Around the NHL 2015-16: Part II

[Jame]

I don't recall there being a consensus like that among Wings-fans 3 years ago.

I do recall

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1372103&highlight=abdelkader

But I doubt you find many if any beside you (and Holland!) who think that the contract Abdelkader is rumoured to get is a good or even decent one.

Correct, the architect of one of the most successful franchises in the league... and I... are in agreement.

 

[stokes84]

It certainly helps to play almost exclusively with RNH and Hall - Eichel will get there, and surpass those two, but right now we don't have equivalent offensive pieces to those guys. Ice times are also drastically different:

Draisaitl - 17:04 ESTOI, 2:04 PPTOI
Reinhart - 10:57 ESTOI, 2:30 PPTOI

Leon is getting 6 mins/game more in the two phases where almost all goals are scored, and he has better offensive linemates. I'd love to see Bylsma give Reinhart more opportunity. Also, it'll be interesting to see how Draisaitl performs if McLellan goes back to the tried and true Hall-RNH-Eberle line if/when Hall-RNH-Draisaitl hit a rough patch.

Good linemates and regular minutes are of course helpful, but he's in beast mode regardless of that. You don't ride coattails to that type of production. You get put with the big guns, you have to play like you belong, and he not only has, but at times he looks like the biggest gun. I'm not trying to disparage, or even really make any comment about Reinhart, but it's well known this was my guy, so I'm glad to see him succeeding.

 

[TehDoak]

Ah yes, nothing like comparing two 20 year old players less than 15 games into their careers playing in vastly different situations.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Good linemates and regular minutes are of course helpful, but he's in beast mode regardless of that. You don't ride coattails to that type of production. You get put with the big guns, you have to play like you belong, and he not only has, but at times he looks like the biggest gun. I'm not trying to disparage, or even really make any comment about Reinhart, but it's well known this was my guy, so I'm glad to see him succeeding.

I think Luke Adam started 11 points in 11 games between Vanek and Pominville. Those days we were searching for a #1 center.

Interesting to see where Reinhart is in 3 years. He thinks the game so well, hard to imagine he wont be a great player.

 

[Jim Bob]

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/11/miller-and-ferraro-get-hostile-over-equipment-size/

Ray Ferraro throws Ryan Miller's name out there in the oversized goalie gear conversation and Ryan isn't thrilled with it.

 

[Jim Bob]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/colin-campbell-says-goalie-pads-will-be-smaller-by-2016-17/

Colin Campbell, the NHL’s Senior Executive VP and Director of Hockey Operations was on Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown and John Shannon where he discussed the lack of goal scoring in today’s game.

He confirmed that the NHL is looking to reduce the size of goaltender equipment.

“We are making an attempt this year, usually we make that attempt every year, and the manufacturers tell us they can’t do it in time after our March/June meetings,†he said. “So this year we did it faster and said, ‘OK you got a year and a half to do it.’â€

He was then asked if that means there will be a noticeable decrease in the size of upper-body pads for goalies by 2016-2017.

His answer was yes.

“There are a number of items on the board, and as you know it’s the pads, the blocker, the catcher, the upper-body, the pants and the sweater,†he said.†And the sweater will go in unison with the upperbody.â€

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[kirby11]

Holland re-upped Abdelkader 7 yrs/$4.25 million...and that's WITH a full NTC for the first 3 or 4 years of the deal

 

[26CornerBlitz]

4. Here’s a question about decreasing goal totals: what if the problem is not goalies? Thanks to stats.hockeyanalysis.com, you can make an argument the real issue is where the shots come from (or who is taking them). At five-on-five so far in 2015-16, the league-wide save percentage is .928. Eight seasons ago, it was .920. If you break it down even further, goalies are at .913 when a forward is shooting and a ridiculous .966 against defencemen. The way the game is played now, we are seeing more shots from defenders every year (just under 28 per cent of all taken to this point). Maybe the question is, does the NHL have to go back to the old, smaller offensive-zone so teams must cover the points? Will that loosen up the forwards?

5. The second part of the equation is, which forwards are doing the shooting? The speed and pace of the game means ice-time is being distributed more evenly than ever. The best forwards aren’t on the ice as much as fifteen years ago, which leads to fewer chances to impact the outcome. The NHL’s most prolific shooter, Alexander Ovechkin, averaged 448 shots during his first four seasons. He hasn’t been higher than 395 since. Everyone who makes the NHL is talented. But, some are more talented than others.

