Around the NHL 2023-24 - offseason part II

[Mgd31]

Sounds like Michkov may be the real deal in Philly.

People are already saying he’ll single-handedly keep them as a bubble team. The Metro may not have multiple great clubs, but I think it’s going to be a fight to make the playoffs.

Yea luckily Gauthier decided to go rouge

 

[NJDevs26]

i’ll go one step further and ask if preseason games should even be a thing in 2024. it’s like the olympics- zero upside, all downside from an nhl team’s perspective.

It’s not all downside, they actually need something besides intrasquad scrimmages with no hitting to evaluate people. If we didn’t have a preseason Casey would almost certainly be starting in the AHL. If regulars can’t handle three preseason games at half speed (which is basically the max of what they’ll play) they sure aren’t going to be able to handle 82 at full speed.

 

[Goptor]

The problem with preseason is there are still a bunch of people desperately clinging to the idea of an enforcer. You have NHL regulars adjusting back to their routine and learning new stuff their coaches came up with. Then you have the prospects putting 110% effort trying to show off to get a job. Mixed into those prospects are guys that don't have the talent to play hockey at the highest level so their only path to the NHL is by hitting and punching people.

So you get several guys who desperately want to lay a big hit and punch out a player in hope that it gets them on the team playing against guys who are mainly focusing on improving their conditioning.

 

[Bleedred]

THG on YouTube erroneously referred to Tyce Thompson as the brother of Tage and Logan Thompson, when discussing the players who were waived yesterday, which Tyce was.

Tage is his brother, but I never heard of Logan being their brother. So I just spent a few minutes making sure that wasn’t true. I didn’t know Mark and Michael Stone were brothers for the longes time. And I only just found out two years ago that Brendan and Reilly Smith were brothers. Those surnames are so common, especially Smith and Thompson.

Logan and Tage were born in the same year, and about 8 months apart, so it’s damn near impossible for them to be biological brothers.

 

[MartyOwns]

It’s not all downside, they actually need something besides intrasquad scrimmages with no hitting to evaluate people. If we didn’t have a preseason Casey would almost certainly be starting in the AHL. If regulars can’t handle three preseason games at half speed (which is basically the max of what they’ll play) they sure aren’t going to be able to handle 82 at full speed.

there are also prospect tournaments, teams can do whatever they want. but having a formal preseason is kind of dumb at this point, and even dumber when a team has to travel to prague or whatever.

 

[MadDevil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840712993081840092

 

[Satans Hockey]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840712993081840092

Wonder why they picked 10/24 to stop wearing them, really just should be something that everyone wears all season. It's not like it's taking up valuable advertising space.

 

[MadDevil]

Wonder why they picked 10/24 to stop wearing them, really just should be something that everyone wears all season. It's not like it's taking up valuable advertising space.

From the league's official release...

"The decals will be worn by all players in all games through Oct. 24, when the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks in the final home opener of the season."

Not sure what home openers have to do with wearing a decal honoring players who died, but it's the NHL so who knows.

 

[Nubmer6]

Not sure what home openers have to do with wearing a decal honoring players who died, but it's the NHL so who knows.

I presume it's so every home crowd sees the sticker and has a moment of silence for him.

 

[Guadana]

Everyone knew this. Except these idiot NHL GMs who let him slide at the draft.

Sounds like Michkov may be the real deal in Philly.

People are already saying he’ll single-handedly keep them as a bubble team. The Metro may not have multiple great clubs, but I think it’s going to be a fight to make the playoffs.

Someone is luck enough to draft Holtz by seveth pick, someone is luck enough to draft Michkov.


On the other hand Michkov is in the one of the talentless teams in the east(and west). Imagine if Mtl would have Demidov, Slaf, Suzuki, Caufield, Hage/Newhook/Dach and Michkov. It would be the best top-6 in the league. Deadliest core.
Great they just draft top-4 level right defenseman. Michkov in the same time is playing for quite meh roster with very poor prospect squad. Lucky dumbster idiots from mtl were lucky enough to find HUGE idiots in Ducks to help them to draft Demidov. Its a fun never ending story of drafting stupidity. And it makes draft so much fun.

 

[NJDevs26]

Basically confirming an 8-8 offer lol

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840779793228313058

 

[Satans Hockey]

Basically confirming an 8-8 offer lol

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840779793228313058

I don't wanna get into it but I'm gonna get drop this line lol

 

[Brodeur]

THG on YouTube erroneously referred to Tyce Thompson as the brother of Tage and Logan Thompson, when discussing the players who were waived yesterday, which Tyce was.

Tage is his brother, but I never heard of Logan being their brother. So I just spent a few minutes making sure that wasn’t true. I didn’t know Mark and Michael Stone were brothers for the longes time. And I only just found out two years ago that Brendan and Reilly Smith were brothers. Those surnames are so common, especially Smith and Thompson.

Logan and Tage were born in the same year, and about 8 months apart, so it’s damn near impossible for them to be biological brothers.

I remember back in the day that people were getting in heated arguments over whether Danny and Andrei Markov were brothers (they weren't). More recently, my Sharks buddy was adamant that Nick and Ryan Merkley were brothers because he read some content farm article that said they were; Context of the article being that Ryan must be in the Sharks long term plans if they went out of their way to acquire his "brother."

