Age of the roster, plus contracts. Brock is up in the summer. Quinn is up in 2027 as a UFA. Demko is up in 2026 and has an injury history.

Wait for Wallinder, D Petey, Lekky and then Miller is how old? 33/34?

Plus they moved assets to dump contracts.

Thus, my comment earlier that the window for the Canucks is going to be small, like the Gillis era Canucks from 2009-2013. Won't go crumbling down, but clearly won't have enough to contend. Too many holes left by prior regime.

Yeah this was the reason for wanting to reload on the fly a few years ago instead of committing to this window.

We lose an important piece every year until the Hughes contract ends just to keep the same roster and it was flawed to begin with.

We're committed now though. And I think that the 2013 team could have been, and this team in '27, could have been retooled to extend the contention window by at least a few years if we had great management instead of rock bottom Benning. Maybe we'll do it right this time.

 

[rypper]

Yeah this was the reason for wanting to reload on the fly a few years ago instead of committing to this window.

We lose an important piece every year until the Hughes contract ends just to keep the same roster and it was flawed to begin with.

We're committed now though. And I think that the 2013 team could have been, and this team in '27, could have been retooled to extend the contention window by at least a few years if we had great management instead of rock bottom Benning. Maybe we'll do it right this time.

Or we could actually win now, that's still an option too.

 

[mriswith]

Or we could actually win now, that's still an option too.

3 cups in a row before then!

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Call me crazy but I think Oilers might be alright. It's not the first time McDavid is out, and Draisaitl seems to take the helm without much issues.

Agreed..I remember 2-3 years ago when McDavid was out with an extended injury..We were all waiting for them to fall flat on their face, ..it didn’t happen..In fact ,it rallied them.

 

[quat]

If Pettersson had played like he can and Demko wasn't injured, it's not impossible to have seen the Canucks in the finals last year, with a decent chance at winning.

I think management is looking beyond this season, but of course will be hampered by OEL, uncertain Demko and the Alien question. There are no easy decisions for this group due to previous incompetence.

Curious to see how they maneuver with so little latitude for error.

 

[rypper]

3 cups in a row before then!

Get in and ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

Kaapo Kähkönen may not be the answer in net in Colorado.

 

[F A N]

I think only Canucks fans on this board could have predicted that the Leafs would trade Lilgegren, Tanev would be a Leaf, and Benning is involved.

 

[Brookbank]

Issue for the Canucks is that they have holes and little on the way to help. Age of the roster, plus contracts. Brock is up in the summer. Quinn is up in 2027 as a UFA. Demko is up in 2026 and has an injury history.

Wait for Wallinder, D Petey, Lekky and then Miller is how old? 33/34?

Plus they moved assets to dump contracts.

Thus, my comment earlier that the window for the Canucks is going to be small, like the Gillis era Canucks from 2009-2013. Won't go crumbling down, but clearly won't have enough to contend. Too many holes left by prior regime.

Why did we win the division and a playoff round with a 3rd sting goalie if we are so full of holes that we have to bleed futures for rentals ? It's all relative. Relative to the other teams. And nothing else. All teams have holes.

 

[Vector]

Kaapo Kähkönen may not be the answer in net in Colorado.

What a shock.

 

[StreetHawk]

Why did we win the division and a playoff round with a 3rd sting goalie if we are so full of holes that we have to bleed futures for rentals ? It's all relative. Relative to the other teams. And nothing else. All teams have holes.

They did bleed assets for Zadorov and Lindholm. Can't keep doing that for much longer if at all. So, they have to go into the PO with a couple of holes. Like you said, every team is missing something or lacks depth.

But, this board is constantly talking about adding a Dman or another C, or W. Can't add all of that without paying for it at some point.

 

[Vector]

Random thought. You'd think the Sharks would be flush with draft picks with all their tanking but they've spent so many of theirs and have no extra picks.

2025: 1,2,3,4,&7 (no 5th or 6th)
2026: 1,2,4,&7 (no 3rd, 5th, or 6th)
2027: 1,2,4,5,6,&7 (no 3rd)

 

[timw33]

Random thought. You'd think the Sharks would be flush with draft picks with all their tanking but they've spent so many of theirs and have no extra picks.

2025: 1,2,3,4,&7 (no 5th or 6th)
2026: 1,2,4,&7 (no 3rd, 5th, or 6th)
2027: 1,2,4,5,6,&7 (no 3rd)

They're a weird one where they've been a team that has absolutely tanked in the standings but had so many old vets locked up and had no golden parachute due to trading an unprotected 2020 1st (Stutzle) along with Norris and Demelo to get EK.

They kept trying to compete and keep the core together until July 2022 when they brought on Grier, but even then they extended Hertl (edit: this was Murray as well) instead of moving him as a pending FA, and now are saddled with 6 years of retention on that contract.

They've only recently started making moves that align with a rebuild/retool: trading Duclair for Thompson + 3rd, getting paid a 3rd to take on Ceci, getting paid a 2nd to take on Walman, getting Goodrow on waivers for free, Moving Hertl for futures, using futures to secure their future goaltender.

It's going to take some time but compared to even last year they have definitely started the process.

 

[Vector]

They're a weird one where they've been a team that has absolutely tanked in the standings but had so many old vets locked up and had no golden parachute due to trading an unprotected 2020 1st (Stutzle) along with Norris and Demelo to get EK.

They kept trying to compete and keep the core together until July 2022 when they brought on Grier, but even then they extended Hertl instead of moving him as a pending FA, and now are saddled with 6 years of retention on that contract.

They've only recently started making moves that align with a rebuild/retool: trading Duclair for Thompson + 3rd, getting paid a 3rd to take on Ceci, getting paid a 2nd to take on Walman, getting Goodrow on waivers for free, Moving Hertl for futures, using futures to secure their future goaltender.

It's going to take some time but compared to even last year they have definitely started the process.

Hertl was extended before Grier was hired.

Grier makes more trades involved mid and late-round picks than any GM I've seen since the 90s. Hell, Canucks got a 6th from them for Studnicka.