Around the NHL 2023-2024

[Xerloris]

I think if we would have held onto Oates that right now Ovi would be chasing Brett instead of Gretzky.

 

[Reality Czech]

Karlsson to Pittsburgh finally happened.

Very interesting deal. IMO Montreal won this deal simply by facilitating the trade for the primary two parties. We've seen teams be forced to trade decent players for basically free, so it looks like Montreal got a bunch of decent assets for very little because SJ/PIT had to move these guys to get the deal done. It could end up ok for all 3 teams but I guess time will tell if Karlsson can come close to repeating last year. Gotta give PIT credit for making one last big push with Sid and Geno.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Didn't Petry ask for a trade out of Montreal less than two years ago?

 

[Reality Czech]

Didn't Petry ask for a trade out of Montreal less than two years ago?

I read a rumor online that he may get flipped before the season starts, but I guess either Montreal wasn't on his 15 team list, he knows he'll get traded again or he doesn't mind going back.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Very interesting deal. IMO Montreal won this deal simply by facilitating the trade for the primary two parties. We've seen teams be forced to trade decent players for basically free, so it looks like Montreal got a bunch of decent assets for very little because SJ/PIT had to move these guys to get the deal done. It could end up ok for all 3 teams but I guess time will tell if Karlsson can come close to repeating last year. Gotta give PIT credit for making one last big push with Sid and Geno.

I like it a lot for Pittsburgh. I doubt karlsson will be worth close to $10mm in 4 years but they are all in while they still have Crosby and he could be hugely impactful next couple years. All they gave up were picks and trash. When Crosby is no longer elite level they are gonna crash hard, but feels smarter to take another swing now then play it like caps are and not rebuild but still not compete.

 

[Reality Czech]

I like it a lot for Pittsburgh. I doubt karlsson will be worth close to $10mm in 4 years but they are all in while they still have Crosby and he could be hugely impactful next couple years. All they gave up were picks and trash. When Crosby is no longer elite level they are gonna crash hard, but feels smarter to take another swing now then play it like caps are and not rebuild but still not compete.

Yeah, I agree with that. It could turn out to be a rare win-win-win 3 way trade but things often don't go as expected. SJ didn't get a haul, but in this market that was always unlikely. At least they got a 1st and some pieces they can flip, plus they are in the driver's seat for 1st overall next year with that horrid roster.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Yeah, I agree with that. It could turn out to be a rare win-win-win 3 way trade but things often don't go as expected. SJ didn't get a haul, but in this market that was always unlikely. At least they got a 1st and some pieces they can flip, plus they are in the driver's seat for 1st overall next year with that horrid roster.

Agreed. Sharks did well to get out of that contract without retaining too much. And still got a 1st. Ruuta may have some value but doubt anyone wants hoff or granlund for more than late pick. its amazing how bad that sharks roster is. They should be in running for top pick next couple years.

 

[Reality Czech]

Agreed. Sharks did well to get out of that contract without retaining too much. And still got a 1st. Ruuta may have some value but doubt anyone wants hoff or granlund for more than late pick. its amazing how bad that sharks roster is. They should be in running for top pick next couple years.

Grier said he wasn't going to retain much and he stayed true to his word. Man what a disaster that Karlsson deal turned out to be for the Sharks, but I guess you can't fault them too much for shooting their shot. Also Hoffman and Karlsson being traded in the same deal is an interesting coincidence. Watch Hoff score 30 on San Jose with a much bigger role in a no pressure situation.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

Hoffman’s already been a Shark for longer than his first tenure with the team.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Grier said he wasn't going to retain much and he stayed true to his word. Man what a disaster that Karlsson deal turned out to be for the Sharks, but I guess you can't fault them too much for shooting their shot. Also Hoffman and Karlsson being traded in the same deal is an interesting coincidence. Watch Hoff score 30 on San Jose with a much bigger role in a no pressure situation.

On paper it looks like they came 2 games away from the SCF in 2019, but they were never in that series. They were a beat up husk by the end of it. This trade mitigated a lot if the stink of that contract. It’s hard to win the Cup, and I dont fault a team who thought they were close from taking s swing at it.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

On paper it looks like they came 2 games away from the SCF in 2019, but they were never in that series. They were a beat up husk by the end of it. This trade mitigated a lot if the stink of that contract. It’s hard to win the Cup, and I dont fault a team who thought they were close from taking s swing at it.

That original EK trade was probably worst nhl trade of past decade. They gave up Norris and pick that became stutzle (plus more) and then because they spent crazy $ on EK they couldn’t afford pavelski. And they have been downhill ever since. So no Cup and decade of crappy hockey after. Yikes.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

That original EK trade was probably worst nhl trade of past decade. They gave up Norris and pick that became stutzle (plus more) and then because they spent crazy $ on EK they couldn’t afford pavelski. And they have been downhill ever since. So no Cup and decade of crappy hockey after. Yikes.

Stuzle could have been their Tage Thompson and Pavelski their Backes. It’s a much different story if they’d won the Cup in 2019.