And obligatory excuse to post the Mr. Thompson clip:

 

[Better Call Sal]

Basically confirming an 8-8 offer lol

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840779793228313058

Oof.

 

[Nubmer6]

I remember back in the day that people were getting in heated arguments over whether Danny and Andrei Markov were brothers (they weren't). More recently, my Sharks buddy was adamant that Nick and Ryan Merkley were brothers because he read some content farm article that said they were; Context of the article being that Ryan must be in the Sharks long term plans if they went out of their way to acquire his "brother."

The question now is if @glenwo2 and Bratt are brothers

 

[sabremike]

I'm a little surprised that Geertsen only played 25 games that year. It felt more like 45.

Tyce may have been something, but anything he could have become was probably derailed by injuries that cause his to miss development time being on the shelf.

 

[JrFischer54]

i’ll go one step further and ask if preseason games should even be a thing in 2024. it’s like the olympics- zero upside, all downside from an nhl team’s perspective.

i think preseason is needed maybe not so many games but its definitely needed to get these guys going. maybe you could eliminate hitting? if thats even possible? make it more like an allstar game type compete level. accidents will still happen but thats why they are called accidents

agree with the olympics

 

[JrFischer54]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840786460922024014

Amazing an expansion team can do this but teams still rather sell at their current prices

 

[Satans Hockey]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840786460922024014

Amazing an expansion team can do this but teams still rather sell at their current prices

I've been talking about this for years so it's great to see, I believe they might be the first NHL arena to do it. The Atlanta teams have been doing if for years and years now. It's a success and it works.

Our arena is like $7 for a bottle of water now. It's absolutely insanity and the owners should be embarrassed.

 

[HBK27]

i’ll go one step further and ask if preseason games should even be a thing in 2024. it’s like the olympics- zero upside, all downside from an nhl team’s perspective.

The 32 Thoughts podcast that dropped this morning gets into this at the start.

Friedman essentially saying that most guys need 2-3 preseason games to get ready for the regular season and that injuries would be worse at the start of the season if they just eliminated the preseason altogether. Even shortening it wouldn't do much as it just means less playing time for AHL, PTO and other guys not the vets.

I hate seeing guys get injured in the preseason as well, but it's hard to imagine the league just scrapping them altogether. Maybe teams would just be able to play intra-squad games instead, but there's still a risk of injury regardless.

 

[Incharge1976]

The 32 Thoughts podcast that dropped this morning gets into this at the start.

Friedman essentially saying that most guys need 2-3 preseason games to get ready for the regular season and that injuries would be worse at the start of the season if they just eliminated the preseason altogether. Even shortening it wouldn't do much as it just means less playing time for AHL, PTO and other guys not the vets.

I hate seeing guys get injured in the preseason as well, but it's hard to imagine the league just scrapping them altogether. Maybe teams would just be able to play intra-squad games instead, but there's still a risk of injury regardless.

There is nothing stopping a team from not playing it's NHL squad during the preseason. Personally, I like the idea of increasing the number of the players that can play in any game like the NFL does. They don't even need to be on the bench. They could be in the clubhouse. Let the NHL guys get a period or half the game in certain games and allow the team to evaluate other players more.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Also the red bulls don't have fan friendly prices but they have been doing this for a few years now where you can buy an all you can drink souvenir cup for $40 for the entire season. While it's still a bit expensive it's not bad at all when you divide it by all the home games so it turns into almost $2 a game if you get 1 refill each game. It's even less the more you get obviously.

I was hoping it was the start of them going towards fan friendly pricing but it hasn't happened yet. I do believe their prices are still cheaper than Prudential which is outta control right now.

I saw this just posted today...

 

[JrFischer54]

I've been talking about this for years so it's great to see, I believe they might be the first NHL arena to do it. The Atlanta teams have been doing if for years and years now. It's a success and it works.

Our arena is like $7 for a bottle of water now. It's absolutely insanity and the owners should be embarrassed.

dont expect billionaires to do the right thing. until people stop paying they wont lower them sad it is

Also the red bulls don't have fan friendly prices but they have been doing this for a few years now where you can buy an all you can drink souvenir cup for $40 for the entire season. While it's still a bit expensive it's not bad at all when you divide it by all the home games so it turns into almost $2 a game if you get 1 refill each game. It's even less the more you get obviously.

I was hoping it was the start of them going towards fan friendly pricing but it hasn't happened yet. I do believe their prices are still cheaper than Prudential which is outta control right now.

I saw this just posted today...

View attachment 911074

yo paying $24 for a stupid hard seltzer is absolutely insane! even $18.50 for the claw is stupid crazy. at least a beer is a beer not a hard seltzer

 

[Satans Hockey]

dont expect billionaires to do the right thing. until people stop paying they wont lower them sad it is


yo paying $24 for a stupid hard seltzer is absolutely insane! even $18.50 for the claw is stupid crazy. at least a beer is a beer not a hard seltzer

It's all insane, the only thing I ever buy is the souvenir cup but at least that I get to take home and use it all year. I haven't paid to eat or drink anything else in the arena for years and years. I just eat before or after the game at home. With having season tickets the cost to eat there every game would cost way more than I'd ever want to spend.

 

[Mgd31]

Wait $40 for an all you can drink cup? That's an insanely awesome deal.