6. There is another possible solution: calling more penalties. (Or as one executive regularly texts, “just call the &$%#@* rulebook.”) This is more of a battle than you’d think. There are some GMs who hated the loosened standards from 2005-06, and don’t want to go back. I remember Steve Yzerman calling it “unrealistic.” He’s definitely someone who prefers the players, not the referees, decide games. Team power-plays have dropped from six to three per game in the last 10 years. But, more man advantages do lead to more goals.

 

[B U F F A L O]

Calgary has fallen back down to earth. Dougie Hamilton a product of Bruins system?

 

[Moskau]

Calgary has fallen back down to earth. Dougie Hamilton a product of Bruins system?

He was overrated in Boston. Dude has always been awful defensively IMO.

 

[Jim Bob]

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2015/11/12/welcome-matt-duchene-to-the-trade-rumor-mill/

Duchene on the block to try and get blueline help for the Avs?

That would be interesting...

 

[Jame]

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2015/11/12/welcome-matt-duchene-to-the-trade-rumor-mill/

Duchene on the block to try and get blueline help for the Avs?

That would be interesting...

Name 19 year old captain
Pay one dimensional player top dollar
Trade captain material / 2 way / franchise center

you're doing it wrong

 

[Heraldic]

That "Duchene cap" Avs have (or had) is/was one of the biggest management failures in NHL recently. That's a result of two really unexperienced, yet stubborn and conceited, guys neglegting the reality and wanting to do things their way.

1,5 years ago Avs got incredible depth on center position. Now they got three offensive minded centers and are "forced" to trade one for defensive help. They actually upgraded their defense by swapping Hejda to Beuechemin. Having guys like Stastny, ROR and Landeskog with hot goaltending from Varlamov hid the awfulness of their defense. Now that they have goten rid of two of the three best defensive forwards, and their defense has been exposed with not-hot goaltending, they have realised that they need defense.

 

[Samsonite23]

Has anybody gotten a chance to see Nick Ritchie play yet this year? He's been tearing it up in the A apparently, and I haven't seen him yet. I'm intrigued.

 

[Der Jaeger]

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2015/11/12/welcome-matt-duchene-to-the-trade-rumor-mill/

Duchene on the block to try and get blueline help for the Avs?

That would be interesting...

Nashville would be a good trade partner if not in the same division.

Would love to get #92, but that's a dream.

 

[Chainshot]

Calgary has fallen back down to earth. Dougie Hamilton a product of Bruins system?

Or they were simply ahead of the development curve last year and have fallen back to where they seemed like they should be now.

 

[Havok89]

Or they were simply ahead of the development curve last year and have fallen back to where they seemed like they should be now.

I think they overachieved last season, but have underperformed so far. Goaltending is so inconsistent for Calgary this year.

 

[B U F F A L O]

Or they were simply ahead of the development curve last year and have fallen back to where they seemed like they should be now.

which is what I meant by "fallen back down to earth"

 

[Russ Tyler]

http://filthyrich.es/every-nhl-teams-most-hated-player/29/

Every NHL Team’s Most Hated Player.

Kind of a spam site that makes you flip through all 30 items, but mildly interestingly I found 5 former or current Sabres players on this list:

Evander Kane (Sabres)
Thomas Vanek (Wild)
Raffi Torres (Sharks)
Steve Ott (Blues)
Chris Thorburn (Jets)

 

[couture23]

Why Vanek?

 

[jamers]

Name 19 year old captain
Pay one dimensional player top dollar
Trade captain material / 2 way / franchise center

you're doing it wrong

That organization is seriously mind boggling... I mean like... what are they even thinking?

 

[SamuraiArt]

http://filthyrich.es/every-nhl-teams-most-hated-player/29/

Every NHL Team’s Most Hated Player.

Kind of a spam site that makes you flip through all 30 items, but mildly interestingly I found 5 former or current Sabres players on this list:

Evander Kane (Sabres)
Thomas Vanek (Wild)
Raffi Torres (Sharks)
Steve Ott (Blues)
Chris Thorburn (Jets)

Never knew Torres played for Buffalo. (Granted I didn't watch much hockey around 2010 but I do remember Paetsch). Looking through all the (alleged) head targeting, I'm glad we didn't keep him on the roster.

 

[Paxon]

Has anybody gotten a chance to see Nick Ritchie play yet this year? He's been tearing it up in the A apparently, and I haven't seen him yet. I'm intrigued.

I haven't seen him in the AHL yet, however he's been called up to Anaheim today.

Never knew Torres played for Buffalo. (Granted I didn't watch much hockey around 2010 but I do remember Paetsch). Looking through all the (alleged) head targeting, I'm glad we didn't keep him on the roster.

He was one of the many Regier deadline acquisitions that just didn't pan out. He had a real offensive slump during his brief time here.