Around the NHL — Episode XLXVII

[bicboi64]

Who here posts from a PC and who uses a phone?

Primarily PC, but if I'm on transit and bored, I've started using my phone.

 

[BigRig4]

Primarily PC, but if I'm on transit and bored, I've started using my phone.

I find the site so clunky on mobile

 

[Qward]

Staios sleeps more than Dorion. Nashville are giving away their young NHLers and we can't be bothered.

If all we do is stock the team with 21-23 year olds, we will end up like Buffalo.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

I find the site so clunky on mobile

cool tip:

rotate your phone screen while surfing the site. works better

 

[HoweHullOrr]

Who here posts from a PC and who uses a phone?

MacBook. I like a bigger screen, typing with 10 fingers and the better editors on this kind of device.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

cool tip:

rotate your phone screen while surfing the site. works better

front to back?

 

[Icelevel]

front to back?

And how many times do we rotate?

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

And how many times do we rotate?

how fast?

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

front to back?

I usually just put the phone cover over the screen. Works better

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

And how many times do we rotate?

til you can spin it on your middle finger

 

[Laphroaig]

I don't even own a cell phone and never will.

 

[GCK]

I wonder if Dallas will have to forfeit a pick for ignoring the CBA for a competitive advantage.

Probably not

 

[BigRig4]

I wonder if Dallas will have to forfeit a pick for ignoring the CBA for a competitive advantage.

Probably not

Supposedly only a fine

 

[Xspyrit]

Tear down rebuilds can’t work with bad ownership or without special players. I’ve used special as opposed to generational or elite as I feel special is a Patrick Kane, Marner type level. I also define successful as perennial playoff team with a chance to compete for a Cup.

We agree on all this.

I’ll focus on the 4 Atlantic teams currently in a tear down rebuild.

Detroit - Great ownership but poor lottery luck getting only Seider as a maybe special player.

Buffalo - Terrible ownership, Eichel and Dahlin should be enough to become a successful team but they traded Eichel, Reinhart and Montour.

Ottawa - Stutzle and Sanderson are borderline special as is Tkachuk. That should be enough but brutal ownership stunted the team for 3 years. 50/50 if it can be salvaged.

Montreal - As of now they have no special players but Demidov could become one.

Detroit : Seider yes and I also see Edvisson as being a high end talent too. Don't only look at his 0.45 PPG in his 21 y/o rookie season, he's doing very well. I think he might end up better than Seider. Raymond is great too, but Larkin is an "average" 1st line Center and they don't have the depth at forward, which is a good thing for us. I don't see them as a big threat for us unless some of their young forwards breakout in a major way

Buffalo : There's literally no explanation, it's like they're cursed or something. They have and had the talent, can't do shit with it. Dahlin, Power, Byram and Samuelsson, I mean they're young but damn. Same thing about their forward group, so much talent and depth but so many of them are young so there's still a threat to breakout in a major way as a team

Ottawa : I like our Top-5 skaters, I think we can compete with most teams with Stutzle-Tkachuk-Batherson-Sanderson-Chabot, Guys like Norris, Pinto and Greig are/will be good support players but we don't have much behind that (outside of Yakemchuk coming)... and that is the infuriating problem as we have witnessed Dorion destroy that possibility for years. I see our depth as really holding back this team and that's 100% on Dorion.

Montreal : Demidov is seen as the best prospect in the world with Celibrini and Michkov graduating. But I think you might be underrating Lane Hutson, the kid is a pure offense engine at 20 y/o, like Karlsson was. Also, we shouldn't underestimate Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovský, Laine, Guhle, etc. But it's not our Top-5 vs their Top-5 that worries me, it's literally everything behind.

None of these teams need to have a MacKinnon/Rantanen/Makar trio to be a Top-3 team in the Atlantic so in the end, not sure what is the point of this discussion. They don't need borderline generational players to finish ahead of us in the standings, which is our problem.

As bad as we WANT these teams to be, Detroit and Buffalo are 6 pts behind, and Montreal might be just 3 pts behind us after today's games. At least Detroit and Buffalo have missed the playoffs for a long time too so we're not alone in that not very desirable position.

I wish Dorion slept more...

Exactly lol

If he did only 1/3 of the moves he made, we'd be in a much much better position.

 

[Ouroboros]

Habs looking elite lately. Making a huge push for the ploffs.

 

[Xspyrit]

Habs looking elite lately. Making a huge push for the ploffs.

5-1-0 in last 6 games, outscored opponents 28-12

8-4-0 since Laine is back

12-8-1 since November 11th, 0.595 P% which is the 11th best in the NHL since.

During that stretch, Tampa is 6th, Boston is 7th, Toronto is 9th, Ottawa is 16th, Florida is 21st, Detroit is 27th and Buffalo is 29th

Crazy, actually every Eastern team is within reach of that last playoff spot lol

 

[Ice-Tray]

5-1-0 in last 6 games, outscored opponents 28-12

8-4-0 since Laine is back

12-8-1 since November 11th, 0.595 P% which is the 11th best in the NHL since.

During that stretch, Tampa is 6th, Boston is 7th, Toronto is 9th, Ottawa is 16th, Florida is 21st, Detroit is 27th and Buffalo is 29th

Crazy, actually every Eastern team is within reach of that last playoff spot lol

Go Habs!!!

 

[Xspyrit]

Go Habs!!!

Stop being a Habs fan

Seriously, there's too much competition in the division right now, only the Red Wings are not a threat IMO

 

[Ice-Tray]

Stop being a Habs fan

Seriously, there's too much competition in the division right now, only the Red Wings are not a threat IMO

Eh, I wouldn’t be surprised if they found a way to push a little. I don’t think the Habs have what it takes to be a threat. They are like many young teams, us included, where they play better when they are way out of the picture and have zero pressure on them to win.

 

[starling]

Flyers pulling a Sens and blowing 2-goal second period lead. Nice.

 

[SensFactor]

Flyers lose. Nicely done LA

 

[NyQuil]

Murray shelled in 5-2 loss to the Caps.

 

[Xspyrit]

Eh, I wouldn’t be surprised if they found a way to push a little. I don’t think the Habs have what it takes to be a threat. They are like many young teams, us included, where they play better when they are way out of the picture and have zero pressure on them to win.

Montreal is a really heavy pressure market, even during a rebuild there's a ton of pressure. Ownership/management talked about "being in the mix" for the playoffs and medias went with it all the way this season. They're only 5 pts out of a wildcard spot and they're going to have all the pressure to push until the end.

They are also always looking to improve and their management is committed. They have acquired Alexandre Carrier for nothing much and it improved their whole defense. They have waived Primeau and promoted Dobes who went with a 34 saves shutout to start his NHL career.

I am extremely annoyed at the possibility that they'd make the playoffs before us, this is only their 4th rebuild season, this is our 8th. One of the reasons I am still pissed off by the damage Dorion has done to this team.

I hope they become terrible again but they haven't been for weeks so... not sure it'll happen

One of the very few silver linings we have is that the Leafs didn't win in the playoffs so far (only 1 round) and that Montreal has been mostly bad for a decade outside of that 2021 playoffs run. It has to continue this way but the reality is it might not continue like this forever (things are looking different for the Leafs this season), pressure is on us to start winning.

 

[starling]

Montreal is hot, but not as hot as Buffalo with 3 wins in a row.

 

[HSF]

mtl aint making it