Around the NHL 2024-2025

[Reality Czech]

I agree. This is now the second time we've been in the mix for an extremely talented player (MT being the other) and we haven't made it happen, only to see that player take off right away after passing.

I do kinda wonder if this is what Army was talking about during the pre-season when he kept mentioning something along the lines of, "It's easy to trade a veteran for a young player, but it's hard to trade a young player for a veteran," or something along those lines. I wonder if we dangled Snuggy/Bolduc/Stenberg as the main piece for Necas and Carolina simply wouldn't bite.

The Blues didn't "pass" on either player. Clearly our offer for MT wasn't as good as Florida's and I doubt Blues fans would have liked the asking price for Necas. Stenberg or Bolduc don't move the needle for Necas, we're talking Snuggerud or Dvorsky +

It's been talked to death but there's no way the Blues could have landed Tkachuk without moving Krug and/or Tarasenko, and considering their NTCs and the covid cap that was next to impossible to do. It's not easy to land top players like this when you're bidding against so many other teams.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

In hindsight, moving Kyrou for Matthew Tkachuk probably would have been a good choice.

And I say that as someone who likes Kyrou and thinks there’s a place for him on this team. But Tkachuk is a elite difference maker.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

In hindsight, moving Kyrou for Matthew Tkachuk probably would have been a good choice.

And I say that as someone who likes Kyrou and thinks there’s a place for him on this team. But Tkachuk is an elite difference maker.

But who’s to say Calgary wouldn’t have still went with Floridas offer? I don’t remember the exact timeline and finer details of it but it’s all would’ve, could’ve, should’ve at this point.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

In hindsight, moving Kyrou for Matthew Tkachuk probably would have been a good choice.

And I say that as someone who likes Kyrou and thinks there’s a place for him on this team. But Tkachuk is a elite difference maker.

Who are we adding to Kyrou? Calgary got a 100 point player, a top pairing defensemen, and a 1st. We would have needed to add Parayko, a first, and another solid piece to the deal to make it go. It's very easy to say we should have traded Kyrou to get it done but there was way more to that deal that we didn't have the assets to match.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Who are we adding to Kyrou? Calgary got a 100 point player, a top pairing defensemen, and a 1st. We would have needed to add Parayko, a first, and another solid piece to the deal to make it go. It's very easy to say we should have traded Kyrou to get it done but there was way more to that deal that we didn't have the assets to match.

Yeah they did, but both were also pending UFAs. There was no guarantee they would get them both signed.

Kyrou was already locked in at a decent number for 8 years. I’m not saying they would have absolutely gone for it, but we likely would have been more in the race.

 

[Reality Czech]

Who are we adding to Kyrou? Calgary got a 100 point player, a top pairing defensemen, and a 1st. We would have needed to add Parayko, a first, and another solid piece to the deal to make it go. It's very easy to say we should have traded Kyrou to get it done but there was way more to that deal that we didn't have the assets to match.

Yeah I have no doubt Army tried to make it happen but his hands were kind of tied with the Krug and Tarasenko deals. Let's say Vladi and Faulk would have waived for Calgary (which was pretty damn unlikely in reality), maybe a package of Vladi, Kyrou and Faulk would have got it done.

The Tkachuk trade was as much about cap flexibility than the return, and only a couple of teams could have realistically made it happen. The fact that Huberdeau and Weegar didn't have NTCs was the main reason Florida was able to make the deal. It's true they only had one year left to UFA but Calgary also could have also traded them again for good assets if they were unable to resign them.

 

[542365]

I love watching the Canes play. This is how hockey is meant to be played.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

Suspension coming for Reaves.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1857957758068244734

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Suspension coming for Reaves.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1857957758068244734

View attachment 931662

Jeez

 

[jura]

ouch

 

[Frenzy31]

That hit made Oiler fans happy.

 

[Stealth JD]

Four games tonight we should be pulling for OT:
EDM-MTL
COL-PHI
DET-SJ
CBJ-BOS

 

[Mike Liut]

BJs up on the Bruins 3-0. The Bruins really are broken.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

BJs up on the Bruins 3-0. The Bruins really are broken.

Apparently 18 teams had scouts at the Bruins game tonight. The stove is heating up!

 

[Mike Liut]

Apparently 18 teams had scouts at the Bruins game tonight. The stove is heating up!

I’d love to have Frederic. I think he’s a UFA at the end of the year, so I’m not giving up anything important. I’d like to take a run at him in FA. He fits our style nicely.

 

[Mike Liut]

Blackhawks move into top draft spot. How many more years are they going to draft top 3? It’s getting ridiculous

 

[Memento]

Blackhawks move into top draft spot. How many more years are they going to draft top 3? It’s getting ridiculous

I don't care about this year. This year doesn't have a single guy that you could definitively say is a "can't-miss" prospect. If they get a number one overall pick in 2026, I'll know the NHL is rigged.