But I much prefer the story that was actually written.

 

[Reality Czech]

That original EK trade was probably worst nhl trade of past decade. They gave up Norris and pick that became stutzle (plus more) and then because they spent crazy $ on EK they couldn’t afford pavelski. And they have been downhill ever since. So no Cup and decade of crappy hockey after. Yikes.

Pretty much. I guess they might not have ended up with a pick high enough to draft Stutzle but they still would have had Norris, Pavelski and at least another first rounder. Plus they already had an elite offensive RHD in Burns, so it's not like they really needed Karlsson regardless of how good EK is. Yikes indeed.

 

[Brian39]

Agree, we are doing a better job retooling and looking to the future.

But still, our histories are so alike. Came into the league around the same time, were “contenders” so many times and always lost early in the playoffs until we both finally broke through in back to back years. After those Cup wins both teams haven’t done anything since, as they got older and the contracts to Oshie and Wilson are similar to ones we’ve given some of our players.

It’s hard to find two teams that are more alike.

To be fair, I think that retooling and looking to the future is currently our #1 priority while it is no higher than being the #2 priority for Washington. I wouldn't be surprised if it is their #3 priority.

I firmly believe that their #1 priority right now is to get Ovechkin to 895 regular season goals in a Capitals sweater. He has 73 goals to go and turns 38 in September. He has a legitimate chance of doing it, but he's slowing down physically and is going to rely more and more on the supporting cast to get the puck to him in scoring areas as time goes on. I think there is a good chance that making the playoffs and giving Ovi a (likely long shot) last push at another Cup is priority #2.

We are doing a better job of retooling and looking to the future, but that is also more of a priority for us.

 

[Brian39]

On paper it looks like they came 2 games away from the SCF in 2019, but they were never in that series. They were a beat up husk by the end of it. This trade mitigated a lot if the stink of that contract. It’s hard to win the Cup, and I dont fault a team who thought they were close from taking s swing at it.

I think that they were more in that series than you're giving them credit for. They took 1-0 and 2-1 series leads. And while we responded perfectly to the game 3 hand pass non-call with a fantastic 1st period in game 4, that game was still damn close. We got outshot 30-22 and held on to win 2-1 after building up a 2-0 lead after the 1st. We went into lead-protect mode for sure, but San Jose noticeably outshot and outchanced us that game. Binner was excellent and we held on to win a really hard fought game.

I think San Jose was absolutely still in that series until the final horn sounded in game 4. We broke them the next game, but I'm not sure that still happens if we had gone into game 5 down 3-1 instead of tied 2-2.

 

[Brian39]

I love the Karlsson deal for the Pens. Granlund and Petry were fully expendable negative-value assets. And while he might not have been negative-value, DeSmith (and his $1.8M AAV) was fully expendable once they signed Nedeljkovic at $11.5M.

They shed $9.6875M by moving out Petry/Granlund and moving DeSmith in favor of Ned is another $300k of savings. That's $9.9875M of useless money moved in this deal. That covers all but $125k of the cap hit they took on for Karlsson. Making this deal cap-neutral in the short term should is a huge victory, and they didn't have to spend an obscene amount of assets to do it. They essentially spent a 2024 1st, a 2025 2nd, and Jan Ruuta to get it done. That's not a bad package, but for a team just looking to wring another run out of Sid during the remaining 2 years of his deal, none of them are of great significance. They also got a 3rd and a serviceable $1.1M bottom 6 player in the deal.

Montreal turned a combo of Pitlick, Hoffman, and cap space into a 2nd round pick and a couple guys who might be tradeable assets. They still have 2 retention spots this year (and 3 next year), so they could probably turn Petry into a legitimately valuable asset. 2 years (or less) of Petry at $2.3-$3M against the cap is suddenly an appealing option for a team in need of offense from the blueline. DeSmith makes them better in net and is probably decent enough to return a mid-late pick at the deadline from a team looking for depth.

San Jose got a decent return. Not rebuild-changing, but pretty good for a contract that was considered maybe the worst in hockey just a year ago. A 1st rounder from a team that just picked 14th is a nice asset. The bad money they took back only lasts 1-2 years and they only retained $1.5M. I won't be surprised if they eventually flip Ruuta or even Hoffman for something. I get the argument that they should have bitten the bullet and purchased a better return by retaining $5M+, but I also get why an owner wouldn't want to do that. And while I don't think they are goign to be truly competing in 3 years, there is real value in only having $1.5M left on the books from this trade by the 2025/26 season.

This was an excellent 3 way trade that I think truly makes sense for all parties. While I would say that the Pens were the big winners, I don't think there is a loser here.

 

[Xerloris]

I think that they were more in that series than you're giving them credit for. They took 1-0 and 2-1 series leads. And while we responded perfectly to the game 3 hand pass non-call with a fantastic 1st period in game 4, that game was still damn close. We got outshot 30-22 and held on to win 2-1 after building up a 2-0 lead after the 1st. We went into lead-protect mode for sure, but San Jose noticeably outshot and outchanced us that game. Binner was excellent and we held on to win a really hard fought game.