 

[Stealth JD]

The standings are a mess this year…there aren’t even 16-teams deserving of the playoffs at this point. There are TEN teams within 1 game of .500 and another EIGHT teams multiple games under .500, leaving only 14 teams at 2-games above .500 or better.

“W” is for wagon and the league’s two W-teams appear to be just that. The Caps and Jets are at the top of each conference just laying waste to most of their opponents. Meanwhile pre-season favorites like the Avalanche, Oilers and Bruins are stuck in neutral unable to gain enough momentum to get firmly into playoffs position. Minnesota is suddenly a machine while the Preds are in the mix for the top overall draft pick.

Everytime I look to see how much ground the Blues have “gained” on the lottery-picking clubs, more teams have seemingly entered the fray and refuse to climb to or above .500.

I can’t remember a time when there were so many truly mediocre-to awful-clubs. Parity has run rampant in this league and there are only a handful of really good teams left. Picking the Cup favorite at this point seems like a fool’s errand. Gun to the head, I guess I’d choose the Panthers but the league is wide-open for anyone to take it.

Well…not anyone…there are so many badly flawed clubs that half the league is incapable of winning four of seven against anybody, let alone a competent club. There’s just so much bad hockey being played, largely the result of mismanagement of the salary cap league-wide.

 

[PocketNines]

The standings are a mess this year…there aren’t even 16-teams deserving of the playoffs at this point. There are TEN teams within 1 game of .500 and another EIGHT teams multiple games under .500, leaving only 14 teams at 2-games above .500 or better.

“W” is for wagon and the league’s two W-teams appear to be just that. The Caps and Jets are at the top of each conference just laying waste to most of their opponents. Meanwhile pre-season favorites like the Avalanche, Oilers and Bruins are stuck in neutral unable to gain enough momentum to get firmly into playoffs position. Minnesota is suddenly a machine while the Preds are in the mix for the top overall draft pick.

Everytime I look to see how much ground the Blues have “gained” on the lottery-picking clubs, more teams have seemingly entered the fray and refuse to climb to or above .500.

I can’t remember a time when there were so many truly mediocre-to awful-clubs. Parity has run rampant in this league and there are only a handful of really good teams left. Picking the Cup favorite at this point seems like a fool’s errand. Gun to the head, I guess I’d choose the Panthers but the league is wide-open for anyone to take it.

Well…not anyone…there are so many badly flawed clubs that half the league is incapable of winning four of seven against anybody, let alone a competent club. There’s just so much bad hockey being played, largely the result of mismanagement of the salary cap league-wide.

This is a discussion worth exploring. The flip side of this is few teams are locked into place anywhere. It puts a massive premium on shrewdness at the GM level even more than previously, and the luck factor is much higher than back in the late 90s when it was one of about 4 or 5 powerhouses that could ever take the Cup.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

The standings are a mess this year…there aren’t even 16-teams deserving of the playoffs at this point. There are TEN teams within 1 game of .500 and another EIGHT teams multiple games under .500, leaving only 14 teams at 2-games above .500 or better.

“W” is for wagon and the league’s two W-teams appear to be just that. The Caps and Jets are at the top of each conference just laying waste to most of their opponents. Meanwhile pre-season favorites like the Avalanche, Oilers and Bruins are stuck in neutral unable to gain enough momentum to get firmly into playoffs position. Minnesota is suddenly a machine while the Preds are in the mix for the top overall draft pick.

Everytime I look to see how much ground the Blues have “gained” on the lottery-picking clubs, more teams have seemingly entered the fray and refuse to climb to or above .500.

I can’t remember a time when there were so many truly mediocre-to awful-clubs. Parity has run rampant in this league and there are only a handful of really good teams left. Picking the Cup favorite at this point seems like a fool’s errand. Gun to the head, I guess I’d choose the Panthers but the league is wide-open for anyone to take it.

Well…not anyone…there are so many badly flawed clubs that half the league is incapable of winning four of seven against anybody, let alone a competent club. There’s just so much bad hockey being played, largely the result of mismanagement of the salary cap league-wide.

The NHL needs at least 2 or 3 more expansion teams.

 

[Brian39]

Blackhawks move into top draft spot. How many more years are they going to draft top 3? It’s getting ridiculous

This would be year #3 which is pretty much the norm for teams that intentionally tank. This is exactly why so many front offices are so hesitant to tank. Because it is really, really, really hard to pull out of it once you gut your franchise to ensure a spot in the basement.

Personally, I'm rooting for them to win the lottery this year. I don't think there is a Bedard/Cellebrini in this draft class and winning the lottery would make them ineligible to win the lottery in 2026 (and 2027). They are probably going to suck for a while longer and I'd love to reduce the chances that they land Gavin McKenna.