I think San Jose was absolutely still in that series until the final horn sounded in game 4. We broke them the next game, but I'm not sure that still happens if we had gone into game 5 down 3-1 instead of tied 2-2.

didn't they score 2 goals in the final 3 games of the series? Binnington went into f*** you mode after the handpass.

 

[Eldon Reid]

Honestly this could be one of those trades where all 3 teams win.

SJ got 3 players that they can probably flip at this deadline or next year deadline. (Hoffman has 1 year left and Granlund & Rutta have 2 years left)

Montreal who isn't really competing either that a back up goalie or starter for a while that they can flip at deadline and Petry who is still solid dman and can be flipped as well either this year or next., a got young prospect.

Pitts trying to keep competing so I get trade on their end. Be interested to see Karlsson and Letang on right side and how they divide PP minutes

 

[Reality Czech]

Just read online that Paul Stastny is retiring. If confirmed, he's had one heck of a career. Wonder if he'll settle down in St. Louis like so many other ex Blues, not to mention his local connections.

Happy trails, Paulie Walnuts!

 

[Brian39]

Just read online that Paul Stastny is retiring. If confirmed, he's had one heck of a career. Wonder if he'll settle down in St. Louis like so many other ex Blues, not to mention his local connections.

Happy trails, Paulie Walnuts!

I'd guess that he settles down in Colorado. He spent the first decade of his adult life there between DU and the Avs. I'm not sure if his wife is from there, but they met in Colorado and got married in Colorado. They owned a home there from 2017-2022 (which they sold for a massive profit when the market peaked) and I know that he spent at least some of his summers there.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he (like most people with $50M+ in career earnings) winds up owning homes in multiple cities and I wouldn't be at all surprised if STL is one of them. But Denver and the surrounding area is an absolutely incredible place to live if you have a ton of money and he already has a ton of ties to the community.

I haven't seen a retirement announcement, but I wouldn't be surprised if he has reached the end of the road. He'll be 38 this year and was squarely a 4th liner in Carolina. He was a good 4th liner and I'd bet he could be a good 4th liner this year. But it takes a ton of work/dedication to do that at 38 and I can't blame a guy for deciding it isn't worth it unless the situation is perfect. I thought he might sign in Colorado as a 12th or 14th forward to Cup chase, but who knows if they made an offer. If this is the end, he had a hell of a career. Wish he could have gotten his name on the Cup.

 

[Reality Czech]

I'd guess that he settles down in Colorado. He spent the first decade of his adult life there between DU and the Avs. I'm not sure if his wife is from there, but they met in Colorado and got married in Colorado. They owned a home there from 2017-2022 (which they sold for a massive profit when the market peaked) and I know that he spent at least some of his summers there.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he (like most people with $50M+ in career earnings) winds up owning homes in multiple cities and I wouldn't be at all surprised if STL is one of them. But Denver and the surrounding area is an absolutely incredible place to live if you have a ton of money and he already has a ton of ties to the community.

I haven't seen a retirement announcement, but I wouldn't be surprised if he has reached the end of the road. He'll be 38 this year and was squarely a 4th liner in Carolina. He was a good 4th liner and I'd bet he could be a good 4th liner this year. But it takes a ton of work/dedication to do that at 38 and I can't blame a guy for deciding it isn't worth it unless the situation is perfect. I thought he might sign in Colorado as a 12th or 14th forward to Cup chase, but who knows if they made an offer. If this is the end, he had a hell of a career. Wish he could have gotten his name on the Cup.

Admittedly I might have jumped the gun, but I saw this posted on a hockey blog earlier. Certainly not confirmed, so I might have to issue a retraction later. Now that I take a closer look I see this person misspelled Stastny.

 

[Renard]

It is spelled "Stastny", meaning "happy" in the Czech language. As you well know, Realty Czech.

I don't know anyone in America named Happy. Certainly no members of this forum have the cognomen "happy."

 

[542365]

It is spelled "Stastny", meaning "happy" in the Czech language. As you well know, Realty Czech.

I don't know anyone in America named Happy. Certainly no members of this forum have the cognomen "happy."

My kindergarten teacher was named Mrs. Happy. Probably the perfect name for a teacher of 5 year olds.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

It is spelled "Stastny", meaning "happy" in the Czech language. As you well know, Realty Czech.

I don't know anyone in America named Happy. Certainly no members of this forum have the cognomen "happy."

I would have guessed P9s was a “Happy”.

 

[Reality Czech]

It is spelled "Stastny", meaning "happy" in the Czech language. As you well know, Realty Czech.

I don't know anyone in America named Happy. Certainly no members of this forum have the cognomen "happy."

Yep, šťastný means both happy and lucky in Czech. One of my little hobbies is learning what Czech names mean and composting them to English names. Of course some names are the same (Vrana = Crow, Krejci = Taylor, Mrazek = Frost) well while others are totally, and often amusingly, different. Stastny as you mentioned, plus David Vyborny = Excellent, Jiri Tlusty = George Fat, Sykora = Titmouse.